The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

I've installed UQM on both Windows and Linux, and both times it seems all the remixed music is playing except for the Orz theme ("Squeezing the Juice" by Precursors).  The only reason I know of the Orz remix is because a friend sent it to me once, which is what inspired me to try the game.  Imagine my disappointment when the music doesn't play in the actual game when speaking with the Orz.  I couldn't find the music looking around through the remix packages.  Does anyone else hear the Precursors remix when speaking with the Orz instead of the still-amusing Orz theme music with the Scooby-like "Huh?" sound constantly going in the background?

There is no remix pack containing the Orz music yet, which is why UQM doesn't play it. It would be very nice if the Precursors would get around to finishing remix pack 4. Would it be possible to release remix pack 4 with all the remixes so far not yet in a pack and save the remaining ones for pack 5?

Remaining ONE, as far as comm screens go. Only the Syreen remix remains unreleased.

Aren't the individual songs for "future pack 4" available in OGG form on their website? It's been a long time since I checked, so I don't remember.

As far as I can tell, only MP3s are available for remixes that haven't been released in a remix pack yet. Either way, the lack of a proper package and easy installation is more of a problem (and would be easier to fix, too).

What's annoying is that Mark Vera did a Syreen remix in 2004, which disappeared after some unnecessarily harsh criticism over at OverClocked Remix (http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2226). What's really annoying is that they more or less rejected it for being too faithful to the original; I don't think the UQM community would mind. I'd love to hear it, no matter what the OCRemix crew think.

I have a strong dislike for OverClocked Remix. I did a faithful remix of the Supercars music with a way more realistic sound, and it got rejected because it was too close to the original. I don't give a damn about a music community that expects me to add something new to music people just want to listen to updated versions of (though there's a place for new stuff too, just look at the UQM remixes).

The sad thing about Mark Vera's Syreen remix is that everyone else in the remix team loved it, but he wanted to redo it (and never did).

What else is freaking new. >:( While I really like some f the music I've heard on OCRemix, the enormous egos and insane "standards" that they enforce really turns me off to that whole community. I've no doubt that tons of great remixes (and tons of lousy ones as well, to be sure) have been rejected there for the same reason, because of course, a great piece of music needs to be completely changed and mutated into something unrecognizable in order to be made better, right? ::)

I find the Remix64/RKO/AmigaRemix community much friendlier; at least they published your Super Cars II remix (that was what you were referring to, right?).

Well, if you haven't managed to convince him to release it in 5 years, I doubt you can. Besides, I don't like the idea of pressuring him until he gives in. Still, it's been quite a while...

Yeah, they are more my style. I got two remixes (http://www.remix64.com/act/espen_gaetzschmann_tilt/) published there that OCRemix wouldn't touch, and both have been relatively highly rated (hey, some people even voted for one of them as remix of the year or something. I don't recall the specifics).


I agree. What the remix team needs these days is leadership. That was originally Riku's job, but he slowly withdrew from the whole thing as his remixes got finished. I think that's where the process started to collapse for us. I never felt comfortable trying to take up the reins after him. Also, I'm a damned perfectionist too (VOiD and I discarded 3 separate attempts at the Kzer-Za remix before we got to the released one).

But it was totally worth it, that's probably my favorite one released out of all of them (and I suspect a lot of folks agree).

When talking about listening music, I surely agree..
But somehow hearing that music ingame (in UQM, with the first encounter of the red probe) it doesn't give me the same feeling about the Ur-quan as the original mod made me feel. The remix has a more 'subdued' and sad, devious sound about it, while the original (and the SC1 midi one aswell) had a more 'in your face evil' ring to it. This could also be due to to the lowering of the BPM between the original and the remix.

Then again, I believe that the remix project also intended to make some totally different versions of the music, not just remixes that stay entirely true to the original.

The Kzer-Za music was great... just one small thing irked me slightly - the vocals didn't sit quite right for me.

On the topic of the Kzer-Za remix (Now & Forever),
I was wondering if the scratching sound in the remix is in direct correlation to the corrupt sample that is in the .mod hosted on the Precursors' website.
It has always bugged me to speculate that the scratching sound is only there because someone didn't know any better.

Just for reference
.mod on the Precursors's site:
http://www.medievalfuture.com/precursors/music/modules/UR-QUAN.MOD

.mod I ripped myself:
http://serosis.110mb.com/Kzer-Za.mod

The "Now and Forever" was my ringtone for a while, but changed due to it being quite low, which is bad for ringtone.
I enjoy most of the remixes, but as stand-alone musical pieces. They just don't fit ingame for me...
Except the ones kept really close to original (as Culture19)

You'd better watch that tongue, sir! :P We knew perfectly well what we were doing, and we didn't use the corrupt MOD as a foundation. The "scratching sound" is a synthesized snare drum, if I'm thinking of the same sound as you. We've received a lot of criticism for it, and I would probably have done that part differently if I were to remake it today. It's not as easy as just removing it though. I tried that, and the result was a dead and empty sound to the rest of the song.

One day I'd like to create a full-blown orchestral remake of the original, but I need to become more confident in my skills with orchestral arrangement and mixing first.

Hah, I was thinking bout the same thing, after I did the SC intro remix which is on the SCDB.
But I have the same problems as you have, need some more experience with arrangement and mixing :P. Then again, if I don't try i'll never learn :D.

Could you link me to that remix of yours? The intro is something I've tried to remix myself a couple of times, but I've never been able to completely nail it. I'd like to see how others would approach it.

I didn't nail it either, but it's up for review.
http://www.star-control.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=79
In the meantime I've already made a lot of adjustments like the levels and balance of the instruments aswell as the frequency ranges (listening with headphones was horrible), and removed some instruments in certain areas. The new version is not up yet, because I want to make more adjustments when I have the time and motiation.
Please note that I tried to remain close to the original in terms of the BPM and notes used, so the beginning may be a bit boring ;).

If this is what it sounds like before you make your adjustments, I'm looking forward to the final version. It does sound a bit artificial in places, but that may actually be a bonus in this case.

I never mean to offend, but it has always been on the back of my mind ever since I heard the remix.
Good to know though. I can finally rest  ;D

I always (correctly) interpreted that as a drum. Not a particularly wonderful drum sample, but definitely a drum.