Lemonectric Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Is this where I come to complain about how difficult Virt's melodies are to replicate?Cuz I kinda want to. Nothing like a hella tight rhythm track to match me vaguely attempting to play a melody xD I've made multiple failed attempts at virt arrangements. It's the harmonies that get me. I like when people post their thoughts in the Mega Man competitions, so here are mine: Cosmic Sounds: Love the minimalist intro and the way it sets the mood. It took me repeated listens to locate the source usage throughout the track, though (and I'm pretty familiar with Shovel Knight). I can hear that it's there, but it's subtle to the point that it comes across as more of an original track. Gario: This one starts leaning the other way (toward straight cover territory), but there are definitely Gario touches sprinkled in. Despite falling short of what I know you're capable of with more time on your hands, it's still a very enjoyable track. Supercoolmike: Harmonic soundscape is a little sparse--the original track has fuller chords in its favor. I could see it as being representative of more of a bleak scene rather than an epic final battle, though it does leave me wanting a little more depth. Ultimately, my decision between Cosmic and Super came down to source usage. Separated from the context of ReMixing, I might've picked Cosmic over Super, but I feel source recognizability is too important of a factor for this kind of competition. I understand opposite votes, though. Overall, I'm glad to see four different games get represented! I hope this trend continues! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiFiSunset Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I like when people post their thoughts in the Mega Man competitions, so here are mine: Cosmic Sounds: Love the minimalist intro and the way it sets the mood. It took me repeated listens to locate the source usage throughout the track, though (and I'm pretty familiar with Shovel Knight). I can hear that it's there, but it's subtle to the point that it comes across as more of an original track. Ultimately, my decision between Cosmic and Super came down to source usage. Separated from the context of ReMixing, I might've picked Cosmic over Super, but I feel source recognizability is too important of a factor for this kind of competition. I understand opposite votes, though. Overall, I'm glad to see four different games get represented! I hope this trend continues! I like seeing these as well . Thanks for the comments on my song! I probably should have done a breakdown for this song sooner to show that I've utilized 50% of the source. Using this link: Source breakdown: My song's time (Source time in parenthesis) 0:00 - 1:00 (Source 0:00 - 0:14) (0:59 - 1:29) (2:14 - 2:44) (3:28 - 3:48 ) 1:00 - 1:15 (Source 0:20 - 0:30) (1:36 - 1:44) (2:50 - 2:59) 1:15 - 1:30 (Source 0:30 - 0:35) (1:44 - 1:49) (3:00 - 3:05) 1:30 - 2:00 (Source 0:14 - 0:18 ) (1:29 - 1:34) (2:44 - 2:48 ) 2:00 - 2:50 (Source 0:00 - 0:14) (0:59 - 1:29) (2:14 - 2:44) Plus the Bass plays some of the Bass notes in the source. So: 0:00 - 0:35 35 sec 0:59 - 1:49 50 sec 2:14 - 3:05 51 sec 3:28 - 3:48 20 sec 35 + 50 + 51 + 20 = 101 + 55 = 156 = 120 sec + 36 sec = 2 min and 36 secs of source. A little bit over-technical, but yeah I slowed down the source which also factors into to it being hard to find. I agree this was a great Round! (Post my thoughts a bit later). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supercoolmike Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Supercoolmike: Harmonic soundscape is a little sparse--the original track has fuller chords in its favor. I could see it as being representative of more of a bleak scene rather than an epic final battle, though it does leave me wanting a little more depth. it sounded more bleak then an epic final battle, because that's what I was going for. Brevon has won, Lilac and the others are now powerless to do anything but to watch the destruction that Brevon is unleashing upon the world. I'm also going to have to agree with you about this song needing more depth, or the soundscape being too sparce. That's mostly my fault because I'm not really used to remake songs by ear completely yet. I Couldn't re-enact the sources chords or synths, or even the piano in the breaks. i did what i could get (which was the drums and the melody) and I tried to improvise so that those missing elements can at least be redeemed. Cosmic Sounds - really dig the ambience you have set up here. A reminder of how eerie a struggle can be for some one when going through hardships... My other thoughts on this are pretty mush the same with Hylian lemons comment on your piece, then you posted your music breakdown and processes of this piece and it helped me understand more of your intentions. Great piece here. Gario - Like how the song has synths to switch between complexity to the 8-bit style to coexist. Nice job here. Hylian Lemon - can't really give a good critique other then being cheesy and say that I like this song. lol A more specific way to elaborate on what I like about this piece is that the whole song sounds like its being played on a modern Game Boy that doesn't have the limitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyril the Wolf Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) Cosmic Sounds: Whoa, that is ONE heck of a soundscape. I really enjoy how you took something that was sort of a straightforward chiptune and really gave it a sort of new dreamy take that would be like in the "Ultra HD Remix" version of the game I would think. Very 3D Final Fantasy to my ears. That being said though, it didn't stick in my ears as much as the original or the other entries in this round did. Gario: All I can say is UNF to that sick acidic bass sound you have going. I will admit that when it first started I was like "WHY IS THE KICK ALL SNAP AND NO SUB BASS" but you brought in the sub for me later so I forgive you. I really enjoyed how you amplified the source's feel and gave it a sense of urgency. Also I appreciated the layers you had going on. I feel like the reverb on the strings could have been toned back just a touch, but I really like stark soundscapes. Hylian Lemon: How dare you incorporated two sources! I really enjoy how you melded them together though, it worked pretty well in my opinion. The chip backing I feel like was a little... weird an distracting when it came in, not sure if it was the sound or if I just feel like the combo between that synth being used as a pad plus the additional chorded tones just overcomplicates it for me, overall though I really dug your arrangement and production values. Supercoolmike: While I think I see the direction you were going with this, it was a little quiet My main issue with it is that to my ears it just sounds like the source tune nigh-verbatim slowed down, and while I appreciate epic final boss music I feel like the energy loss was very apparent in this case. Maybe if it had some more activity in the woodwinds in the form of quick arps and.or counter-melodies it would have gotten the idea across a lot more. Quick Q: Can I upload my entry to my youtube with Download or would you rather me wait until the competition is over? Edited January 17, 2015 by Cyril the Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonectric Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Quick Q:Can I upload my entry to my youtube with Download or would you rather me wait until the competition is over? The standard procedure for these competitions tends to be "as soon as the .zip for your round is public, go for it." If shadow's against it, I've already broken the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) Well, my song for this round has been submitted. I wish I had more time to work on it but life got in the way of putting more effort into it than I could have. I really enjoyed what team alpha put forth! Let's see what our bravo team does. Edited January 18, 2015 by theshaggyfreak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Most of the way done, but have to run out for a bit. Will definitely be done before the deadline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow24 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Hey guys. I've got the flu or something but I'll post stuff tomorow. Received 3 emails so far from submitters. don't forget to vote for alpha round one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Sent mine off as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gercr Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) Just sent mine, I had a hard time finishing, because I got tendinitis. Well, If life give you lemons, you ignore the pain and keep on playing. Im eager to hear what you guys will do this round. (also, im not sure if the PM was sent correctly soo let me know if theres any problem, thanks) Edited January 18, 2015 by gercr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonectric Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Five solid entries and two new games represented! Nice job, Bravo crew! I'll make sure to post my thoughts when I get a chance to listen in detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) I know mine is on the repetitive side (and short). Since I didn't have a lot of time to work on it, I just kind of went for a short mood jam. I would rather have something to post than nothing at all. Edited January 18, 2015 by theshaggyfreak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow24 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) Ok, everything for Bravo should be posted. Alpha winners, please contact me so I can deliver your prizes. If anyone notices something amiss then please let me know so I can fix it. Edited January 18, 2015 by shadow24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garpocalypse Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 This is an exciting round! Good to see some different rock/metal genre's represented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyril the Wolf Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 This is an exciting round! Good to see some different rock/metal genre's represented. Yea! I knew I had to bring my A-game with you in the bracket with me (also see: Nutritious) Yours was pretty intensely awesome, more intense and indepth comments forthcoming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eino Keskitalo Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Oh poo, if I'd realized that every round was going to have cash prizes I would quite likely greedily entered the compo. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the submissions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garpocalypse Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Yea! I knew I had to bring my A-game with you in the bracket with me (also see: Nutritious) Yours was pretty intensely awesome, more intense and indepth comments forthcoming Thanks man that means a lot! I have a major "thing" for symphonic metal and really enjoyed your entry. It seems Nut-rageous is definitely showing off why he is a judge of this community. Now I know it was justified being worried about competing with him. I wasn't sure if reviews were encouraged with prizes on the line for this competition but I'll probably try to get a set of Rage Reviews together before long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow24 Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 This round is quite good. Seems like everyone is picking up momentum too. Reviews are fine I guess. Lately I've been listening to Within Temptation and Lindsey Stirling so symphonic metal resonates with my natural preferences as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonectric Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Tough vote! As for reviews, I guess it's true that they could end up skewing the results, but I find that the process of writing them really helps me think about my decision. Cyril the Wolf - I'm really liking the creative chord changes sprinkled throughout. Production is also pretty good, but it's the arrangement that sets this one apart for me. Garpocalypse - Nice work pumping energy into the more subdued source. Pretty well-rounded in terms of arrangement and production. gercr - Kudos for taking on La-Mulana. The first half of the arrangement is fantastic. I'd have liked to see the two sources working together rather than simply being placed side by side, but that's not really an explicit part of this competition. The rhythm does feel a mite sloppy between the guitars and drums in the second half. Nutritious - Probably the strongest production values of the group, and the arrangement holds its own as well. In thinking about what's most important to me in a ReMix, I decided Cyril's arrangement was more interesting, but it was a close one. theshaggyfreak - Cool idea to go for a totally different musical style. This is another case where the changes in the arrangement are a little too extreme for my liking, but I do like the sound design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garpocalypse Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Thanks for the crits! I've been jotting some stuff down every time I listen to the mixes posted this round and i'll probably put them here when I get back from MAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 theshaggyfreak - Cool idea to go for a totally different musical style. This is another case where the changes in the arrangement are a little too extreme for my liking, but I do like the sound design. Thanks for the comment! I like to try and break the mold a bit when I do competitions like this. I also like to go a bit out of my comfort zone. I might possible revisit this one later on and smooth things out. There are definitely some spots that are a bit jarring. I probably did concentrate more on the sound design than the composition itself. It was about the best I could do with only a couple of afternoons available to work on it. I'm always amazed at what others are able to accomplish. It really does inspire me to become a better composer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Great round this week, guys Thought I'd leave some feedback as I'm putting together my vote. -gercr: Nice, moody intro. Good idea to transition into rock. Timing gets a bit loose at places between guitars & drums, which can sometimes be fixed in post-processing, so perhaps something to look into. Very good energy too; enjoyed it. -Cyril: Great intro with gritty guitars and the orchestral backing. I was thinking of doing this source myself, but was a bit intimidated by it . Great job really utilizing everything the source has to offer. Bass was just awesome. See if you can get more energy from the orchestra to stand up to the guitar powah. Great track. -Shaggy: Wow, very creative instrumentation and approach here. Tough source to tackle. Solid sound design/sample usage here. I can tell you put a lot of care into the writing as there is constant changes and variations happening throughout the track. Make sure you don't lose sight of your source tune, so the listener can make connections as well. By nature, I think this type of genre approach may not share as broad appeal as something like Rock, but you shouldn't let that take anything from what you want to create. Nice work -Garpocalypse: Great energy throughout this one. Really solid arrangement too. Probably the best ending of the bunch too. Loved how things progressed throughout in general. I'd focus on trying to get a little more "meat" in the drums mid range and overall mastering compression to level the soundfield out a bit and help this to really shine. This really is going to be a tough vote. I like elements of all the tracks, TBH. Edited January 23, 2015 by Nutritious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow24 Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 I've received one entry for bracket charlie so far with a little over two hours left. Please finish voting for bracket bravo as well while the time is still in your favor. Payment for alpha bracket winners is 1/3 complete at the moment. Those of you at magfest have a blast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Covenant Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I've received one entry for bracket charlie so far with a little over two hours left. Sorry guys, no Vector Point Hemorrhaging Vampire Cactus this week. I set aside some time to make my remix today, but I'm still recovering from a serious illness and ended up sleeping almost the whole day. With the time I was conscious, I tried to OHC it, but I couldn't focus well enough to really do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghetto Lee Lewis Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Submitted. Good luck to everyone this week. Sorry I haven't been more active so far in this compo. I broke my leg a couple weeks ago and have been on some strong meds since my surgery. I really look forward to beating Brandon a second and third time though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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