Neon-Bard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sjaan the Flying Doctor]

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review:

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Like johnfn, you have a way with creating amazing melodies. Wizardry, I say! I had the main melody stuck in my for a while. You know, the song starts off with a very melancholic tone that seems to permeate a large portion of the song. It reminds me of older Final Fantasy tracks (such as Shadow's Theme from FF6). It's almost teetering towards being sad in a way, perhaps that's just my interpretation though (especially after reading the description). Anyway, I digress. I have to mention that the very best part about the track, beyond a shadow of a doubt, are your flute trills. They add so much detail to the song, in such a whimsical way that reminds you of flying! The minimalistic percussion in the first half of the song works well in my opinion, and the introduction of heavier drums in the latter half really helps move things along. The track as a whole doesn't get repetitive, thanks to your composition and surprising transitions. The guitar at 1:18 was a pleasant surprise!

The overall mix is a little bit off, nothing too serious though. You can hear that the drums are a little wet, but they never overpower the other instruments in such a way that it is hampering them, which is great. They drums do sound a bit sluggish during the transitions at 1:15 and 1:51. The strings at 1:55 are far too thin sounding, so they give off much less warmth than they potentially could. I would have liked for the conclusion to have a bit more depth, perhaps with the piano, but that's entirely a subjective thing.

Loved the song! I think it's one of your best yet. I can't wait to hear more man, keep me updated. :D

Score: 8/10

SourJovis responds:

Thank you Neon-Bard for your review. I haven't been able to respond to you sooner.

Other people have also mentioned the melody sticks, even after a few weeks. New melodies come pretty quick to me. It's everything after that takes time; song structure, instrumentation, accompaniment, mixing, mastering. I'll just keep spending time and practice to become better.

You're right, it does sound a bit like shadow's theme from ff6. It even has a rhythm guitar panned to the left. I didn't have that song in mind though. As a matter of fact I thought a little about Terra's theme from ff6 at the time.

I did start out somewhat sadly at the start, to make the rest of the song more uplifting. (kinda like Terra's theme from ff6) The ending is sad again, and a bit lonely.

You were right the mixing was off. I've added instruments that I felt were missing, and adjusted the mixing according. The drums are less heavy, and the other instruments sound stronger.
I think the transitions sound better now with more instruments. The strings more lively, and the bass adds some warmth to it. I hope it sounds about right now.

[i believe]

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review:

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This song made me feel warm inside! I just feel energized and good about everything when listening to it. You have a real way with blending synths and other instruments together. Your tracks almost have this kind of ‘rainbow’ effect; everything blends together to create something colourful and imaginative! Within the first 25 seconds into the song, I knew I was going to be in for a melodious experience. The melodies in this track are really something else. You’re some kind of musical wizard...aren't you? Anyway, you have set up a very atmospheric introduction which extends throughout the entire song. You manage to pull a lot of emotion from the synths in particular, especially around 3:30 and 4:00, and then again 5:06. Powerful is perhaps the best word to describe it. The way you build the song is fantastic, if not a bit slow at first (but I’ll get to that later)!

I only have two minor gripes: the progression in the first half of the song, and the mix towards the end. A progression that builds more in the first 2-3 minutes would be much more appealing, and a conclusion (among various other parts of the track) that offers a clean, tidy mix would take this track from awesome, to super saiyan awesome. The first 2 minutes of the song are wonderful, but the true pace takes a while to kick into full gear. Don’t get me wrong, I love the progression, it’s quite smooth – but seems drawn-out in the beginning. Things don’t really pick up until 2:24. From 3:29-4:10 there is some overlapping between the synths. They all sound cluttered together, which kind of drowns out the drums just slightly.

All I can see to wrap this up is this: please never stop making music. Great stuff, looking forward to your next entry! :D

Score: 8.5/10

johnfn responds:

Thanks for such a thoughtful review and saying such nice things! My next track will be more concise, I promise! :P

[Here, have some groove]

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review:

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Do you know what I thought of immediately within the first 30 seconds of your track? Old school Sonic the Hedgehog. Either that, or the casino theme in Pokemon games. Man, I love that. While it reminds me of these things, this song is, in itself something else entirely. The way you keep layering different instruments such as the bass and jazzy percussion together is fantastic! Speaking of which, the percussion as a whole flows incredibly well, and it is further supplemented with the catchy and smooth synths that you have thrown in here. All of these things really add up, and in the end you are left with a great melody and sense of pace – just well-rounded composition overall. Oh, and I like how you have the song looped as well (makes it hard to turn it off because you want to keep listening)!

This track is a tad repetitive, but honestly that didn’t bother me all that much due to the smooth groove! It should be noted that the portion from 1:28 – 2:00 lasted a bit long though. The big thing to talk about here is your mix. There are times when certain instruments tend to slightly overpower others. Going back to 1:28 – 2:00, more precisely at 1:45, there seems to be too much going on. The bass sounds flooded almost and the percussion is a tiny bit sharp. Nothing serious! However, adjusting the bass so that it gives off less of a ‘wet’ sound might help.

I can’t help but bop my head and tap my feet while listening to this song! The groove is strong with this one! Great job Jernemies. :D

Score: 7.75/10

Jernemies responds:

Thanks for the opinion :) Never thought this'd be encased in the same sentence as Sonic or Pokemon games, since I frankly never listened to their soundtracks.
Points noted

[~SW and CS~ Cranial]

SkyeWint + camoshark

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review:

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Well, this is quite an experience. I think that wraps up the track rather nicely, it is an experience for sure! I have to say that I was expecting something entirely different from you two. I am really impressed by the sound manipulation and the overall atmosphere that you guys have created here. First, we have that peaceful introduction that draws you in to a gentle, relaxed state. I think the humanized ‘breaths’ are the prime cause of this state of relaxation. The ‘space whistle’ synth (as I like to call it) is a fantastic addition, it blends really well with the other instruments; I love it! Speaking of which, it creates a remarkable contrast to the rough (yet somehow crystal clear) wubs that you bring in at 1:25. By the way, the overall mixing is just superb. Anyway, at around 1:55...this is where I opted to turn up the volume a tad to feel like I’m transitioning into another state of consciousness – trippy stuff! The rest of the song continues in a dream-like fashion that I really dig.

As others have stated, the melodic qualities of this track are a little lacking. I feel as if they are understated, and while I think this allows the atmosphere to shine, it leaves you with a sense of emptiness when the song is over. That’s not to say that the main melody was presented poorly, no way! It could just be enhanced and brought up to the surface of the track, so to speak. For instance, post-1:25 and onward would be a great spot to deal out more chords, and perhaps create a few openings for extra notes. Entirely a subjective thing though. Other than that, the only thing I could really nitpick over was the conclusion. On one hand, I absolutely loved the simplicity of the fadeout and the diminishing bell vibe. On the other hand, I feel that it could have been really interesting if you had sprinkled a few more tricks here and there to supplement the slow burn of the conclusion.

However you look at it, this is a great song. Solid production, interesting composition, and ultimately an almost magic-like experience! Well done you guys, I can’t wait to hear what you mix up next. :)

Score: 8.5/10

SkyeWint responds:

Hey there!

Glad to have provided such an experience to you. :)

Sound manipulation and sound design was the main thing that we did in this - partially because camo be busy, partially because we basically had to drum it up really really fast.

There actually were several other chords post-1:25, but I can certainly see why they're not that audible - much quieter than the section before and after.

Conclusion - definitely. Could have used a bit more pizzazz. Maybe if we had been able to work on it for another day... but oh well.

Thank you! See you in the next round. :)

[Revelation]

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review:

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Well, to start off...you've done it again Peter. Let this set the mood for the rest of my review. You've really shown what you're capable of here, and I'm not surprised in the slightest at how top-notch this track is; you know how to make good music! Everything just adds up in your entry: the overall production quality, the composition, the emotion, etc. Let's start with the mixing, for which I only have one word: amazing. In terms of composition, this track is full of rich layers. The heavy percussion and staccatos lay the groundwork for the piano and the near-haunting vocals later in the song – just great! The atmosphere of the pad sits nicely in the background, but evokes intrigue and wonder (especially at 4:10 and to the end). I can see myself getting really sucked into whatever film this song would be in, which is definitely what a cinematic composer is aiming for. ;)

As much as I enjoyed the entire song, my biggest gripe would have to be that it sounds fairly generic. The buildup with the staccatos is just a bit typical, although it does help build suspense and supports the other instruments splendidly. The same can be said for the heavy percussion. That being said, these are now staples of the cinematic genre. Other than that, I think that this piece could really use a strong(er) melody. I can almost hear the notes now, and where you could have implemented them (after 3:00 or so, during the climax for instance).

Either way you look at it, this is just one heck of a song. I'll say it once more: you've done it again! :)

Score: 8.75/10

EvilRaccoon responds:

Thanks so much Neon-Bard. It's always great to get feedback and I completely agree with the crits you have given me. It is a very generic piece and runs with a lot of the standards you hear today, which is something I do and don't want to do. For learning reasons, I do. For originality not so much.

Thankyou once again for your comments. I think there's a lot of reverb on this piece, something Im starting to look into. :)

[The Void]

I love how everything sounds slightly stretched...really gives off a relaxing vibe. The piano enters at just the right parts, and its minimalist nature throughout really shines along with the synths. I can easily see this playing in a game, definitely in the RPG genre due to the story-like qualities that float about in my head while listening.

The percussion is a tad sharp, try adjusting the velocity and higher frequencies on some of those notes so you don't lose that 'ambient' quality. The choir is a nice touch, though it could be turned down just a bit.

Keep it up Chemiqals! :)

Chemiqals responds:

Thank you for the helpful feedback! =)

I made a few changes. I agreed with your observations!

[Dance of the Groovy Dragon]

Definitely groovy, and most certainly catchy. I love the bassline and the main synth, they sound great together! The pad is a nice touch, though overwhelms the other instruments slightly.

For some reason, this track reminds me of the 'Dire, Dire Docks' track from Super Mario 64. Probably because it's upbeat yet relaxing at the same time. Really well done VGM. Looking forward to your next track! :)

VideoGameManiac responds:

Thanks!
Now that you say it, it really has a similar harmony like Dire, Dire Docks :D

[The dying Ozone]

This track is incredibly captivating. The introduction comes in with those awesome percussion hits and the bass synth, and I was hooked. I thought the portion from 0:25 - 0:42 was well placed, but I would have liked to hear that pattern again with more variety (perhaps later in the track before the conclusion). The use of the guitar was great, too. Really added a sense of urgency.

Great work my friend, keep it up! :)

Emid responds:

Thank you so very much for your great insight. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Forest Of Desolation]

Amazing! This piece is so dynamic...I can't get over it. Everything from the guitar, woodwinds, vocals towards the end, man...I'm really blown away Mattashi. I am looking forward to hearing more like this! :D

Mattashi responds:

Thanks Neon-Bard! :)

[Star Hunters]

This track definitely has that 'VideoGameManiac' sound to it. I like the chill atmosphere, it definitely makes for a relaxing listen. Gotta love it! The pad could be a tad warmer, though I think in the end the pad choice for this song is spot-on for that space theme! Keep it up! :)

VideoGameManiac responds:

Thank you :D