Music-story's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Old Skool(DJ M4C Remix)]

I am slowing growing into a fan of nudisco, but it is still a unpopular genre compared to the other electronic genres. Was surprised to find one on NG. Here are my thoughts.

I'm enjoying the beginning of the song. Funky I like.

I'm usually not a fan of using clips of vocals, but it worked out for your song. Well done panning out each instrument. Diversity level is higher than most dance songs so kudos there. 1:36 I like the slow attack on that fuzzy instrument. The only minor improvement would have been bigger presence on that instrument. Xylophone? Well that is quite the brave choice. Perhaps a varying melody on that xylophone would help a bit, but at the moment I'm just happy to hear it in a song.
2:35 nice job with the violin composition.

Things I didn't like so much: I didn't like the growl like instrument. 1:03 drum transition didn't sound on beat. 1:19 lead instrument should of sounded like a real guitar. 1:34 perhaps a explosion fx to smooth out the transition...felt too abrupt. 2:06 again it would have sounded much better if the lead sounded more like a electric guitar. Your fx wind sounds muffled out. Emphasize those high frequencies on the wind next time.
2:50 aside from what I mentioned earlier of making it sound more like a real guitar, I didn't like the octave pattern. Unfortunately, I didn't like the ending portions of this song. I think you went overboard with the reverb here thus everything sounded messy.

Overall, a good song. I never heard of the original, but I think your remix probably did it justice for the most part. Great funky feel, automation editing, interesting use of instruments, etc.. Just need a bit more work on your mixing and perhaps adding your own melodies on top of the original song because I felt like the song was dragged out longer than it should have been. Goodluck on the contest and you know I'm going to support a fellow NG musician.
5/5 vote and review.

Bye for now

ChasingPresence responds:

I ran out of time before the deadline so I didn't work on it as much as i wanted to.... but I definitely need to work on my mixing. Thanks for the review!

[Sonikstar (Original Mix)]

Hey,

I'm enjoying the bass, kick and high hats w/ claps. Delay with pan effect is great on that filler instrument. Unfortunately around the 0:40 mark the piano sounds out of tune. Ruined the moment for me.

1:09 whats going on here? This is a significant drop in quality from the first minute of your song. The mixing is messy and the composition is not that interesting. Fortunately the filter rise of the chordal instrument helps to hide the concerns. I would have liked the chordal instrument to have a more extreme filter rise, but if that's what you thought worked best, so be it.

I didn't really get back to enjoying the music until 3:08. The instruments are much more clear sounding. Neat idea with the percussion? making that fuzzy sound. I'm a fan for diversity so I felt the song slowed down in excitement here.

Overall, you did well with the bass and percussion. However the melody fell flat. Too much of that muffled pad like instrument ruined the moment. I'm not going to knock you down for the repetitiveness.. being prog house. There just needs to be better sounding lead instruments.
Still, I can tell your production value is higher than the average NG here so your definitely on the right track.
5/5 vote and review
Bye for now

[My actual first song]

Congrats on making your first song. What music program do you use? I suggest you add more melodies and as you get better more automation editing. Interesting drums though. Not much more to say since such a short song. I'd say this should be a loop rather than a song, but its fine.

5/5 review and vote
Bye for now

universalart responds:

Awe!! Thank you so much!! I didn't understanding lengthening the program but I have the jest of it now and just like that it is liked. I will do better soon!!! oh the program is Caustic 2.1 I will keep trying :)

[Caustic Synths Man!]

Hey, what school are you going to do music production? Something I thought of a while back, but never decided to do. I don't regret the decision though, but I'm envious that you get to be taught by professional instructors. Are these projects for marks?

I can tell you have some theory background. However, for a dance song, I don't find it to be very catchy. Sounds more like video game music. Your kicks somewhat overpower the bass at the beginning. I can hardly hear your crystal like instrument in certain parts of the song too. Perhaps your instructor may say better mixing for your next project? Let me know how you did in school for this song.

5/5 review and vote...and cause I'm a fan of happy music.
Bye for now

[FruitCake (WIP)]

Saw you asking for a review on audio forums so here are my thoughts.

Were you going for some suspenseful theme? Its a nice idea. I think you could have chose better instruments. The lead instrument doesn't seem to be playing a lead role because I don't sense any standout melody. It sounds kinda similar to what the bass is playing...not exactly but not significantly different. Your laying of instruments just seem to be playing the same stuff too. I hope you change this up or I think the end result is going to be a very repetitive song. Perhaps more fx sounds would help too.

0:45 i'm not a fan of that instrument. Sounds somewhat ethnic and too happy considering the theme is suspenseful. I'm going to agree with gurugarama that you should make this a loop and not a song.

Overall, you got a good theme here. The composition just needs to be more variable. Get those other instruments playing something noticeably different. Put some fx sounds, make buildups, etc.. Good luck upon completing your final product.
5/5 vote and review
Bye for now

[Zenvo - Euphoria]

Hey, nice stuff here.

Never heard of voltage square records. Hold it does well as well as your zenvo group. Here are my thoughts.

Now I'm using Beats Studio headsets so I'm hearing everything you intended for. With that said, I think your 1st instrument would have sounded better if the reverb actually stayed for the entire delay effect. Perhaps less color could fix that. The ravy lead instrument is quite nice especially with the accompanying background instrument at 0:31. Bass is nice and subby. Kick is powerful, but the high hats and clap are somewhat weak.

The ravy instrument may need a compositional change. It doesn't sound very catchy. Not sure what else to say here.

1:32 good use of the new instrument acting as harmony.

2:00 I feel the song went downhill here. You definitely can make nice sounding instruments, but the composition feels so bland. You seem to be relying on the bass, kick, and chordal instrument to get this song through. The best producers in the world have a music background and I'm expecting you to have one too. So show it. I know you can do much better with that piano composition.

The rest of the song repeats so I'm not going to say the same things I said earlier.
I'm the type of person that loves diverse songs so yours comes off quite repetitive. However, well done on the instrumental production. Mixing and mastering seem to be good. Kudos to this NuC person. Piano is the glaring problem, but overall one of the better songs on NG. Keep it up.

5/5 review and vote.
Bye for now

Xsalvaz responds:

Thank you man! Very very good, well stated review (keeping in mind it's our first track). All notes have been taken into consideration, and I think you'll really like a new track we have coming out soon.
~X

[Intrinsic]

Hmm, so its pretty late here. Not going to make a detailed review.

The trend I notice is that you start the song nicely, 0:15 goes slightly downhill as the intense feel has now turned into some happy hardcore stuff which I like to call teenager music. Picks up again at 0:45 and I have to add that the lead instrument buildup sounds a bit weak. Climax good use of percussion, but I'm still not liking that lead instrument. Doesn't match with those intense drums. Good use of sidechaining.
1:58 piano composition sounds a bit like "one finger composition" which wouldn't be a problem if it was better made in sound quality. I fell like this part is where you spent the least time on.

Yeah, I know rushed review. Overall, you made a song where half the instruments are good and the other half sound rushed. I would classify parts of the song as video game music which is probably not what you were going for. I also feel that you know how to use your music program well, but the composition is your weakest part. If you can get that improved on, all your future stuff will be that much better. You at least agree with me for the piano composition right...especially the ending.

5/5 review and vote.
I am usually on NG only for the first 2 weeks of my new quarter before I'm absent for the next 9-10 weeks so if you ever wonder where I am, you know now.

Lockyn responds:

No problem, and your reviews are always very thorough and detailed, which I love and appreciate - so thank you!

I agree with the "one finger composition" about the piano, and the general composition of the song. I purposefully skimped on it (mostly because I had no motivation to do anything about it once I had halfassed it already). And you're right, I wasn't going for a video game music feel. But, I was happy enough with the climax - and I do agree with the lead instrument. I was never quite happy with how it sounded, but I had already spent so much time changing it and changing it and changing it... xD I was getting sick of listening to this song LOL.

As always, thank you so much for the review, and please make some new stuff so I can enjoy and review it :) And I did wonder about that occasionally, so thank you for letting me know.

[Tim Endew - 79 (At Life's End)]

Well that is quiet a statement to say this song is going big in a month. Well I hope it does as I always support up and coming artists. However, there are a few things that need to be improved on before you make that final push.

Does your inspiration come from the trance group W & W? Anyway, the intro is good. 0:15 interesting use of the snare roll. I think that lead instrument can be improved on. Your drums sound hardcorish, but the composition sounds so mellow. A little weird to me. The order is restored at 0:30. I like the suspenseful fx sounds.

0:46 your pad seems a bit weak. Perhaps not loud enough? Maybe needs some modulation to it to be more interesting? Can't quite point it out.

1:16 I think your percussion muffles out the bass. I know the bass is playing some arpeggio pattern or if not it definitely isn't just a pad sustained for a long period of time. However, because I can't pick it out easily there needs to be better mixing here.

2:00 not a real fan. Never was a fan of vocal clips such as you did at 2:14 but that is a matter of opinion.

Overall,the song started off on a good note. There is good emotion put in this song too. Some instrumental revision is needed and few mixing corrections here and there. Though I am not a fan of hard trance, I know I have heard much more "hardcorish" tunes than yours (eg. black sensation) and I think the reason is because you relied too much on that fuzzy lead and drums to get through through this song. There are many more ways to make a song more explosive. Things like fx in areas other than the transition areas, more harmonies, increased presence on the instruments (use less reverb on that bass at 1:16), etc. I can tell you know your music well enough so I don't need to tell you the other ways and you probably know more about hard trance than me. Just stating my comparisons to other hard trance songs i have heard.

5/5 vote and review
Bye for now

D-Chain responds:

thanks for the long review there, didnt see it coming tho.
interesting pointers throughout! the mixing indeed needs improvement such as the arp bass you mentioned
the pad you mention however is weak because its playing the underline e.g the bass line.
i dont feel it needs more volume as the upper line has enough power.

what i dont get is why you call this hard trance?
im not sure what time period you are from but this is EDM (electronic dance music) or in short terms BIGROOM!
hard trance is a small part of EDM and has a BPM of 140++ , follows constant BEATS by that i mean it has more then 1 beat at a time and has cheesy melodies and also has puncier kickdrums!
i consider my kickdrum punches rather weak if i compare it to hardtrance..
also my melodies are more emotional rather then just 'hands-up'

and yes, i know my stuff well and W&W as you stated at the start might have given me some inspiration!

overall i would give this review a 7 out of 10 due to unclair statements.
however i thank you for listening and again the long review!

T.

PS: i assume you never go to trance parties or house parties since your not a fan of the 2:00 part
no matter however, its no shame because i have only been once back in the day.

[Shabadaman - Mizule]

I think D-chain has made comments that I agree with for the most part so to save time I will only say the things he/she didn't yet.

Well, I'm always a fan for diversity and this is one of a few trance songs that is more diverse. Still somewhat repetitive for me, but I understand trance is supposed to be repetitive.

I've said to this quite a few producers on NG and I will say it to you too. Percussion with high frequencies emphasized is a good thing. Don't drown them out. That clap needs to sound more upfront and crisper.

Around 0:40 your choice of lead instrument is not that good. Sounds like a preset that has little work done on it.
D-chain mentioned of the awkward drums you used around 1:12, but I kind of liked the change from the four to the floor drum pattern. Interesting idea, though the accompanying composition could have been a bit better.

Your choice, but I suggest never to add in vocals that act like MC. Only live MCs should say stuff like that, not in a song.

Overall I feel like this song is mostly bass and nothing else. I think you should have spent more time making a melody and harmony. Then again, you only spent 5 hours. Try to make a song that takes longer than 5 hours....like a couple of weeks. At least I could tell you had fun making this and that is what matters the most.

5/5 vote and review.
Bye for now

Shabadaman responds:

Wow, that's what I call a review! I'll be sure to implement the changes you've recommended in my next production, thanks for the critique! :D

[Explore Infinity *AeX*]

Well the song started off pretty good. I'm a fan for deep prog trance that isn't so repetitive. I think the clap like percussion could be a bit more crisp, however, I enjoy the kick. Not a big fan of how you progressed your drums to some kind of bongo like drums.

Good use of filter modulations on the lead instrument.

1:01 didn't like this part as much as the 1st part. It sounds like a cliche buildup. 1:33 was not what I expected for a climax. Sidechain is not enough to be considered a climax. I will compliment you on the fx and drop moments here. Piano composition is not that catchy, but I like the piano as a instrument so average out to good.

2:19 good transition. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to knock you down on that fuzzy lead. You know that sounds generic. It can easily be EQ modified to sound may better. I hear alot of booms around 2:34. Was that intentional? I felt it interrupted the beat too much. Nice idea though. Composition is nothing special here. Is this the part where you spent the least time in? It started so well, but everything feels like that "I heard it before but with better instruments" moment.

4:07 interesting transition. I think you should have ended with a bang and then delay the next section for a 2 second count. (eg. 4:13 part)

So same composition as earlier in the song. Definitely you spent more time here than around the 2:00 min part.

4:59 Well that is a long conclusion. Choir perhaps could use more presence. Nice finish with the piano.

Overall I can see you spent more time at certain sections of your song and disregarded particular areas. This is quite common for EVERYONE. Yes, it may have been a year, but you could have completely deleted certain areas of your song as those parts quickly destroyed the emotional feel.
Oh, I am listening to your song with Beat studio headseats so I can pick out every sound you intended quiet well. 5/5 review + vote.
Bye for now