Topic: March 2015 Castlevania Dungeon MUSIC Contest

[Shiroi Koumori]

Duration: From now until March 31st
Deadline for submissions: March 28th (11:59 PM PST)
Judgement: by forum poll from March 28th to March 31st at midnight and Winners announced when the votes are all in.

Theme: Forest Month

Rules:
- remix one Castlevania track played during a forest stage (or in a similar vegetal environment)
- no genre restriction, no length restriction
- only ONE track should be remixed, meaning no medleys/mash-ups/etc.

A few suggestions to get a better idea: Forest of Monsters (SC4), Forest of Jigramunt (CoD), Maze Garden (C64), Platinum Moonlight (DoS), The Hidden Curse (PoR), Emerald Mist (OoE), Hunting Path (LoS), etc.

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




Guidelines for Participants:
- no deadline extensions
- 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)
- get your midis here: Castlevania MIDI Music Collection

Entries:
Chernabogue 2nd place
1. The Seventh Circle (Forest of Monsters, from Super Castlevania IV)

2. Isengard, based on "Platinum Moonlight" from DoS.

Dracula9 3rd place
1. Viridian Haze

2. The Hidden Curse - Mediocre Ballroom Dance Orchestra

BMC_War Machine 1st place
1. Wailing Way - Emerald Mist
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/qb58q5eu2lbs5ia/Wailing_Way_-_Emerald_Mist.mp3

2. Into the Darkness - Mad Forest (CVIII)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/k11b1b1d1bsrtcc/Into_the_Darkness_-_Mad_Forest.mp3

3. Blood Stained Tomes - The Hidden Curse
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/9jvtcd980qkt956/Blood_Stained_Tomes_-_The_Hidden_Curse.mp3

[Chernabogue]

Entry one written. Now production.

[Chernabogue]

Nobody posts for the music contest...

Here's my entry: The Seventh Circle (Forest of Monsters, from Super Castlevania IV)

Extra point for whoever gets the reference.

[darkmanx_429]

I actually, figured out how to compose a track together since last month by following everyone's tutorials however, it's pretty tough for me in the area of reading music!

If I could find a program to convert a mp3 to actual sheet music or tabs that would help me out tremendously.

[Chernabogue]

I actually, figured out how to compose a track together since last month by following everyone's tutorials however, it's pretty tough for me in the area of reading music!

If I could find a program to convert a mp3 to actual sheet music or tabs that would help me out tremendously.

What you need are MIDI files -- there's no software that can convert mp3 files into MIDI/sheet music. See the sticky thread I posted on the Contest Board for MIDI tracks. And D9's DAW tutorial.

[BMC_War Machine]

I'd like to withdraw from the mad forest entry i originally posted, i'm using a remix in my game as well and wanted to do something different, so for the next few days i'll be working on forest of jigramunt from CoD 

EDIT: Actually, why not have both as 2 entries? i'll work on my new track and fine tune the mad forest mix as a secondary entry if none are opposed...

[darkmanx_429]

I'd like to withdraw from the mad forest entry i originally posted, i'm using a remix in my game as well and wanted to do something different, so for the next few days i'll be working on forest of jigramunt from CoD 

You don't have to withdraw it dude, just have a 2nd entry.

[BMC_War Machine]

Just remedied that dude, 2 entries for me this month it is  makes up for my absence last month lol

[Dracula9]

Extra point for whoever gets the reference.

The forest of suicides in Hell's Seventh Circle?

[uzo]

Nobody posts for the music contest...

Here's my entry: The Seventh Circle (Forest of Monsters, from Super Castlevania IV)

Extra point for whoever gets the reference.

Interesting. It actually makes me think of perhaps a dungeon instead of a forest setting due to what seems like a lack of wind instruments.

[Dracula9]

I've chosen Emerald Mist for my entry.

Viridian Haze

[uzo]

When the vocals kicked in I expected them to stay in one way or another from that point on since they came in so strong. It felt odd to me that they just vanished very shortly.

Also, it felt like the 'lead' was being passed around a lot, perhaps too much for the song to keep it's identity. It could be that it isn't so much that the lead is getting handed off to different instruments but that the instrument's sounds don't flow with each other, being a big departure when it is passed. Note: I am including the voice in the list of leads, since because it is so strong it steals the spotlight when it pops up.

I'm sure someone with a musical vocabulary could explain this better, but I hope it helps.

[Dracula9]

So would it be more pragmatic to work the vocals in as more of a lead, or omit them?

[uzo]

I thought the vocals were really interesting. It made the piece stand out. I'd personally try to get them working as a more prominent part of the piece. It will admittedly be hard to pull off though.

[Dracula9]

Undoubtedly. But I like a good challenge.