MaestroRage's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[)rZ-The Horizon]

Impressive

It reminds me of Dan's Ode to Angels. Isn't that a great piece? I love Dan's music, it inspires me too only too often, he is truly skilled in touching, soft pieces. I've given up on trying to compete with him in that field, i'm going all the way to epic fighting sorrow ;).

Anyways, onto YOUR piece.

That timpini and strings that come in later in the song, were very overpowering, I would very carefully look over that segment. I realize you want to give the piece some insane power, but volume isn't the way to do it, perhaps focus more on the chords in the background, and highlight the melody with that.

Love the bells though, gotta love that :D!

Again near the end, you have alot of overpowering going on, even moreso then the first time.

That strange clavo? melody you have going on after that segment was totally unexpected. I wonder if perhaps it was done in the best of tastes. I thought it was pretty well done, but be careful of those transitions, you did that once in the middle as well, and though it was a good segment, throwing something that has a different core then the rest of the song is like cutting an apple and orange in half, then putting half apple and half orange together, and pass it off as a whole fruit.

The piano progression, though constant, was what I think made this song. It was the constant variable, the foundation to the piece.

Anyways, another great piece DrZonka, I would just watch out for overpowerment from now on, imma drop the 5/5 bomb on your face this time, but next time I won't be as forgiving ;). I know you can do better and so I will be harsher to try and give you as many ideas as possible. Keep them coming!

DrZonka responds:

I do admit this is a very high intensity song and I overdid it a little at the end but I used electric strings that I thought would lead in well with the electric piano used in the intermission between the theme and the finale and at the end of the finale. However volume wasn't a thought for me. I recorded on a low volume which might affect how other speaker on other computers may have made it louder, idk. To be honest on my computer it sounds balanced, but meh, this is what reviews are for buddy, I'll keep volume in mind from now on! Thanks- [)rZ- ps for listeners, listen to it on a lower volume than you normally would, I might try and put out a fixed version in a few days.

[Dragonic Fury]

100th review!!!

Hey RaustBlackDragon.

I'm using my 100th review for you, better appreciate >:D!

Anyways, ONTO THE SONG!

The beginning is the same as the other song, however I think there is some quality changes from the first. As well i'm not really hearing these reverbed snares Zen is talking about, but Zen is usually right about what he says, so I don't know.

There is a good deal of noble power to the piece, I forgot about this piece, i'm glad I came back to listen to it, it's quite neat. I've been listening to it while I played some neat strategy game, and it really suits the mood, especially those pizz strings.

Good level of dynamics as well.

The timpini does a good job driving the epic home! This is a good piece, i'm sorry i'm a tad tired so no suggestions come to mind, it's just great like this.

Check out some of my new stuff sometime Raust, I think you may enjoy them ^^. Dropping the 5 bomb on your face.

RaustBlackDragon responds:

M-M-M-MAESTRO! YOU'RE BACK! REJOICE! ONE OF THE THREE CLASSICAL GENERALS HAS RETURNED TO US!!!

(Exaggeration)

Great to have you back maestro. I just realized it was you. I'm going to check out your new songs in a little while. have you seen strategem yet? It's one of my latest songs. i also have one that's stuck on my ipod that I made at summer camp that i'm going to try to put onto my computer. until then, welcome back, Maestro S... er... MaestroRage

[mawkeetus-- Syimphoni]

Neat

neat timpini work! Timpini works excellently for a nice epic drive, i'm sure you agree ;).

Anyways lets talk abit about the song.

The melody flows nicely, you have a lot of neat segments, there were some parts where notes clashed, but you remind me alot of me when I first started so I'm not going to hold that against you.

The strings are pretty neat.

My only qaulm with the piece is the crashes, they sound pretty lousy with the song, because I feel you have them too frequently, and they sound fake enough to confuse them with hi hat.

The song is also fairly washed out sounding, I would suggest some equalizing, bring up the higher frequencies for a sharper sound, especially for those strings. If this doesn't make sense to you, don't worry about it, equalizing is a major pain, and takes many many hours to perfect, I only recently started, so for now, just focus on honing your skill with melodies and structures over technical stuff like that.

Is that a cello I hear in the background chords? You did well with those chords, they provide a good foundation for the song, but on another note they overpower the strings. I think this may be because you have the strings and cello playing in the same octave. Try to lower the cellos an octave, see what happens.

Thats all I can think of for now, really good work ChiRoN. Check out some of my work sometime, i'd appreciate your feedback.

BMC-Audio responds:

wow! that was a lot of advice. all i have to say to this is thanks. thanks for the critisism and time. most peeopple just listen to it and dont bother to critique it. ill be sure to review yours too.

[Unleash The Beast]

brutal

Time to throw the lion into the mosh pit...

heeeeeee...

Very brutal, very energetic. I could kick some serious nerdly ass with this! "Don't make me Zerg rush all over your face >:("! Or something equally nerdy.

Very clean guitar, tell me, are these synths? If not, how did you record it? My neighbor wants to record his guitar, and he doesn't know how he should go around doing it.

Thanks for your time.

[Khuskan - On My Own (Orch.)]

A story that is me!

You go find that vocalist and backhand her into submission >:(!

It is very soft though. I can see myself swinging on this swingset for hours and hours, smile plastered to my face, infact children begin to get scared at the large hairy man who never stops smiling and swinging on their playset.

In fact, there are Slow-Mo moments too! With my teeth sparkling, and rays of light bouncing off my flawless, perfected sweaty abs and blinding the young and old alike...

and then the image fades :/

Damn you and your song ending.

Easily a 5/5 from me Khuskan.

[Seizmic Trance (Dance Version)]

Neat

Hey XDragonslayerX.

This is a pretty neat song, but I felt that it didn't have enough energy to it. I think you should have some other synths playing the lead melody as well to mix up the sounds. I feel as it stands, your bass and percussional aspects are overpowering the main melody lead.

I think a nice ripping saw synth with some high pitched gated synth (like what you have now, but one octave higher), and then one octave lower, to really get some power infused in there.

On top of all that, I also feel a pad would come in handy, to fill up the "empty" feel i'm getting.

I also think your kick could be a little more banging, perhaps reverb?

Anyways, all in all, it IS a pretty damn fine song, I hear an insane level of potential in it, so i'll drop the 5 bomb on your face. Keep them coming, you can get there if you keep trying.

I'd like you to check out some of my stuff sometime ^^.

XDragonslayerX responds:

Thanks, once I get the full version of fruity I'll try to fix this if I can remake it correctly. =)

[Fantasy Aux]

Getting better

hmmm, pretty neat. I see you've let the claps simmer down.

Is that a reverbed boom I hear? It does sound pretty intimidating.

The percussional aspects are pretty neat, laid down, solid, and does the job effectively. That bass synth and later on that saw like synth begin to form a neat sound.

Some ideas.

Pads. I think you should use a pad under those synths, right now the song feels a tad empty, you know like theres a man in a giant room, all by himself.

Other then that, I hear improvement, so keep them coming!

PHOENIXtrunks responds:

thank you for the great review! I TOTALLY get what you're saying...I knew something was missing...a pad is just what I need...hmmm...thanks! I'll use one for my remix (or at least try and see if it works)!

[Pseudo Silk Kimono Orchestral]

Damn fine!

Some very very interesting samples your using here WuSchell! Quickly! Tell me what you're using, and where I can find me some of this good stuff >:(!

But that aside.

I felt the melody was very very sweet. Bitter, aggrivated, yet defiant. Like watching your home burn, and holding the torth that set it off during the whole thing... Oboe + cello chords = yes!

That constant oboe melody... that was what really nailed the atmosphere for me. Despite it being so repetitive I found that it was infact this repetition that accumulated in power as the song went by. This tells me that repetition is not always a bad thing, and I learned something valuable today, so thank you.

I don't think I know where any of these sounds come from. Are they all from one source? That brass is really something else, and i'd definately like to try using them myself.

That triangle ping, was pretty damn good. Really surreal feeling in just that one instance.

That guitar/plucking harp like instrument, that seemed like such an interesting addition. I don't think I would have considered using that, yet it does get the job done no?

All in all, I really enjoyed it. Top notch stuff, 5/5 from me WuSchell. Keep them coming!

WuSchell responds:

I'm just using the normal Reason Orchestral patches with a healthy amount of effects (hall!)

The Harp is absolutely Vollenweider Style ^^

[Northern March]

Impressive!

Awesome melody work! I loved the fast stabs of those strings, it was just so driving!

Very good level of dynamics too, it actually sounds like it's being played instead of pressing on a button, now if you had some better samples, then it would be insane!

When the strings and the flute are going at it together, I felt that was the best part, it really felt full at that point.

The segment where the strings slow down, with a higher octaved string layered on top. I did not think that part was handled that well, at the end where the last two notes had that really deep cello? instrument, those two notes really made a difference, I wish you had used it earlier in the piece.

Some ideas.

Perhaps some chords on those strings playing in the background?

I wonder if using an oboe instead of a flute, or even an oboe with the flute, would alter the songs core too much. I find an oboe sings perfectly for the kind of mood your trying to portray here, or at least what i'm getting, a kind of bitter energy.

Other then that, I thought it was pretty damn fine. 5/5 from me DigitalDan! Check out some of my pieces sometime! Keep them coming!