Topic: July 2018 Castlevania Dungeon MUSIC Contest

[Shiroi Koumori]

Deadline for submissions: July 31st (11:59 PM PST)
Judgement: by forum poll from August 1st to 3rd at midnight and Winners announced when the votes are all in.

Theme: Arrange a song from Castlevania Bloodlines in any style to commemorate the finding of that prototype room

Rules:
Anything goes! (minus collabs)
As long as it came from Castlevania (list the series title on your entry)

Prizes: Award medals for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.




Guidelines for Participants:
- no deadline extensions
- you are not allowed to use pre-programmed midi files (swapping out instruments with new ones, remix it, and then pass it off as original)
- post your entries as links on this thread
- contestants may update their entries freely before the submission deadline.
- you may withdraw any entry at any time before the judgement begins.
- the winner chooses next month's theme (if he/she declines, the forum members shall decide on the theme)

Entries:

BMC_War Machine WINNER!
entry 1:
Phathoms of Darkness - Sinking Old Sanctuary
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f6omy3jwt7m6lfd/Phathoms%20of%20Darkness%20-%20Sinking%20Old%20Sanctuary.mp3?dl=0

entry 2:
Approach of Finality - Simon's Theme:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqic5rysi23bvp0/Approach%20of%20Finality%20-%20Simon%27s%20Theme.mp3?dl=0

[Briraka]

i'mma do iron blue intention.

[Dracula9]

prayer of a tragic queen (still probably wip, don't add just yet, i'm an indecisive little shitmuffin as to when a track is "done")

[BMC_War Machine]

Put me down for Sinking Old Sanctuary

[BMC_War Machine]

And also Simon's Theme.  Yeah, i know it's been done to death, but there's a reason for that...it kicks ass 

[Dracula9]

also i should note i'm doing two and the other will be vamp's stomach

[BMC_War Machine]

also i should note i'm doing two and the other will be vamp's stomach

Hell yeah dude i'm anxious to hear vampire's stomach! 

Here's my 1st entry:
Phathoms of Darkness - Sinking Old Sanctuary
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f6omy3jwt7m6lfd/Phathoms%20of%20Darkness%20-%20Sinking%20Old%20Sanctuary.mp3?dl=0

[BMC_War Machine]

And 2nd entry:
Approach of Finality - Simon's Theme:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqic5rysi23bvp0/Approach%20of%20Finality%20-%20Simon%27s%20Theme.mp3?dl=0

[Shiroi Koumori]

WOW! This is the fastest response time from multiple people that I got from a contest post. 

[VladCT]

Well, I mean finding a prototype ROM is a pretty big deal. :v

[Briraka]

yeah i'm dropping out of this. sorry, but the ideas just aren't coming to me.

[Shiroi Koumori]

It has come to my attention that there is a way to "cheat" in creating music through pre-made midi files.
Please review your works and resubmit if necessary.

Due to this additional rule, should I extend the deadline?

[BMC_War Machine]

That is absolutely true Shiroi.  And the sad thing (to my knowledge) is that you can't tell if someone has just imported midi files to the DAW's used or not, at least, not exactly.  Some of the bigger things to listen for is variation IMO.  If you hear something that sounds note for note the same as an original track, then its more likely to be just a midi import.  But when you hear different instruments, sections, additions then it's going to lean more towards someone actually grinding out the track.  For me (not that my opinion is more than shite  ) when it comes to doing a track, it says more for what you can do to improve on it, in your own way.  Sure, it sounds sick as hell to hear something we've heard all our lives go from 8-bit to orchestra libraries over 50 gigs lol, but it gives more of a draw when you can put your own stamp on it.  But on the same token, it's also important to know what songs need to be left alone.  There are just some tracks that no matter what you do to them/with them, it still wont come out right.  Those are usually the ones you need to leave as is lol.  That's what i try to do when i make these.  I want to stay very true to the original as possible, but at the same time throw my twist on it so that in a blind test listeners would be like, "yep, that's a BMC_War Machine track".

[Belmontoya]

I gave Shiroi the heads up on this and if I may I'd like to give my input in regards to this.

As we all know there are a lot of people out there who make remixes this way, and with varying degrees of use of pre made midi files. I don't have a problem with these remix artists, but I do think they should be more up front about the nature of their work.

Within the context of a music composition contest I don't think it should be allowed to use pre made midi files for covers for the same reason we do not allow sprite edits as legitimate entries in the sprite contests. Think of it like master chef, they have to make a dish without the recipe.

It's like allowing tracing in an art contest.

[BMC_War Machine]

It's like allowing tracing in an art contest.

Exactly