Karco's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[_-={A Warm Storm in Avalon}=-_]

A friendly storm?

Ha, you don't try to convey those very often. :D

I really like the anthem-like feeling to this song! You pull it off quite nicely, and that's great considering it's supposed to be one...

Hmm. I'm noticing that you're, I think, getting carried away with all the instruments right before the interlude... let's see. There are low strings, medium-ranged strings, pizzicato strings, (very well-used, by the way) brass, a choir, a singer, and the percussion... it all stacks up and makes the song quite cluttered, crowded, muddy, even. And what's more is that I'm sure you think the song would sound empty or wrong without one or two - otherwise you'd be yanking them off before they could cause any harm. :P Right? It's happened to me all the time. :D I'd suggest looking at how many instruments are in each range and seeing if the problem is there. For example, in the mid-range, I can hear a choir, the pizzicato strings, and maybe some legato strings though I can't tell because everything's so crowded. Hope this helps... :)

Hmm... the song slowed down for what seemed to be an interlude, but then it took off and left me here. :( Where'd it go? >:( I was hoping you'd pick it up again for one last bang of an ending. Aah well, I suppose anthems don't usually do that... :P

Storytime!

Humble villagers on the outskirts of a town barely subsist. They seem typical, uncreatively-made peasants, but, in reality, they really ARE typical, uncreatively-made peasants. :D Anyway, one of the children among them had a love for gardening and wanted to plant a tree one day. Eventually, their dream came true - the parents bought a seed and together the tree was planted. And so the life of a great tree began.

The family took care of the tree together, and in return it grew, providing them with shade and something to be proud of. The family passed on but their descendants took care of the tree, as it grew so mighty it couldn't be missed. It definitely was something to be proud of.

Some hundred years later, the now-old tree still was alive - and, in fact, had an entire village based around it. And circulating around the typical, uncreatively-made peasants of THAT village was a myth - that the great tree was planted by a child of a family no greater than theirs, which meant that they too could do great things.

And they always remembered that it came from a seed.

Ha, I like it! How about you? :) Great song, keep up the great work, Maestro. :)

MaestroRage responds:

hah! Yes Karco I am a victim of myself in this piece. I absolutely loved the melody of the anthem, so I just went STUPID with it. I've surprisingly got few instruments here. I am not layering on too much, more bringing things up or down on octave for more and more contrast.

I've always had trouble keeping things crystal clear, this is due to my inability to equalize things properly. Still having trouble with that!

And I did put too much kind of in purpose for this one. It's what happens when you listen to a song for too long with something. Even though you KNOW you shouldn't, removing the choir made the song sound empty, despite the fact it wasn't.

As for the story, it gave me goosebumps! I loved it. I especially enjoyed the first line of the story

"They seem typical, uncreatively-made peasants, but, in reality, they really ARE typical, uncreatively-made peasants. :D"

A hearty lol and knee slap was dispensed!

I am then reminded of a line said by Nightwish, in their song "Poem by a Dead boy" or something like that, which goes something like "Remember the sign, not the hand that wrote it", which is exactly what your story here entails. Though the original dreamers of the goal is long gone, the symbol, the very essence of that dream remains intact. With time becoming a solid sign of their future!

Thanks for teh awesome review Karco, I really enjoyed it! I'm glad you liked the piece ^^.

[!Touch The Sky!]

Gaaah! I had so much to say but then...

But then the window closed somehow. >:( Aah well, I'll say what I can.

There's a lot to say about the quality - for one, a lot of your synths sound the same and are many are loud, so the song gets cluttered, fuzzy-sounding, and generally a headache. :\ Try to diversify and mix your synths better.

The loud effect that plays twice after buildups doesn't quite work. It's HUGELY overpowering, and then it goes so far as to make the song sound empty once it fades out. It was a good buildup/ending up to the point where it played...

But the snare roll was pretty good. How'd you make it, exactly? Rhythmwise? Because I've tried to make a similar one before and it didn't work. Aah, well.

Good song, I enjoyed it. :) Keep up the good work, hope I've helped...

[Red7 - David The Gnome]

Well, I've never heard the original before...

Simple introduction, not bad. I suppose it's a remix, so while I like the melody, I can't give you credit for it. I don't like that hihat, though...

Still, once the rest of it comes in, the highlight of this song is easily the percussion. They're some great samples and while the kick distorts a little bit now and then it's pretty good.

And, while I'm talking about clarity, might I mention how the song sounds remarkably clear in my headphones? I don't hear that kind of clarity every day so good job there.

Once the bass starts syncopating - or, at least, it goes off the offbeat every now and then - it doesn't sound as good. Maybe it's just my style but I'd rather it have stayed on the offbeat.

Your 8-bit NES-like synths are actually a pretty good choice. I didn't think they'd fit but they actually work. :O And the melodies/harmonies they play are great, too. Are they yours? Or part of the original as well?

There's not much to this song in terms of diversity - you change a little now and then but I don't hear any buildups, any huge changes, any quiet and calm, almost ambient interludes... this song could have done with that, it would have worked quite well.

Overall... I've never heard the original but this remix worked! :D Great job, even though it could have used a little improvement. Stop by my page sometime? :)

Redse7en responds:

Im glad you enjoyed this. I ended up spending too much time fussing with the drums and hats than workin on the melodies. Only two of those melodies were from the show "David the Gnome" the intro while all the rest was my doing. To get a feel of the real song just type "David the Gnome" on www.video.google.com or youtube.com and you'll get an idea of how the real song went. Im glad this song came out so well with clarity. I spent many hours looking for that one sweet spot equalizing this. Even though I could have done a better job at making absolute sure that it was perfect sounding I didn't wanna use up too much of my time but I'm still glad with the outcome myself :)

Yes the 8-bit NES synths I had to create myself in Fruity Loops because therre were no presets I felt could match. The first melodie line from this synth was in the origional song however the second I had created. Like I said before youd just have to check out the origional.

Your absolutely right about the buildup part in my opinion. I wish I had atleast made a bigger one like in my previous song "Coniferous Blizzard"

I just want to say thanks for such an indepth review of my song! Ill definately keep these in mind while I work on my next projects.

~RedSe7en

[[TMM43] Nova (?)]

Where have I heard that melody before?

I could've sworn I have before. :\ Care to tell me what song you remixed?

That kick in the beginning sounds a bit distorted, I don't like the sound of it. :\ What was that?! >:( There's a huge sawtooth-like synth playing chords and it's hugely overpowering. At least it calms down a bit later.

This would make for a pretty good song, but all I hear is the same melody played over and over and over and over again while your original stuff is in front of it. And considering that it's a MELODY, I'd expect it to be audible, but I can hardly hear it over the really loud sawtooth!

But that aside, let me say this - your percussion is awesome! :D I wish I had those samples... >:( The kick sounds better once the loud sawtooth's masking it. XD

The song isn't very much diversitywise... there aren't any buildups, for example - you just change things up one at a time now and then. Try harder, it's not that hard. ;)

This could use improvement. It's not too late to rework it and submit a new version. If you don't want to, that's fine, just a thought, but consider it, as this could be awesome stuff. ;) Keep up the good work. Stop by my page sometime? :D

TMM43 responds:

First off, I'd like to thank you for taking your time to make this review!

Secondly, the song I remixed it from is called "Joy Of Music"-Hardplayers Aquascape.

I don't know what's going on with me and my 'build ups' lately. They've been rather weak, if I do say so myself. I'm not liking it!
This has lead to to create a new song. It's inspired by my work day, and it's got a FAIRLY good build-up. Much better in comparison to this song!

I'm really glad you noticed my percussion work! I spent a LOT of time on the percussion alone, to tell you the truth. This song was really out of my norm. I usually have a kick, a clap and maybe a crash or high hat. This went beyond that. Thanks for noticing!

I'm sorry for the lack of diversity in this song. I really didn't know what else to do with the melody with this...So that contributed to the lack of other melodies, and what not. For that I apologies.

I more than likely will re-submit a new version of this, but I'm working on 4-5 OTHER projects. I hear songs, or think of melodies and HAVE to create new songs, but I never finish them all...
You may see another remix of this, but I can't promise anything.

Again, I give you many thanks for your review! It's really detailed and that's what I love to see!

[_-={Solemn Stone}=-_]

If only I had reviewed this one earlier!

I saw this song this morning except I was on a computer with no sound and so I couldn't listen to it, let alone review it. >:( Aah well, I was going to get to it sooner or later. You know, it's actually been a while since you've submitted... I was expecting your MAC entry. Looks like you're putting more effort in it than that, though... :D

Hmm. I'm not seeing very much that's new in this song. Like The Journey - I listened to that one, I just didn't review it - the percussion, for example, in that one was great. :D And your songs At Roads Ends, Wrath of a Vengeful Soul, and Arise Sleeper all had huge effort in them, which always counts for something. ;) But there's not much new in this one... just some food for thought: have you ever made realism your top priority for a song, tried to make it sound played live? Because, admittedly - it's a slight exaggeration but I hope I'm not being too harsh - sometimes you use instruments almost like synths. :\ Sometimes, in songs like Arise Sleeper and Wrath of a Vengeful Soul, you use them VERY realistically... but I'd like to see sometime what it would sound like if you made realism your top priority. Again, just a thought. ;)

Awesome door and crowd effects... like the character's walking into a colosseum, for brutal punishment in front of thousands. :O The sword/metal-on-metal effect at the end makes for a nice cliffhanger, too. A suggestion for the crowd effects - I wouldn't think a crowd would be dead silent until the gladiator walks in... they'd be chatting amongst themselves... or even cheering already, to be reenergized by the gladiator walking in. I can't expect you to have a crowd sample playing through the entire song, of course. XD But maybe fade it in?

The image begins as a rugged-looking character is violently dragged by two guards. The purpose is not known but it can be assumed the character comitted a crime. People stare down the street as he is dragged towards the colosseum.

He is kept in a prison there and as days turn to weeks he anxiously awaits his fate. But no longer than a month passes until the busy colosseum finally reaches him, and he is taken out - the guards kick the door open and throw at him a sword and some light armor. As they walk to the colosseum door, the guards realize there's no resistance. They let him walk on his own.

As the huge door opens, the crowd looks in his direction and is reenergized by the sight of the criminal. They cheer and jeer and various items are even thrown at him. He pays them no mind and stares at the challenge in front of him - an armored soldier, his face masked by his helmet. He raises his sword and spins it, and it can be seen this man is a hired professional. Silence enshrouds the audience and the battle begins.

End of the story, what do you think? The images I got from the effects were just too good for me to ignore. :D Great song, hope my advice helps, looking forward to more.

MaestroRage responds:

your advice is always honest and appreciated Karco! I know that the crowd would not remain silent, however it became distracting and got old if it kept going, alongside that, I believe one or two reviews below yours is a review written by Dreamshire concerning the full story for the piece.

I did enjoy your story, a great deal. I love the gladiator scene, the broken, vicious criminal. The hardened maniac in a sense, whose desire to exist, to survive, bypasses those of morals and ethnicity.

This is also a rather old piece to be honest. Dreamshire had asked me to make a piece, and I had made it MONTHS ago, however I wasn't happy with how it turned out. I kept tinkering, and changing, and rebuilding, until at last he asked me one day "Is the theme happening at all?" *not exact words*, and I realized he was right. Enough was enough.

I put it up, and because it is an older piece, it doesn't have the equalizing, mastering I have now.

I'm still glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the review and story :).

[[TCM][Lost and Found g-R]]

Well, I know you didn't do this with me...

I can't recall doing anything like this. Anyway...

It's not a bad intro, and those effects are pretty cool... though the kick is a bit strong and you could have done without the noise in the background.

Hmmm... A second collab with g-r4ve, perhaps?

Anyway, the melodies are pretty good! :D Creative notes, though the rhythms are pretty consistent, which is a bad thing. You want all sorts of rhythms and notes! This person you collabed with, whoever it is, is pretty good. Though there are a few empty-sounding spots when the hihats and the claps are left alone with a synth... :\

Harmonies are nice, there's no problem, except for later in the song when you introduce a new gated synth. Then the song's quality begins to go down even more because of them. That wasn't a good idea. The notes are great, though, I'll tell you that.

Drums are great, samplewise, except for the kick, which is a bit strong and could have been quieter. They're your average trance drums, and actually they're used pretty well. Since they're used the usual way, I can't really comment on the creativeness of the drum rhythms... :P

Hmmm. Nearly everything fits together to create the same attitude - except for the kick and extra gated synth (Toxic?) which distort the song and hurt that attitude. I've told you before about all parts of the song contributing to the same attitude, right? Yeah, distorting doesn't quite help... ;) Remember that.

Overall it's a good song! Good job to whoever made this with you, and good job to you too. :P Looking forward to hearing more from you...

MtMTheCandyMan responds:

No, in fact, you haven't...

You just talk to me on MSN for 5 minutes, tell me some random assed thing is wrong with the song that I have no clue about, and you get off before you explain it to my slow brain lol... GET ON MSN!

[[TCM][We're Back! g-R]]

How'd I miss this?? For two days!

Aah well. I already did an in-depth review on The Music Repository so it won't be nearly as long here. Still, I'll mention my thoughts on anything that needs it. ;)

It's still sounding a bit cluttered and the volume's being inconsistent... UP, down, down, UP, down... it's a bit of a headache. It didn't work...

You didn't answer my question, and if you did, I didn't see it. How are you collabing with all of these top-notch people on NG? You just got lucky or something? >:( :D I mean, there's ZENON, g-r4ve... me... XD Nah, we never made a full song (we should) and I'm not top-notch (yet). :D

Wha'd that vox say? Didn't quite get it...

Aah, it's a new section? Or just edited some... there's not much new about it. Maybe it loops perfectly but I don't think so, I'm thinking it's lacking in diversity. >:( Come on, you're better than that... and if not, g-r4ve is. :P Aah, there's the ending.

Not bad, though could have used a little more work. ;) Now to give Lost and Found a review... if I have time, that is. I should.

MtMTheCandyMan responds:

Thanks Karco. I have to keep telling you don't I? I'm just... so... CEXIOMGOSHZ0RZ!!!11oneo1n!o1eno!

No really though. I don't know why, I just do. Up until... yeah some part... I didn't touch it. I will check really quickly, hold on.

While we're waiting... I got a new gay assed phone... I fucking hate it. It sucks so badly I just want to throw it against a wal... oh here it is.

Up until 1:15 into it, I didn't touch it. The rest after it though was all my composing. I mixed his stuff with my stuff then did all me.

I fucking hate this new phone!!!

[==(Troposphere Remix)==]

You advertised me? :O

Awesome. :D But you advertised the wrong song. (Or is it really a remix of the first one?) Aah, well. Awesome that you found it worth remixing. Now it's time for ME to review it. >:) So far I like what I'm hearing.

Awesome wind effects! You have much more control over them than I do with mine - and they're ten times more realistic, of course. :P Sometimes it gets a bit too loud but it's not too much. They sound realistic as they're coming in but sound a bit electronic fading out. :\

That bell synth playing your version of the melody... is it Cygnus, somehow? Because it sounds a LOT like it. :D Like it a lot, and the delay's nice, too. The similar, echo-y and windy sounding bell in the intro is nice, too... and well-used.

Here comes the drum work, and subtle strings? :O They (the strings) work, too, adding extra drama to the song... the drums were nice

The melody hardly ever changes and while I suppose it's also a fault of mine (:P) it does get a bit boring. But I suppose that's what the rest of the song is for? As, melody aside, you do quite well in diversity.

The eerie feeling's still there and I like it! :D Though in certain parts of the song it sounds more calm and relaxed than eerie. The one thing that didn't quite add to the overall attitude of the song as much as it should have were the strings - it went along with the melody and while it did add drama, it unfortunately didn't add much, in my opinion, to the eerieness/calmness of the song. Maybe if it had played some harmony instead, or on top of that? Playing the sixth in the scale - this is in Bb (A#) minor, so that would be Gb (F#) - often adds eerieness, if done right, I think.

Not much else to say but it's a great remix, SBB! And DEFINITELY more ambient than mine. :D One day I'll remix one of your songs and top it... how's that sound? >:) Here's a 5 and a download, looking forward to more.

[Dreamforge]

Not bad...

And you're putting effort into your drums now! :D I really like the sound of them... though they make this song sound more like DnB than Techno. Aah well. Here's Vanguard! You like the Helicopter preset, too? Well-used, I've never thought of anything other than just holding the same note.

Gaah... you know, I really don't like the sound of FL Keys! Everyone uses it. >:( Right after this review I'm going to send you a PM with links to a bunch of more original pianos. That aside, though, the piano composition is pretty good. It feels like it was there for the sake of the piano, though... not because it fits. It works fine later on, though.

I like your ideas with that distorted synth! They work nicely!

Nice use of guitar... mostly when I see people using one it sounds blah, unrealistic... here I really couldn't care less. XD Is it Slayer?

Your drums, while significantly improved, fall behind later in the song... I hear no change. Good, you have a seperate pattern for the fourth measure of four, but you need to be a bit more creative... with these drums, you can shift over the snare an eighth note earlier or later for some neat syncopation, for example. :) Just a thought. My ideas aren't something that belong in a review... just be more creative with the drums. :D

Overall it's a great song, Nighthawk! Keep up this kind of effort - if not, more - because you'll be making some really good stuff this way! :)

[This is godly stuff]

Good to see I'm not the only one...

Submitting as OFTEN as I am! XD

Wow, Drumr, the intro's really got me impressed. You're improving, FAST. :D (Course, you weren't that bad to begin with. :P)

Is that gated synth Vanguard? Either way I really like the progression, unique and creative. Here comes a lead... it kinda changes the song a bit too much, it would have been better if you had built on the gated synth.

Ooh, new section, and those are some great crowd samples! I'm jealous. >:( Ooh, are those one-third beat rhythms? I've played with those but you use them and I can hardly tell the difference between earlier parts in the song. Still, I wish you'd come back in sooner or later with that gated synth... imagine how that would sound! :D

Qualitywise there's not too much to complain about though towards the end of the second section with the weird claps it feels kinda crowded... :\

It's a great song, Drumr! Here's my 5, and download. Keep up the great work. :)