SZRC - The Sonic Zone Remix Competition 2014 [TheGuitahHeroe wins - complete ZIP available!]

[Rexy]

And given that Sonic Lost World is so new, there are no midis for the game

Usually if I mix something with no MIDIs and I want it to still sound faithful, I try recreating it by ear in Reaper first. Then you'd have something to pick from when making the actual mix x)

[Mirby]

Tuberz McGee vs. Sterling Ortiz: Love the song title, Tuberz. Great mix too, very happy. Sterling, a nice attempt but the soundscape was a bit too barren.

Garpocalypse vs. DusK: Very well done, Gar. Nice cohesive song with great integration of the sources. You did well too, DusK, though it feels like this song isn't unfinished. I'd love to see a more complete version of it though.

TheGuitahHeroe vs. Eino: Both yer songs are amazing. All I can say about yer track, Jamison, is DAAAAAMN. Eino, love the classic rock vibe yours gives off. What the heck does the title mean though?

therex vs. BrothaDom: Great songs. Short and sweet from you, Ethan, and BrothaDom, nice vocals.

Shaggy vs. Flexstyle: Close call, but I have a spot spot for THE CONCRETE MEN. Anyways, I already talked to y'all in IRC, great work both of you.

urdailywater vs. BlackPanther: Also good songs. BlackPanther, you should finish yours up still, I enjoyed what I heard, but unfortunately being unfinished as it was holds it back. urdailywater, very enjoyable mix.

PETE VS BEN: Wait that should be feat. not vs. Either way, glad that Ben managed to sneak into the SZRC anyways. Fun song, great title.

Chernabogue vs. Arceace: Also really good songs. Chernabogue, yours seemed a bit long-winded, to be honest. Arceace, your track was groovin'.

Great work from everyone this week, can't wait for Round 2 from both brackets~

[Eino Keskitalo]

EDIT: And is it just me, or does Eino's track kinda remind anyone else of Money for Nothing by Dire Straits?

I struck a chord by accident which made the whole arrangement take the adult rock route.. my creative advisor calls it "ZZ Top meets punk.. in a bad way"

Eino, love the classic rock vibe yours gives off. What the heck does the title mean though?

Glad to hear that! Here's the title: http://translate.google.com/#auto/en/sininen%20siili%20sillalla

--Eino

Edited February 9, 2014 by evktalo
reply to mirby

[DusK]

My track definitely isn't as polished as I would like, but I'm still glad I was able to submit something. It's my second full-orchestra track ever, my first orchestral remix ever, and the first time I've ever made a remix without live recording anything.

[Chernabogue]

Glad to hear that! Here's the title: http://translate.google.com/#auto/en/sininen%20siili%20sillalla

Hahahaha, awesome! That's really funny how it reads/sounds in Finnish!

[DiGi Valentine]

Tuberz - Without fail, you opened up the Robotnik bracket with a fantastically strong entry. Perfect way to start the show. I would not have expected any less of you. Great track, man!

Sterling Ortiz - Nice try but it just sounded a little too empty. Sorry

Garpocalypse - You really surprised me with this one. I don't know why it surprised me, but it did. And i really liked it. Feels very 80's to me, that could be why. But anyways, seriously though, bloody great tune.

DusK - And then this also surprised me. Oddly enough, the style seems to suit you. I'm used to hearing rock and vox coming from your tracks so this was a nice surprise and change of pace. Good track.

TheGuitahHeroe - Can not fault a good produced song, not when it hits like this. And i'm the kinda guy who's a little tired of DubStep but you really won me over here. Great work.

Eino Keskitalo - i am definitely hearing that old rock sound here. I can't remember who said it now but someone (edit - it was Flexstyles) mentioned it reminded them of Dire Straits, and i totally agree. Nice song. Honestly, you could have probably got someone like Brandon Strader on to drop some vocals and this track would have been an absolute killer.

therex - You definitely had the stronger song out of your match up, the production was on point and it sounded kicking. That switch up at 1:21 was beautiful. You did absolutely great with this track.

BrothaDom - There's a reason i voted for you out of your bout with therex. As i mentioned above, out of your match up he definitely had the stronger produced track, i can't deny that. The reason i voted for you is because i know you and i know you've got a lot to give, you have a lot of great idea's but sometimes one thing or another seems to let you down or hold your song back. I want to truly see the day where you absolutely blast those bars, man. Like the "let's go!" moment in the beginning of your track, i would have LOVED to have heard you really yell that, just take it to town, let people really hear energy in your voice. You have a charming way of writing lyrics, i totally love the homage to the Ninja Turtles too and your choice of rhymes were good (he's been hitting the gym/ no one's stronger than him/ etc). Clearly you have great idea's for tracks and song ideas, i would just like to see the day where your vocal skills are used to their full potential and you completely cut loose. Go absolutely Super Sonic Saiyan Kaio Ken x20 on that microphone, man. So, i'm voting on you because i know you have way more to give, you just need the right moment to make it happen. You did have a very strong opponent here, i won't lie, but seriously i have major respect for you holding your own. So take my vote but keep working hard and bring out that style of yours more, ok?

TheShaggyFreak - Jazz is one style of music i truly love, and you handled it well in this song. I enjoyed that, good work.

Flexstyle - Oh. My. God. I mean ....jeeez ...phenomenal. Can't fault it. Not at all. That was superb.

urdailywater - A great use of both the sources, with a seriously thumping head nodding kick. Good stuff.

BlackPanther - I nearly voted on you. I had your name typed out and everything. I changed my mind at the last second because just having Spring Yard appear at the end like that seemed so ...i don't know, it's a shame :/ One extra minute. Hell, 30 extra seconds and maybe an attempt to at least use the second source a bit more fully and you would have won me over. This song is chilled, it's nice, it's got a beautiful feel to it and i was really reaaaally enjoying it, i was nodding my head and just sitting back in my chair listening to it ...until that abrupt ending kinda came in and totally killed the mood that the whole song had been building. Great song, just an utter shame it's not finished.

Phonetic - Oh, hey. You brought a Briggs to the party. Yeah, of course i liked it, what did you think i was going to say? XD Shame your opponent couldn't submit something in time, it would have been nice to have seen this hard hitting track actually go up against something.

Chernabogue - Epic! Nothing else to say, just epic!

Arceace - Really good energy, very active. Nice work.

Edited February 10, 2014 by DiGi Valentine

[Mirby]

Glad to hear that! Here's the title: http://translate.google.com/#auto/en/sininen%20siili%20sillalla

--Eino

Well then I love the song even more knowing what it means now XD

[Cash]

Cash – Another really fun and bouncy song. Nice instrumentation choices! As the others have mentioned, the arrangement didn’t feel quite as cohesive as it kind of bounced around between sections. Really cool tho and a nice nod to Marble Madness too

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed my remix. I was also happy with the instrumentation, but yeah, the arrangement was all over the place.

Cash: Not sure how I feel about that lead synth. it works in context of the song though. i guess it's just not the type of stuff i usually hear. not a bad thing, it's unique. more drum variation would help this one a lot. they could actually be a lot stronger to make the song sound bigger. good job though.

Thanks, much appreciated! I was planning on more drum variation, but ran out of time.

[Garpocalypse]

Garpocalypse vs. DusK: Very well done, Gar. Nice cohesive song with great integration of the sources. You did well too, DusK, though it feels like this song isn't unfinished. I'd love to see a more complete version of it though.

While I am not one to argue for the ethics of cohesiveness... I do appreciate the comment! There's still some stuff I want to rewrite and mix better but I am definitely putting this one in the pile I am throwing at the judges.

Garpocalypse - You really surprised me with this one. I don't know why it surprised me, but it did. And i really liked it. Feels very 80's to me, that could be why. But anyways, seriously though, bloody great tune.

I thought it would be a good idea to start this year's SZRC by selling out as fast as possible. No, I just really wanted to try an 80's inspired track at some point and especially since The Jetzons Hard Times song surfaced a short time ago I thought this Sonic Remix competition would be a good place to try it.

Working on Vol 2 of the SZRC's 2014 RAGE REVIEWS which will be up in a day or two. fantastic round!

[SuperiorX]

So I wrote the bulk of my arrangement today I don't quite know what exactly it is, but I think it's a little something like this:

SuperiorX: I dunno when you became GrooveLord 9000 but I love it.

We'll see how it progresses during the week, but I'm glad I got a solid barebones arrangement done today.

[halc]

my mix is started, lyrics in progress. this track gon' be funky.

[Ethan Rex]

stream of consciousness reviews:

Tuberz: Lead seems a little buried until the guitar comes in. Things are mixed a little quiet, especially the drums. Guitar work is awesome, and I certainly dig the arrangement. Guitar stuff at the end sounds skipped, not sure if it was intentional, but it was a little jarring.

Nova: Soundscape is thin - get more sounds that fill out the soundscape. Things get a little arhythmic near the end as well.

Gar: Love the 80s theme here. Things can get a tad bare at times, but the guitar flourishes are excellent and add a lot of subtle complexity to the piece. Transition around 2:18 is a little jarring. A change in pace or sounds would be appreciated, I was about 3 minutes into the piece and felt like it was dragging on a tad.

DusK: Cool to hear a different style from you! Some of the samples sound a little stiff (especially the strings) and could use some humanization. Piano could be a tad brighter as well. Definitely dug the arrangement on this one.

TheGuitahHeroe - You accomplished what I was attempting to do with my track lol. EDM sounds and arrangement are hella tight, and production is slick, if maybe a tad on the quiet side. Nice work man, I'm completely terrified of potentially facing you next round if the voting goes in both of our favors.

Eino - Dug the blues feel right off the bat. Drums are pretty wimpy and there's not a lot of other sounds outside of the guitars. I like the arrangement here for the most part though, so nice work on that.

BrothaDom - I agree with Digi that this has a lot of potential. Soundscape is pretty thin and there's some note clashes in spots, but the lyrics are heeeeellllla on point man. I dig it.

Shaggy - I <3 jazz. A lot of the sounds are stiff, but considering these are Kontact factory samples, this is pretty nice. Things sounded a bit empty as well.

Flex - I love it. Super Daft Punk feel in parts of this I adore. Arrangement is on point too.

urdailywater - Soundscape is a little bare sometimes. Dug the piano. Arrangement was a bit odd in a way I can't quite articulate.

BlackPanther - smoov intro. Things are a tad quiet. Some key issues near the end. Sounds pretty unfinished.

Phonetic Hero - Sexy intro, and I love the lead (I even tried to steal it for my track ). I can definitely hear the Ben Briggs Briggsin' it up, and you guys compliment each other really well. Solid work.

Chern - Things sound maybe a tad overcompressed, or at least the bass drum is way too overpowering. Choir was a cool effect, but pretty mechanical.

Arceace - Some solid EDM stuff here, though I didn't care much for the snare sample. Glitch effect stuff was unexpected but worked well. Nice work.

For my track, I used more cyber track than I probably should, but hopefully the music plant flourishes and the 1:21 breakdown were significant. I wish I had a bit more time to write a better ending and smooth out a couple wrinkles, but overall I'm happy with it, I hope you guys enjoyed it.

[ad.mixx]

thanks for the reviews everyone. i might update this track so that the piano parts sound a little more full (especially in parts like 1:20-1:30 and 2:07-2:23) but i was pretty happy with in general. if i do i'll post it here with the same tagging since i probably won't sub it.

[KingTiger]

Quick, someone go give KingTiger a call!

That was my first thought.

heh, I'm flattered. Dunno if I'm willing to put in the pingas references (even if they make me laugh when I hear them in other artists' work, I prefer not to include innuendo in my own work) but I'll see what I can do. Depends on what Beth asks me to contribute

[jnWake]

I have a general idea for my arrangement... It'll be very different from my Round 1 one. Hope it works out!

[Tuberz McGee]

Tuberz - Without fail, you opened up the Robotnik bracket with a fantastically strong entry. Perfect way to start the show. I would not have expected any less of you. Great track, man!

Thankies babe. xoxox

I really liked my track this week, anyone thing I should submit it?

Ethan, you said that my production needed a bit of work, can you halp.

I don't know how to do a mixing.

Bring it. Any special rules for this round?

must include rap and no fewer than 4 pingas jokes

No special rules, but I personally will be attempting the quote below.

It's official, these are the rules for the Halc/ladyWildfire matchup.

I will PERSONALLY collab on any of these if y'all want. Totally excited. <3

Edited February 10, 2014 by Tuberz McGee

[BrothaDom]

BrothaDom - You have a charming way of writing lyrics, i totally love the homage to the Ninja Turtles too and your choice of rhymes were good (he's been hitting the gym/ no one's stronger than him/ etc). Clearly you have great idea's for tracks and song ideas, i would just like to see the day where your vocal skills are used to their full potential and you completely cut loose. Go absolutely Super Sonic Saiyan Kaio Ken x20 on that microphone, man. So, i'm voting on you because i know you have way more to give, you just need the right moment to make it happen. You did have a very strong opponent here, i won't lie, but seriously i have major respect for you holding your own. So take my vote but keep working hard and bring out that style of yours more, ok?

Thanks DiGi, it's good to hear such encouragement. (And I'm glad the Ninja Turtles stuff came through, heh) Definitely going to keep working hard and trying to make something refined that pops!

I agree with Digi that this has a lot of potential. Soundscape is pretty thin and there's some note clashes in spots, but the lyrics are heeeeellllla on point man. I dig it.

That's some stuff I was really concerned about. I didn't want to crowd the space too much and have it sound muddy, so I'll keep looking out for ways to do that. As far as the note clashes...that was my biggest challenge, I'm glad I even got it to where it's currently at.

therex vs. BrothaDom: Great songs. Short and sweet from you, Ethan, and BrothaDom, nice vocals.

Thanks

[theshaggyfreak]

Tuberz - I’m not a huge fan of the fade in. I would maybe make it shorter or remove it. Guitar tone is a bit on the muddy side. The one keyboard part panning back and forth…I’d limit the use of panning somewhat. I felt it was distracting. Was the crackling near the end intentional? Nice composition and nice guitar work, though!

Sterling Ortiz - Some nice ideas but I can tell that this is pretty much a WIP. Keep working on it!

Garpocalypse - I really like the guitar sound! Reminds me a bit of The Police. The piece definitely has an 80s feel to it. Some of the keyboard parts could have even come from a Korg M1 or a DX7. Very nice!

DusK - Some of the string sounds could use more humanization. Nice composition!

TheGuitahHeroe - Nice straight up electronic type piece. It could do with less pumping but that’s just a matter of taste. Good composition!

Eino - I think I would have liked to hear a bit less mud in the one guitar tone. I really like the lose feel of the song. Be careful of the machine gunning snare sound. If you need better drum sounds, the Sennheiser DrumMic’a is free and is pretty decent. Good show!

Therex - Got the dub step thing going on. Not my thing but I felt it fairly was well implemented. Could use more variation. Polish it up!

BrothaDom - The vocals really are too dry for my taste and could use more oomph. Needs more emotion! Work at it!

Flexstyle - Great composition! Very nice and polished!

urdailywater - Nice jam. I think I might have gone with a different drum sound, though. I can’t pinpoint why but it just seems out of place to me.

BlackPanther - Very smooth. I really like the feel of it. It just needs to be expanded on!

Phonetic Hero - Good groove! Very polished sound! Funky fresh!

Chernabogue - The drums that are out wide sound a bit weird in this piece. I would put them a bit farther back in the mix and maybe more centered. There’s some weird pumping going on which isn’t something I really want to hear in a piece like this. Nice composition, though!

Arceace - I feel like I should be doing aerobics with this for some reason. One, two, three, four! Kick! Kick! Very cool piece!

[Rexy]

Ethan, you said that my production needed a bit of work, can you halp.

I don't know how to do a mixing.

I'm not therex, but anosou

a few months ago that should be able to help you guys out.

[Ethan Rex]

Thankies babe. xoxox

I really liked my track this week, anyone thing I should submit it?

Ethan, you said that my production needed a bit of work, can you halp.

Totally forgot to reply to this, but I'll give it a few more listens and let you know after class today.

Although honestly at least half of the people here are better at production and are probably more qualified to give advice.

[Garpocalypse]

Gar: Love the 80s theme here. Things can get a tad bare at times, but the guitar flourishes are excellent and add a lot of subtle complexity to the piece. Transition around 2:18 is a little jarring. A change in pace or sounds would be appreciated, I was about 3 minutes into the piece and felt like it was dragging on a tad.

I had a section or two I meant to improvise over. It got to the point where I was an hour before the deadline and realized that I had ...forgotten.

Garpocalypse - I really like the guitar sound! Reminds me a bit of The Police. The piece definitely has an 80s feel to it. Some of the keyboard parts could have even come from a Korg M1 or a DX7. Very nice!

Those are some ears. Yea it's a Korg M1 which is one of my favorite keyboards ever made. Can't get an 80's-90's sound without one!

[Mirby]

I'm not therex, but anosou

a few months ago that should be able to help you guys out.

To be fair, you are A rex, so that probably counts for something

[theshaggyfreak]

Those are some ears. Yea it's a Korg M1 which is one of my favorite keyboards ever made. Can't get an 80's-90's sound without one!

Hah! The M1 has a pretty iconic sound and was used in SO many hit records of the day.

[Rexy]

Ladies and gents, this past Friday's SEGA Mixer Drive episode showing the Sonic Bracket Round 1 tracks is now available to download.

[timaeus222]

I'm not therex, but anosou

a few months ago that should be able to help you guys out.

I'd recommend that video too. I think anosou makes good sense and what he said in that video applies in the general case (though not in exactly the same way with everything, of course).