Commodore Remix

Even I have been a while here at remix64.com in years, this is my first post here and my first C64 remix:
Uneven Bars Epyx Summer Remix

This is a lesser listen and more simple, but very catchy tune, which come from the game Games Summer Edition by Epyx with the Uneven Bars event (hince the name). The original tune should have created by Chris Grigg (it have 3 authors on the original sid).

I would like to have some critic before uploading it.

I would love if Reyn Ouwehand put a hand on this catcy tune, since it would suit his newest The Blithe album very well....

Note: I have remixed it with heardphones, because I dosent have decents speackers. But it should sound very well.
Note: These many edits is mostly just formatted text more correctly (sorry about it).

Please note: This version in this first post is now quite old.

Please listen to the lastest version, which is one of the last posts.

Please comment this one, because I need to improve this song, since it got rejected in the first upload. Hince I need to improve it first before reuploading again.

Here the comment I got:

* - Well, this sounds like a badly performed Amiga mod with
TOTAL stereo separation and uneven melody beat. There
actually IS a function called quantize in most sequencers, you know.

I have turned the seperated stereo seperating much more down. I have also turned the volume of the organ piano down a bit.

I do not want to quantize piano/organ instruments, because it would sound to much machine (it would been nearly the same, if I just replaced sid sounds with a instrument).

I do have quantized the crash sound now to keep it syncs with the quantized drums.

* - The title isn't the only thing uneven about this tune, as
the tinny piano lead struggles to keep up with the rest of
it.

Do Actuelly not know that it mean with the tinny paino?

Here is the second version of it:
Uneven Bars Epyx Summer Remix v2

___________________________________

Here is third version of this song, where some "out of sync" notes sound better in second last part (they are also present in C64 version as well).
Uneven Bars Epyx Summer Remix v3

Hi spacefractal,

I hate to say this but to my ears this sounds like a straight forward SID2MIDI conversion with a bit of tweaking. I agree that it's a great little tune but for it to be accepted at RKO it really needs to be bring something to the table.

What production software are you using for this?

I use the large version of XXL FL-Studio with most plugins + one more VST plugin outside FL-Studio.

First of course I have need to convert from SID2MIDI, because I could not play all notes "live" with my Keystation 49e keyboard. But I have of course rerecorded these converted notes with new notes from my keyboard (without quantize them, but tweeked a little bit) and then I removed the SID2MIDI channels again.

The tune it self is really really simple and straigt, but I really liked this one. I might have speeded this tune a bit up, even the original sid seens to play at wrong speed (here I have the original tape, and it played it only at 50hz, not 60hz).

Does version 3 a approvement, or do I need more from the original submitted tune (version 1)?

But what do I really need to approve this tune (should I use more instruments and/or swap some instrumts out)?

This is the fourth edition of the tune:
Uneven Bars Epyx Summer Remix v4

Sound Better or badder (tried to add another lead instrument and few added reberb effects)?

Any chance you can send me over a Zipped Loop of the project (file->export->zipped loop package)?

I think it might be easier if I could see and hear the source...

Send it to me over mail to the mailbox in my sig...

My post got deleted? Maybe due to the database crash yesterday?

Anyway here it is again:

I might have forgot to say I have forgot to write which song it all about, because I might have titled the song completly wrong:
MUSICIANS\G\Grigg_Chris\Games_Summer_Edition_event.sid, subsong 3

5th version of the song, thanks to Skitz for your suggestions, which this song now sound nicer.
Uneven Bars Epyx Summer Remix v5

Now I might have this song titled correct.... Games Summer Edition (Uneven Bars)

spacefractal wrote:5th version of the song, thanks to Skitz for your suggestions, which this song now sound nicer.
Uneven Bars Epyx Summer Remix v5

Now I might have this song titled correct.... Games Summer Edition (Uneven Bars)

Well, even if you get the name right (and fill in the form correctly) the song still have to meet a quality bar to be accepted. And in this case I think you shouldn't hope for an approval, I just can't see how this would be admitted.

Just keep working and try picking up some inspiration from other remixers.

Constructive critic is all I need, not just tell how good/bad it is. Elsewice it hard to improvement it.

Skitz do have a good job to trying for improvements (we emailed together), and version 5 now sound a lots better than version 1.

I don't think it's that bad at all. I would rate it something between "average" and "good" in its current state. Has a nice positive feel to it, instrumentation is good. Mixing is quite harsh and unbalanced. Keep it up!

Hi thanks.

I look on the mixing (which is not my strong side), what skitz thinks I can do on that part (and maybe get the new FLP file, Skitz just ask me if you need it).

I guess I keep the instruments now as it are, and now just looking on the mixer/balance issues.

_____

Tried to look on panning and balance issues (it might still not perfect, but I'm are not a proffessionel):
Games Summer Edition (Uneven Bars) v6

I waiting to doing anything more on that song when I haerd comment from Skitz as well.

No additional comments from me sir.... just the ones I sent you in the mail. Still sounds like it is trying to be too many genre's and the drums just don't fit - but as I said, that's just my opinion.

If you want me to mix it then send me a Zipped FLP again via mail.

Sent.

I have wrote some comment to you also around the genre. Might it not the drums, that is the problem, but more than its Piano sound?

spacefractal wrote:Sent.

I have wrote some comment to you also around the genre. Might it not the drums, that is the problem, but more than its Piano sound?

I think the one thing that doesn't fit (in my opinion) is the piano (and the fact that it's panned all the way to the right making it sound like "away" from the main song). The piano-part really detracted from the rest of the song. I would've chosen a different sound, added some "air" to it and placed it near center in the mix.

EDIT: just listened to v6 and it sounds a lot better than the version I heard first. Still needs a little more work though (the melody @ 1:46 and forward sounds out of sync with the rest for a bit).