MaestroRage's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Musik of Future]

Good stuf

This is a pretty good start, I think your percussional work could use some revising, they're a tad loud those snares, and I didn't quite hear the kick, which should be a good deal louder.

Also if you're using FL Studio which I think you are, press f9 to bring up the mixer window, and add a reverb effect, preset 4 (cathedral) to those kicks and snares. Trust me the effect they will have on them will be quite grand.

The melody and everything flows just fine. I'm not sure about what the person below me means by cut out, I didn't hear it, maybe I didn't catch it, but yeah.

You could become a great DJ if you keep pushing, which I hope you will, I hear some good potential in you. 5/5 from me, keep them coming.

I'd also like you to listen to a few of my pieces, you will see what I mean by adding reverb, all of those songs I have up there are very heavily reverbed, and the effect it gives them is quite epic.

With all that said, take care ^^.

Gerasym-dima responds:

Ok thx for the rewiew!
Yes i was using FL studio ;)
I will follow your hint and make kicks and snares louder.
thx .
PS: your musik is awesome!

[Magnum Battle]

Impressive

Quite impressive DSMagnum, you really seem to have a knack for this genre, this makes for good battle loop for sure, if I was a flash artist this would be on my "Use at some point" list.

It also loops pretty damn well, so you know it's a success.

I kinda like the reverb I over use it in my songs X_x. Maybe.

Anyways, just wanted to drop my support and a review, keep them coming DSMagnum, I look forward to whatever else you submit. 5/5 from me.

DSMagnum responds:

I hope it does get used in a flash someday. :)

As for the reverb, I used it on one of the drum kits to give a slight echo effect. I originally used a lot of reverb on both the drums, and a little bit on the bass, but that sounded odd. There is some reverb in the song, but it's kinda unoticable.

It's great to see that you like my music! I hope I'll be as popular as you someday.

[Levoctus - Adiemus]

Neat

Hello Bosa

Lets begin our review by analysing mood and atmosphere.

The mood is very triumphant, very noble. As the description says, it makes me think of a great warlord in his tent, a single ray of light shining on his bloody crown, his dented, chipped, blade leavning against his throne. His gaurds hate him, but dare not protest, unless they wish to know the full fury of his blade.

The great timpini and percussional works really was what made this song the way it is.

I know of a song from Enya called Adiemus, this song reminds me of that, but in honesty, it doesn't sound half as noble as this.

Lets talk a bit about instruments and melody.

The melody is quite fine, however i'm not going to comment too much on that because I feel the influence of Adiemus is very great in this song, so i'm going to go straight to the instruments.

This is where you made the biggest difference. Those string placements, those brass, all of it screams a different story then Adiemus, and all of it forms a different image entirely. I really liked the timpini work as stated earlier, it really gives it a bulk feeling, of nobility. I suppose I learned something else today!

Some ideas (now bear in mind i'm using headphones which can't handle bass very well so the melody is a tad muffled by the bass i'm hearing now, so i'll try to suggest things that will make sense).

I wonder if you layered a flute melody on top of the melody you have going now, or with it, if it would have made a neat addition. I'm thinking tin whistle, or panflute, those woodwinds to be more precise.

Bells, I really think with such nobility feel, you need the noble bells to go with it, the epic cream on all the epic cakes.

Out of PURE curiousity, have you ever considered an organ? I wonder what would happen to the songs feel if you had an organ going off instead of that brass. It would sound so much... darker? Who knows, just ideas.

Other then that, I can't really think of anything. Keep the spirit strong, your chin up, and keep them coming! Good stuff Bosa. Once again you did not disapoint. I'd like you to listen to a few pieces under this alias I posted, it's some of my best work yet, thank you for your time.

Bosa responds:

Indeed, there is always room for ideas. Maybe I will add a tin whistle in my next track. Especially since I have somebody who can play one well. An expert if you will.. Anyways, I may just have a peep at your music.

-Bosa

[okay...now it's better(angels)]

So tiring, so pleasent...

I don't know where you got these samples. I am SO tired now from listening to this track. It has such... gentle attributes, just typing out this review has become a burdan. I don't know if I can ever write any more reviews after this, I just... want to sleep.

A lot of your pieces has this effect, even if this is just a short loop, I listened to it at least 400 times. Good stuff, easily a 5/5 from me.

heather-lanham responds:

thank you! ^_^ I don't know what I do to my music, I guess my voice just does that.

[Call Of The Sky]

Neat

Not bad, a pretty damn laid back beat if ever I heard one. Really this makes for good ambiant, and to have it used the first day it came out?! Wow, impressive.

Those plucky strings, normally I would consider them quite distracting, and not a very good ambiant instrument, but you pulled it off well, that pad that comes in later with that base, wonderful.

Also though I don't think the percussional aspects was all that necessary, you still did good by putting them in there.

Thats all I can think of right now One_Eye_Blind, good stuff, 5/5 from me ^^. I'd like to ask you to listen to some of my pieces sometime. Thank you for your time.

Quickbeam responds:

Thanks for the review and yes i will listen to your audio because ive heard quite a bit about your audio on the BBS so i will check it out. yes it was really cool to have it used in the first 5 minutes of being released thats never happened to me before. but anyway i wont rant on anymore. Thanks again for the review!

[Aliens attacks earth.]

Neat.

It didn't work through streaming, so I downloaded to hear it.

Anyways. I liked the choir work, it makes a pretty decent tense element to the song, but in all honest I felt that the song was fairly repetitive, you used the same melody a good amount of times, with little to mix it up as it progressed. That is my only qualm with this song, it needs to be mixed up more, but otherwise you make good use of synths and soundeffects.

Keep them coming FoxTechno. 4/5 from me.

FoxTechno responds:

Hey cheers for review, yep i dident put much more synth, because i ran out of buttons on my korg equipment to make more, i could of made more, but didint have my yamaha keyboard hooked up.

any way thanks again, Fox.
Please cheakout my website www.foxtechno.org.uk

[Memories-piano version(V1.5)]

Impressive

I can't believe this is midi! The samples are too refined for them to be midi, but what do I know, I havn't used midi in a while, technology changes right?

Anyways, the song is quite peaceful, flows smoothly without any disruptancies, that constant chord progression you had playing served as a good foundation, for the other piano. It makes for some good ambiant background story. The ending didn't really fit too well with the rest of the song, it just kinda... seemed to appear. There was a slight disruptancy for when the melody did change, but it wasn't critical, or too damaging, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Some ideas (forgive me if I suggest something that isn't on the GM Midi menu)

Bells. I keep thinking what this would sound like with a few church bells. You know, that deep gonging sound to weave itself into the song.

I know you already reverbed the keys, but I would think with about twice that reverb you could make it like a cavern feeling. A lonely desolate feel which I think this song has an excellent ability to portray.

Other then that, I can't think of anything, I enjoyed it a good deal. 4/5 from me Jason_Naylor. Keep them coming, I hear some good potential in your works. I'd like you to listen to a few of my tracks, I use a heavy dose of reverb in the ones I have up there thus far, and I promise you, you will see why I suggest reverb so much.

Thanks for your time.

Jason-Naylor responds:

Hey thanks alot for your review! and yes it is midi, although i did indeed do what i could to refine it, thats what is so gosh damn amazing about midi!!!! anyways, will try your suggestion and post it:)

[Phils Battle Music]

Some ideas

Hmm, well it's midi so it was a tad difficult to decipher the sounds, but lets try anyways.

See what I think the thing with this track is you've got way too much going on at the same time. The choir in the background, by itself sings a good melody, but doesn't correspond to the rest of the song except that one synth, the main melody lead.

The choir is also too quiet.

You've got this really really fast guitar? sounds going on in the background, and that just muddles it ALL up. Makes little sense.

Also be careful with what you make that main melody lead do, it gets random somenear near the end.

I don't know if you can do this with the midi software you use, but reverb is a great and valuable effect you should use on your battle songs. I'd like you to listen to some of my pieces, so far they all use a heavy dose of reverb and you will see the effect it can have on them. I feel with some reverb this song could improve a good deal.

You've got good melody, but poor execution. The song has great potential, but bad presentation.

Overall though, I think if you spent some time cleaning it up, it could be a pretty damn fine song, as well as get some better samples.

Other then that, keep them coming Philnemba, you'll get there if you keep pushing.

Philnemba responds:

Thanks for the review and the advice MaestroRage:)

[The Oath-FF VIII]

Damn fine

I loved this song a huge amount when I played the game too... I even remixed it, several times when I first started out. It is by far one of my favourites, along with The Landing from FF8 as well.

You've done the song justice, good for you. I like the bell idea you used for the main melody itself, the hi hats didn't add much in my opinion, I personally think it's one of those songs that don't need any percussional elements added to it.

The bass idea however, is very good, for sure a bass adds great points to the song.

Keep them coming Yumbo_Yak, I relived quite a few memories with this song. Good stuff.

Yumbo-Yak responds:

I am throughly surprised, and grateful that u gave me the review that u did, a good review, from a great artist.
thanx, and keep checkin' in on me, I'd love to hear what input you'll have for me in the future

[Red7 - Temptation]

Impressive!

Spontanious you say eh? Well i'm quite impressed, for a spontanious song is sure flows damn well. That "Temptation" vocal is used incredibly well. Sexy and effective, the melody is simple but very effective in capturing it's audience.

I think the song was a tad repetitive to be considered full blown techno, but non the less it had me bobbing my head ALL the way through. Great melody work. Sometimes I wonder how one comes up with the melodies for these types of songs.

Good synth work, the synths all flow together without any competition. Those giggles and sighs you had going on in there... well it sure worked it's magic on me ;). You dirty bastard you.

I suppose I don't have that much to say redSe7en, but this was incredible work. Be more spontanious from now on ;). 5/5 from me. I'd like you to listen to some of my pieces Redse7en, I have a whole new boat of new samples i'm quite proud of. Thank you for your time ^^.

Redse7en responds:

Hey nice to see you glad you could stop on by :) I wasnt sure if you would have gotten my message I sent you but Im glad you did. The temptation voice I used took a lot of work to get it just perfect. Before it sounded like crap heh. The main melodie was simple yes but the underlying melodies that went with the simple loud one were the tough part. Without those underlying melodies the song kinda lacked power. I didnt want the song to be too repetative but it still happened a little. I did come close to finding that happy median where its not too repetive and not too chaotic. All the rest after that was just alot of guess work. Guessing which snare would go best with another to make a more powerful sound. I try and keep all melodies and drum kits doubled up at half the volume so two samples play at the same time. This got rid of alot of beginners problems back in the day and now its useful (if you dont mind me saying) because now that I got all this experience under my belt I can finally find the perfect sound I want quite quickly now. Ill check out your stuff as soon as I can. Id rather be reviewing your work as well as other peoples than working at my job heh. Till we speak again lata! :D

~Red 7