Score: 8

"Review time!"

submission: Und3rground

date: August 10, 2007

Aww, no awesome intro? You're good at those! :D Oh well. This song kinda reminds me of Sandstorm, is that where you got your inspiration? :P That buildup, (a bit overdone) and the way that synth is arped, really reminds me of that song.

Those bongos don't quite work, unfortunately. They're a bit too reverbed and a bit too loud. Nice try at an original touch, though, it almost works. ;)

The arp towards the end is nice, too, though it didn't quite work if you're trying to add to the song. Maybe what you could do is have another synth play a melody on top of the one you have already instead? Or have the original synth play a harmony? Or a new synth play a harmony? I don't know, I'm just throwing ideas around... :P

There's something with that lead... it's not that it's overpowering, it's that the rest of the song is too quiet. If you were to make the lead quieter, it would be great, but then the song would be too quiet. XD Just be careful with your mixing. ;)

Aaagh! I just don't have very much to say about it this time. Usually my reviews are longer - ha, you know that - but I just can't think of what to say now. This is a good song, don't get me wrong. :P I just don't have very much praise, nor do I have very much criticism. Hope you understand. :) Keep up the good work, Drumr, looking forward to more. :)

Score: 9

">:O"

submission: Sea of Pixels

date: August 4, 2007

And I give that smiley for three reasons:

1) That you renamed the song since you sent it to me. When you sent me the file a couple months ago it was titled "Even Heroes Are Made of Pixels." I liked that title. :P

2) That the song has only one review since you submitted it, and it's a fairly small one...

3) That it's been zeroed into the 1-range. :O I'll five it right now, actually.

I really don't have much criticism, since I've had this on my iPod for a while and I listen to it fairly often. :) The mid-range synth that plays by itself in places is a bit loud sometimes, though.

Praise is all over the place so I'll make a quick summary. :P Great percussion, effect use, melodywork - remember when I said in chat that back in the days of NES's, this would be a hit song for a Zelda-esque video game? XD

Hmm, different ending. Octaved, and different percussion. I personally liked the version you sent me more, and I'll stick with it. But this one works too. :P You really need to make more, you're quite talented at 8-bit. :D

Score: 6

"About time I got to this..."

submission: Lost In Metal Minds

date: August 3, 2007

Though I don't think I'll have too much to say about this song. This looks like it's going to get a short review, but we'll see in the end. ;)

Hope you don't mind: I'm going to be copy-pasting a paragraph from another review I left earlier. I think you need it just as much. :) It's below:

Firstly and most importantly - from now on, stay far, FAR away from the drum presets that come with FL Studio. They sound weak, flat, and VERY overused. Find some better samples, even if it means buying them - as long as you're avoiding those FL samples like the plague. They're not going to get you anywhere. Don't be fooled by your ridiculous number of reviewers who praise your work to no end within the few lines that they do give. There are samples out there that can offer so much more than any of the samples you're currently using can.

That's all I'm going to be copy-pasting. Hope it helped. Now for the actual writing... :P

I can see you're getting the hang of getting notes to sound good together - the notes the guitar plays aren't half bad, in fact! :D (Though I don't think that guitar needs the And I really like the sound of those strings... where'd you get them? I wouldn't mind getting a chance to use them myself. :O They didn't need the panning, though. Another thing I don't like is the guitar-ish thing that comes in around 1:15, which isn't necessary in my opinion.

The next things you should be working on mastering, along with getting notes to sound good together, is song structure - this song right now is just a collection of loops in my opinion. Also try to get your drum rhythms right - fine, you're trying to be original. :P It almost works. But make a song with the kick-hat-clap-hat for once and see how it goes. It might actually turn out to be pretty good. :D

Not quite a monster review like the kind I used to leave you, but it should help anyway. You just might get somewhere if you keep at it and follow my advice as it comes. :)

Score: 8

"Heh, you're welcome. :)"

submission: {SD} - Dark Memories

date: August 3, 2007

Ugh, though! What happened? Something must've went wrong with the file sending over chat, because this isn't the version I got! The kick is heavy to the point of distortion... and the hihat could be a bit quieter, right now it's fairly overpowering. Suppose there's no use crying over spilt milk, though, I suppose you should move on, leave this one behind, and start a new song.

You really got that diversity problem down! :) Great job there. You really made that lead fit. Also, kick and hihat aside, you figured out how to make that quality work! :) Great job there.

I really don't have too much else to say about it seeing as that I listened to it so many times already. But it's an improvement overall, so keep up the good work. Don't hesitate to ask me again for help if you ever need it. :)

Score: 7

"Good melodies, but drums need serious work."

submission: -´Vexeta`-

date: August 3, 2007

This is becoming quite common, now - you're the third person on NG I've seen who comes up with good melodies, structures their songs well, and then neglects their drums and synth choie. I'll skip the praise, which would lie almost entirely in your melodies and harmonies anyway, and go straight to the criticism. How does that sound?

My guess is that you used FL Studio to put this song together. You made liberal use of the VSTi Sytrus, (you used some of its presets, too) as well as using the drum samples that came with FL Studio. Am I correct? Then let me start by evaluating the resources used... then I'll move onto clarity.

Firstly and most importantly - from now on, stay far, FAR away from the drum presets that come with FL Studio. They sound weak, flat, and VERY overused. Find some better samples, even if it means buying them - as long as you're avoiding those FL samples like the plague. They're not going to get you anywhere. Don't be fooled by your ridiculous number of reviewers who praise your work to no end within the few lines that they do give. There are samples out there that can offer so much more than any of the samples you're currently using can.

You make decent use of Sytrus, but use it so MUCH! Use other VSTi's, too. 3x0sc is actually quite decent if you add a lot of FX, for example. Look up Vanguard or Z3ta+ and see if you'd use either of those. And then, don't make the mistake with any of those that you did with Sytrus - at least TRY to make your own synths. Nobody can expect you to instantly master a synth as complex as Sytrus. But tweak around with the knobs and see what you find. Then try basing your synths off of presets - so you'd take a preset and tweak it until it sounds fairly different, and then you'd use it. Small steps. :)

Claritywise, this song could use some work as well. Though you know how to space your synths out so there aren't too many in the same frequency range, you end up with too many in each frequency range, and the song becomes quite crowded. Throw in your drums, along with a snare roll in certain parts of the song, and it's chaos. Careful. Try to limit the number of synths you use while keeping that full feeling. And if you feel you can't remove any more synths, then tweak with the individual volume knobs. Make what's quiet, weak, and barely audible louder. Tone down anything that overpowers the rest of the song. Rinse and repeat until your song sounds clearer. ;)

So, in summary:

1) Find better drums, ASAP. Don't use the samples that came with FL Studio.
2) Find synths other than Sytrus, and start to get used to making your own synths.
3) Work on clarity!

That's about all I have to say for this song - if I ever sounded harsh, know I'm just trying to give you the criticism you need. You did a nice job with it but you still have a LONG way to go. Don't be fooled by your many reviewers - you definitely have talent, but right now it's quite raw. Keep at it, follow my advice, and I'm sure you'll be on your way to making some great music.

Score: 9

"Definitely NOT "Just another track." :D"

submission: Atomic Inc - Finish Me

date: August 1, 2007

You really need to get yourself known, AtomicInc. This song seriously deserves a LOT more than a score of 3.63 and 7 downloads. ;) Good thing you've been getting a nice amount of reviews, though... I'm going to give you mine. Here's a nice, big one. >:) You deserve it.

First, I have to say, I really like the melodywork in this song! It's done quite well, and the harmonies match it perfectly. Nice synth choice, too. (And then not just for your leads - for pretty much everything else as well. :D) It takes a while to develop - I would have preferred to have heard what starts at 0:44 (awesome transition into that part, by the way :D) starting at 0:31 after the transition. ;) It could be a bit more diversity too, actually, most of the time 8-measure-melodies work a lot better than 4-measure ones. It kinda gets boring, actually, since you have that 4-measure melody playing the entire song. Don't get me wrong, though - that aside, I think it's great in every other respect. :)

Your drums are well-chosen, too, you have good samples and you know how to use them. ;D The snare in the intro, I think, shouldn't have been so heavy. A lighter, crunchier-sounding one would have worked a bit better in my opinion. Everywhere else, though, I have no problem with your sample choice, it all fits very well. :)

Great work with this, get out there and get yourself known! Your work deserves a lot more than this, I assure you. :) Voted 5, keep up the good work. I'll be keeping an eye out for more of your music... >:)

Score: 8

"Better."

submission: BTN - Basshunter Remix - BTN

date: July 31, 2007

Definitely better than many, if not all of your previous songs. An improvement overall. :) Still, I've got a nice amount of constructive criticism for you. Heh.

The main thing that stands out is that so many of the instruments are in the same frequency area. The kick, many of the bass synths (I shouldn't be saying there are many, anyway - at most, there should be two) just to name some. This results in cluttering of your sound quality. Diversify your synths a bit more. Try for a mid-freq arped or gated synth, maybe, and/or a high-freq lead. A pad maybe? Experiment. But your synths shouldn't all be on the same frequency range. Balance them out. ;)

You're STILL using FL Studio preset drums! You shouldn't be! >:( You've been making music for, what, a year now? More? Kinda sad that you are. Get out there, find some better ones! I actually found halfway decent drums on findsounds.com! XD If finding them is that easy then you need to put that much more effort into your songs. ;)

Your synth choice isn't very good, either. I don't quite like the general sound of how they come together - though your individual choices vary from bad to amazing. The higher-pitched synth you open with? Not a good choice. Yet the bass synth that plays by itself at 0:14? Amazing. :D Don't forget, your synths all need to contribute to each other and to the same feeling. ;)

Like I said before, overall an improvement - though you still have a LONG way to go! Keep trying, you'll get somewhere soon enough. ;)

Score: 8

"You really are crunching! :O"

submission: _-={Tell Me Once Again}=-_

date: July 31, 2007

So many entries in such a short time! Better now than later, I suppose, I guess I'd rather not have a deadline breathing down my neck too. :P

Still, I feel a bit more effort could have been put into this entry. It's good, but it doesn't shine like your song The Desire to Destroy. How much time did you spend on this?

In my opinion it's a bit lacking in emotion as well. Something about the melodies, harmonies, instruments chosen... it doesn't feel well done, in my opinion. I do think it's sad-sounding, I think it would fit a Game Over screen just fine, but there could easily be other songs that would fit one better.

As far as the actual song, compositionwise, is concerned, I don't have too much to say. My main problems here are with the clarity. There's... something, it sounds like a timpani, in the background. I think you made it too quiet, I have to listen VERY carefully to hear it. Not too much else to comment on... suppose I'll move onto the story now.

An aged character sits under a tree, at the top of a hill, and they sit facing the city the hill overlooks. The morning sun shines down at their back, and at the tree, casting a shadow towards the city, which bustles with life. People are walking, running, laughing, chit-chatting meaningless nonsense the character couldn't care less about. Peace reigns over the city, yet our character doesn't want to have anything to do with it.

Our character is in exile.

They stand up, turn around, and walk away.

A bit vague, but the rest is for you to figure out. :P Not a bad song, but again, lacking in effort in my opinion. Keep trying, hopefully your other contest entries will be better. :)

Score: 9

"So where's the finished version?"

submission: Aeden - Eternity

date: July 28, 2007

I never reviewed this until now because I thought the finished version was coming soon, but today is today and it hasn't come yet. >:( I may as well review this one. Are you ever submitting the finished version, by the way? This sounds really good.

Nice use of guitar in the beginning, I like it. :) Very professional-sounding. The filtered arp coming in sounds good as well. You take your time making the song progress, though...

Your clap is very quiet when it comes in around 1:05. It goes from quiet to barely audible. Make it a bit louder, maybe?

Great, now! I hear you bringing the ride in, there are more gated synths, a melody is coming together, everything. :D The part where the kick comes in is a bit simple, though... it's okay to want to build up, but I'd suggest starting with a bit more. It's a bit boring if you only have a kick so far into the song, and you're building up.

Here's the guitar again. Everything blends together quite nicely, no clashing notes, no nothing. :P It's all quite melodic.

The song's over. :( I was hoping for something a bit more... powerful? Considering the attitude this song has and where it could potentially go.

So are you ever going to submit the finished version? I'd really like to see where this is going! Great song, Carbo, I enjoyed it. :)

Score: 9

"Huge effort here! :D"

submission: _-={The Desire to Destroy}=-_

date: July 27, 2007

You said in your news post this was a MAC entry, so why am I not surprised? :D I'll jump right in and start reviewing right away.

Not really too much to comment on, I like what you did with the choir in the first half or so of the song. Makes it nice and ominous. >:) I really like the way this song is structured! :) The percussion is very well-done, too, it adds a lot to the song.

The one thing I don't like, however, is the buildup at the end of the loop, which sounds like you're trying to make this song sound like one of those movie trailer soundtracks at their climax. :P A little more effort could have gone there - you tried but it was missing a little something that made it fall flat there, unfortunately. It kinda stood out of the song that way. The rest of the song was brimming with effort - this had it too, but not nearly as much. Of course, if the movie trailer feel might not have been what you were going for there, but even then it still could have done with a bit more effort.

That aside, though, I have to say this is a serious contender to be reckoned with in the MAC! I wish you the best of luck in the contest, Maestro. :)

Storytime now, though it'll probably be a short one since this is only a minute long. :P What's more is that, exciting as battlethemes are to listen to, stories end up being a bit cliche for my tastes. :\ Aah well, I'm trying to be original.

The sun glares harshly on two swordsmen in the center of a battlefield. All soldiers around them have fallen, and they, the leaders of their armies, wait for their opponent to make the first strike as they circle each other.

They realize that there is no good or evil - they are simply fighting for their own side. They realize the other's cause is as worthy as theirs, and that the battle is virtually a tie already and their fight here is meaningless if they wish to serve their own country. Yet they continue to circle each other.

Tension builds, and as they circle each other they realize only one between the two of them will live. The last thing they will see is the victorious gleam of their foe's sword. And still they circle.

That's all. And, whaddaya know, if you go back to the first paragraph, it loops too! :D How many people have done THAT before? ;)

Great song, Maestro, I enjoyed it! Keep up the great work, and good luck in the MAC. :)