Neon-Bard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[.: Far Sky :.]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review.

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Good:
- Excellent guitar riff!
- Nice breaks!
- Electric/synth combination works well.

Solid introduction, we jump right into the action! That break at 0:30 FELT right, it was like I expected it to happen (which was pretty cool)! The electric guitar and the synth balance each other out quite well. The gritty, energetic sound blends remarkably with the softer, gentler sound of the synth. I would have liked to hear more of this!

What to consider:
- Percussion needs more presence, more 'kick', if you'd like!
- The mix, as you've mentioned, needs to be tidied up.
- The song is structured around a single idea (albeit a good one), so it needs to be fleshed out more.

The percussion definitely needs to hold a larger presence in the track, especially when it comes to a metal approach. In fact, I think the same could be said for the bass. As for the mixing, I won't beat a dead horse, so all I'll say is that things sound kind of distorted (especially the drums). Just keep an eye on your levels and practice EQ'ing.

Finally, I think that the track could use more variety. You've centered everything around that guitar riff, and while it is one heck of a riff, the rest of the song falls a little short because it seems it is built around the riff. By developing your melodies and making changes in the song's structure more often, this track would really shine!

Keep at it! :)

Score: 7.8/10

larrynachos responds:

I'm glad you found the sounds in this song somewhat enjoyable! I really like the combo of guitars and synths, and I plan on using it in future metal songs.

I agree with you that the percussion needs more presence, but I'm not sure about the bass. A lot of people tell me I crank the bass up too much, so this time I tried to keep it moderate.

I definitely think the one thing I need to improve on is variety. I did try to break it up with the structural relief at 1:42 (which ended up being my favorite part of the song), but I guess that wasn't enough, huh?

Thanks for the review!

[Take-off]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review.

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Good:
- Excellent use of 8-bit/chip samples!
- Cool transition at 1:22!
- Lots of variety.
- Decent mix.
- Catchy!

I really dig the combination of those 8-bit sounds with the 'modern' synths (a la 1:06)! The transition at 1:22 was quite surprising, and a welcome one at that. The song definitely took an interesting turn from this point on, and honestly it was at this point that I was like "this needs to be in a game ASAP." Anyway, the track is pretty darn catchy and the while the mix could use some tidying up here and there, it's solid and clean!

What to consider:
- The chip percussion remains almost entirely unchanged throughout much of the track.
- The transition (while I liked it) was definitely a little sudden.
- Some mixing issues -- nothing serious.

The chip percussion remains essentially the same throughout most of the track. Perhaps by altering the pattern a little bit, replacing, or removing certain kicks, hats or otherwise would make for a more interesting listen. As mentioned, I really liked the transition, I felt like it was almost brought in at the right time -- as TaintedLogic mentioned, tempo automation would work well here!

Keep it up! :)

Score: 7.8/10

Mawnz responds:

Thanks for the input! I'm too comfortable with sticking to just one beat with the drums I think so it's good that you mention it as a weak point. It could be a tiny alternation that could spice things up and make a track more interesting so I'll keep that in mind in the future!

Thanks again!

[Bamboozle]

NGAUC Review
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First off, my apologies for the EXTREMELY late review -- but, better late than never!

What worked well:
- Interesting, often captivating composition.
- Good mixing.
- Great progression!

I love the introduction, it sounds so very methodical yet boundlessly artistic. Such is classical music, I suppose! I honestly have very little to say here. The mixing was quite good -- everything was clear and easy to listen to/pick out. Also, the composition in general was a real treat to listen to!

What to consider:
- Moog sound worked as a double-edged sword.
- Mostly just a chord progression; further use of dynamics would help!

The intro of the Moog sound at 1:41 was both a pleasant surprise, and just a bit off-putting. I'm torn on whether it is awesome or if it would be best to implement it in another way. As a result, I think it works as a double-edged sword. It both works and does not. That being said, I think it added flavor to the piece all the same.

I understand that you wrote this with a goal in mind (and you accomplished that goal wonderfully), but emotionally and thematically this piece is rather dry. The section from 1:06 - 1:41 sounds quite triumphant, though the rest of the piece is a chord progression through and through. Again, you were working towards a goal, and I always keep that in mind when reviewing so it wasn't that big of a deal. It would have been nice to hear some soaring strings and the piano working together to create more of an emotional response though!

Great piece of music! I would like to hear this mocked up with greater tension and perhaps more melodic content, but otherwise, wonderful job. Keep it up!

Score: 9/10

Phonometrologist responds:

Love your review and I agree with all the criticisms about it. Especially the Moog choice and how I implemented it. It's much easier to handle when I can let go of trying to tame it. It tends to make the piece sound a bit chaotic which I can learn to love about this. I've discovered that initial vision and making it reality is the hardest part in music. It could've been so much more, but I mistakenly expected and tried doing this for a contest with limited time. Based on your comment on a lack of melodic content, I think you found out in this piece that I really care for chord progressions more than I do for melody. Thank you for your words!

[Skyline]

NGAUC Review
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First off, my apologies for the EXTREMELY late review -- but, better late than never!

What worked well:
- Great beat -- it kept me moving from start to finish!
- Nice audio details scattered throughout.
- Awesome introduction, sets the pace perfectly.
- Very energetic!

This track definitely had me moving the whole time. My head was bopping the whole 5:04. Love it! The mix is quite good, and as a result, everything is clear and easy to listen to. The general atmosphere that the track gives off is fantastic, I think you implemented it wonderfully.

What to consider:
- Could use more transitions or changes in order to change mood.
- Lack of a direct melody (but still remained catchy despite this)!
- Underwhelming outro.

As others have said, this piece lacks the use of transitions. Transitions are a fantastic way to alter mood, but that being said, dance/trance music is usually 'set in place' to keep people moving without rests or breaks. THAT being said, some form of change would work wonders here, which ties in to my next point: the lack of a true melody. I think that if you worked a nice hook into the track, starting perhaps at 0:30, and built it up to a rising melody -- that would be awesome! Since your general sound design here is good, a melody and harmonic content would really shine.

The ending was, as mentioned above, a little underwhelming. It started to slow down in a really cool way, and I was expecting you to disassemble each instrument accordingly until everything was silent...but it kind of just ended with a few notes.

This was fun to listen to, and I think that if you implemented some more melodic and harmonic content here, things would sound that much better. Keep it up man!

Score: 7.5/10

PolarTrance responds:

The one day I'm like, oh right! I wonder if I've gotten any of the missing reviews yet... and so I had.

Thank you for the review.
I spent most of the song thinking about the mix, more than usual. Since the reviews on my earlier submission to the NGAUC got some points hammered in to me that were about mix/master. So I'm happiest about it being "quite good".

I don't like many of my endings, but I always try like 7 different outros until I find the least bad ending... The time limit is the thing that screwed my head to hurry up and so the ending suffered

I will see about the melody thing, I've found out many times that working on a song that was completed is a pain and usually doesn't end well. I've so far kept a break from music making to get some new ideas.

Transitions I'm not quite sure about, but I will definitely look in to it.

I'm glad to hear that the song wasn't a full bore fest :D

[First Flight]

NGAUC Review
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First off, my apologies for the extremely late review -- but, better late than never!

What worked well:
- Beautiful fantasy-based theme.
- Excellent use of instruments to accentuate the story.
- Excellent composition.
- Wonderful atmosphere.
- Highly imaginative!

What to consider for next time:
- The ideas in this track are crying because they need to be fleshed out more -- you've created something that needs a longer story. I think this could have easily been 4-5 minutes long! I understand what you mean though, time constraints can sometimes hinder the creative process.
- Some of the instruments are hidden in the track (choir, brass, etc.)! Don't be afraid to bring these sounds out in order to let them shine! The choir finally shines at the very end...it would have worked wonders in the body of the song. 0:46 - 1:20 in particular.

This is the kind of song that speaks to me, Ylmir. I can see this working in a number of RPG titles. Keep it up, I'll be keeping an eye out for your track!

Score: 9.6/10

Ylmir responds:

Hey ! No worries about the late review ! Actually, I'm a bit late to reply too. xD
Thanks a lot, it confirms what has been said before (the overall balance of instruments, the length, mainly), and really encourages me. It's been a long time I haven't composed something completely freely (apart from the deadline, of course), and I must say I really needed to.

To be honest, I surprised myself when I came up with my submissions for both the knock-out round and the finals. Trying to tell stories through music has actually been a long-time dream of mine (this is actually one of the reasons that pushed me into music-making), and this made me realize how far I went since I began music. I've seen I am now able to create what I always wanted to create, to suggest locations, events, atmospheres, only through sound. Sure, this is still not perfect, but this contest made me curious about what I could do with more time to work on music, without pressure, without having constraints.

Lately, I also changed my views on music, and decided to leave most of the teams I was working with : it was becoming more and more industrial, and I was gradually losing interest in it - little to no room for creative freedom, deadlines, a need for productivity... I realized it's not something I want. Music is a hobby for me, nothing less, nothing more, and I'm sure I'll be able to love composing as I used to, once I'll be back to this pace of "work". The NGAUC somehow helped me to realize that, to realize I needed a change of scenery, by showing me what I could do. I'm not aiming to be a professional composer anymore. I just want to be happy with what I create, regardless of the time it takes me to write a track or improve myself.

Well... I don't even know how I went writing all that stuff about me, it's not even the right place. I guess replying to reviews at 2 am is maybe not the best idea I had today. Anyway, I'm off to bed now. Oh, and thanks again for your review ! As you probably guessed it, since the NGAUC taught me what I was really looking for into music, I'm looking forward for any future contest on NG from now. :p

[Breathe]

NGAUC Review
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First off, my apologies for the extremely late review -- but, better late than never!

What worked well:
- Touching, relaxing track.
- Excellent use of instruments.
- Harp and choir sections sounded fantastic.
- Highly atmospheric.
- Good mixing.

What to consider for next time:
- Dynamics: work on dynamics, and you'll be golden! This goes mostly for the strings and the velocity of those notes, but I don't want to beat a dead horse though, so I'll leave it at that.
- String sections could be a little more emotive! You could consider using the oboe a little more to augment the harmonies in the track.

I couldn't help but feel like I was temporarily wisped away to another land (a surprisingly Elder Scrolls-esque world)! That's always a good sign, when a song can do that. Keep up the great work DSyk!

Score: 8.8/10

DSykMusic responds:

Thanks for your review Neon-Bard! I'll likely go back and touch up this track with your (and others) suggestions in mind.

[Some of My Foolishness]

NGAUC Review

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First off, my apologies for the extremely late review -- but, better late than never!

What worked well:
- Super organic Ceevro-styled track!
- Great, meaningful lyrics.
- Fantastic guitar work (clean solos)!
- Nice mixing overall.
- Great blending of instruments/vocals (not including 2:03 - 2:37).

This goes without saying, this track has your clean-cut style written all over it. Your guitar playing is a hallmark of your songs, and this one is no exception. The lyrics, as mentioned, are certainly meaningful and in a way I think they are quite heartfelt. The mixing is clean, and I think you've recorded each element of the track well!

What to consider for next time:
- The vocals are very hit-and-miss here.
- The 'raw' quality of the song is entirely negated at the 2:03 marker.
- The conclusion, as others have mentioned, leaves a lot to be desired.

Some notes sound great, some notes not so great. It seems that you aren't making use of breathing techniques to facilitate full notes. For instance, the line: "And all of my everything just came down today" was sung in a relaxed way, your voice works well here! However, the next line: "but all of my nothing is hangin' around" sounds quite stretched. In particular, the "NUH" in nothing and the "AH" and "OU" sounds in around are sung incorrectly; the notes are falling flat. Furthermore, at the 2:03 marker, your vocals don't quite blend well (but this is mostly due to various notes being sung off-key).

The mixing was also weak from this point until 2:37. I think it was just far too busy, and a simplistic approach would have worked far better. From 2:37 onwards, you settle back into a simple sound again but the track ends abruptly and as a result, things are left feeling a little unbalanced.

I enjoyed listening to this one, and I am baffled at the fact that you wrote and recorded this in ONE day. Major props! Keep at it, Ceevro!

Score: 8.5/10

Ceevro responds:

I think that might be my Canadian accent coming through there. I definitely have to get some vocal coaching (I have already taken steps towards that). Yeah, I have to do a lot more work to bring in some more organic sounding instrumentals...I did what I could with what I had...Thank for the detailed review, though!

[Wind Waker Medley]

A beautiful rendition of a few of the very best tracks from Wind Waker. Everything about this is great and it brings back a lot of good memories! Excellent work man! :)

stunkel responds:

Thanks man!

[Mihai Sorohan-Forward]

This is silky smooth work, sorohanro (and company). The mix is super clean, the track is ridiculously catchy, and honestly, it's just plain fun to listen to. Every single instrument shines in its own way -- though I am definitely partial to the keyboards and sax! Just excellent stuff, well done! :)

sorohanro responds:

Thank you very much. There is another track from the mini EP up here on Newgrounds ;)

[Endless Night]

Oh yeah! This definitely has a Castlevania sound to it, and I can definitely hear a hint of inspiration from Uematsu.

Actually, the more I listen to it, the more it sounds like an area before a final boss. There's a sense of subtle urgency that is brought out by the combination of the synths, guitar, bass and percussion. The melodies throughout the track are varied and memorable without becoming repetitive, and I can guarantee that I will be humming portions of the song now for the rest of the day! I really like the 5/4 time signature, it definitely adds a spin on how things turn out with a track.

You mentioned that the overall mix isn't as 'amazing' as other songs, well, it's actually pretty good! All of your instruments are quite balanced for the most part. Honestly, as you keep writing more music, you will find that your ears adapt in order to implement new techniques. I know that's an odd way of interpreting it. It is what it is, I suppose haha! I'm still in the midst of learning mixing techniques myself -- it's a long journey, but the more you practice, the better your mix will sound. I will mention that you could try a few things to help you on your way: adjusting the velocity of notes, using the parametric EQ tool to cut frequencies, and altering the volumes of instruments in your mixer are fantastic ways to create a clean mix. You may already be aware of these techniques yourself because the mix in the track is fairly balanced. If not, please feel free to send me a PM and I will do my very best to explain what I know (which isn't much haha).

This is a great track, and I'm really looking forward to hearing what other kinds of music you'll cook up. Keep at it, ILG. :)

ILG924 responds:

Thanks for the encouraging words! I'm glad you like the melodies, that's what I focus most on.
I'm aware of cutting certain frequencies, I did that quite a bit for this track. There's a certain clarity that I hear in a lot of music, including yours, and listening to this again, I think I might be missing brightness. The synths have plenty, but I'm not so sure about the rest. I don't know if that falls under EQ category or not, maybe a harmonic exciter. I'll experiment with that in my next song