Step's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Last Dance]

Gahhh, I wrote a long review for this, but for some reason it didn't post and I lost it all. OH WELL, TAKE #2.

Man, let me start by saying that, after reading your song description, I can't help but say that you remind me a lot of myself four years ago. I was in the same boat, having to figure out loads of dumb workarounds just to get a final export on my track. I was using EWQLSO on an old PC running Windows XP with a single-core CPU and 3 GB of RAM, which was an absolute nightmare, through and through. You should definitely look into upgrading Cubase, or finding a cheaper DAW (like FL) which doesn't place limitations like that on you.

Right, first order of business is the melodies and harmonies. Like in that other track of yours I reviewed a year ago, I think you did an absolutely wonderful job on both accounts. The unwavering sense of movement and 3/4 pace, coupled with the unorthodox sound palette, really make this a unique and distinct listening experience, that isn't easy to forget. With regards to composition, you don't leave much to be desired. If I had to point anything out, it'd be that you lent a little from that incredibly overused i - VI - III - VII progression, but thankfully you go places with it and use it well, so it didn't come off as generic or cheesy at all.

And wow, your instrument/sound set is just ridiculous. My prevailing thought while listening to this track was "how the hell did he think of this stuff" haha. You've got everything from an accordion to a piano to bells to weird squeaky percussion/effects, which give this a likable yet unique style. Additionally, I agree with the reviewer below me. The low quality of the real instrument samples doesn't detract from this piece at all. In fact, it arguably adds onto the obscure style you have going.

You saw this coming a mile away, but I think the primary issue with this piece is the production value. I have some good news, though; I didn't hear any clipping. Now, I'm not very good at noticing clipping, but from what I heard, you got rid of it, or at least got rid of the worst of it. As for the mix itself, it sounds too doused in reverb and lacking clarity for my tastes. It actually doesn't sound half bad at the start, but the further we get into the track, the more it seems to degrade into muddiness.

Also, the mix feels rather flat. I was hoping for it to open up at one point, but it never really did. I felt almost like I was hearing the same dynamic level for the whole track (save for the intro and outro which were suitably soft). I feel like the instruments are just squeezed together and need more space. I wanted to hear a disconnect between the foreground and background, but everything seemed to wash into each other (especially during transitions like 0:50, 1:33 and 2:00). Careful EQing and cutting down on some of the reverb can remedy this.

All in all, what you have here is an oddly relaxing, yet engaging piece, with a quirky set of instruments and some truly memorable and solid, waltz-esque composition. Enjoyed it!

8/10
4/5

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Yay! Thanks a great deal for reviewing this track, not once, but twice! XD
I can relate to losing everything that you've written (or done in general) for something, and it's one of the most frustrating experiences I know of -_- Nowadays I try to remember copying everything, every now and then, but it's always the times that I forget doing so that something goes wrong D:

"I was in the same boat, having to figure out loads of dumb workarounds just to get a final export on my track."

=> Hahha, yeah. I think that many musicians, especially the ones starting out experience lots upon lots of technical difficulties and other issues while trying to work with DAWs. Or maybe that's just what I'm telling myself in order to not feel alone in this o.O
I will certainly upgrade my Cubase, probably to the latest version too. After all, it's not that expensive in the end. I'm having more trouble figuring out what VSTs I want to buy :/ I'll really have to think about what I actually need. I believe my computer will be able to handle pretty much, despite being a laptop, as it has 8 GB RAM, a decent sound card and an i7 processor. I'd like an external sound card too though. There'll always be to much I want compared to what I realistically can get XD

"...melodies and harmonies."

=> I actually wrote the composition on the piano before recreating it in Cubase, as I wanted a solid base to go on for this project. I definitely used very cliché chord progressions, mainly because I wanted to work with something simple to begin with. I tried to focus on having several different transitions too, so that I could practice automation. If I were to try to orchestrate some other piano piece of mine, like "Medley of a Shattered Mind", I'm sure I'd just destroy the composition and fail horibly :'D
In general, I think that my strong point lies in composing, and as we all know, certainly not it things like production!

"...ridiculous instrument/sound set."

=> I'm glad that you as well as many other people liked the weird intruments I used! I wanted to vary the intruments a lot, both as it keeps the different sections interesting, and because it's good practice. I grew kind of fond of the low quality instruments too, for this track at least. Sadly, you can't get away with that in every genre. Electronic stuff is pretty easy, but if you want to create somewhat good sounding orchestral pieces, great instruments would help a lot.
As I think I already told someone in the review, I might as well have thrown a dice for which instruments I would combine together (except for in the beginning, where I knew I wanted to use an accordion, bells and weird percussion). I couldn't combine any instrument though; I tried to make them harmonize (like the harmonica!) to some extent at the very least :)

"You saw this coming a mile away..."

=> Yup yup, it's also why I really wanted the help of reviewers regarding this >:D There is very little clipping left, but I've located two very minor instances while listening at a high volume, at 2:04 and 2:10. It's caused by the cymbal sound which I should've mixed better.

"As for the mix itself, it sounds too doused in reverb and lacking clarity for my tastes."

=> I must agree. I tend to overuse reverb in all my tacks, and this one is really muddy. I wanted to give it a sense of dreaminess, but I know I went far overboard. I think I should make a really dry track in the near future. All the reverb made the balancing of the different instruments far more difficult as well.

"Also, the mix feels rather flat."

=> Now that you say so, it's certainly true. Once again, part of the reason is that I started out with too high volume while mixing the track, and I couldn't really increase it too much without redoing all the automation, at least if I didn't want a lot of clipping in the track :( I should learn how to balance these things from the very start. It didn't help that I had to export half the track on beforehand and thus rendering it uneditable later.
You're also right in that the track didn't open up at any point (well, as you said, apart from the outro). I would've liked to do some kind of a breakdown at some point more in the middle of the track, perhaps right before the climax.
The instruments are definitely, so to say, squeezed together.

"I wanted to hear a disconnect between the foreground and background..."

=> That's a really good idea!

"Careful EQing and cutting down on some of the reverb can remedy this."

=> I'll think about this. In fact, I'll take all the advice you gave me to heart, and hopefully be able to implement it into future tracks of mine!! :3

Once again, thanks a million for reviewing my track! I'm truly grateful for the fact that you spent some of your time giving me tips! :')

[Boss X]

Heed my warning, fellow musician, for my free time is limited and I am about to attempt what I never thought was within the bounds of possibility for someone of my habits - a short review. Pray for me as I enter this realm of unknown territory, with naught but my keyboard, my fingers, and, hopefully, my sanity.

So yeah I just wanted to drop by and say that I highly enjoy this little ditty of yours. It's tons of fun to listen to, and the main hook is just stupid catchy. I hope you still have the project file since you need to finish this. Some particular points I want to bring up:

- 0:12's chord change is really lovely, and I love hearing it every time it pops up in the track.
- 0:48's transition is such a brilliant idea. If I were you I'd highlight the contrast there even more, by making that break more sudden/quiet, and making the rise into the next part more exaggerated.
- Don't think I didn't notice 1:34's JohnFN Drum Fill™.
- I feel like you could've been a bit more creative with your intro. It kind of jumps right into the meat of the track with that catchy hook, and by the time 0:48 comes in, it already sounds like you've milked it a little. If I were you I'd add a few clever variations before 0:32 comes in, and make 0:32 more of a buildup into 0:48.
- Mix is pretty balanced, but a little flat and lacking the punch I usually enjoy in your tracks.

k thats everything dont forget to finish this byeee.

8/10
4/5

johnfn responds:

Man maybe I should come back to this. I honestly think the mix is pretty weak now. :3

[Opus Pegasus]

Damnnn, this is a really pleasant piece of music. I'm going through a pretty stressful time right now, full of work, and this is PRECISELY what I needed haha.

The composition is absolutely LOVELY. The first ten notes are indeed wonderful (props to Anthrogh) but you develop it well, especially at around 0:33 with that chord progression. You even end it perfectly. I mean, there isn't much in terms of composition considering you don't even reach a minute, but you make very good use of that minute. I also quite like the harp you're using. It's quite full-bodied and has a pleasant sound. What did you use?

Now for why I really came here - to talk about the note velocity/tempo editing. I honestly think the effort you took to tweak the fine details of the track was worth it. It shows, because the piece is infinitely more dynamic and expressive. There are some really nice touches like slowing down a little before the chord at 0:09, or slowing down for the ending. I'm curious why you didn't use softer notes that much though - there is a range of note volumes here but it's from, say, mezzo forte to fortissimo, rather than a more expansive range. I also think the pause around ten seconds in should be a bit longer.

I definitely think you did a very solid job on this. One little tip - I find that for solo passages like these, playing them with a MIDI keyboard (if you have one) with the metronome turned off (and some intentional rubato) helps a lot. Even if you make a whole bunch of mistakes, you can easily fix them afterwards in the piano roll. I've taken to recording nearly all my solo pieces on my MIDI keyboard now and editing them heavily later. Give that a shot if you have a MIDI keyboard and haven't tried it already!

Hope I helped. Beautiful piece, great job!

8/10
4/5

Krichotomy responds:

I'm glad you are that pleased with the music. :]

The harp is a soundfont called "Beauty's Harp". I got it for free, but the sheer quality of it makes me think it /must/ not be a free soundfont, so I've searched for it to buy it, but I can't find it. You never know with soundfonts, haha.

I think you prefer a wider note volume range than I do. One thing that bothers me in classical music is just how much the volume of the pieces vary throughout. First I can't hear them, then they're blasting my face off with brass... haha. Anyway, this piece might sound better with a wider note volume range - I'll be sure to try it out some time. I completely agree that a longer pause would have been better.

I have an old midi keyboard but the keys have no dynamics and there is no pedal support. It's quite difficult to play emotionally since all notes come out sounding the same. "Buy a better midi keyboard" is on my list of things to do whenever I get a stable job.

Thanks for the review. You always help to sharpen my critical eye.

[Skyless]

This is an NGADM Finals Review.

--

Just yes. I have no words to express how impressed I am right now. Every round you've nailed it. Not once did you slip up. You've simply delivered an extremely consistent and sky-high quality of music since the beginning of the competition. Ergo, this an extremely well-deserved first place.

This song... where to start? It's in roughly the same kind of melodic, journey-like style as your Round 1 and especially your Round 4 track, so you weren't reaching too far into your sleeve for this one, sure, but damn, despite that I still can't help but feel taken aback by the sheer splendour of what you've presented. This is insanely uplifting and huge, realised beautifully by your inspirational composition and thrilling array of sounds.

Once again, I'm a big fan of your main melody. You have this approach to melodies which I think is pretty unique (I've only heard it done before in the NGADM by RetromanOMG and to a lesser extent), where you think of this addicting little melodic phrase, and build whole melodies out of it, while somehow keeping everything from coming off as monotonous. You've done it in nearly every NGADM track thus far, and it's a great way of creating a hook without obnoxiously repeating the same thing over and over again like an extravagant amount of commercial electronic music does nowadays.

While there's a whole plethora of super enjoyable aspects to the composition, I think the highlight would have to be how you built up to the climactic sections each time (0:45, 1:19, etc), which was nothing short of gorgeous. The way you approached it was pristine, and the energy and emotion came through each time.

The secret behind those great buildups has to be the vocals. I think your vocal performance here (aside from some quirks) is brilliant. That dreamy, soft quality to your voice is nothing short of perfect for this track, and damn, you deliver it like a beast. Your confident delivery, amalgamated with the significant, but not excessive, use of reverb makes it sound like you're singing atop the peak of a mountain or cliff, facing a vast blue sky, rather than in front of a microphone in a small room. Great stuff.

The additional singing you've got in the 1:52 climax is an especially nice way to elevate that climax with even more energy and atmosphere. I kind of think that the only part which sounded awkward is 2:13. The vocals are mixed in somewhat awkwardly there, and they felt kind of sloppy compared to the much tighter performance of the rest of your vocals. Doesn't help that I had no idea what you were saying in that part either!

I don't usually dedicate much time to talk about the percussion of a track but I felt like I should talk a little bit about the drums here since I think they're some of the best drums you've done for this contest. It's easy to overlook them since they're just in the background, providing the rhythmic backbone for the track, but when I paid particular attention to them I realised that they're really damn good. I love how you use different drum sounds for different sections, opting for a more understated, glitch/breakbeat style for the verses, a heavier, DnB style of drums for the climaxes, and a set of drums more suitable for dance music at 2:13. You also have really great fills, especially during those aforementioned buildups.

Really, my main issue with this track (apart from that vocal section that didn't sit too well with me) would be the same one I had previously with a few of your earlier tracks. While I do like how you set up your melodies out of a single, small melodic hook, I was still hoping for something new to pop up in the form of an alternate/counter melody. It is definitely not much of an issue, as I don't think I would call this particularly repetitive, but it is something I wished for.

That's everything I have to say about this track. I can't possibly overstate how much I've enjoyed your music over the past months. As I said in an earlier review (forgot which), your NGADM tracks are simply perfect role-models of what I personally look for in electronic music. Congratulations on winning this enormous contest, and above all, thanks for the amazing music you've given us during your stay.

--

SCORE: 9.6/10

garlagan responds:

Step, your reviews truly are out of this world. I've told you before, they are one of the best things in the NGADM. I can't thank you enough.

[No Joy Here]

This is an NGADM Round 4 Review.

--

We can both say that we saw this coming. Your two competitors made phenomenal tracks, but due to some super unfortunate issues on your side, you had to settle with a track that doesn't quite reach the quality we've come to expect from you. On that front, I can say that I was disappointed in how everything panned out, but I honestly don't consider this a bad track at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. I am genuinely impressed by what you made despite all the odds being against you.

I agree with Spadezer that there is definitely something magical behind the composition here. Your melodies are pretty damn nice! A little simple and typical, sure, but entirely musically sensible and flowing. Some bits are particularly captivating, such as 0:50's rather beautiful piano section, or 1:22's brilliant introduction of drums. Hearing delicate composition like this coming from someone who usually makes the polar opposite in terms of music style comes as quite a surprise, but goes to show how versatile you truly are.

I disagree with DjGubkafish that there are harmony issues, since everything is actually totally harmonious to my somewhat musical ear, at least in terms of chords and melodies. There are sections like 1:07 where a fair bit of voices are playing different things together, showing a commendable effort put into making all the instruments agree harmonically with each other. On a rhythmic note, I'm in love with your subtle time signature extensions and changes!

In the composition department, I think the primary area where this piece perhaps falls short is in the track's structure. Putting aside the fact that the song length is slightly disappointing, some of the structural and transitional choices simply didn't make much sense to me, or at the very least could have been executed somewhat better.

My main issue with the structure is that the piano section from 2:04 onwards is very unfitting. It's too short for it to feel like it actually fits there as its own section, but too long to be considered a small piano embellishment for the ending. On top of that, the transition towards it was awkward at best, as the piano just prematurely came in out of nowhere after the section before it ended.

There were other transitions which I feel could've been worked on a little more. For instance, at 1:07 I would've liked some kind of preparation to introduce the new string instruments that play alongside the piano. Conversely, I'll concede that there are some other transitions that I personally wouldn't have any other way, like 0:50's and 1:22's.

Mixing is always something you've excelled at, through and through, but unfortunately, as you would agree, that isn't the case over here. There's a lot of muddiness, especially when you start throwing in those warm string chords, or lead string instruments which are abnormally loud compared to the other instruments.

Additionally, as Spadezer said, there is definitely a lot going on in the mid frequencies, and I'm sure that with a little more time on your hands, you would've easily been able to clean that up. Or maybe not, since this genre is new to you? I have tons of experience mixing orchestral so if you need any tips or orchestral mixing, let me know! I actually don't think your samples are bad at all, though. What did you use?

Anyway, I hate to have to be brutally honest on your first endeavour in a totally new genre, but it'd be more unfair on you to sugar-coat everything, especially since this is an NGADM contest review. However, I need to stress that this is not bad *at all*. There are tons of redeemable qualities, especially your emotional and well-written composition. And hey, if you get into orchestral more, maybe one day we'll hear some symphonic orchestral/metal hybrid masterpiece from you some day! Regardless of what happened, it's been a pleasure having you on the contest, and congrats on third place.

SCORE: 8.1/10

[Impulse]

This is an NGADM Round 4 Review.

--

Holy CRAP garlagan. This is amazing. You've done it again, and stronger than you've ever done it before. Your reign of sonic supremacy over electronic music never ceases to amaze me, and even though you most certainly know by now that I'm a huge fan of what you've been doing for this contest, I will reiterate it every time. I hate sounding like a fanboy, since it kinda shows unprofessionalism from my part as a judge, but my point is, please, keep up the great work!

Where to start? Your composition, I think, is what struck me the most here. Do you have some repetitive sections? Yep. Was I hoping for more melodic variety? Yep. But screw it all, you have an absolutely PHENOMENAL melody here. Your knack of creating simple but excellent earworms is undisputed, and you made good use of it especially in this track and your Round 1 track.

The best thing about the melodic material in here is that wow, this is some really emotional stuff. The soft piano interludes are beautiful, the rise at 0:36 is wonderfully uplifting, and this is structured as if it were some main theme in a film score or something. It's dynamic, has an iconic melody and tells a story, like a film score in the guise of a Drum and Bass track. This is especially apparent in the unexpected orchestral-esque section towards the end, complete with orchestral percussion and some really nice strings. I find this aspect to be really interesting and memorable.

Not only will I commend you on your creative compositional ideas, but your execution of them is also impressive! While you keep a prevalent main motif throughout pretty much the whole track, you offer some incredibly clever and fun varieties on that motif, such as 4:25's descending key changes (seriously, what a great idea). Over here I'll have to concede that I was kind of hoping for some more meaningful variety in the melodies. Essentially, all of the melodic material was composed of different variations and takes on your primary motif, which left me wanting a little more.

Your production value... I don't know why I even bother. As always, I am in love with it. The mix is very even and clear, and this time it's significantly dynamic! From the delicate soft sections to the climactic and heavy-hitting sections to the more spacious and subdued outro, there was a variety of different dynamics to please the ears, and you transitioned masterfully between each one!

I also quite enjoyed the less melodic section at 2:14, since not only did it provide momentary relief from the heavier melodic stuff that's more demanding to listen to, but it also showcased your plentiful sound design capabilities. Having said that, 1:01 - 1:26 was a little bit less interesting to listen to (especially since, after it was over, it just transitioned back into a carbon copy of the section before it).

One final note on the intro and outro. Let me start by saying that the Mirror's Edge vibes I'm getting from the intro are almost overwhelming! That aside, it's a lovely intro. Only thing I would've wished for is that you were a bit more patient with your introduction of the climax at 0:21, and built up to it more suitably (I think I had the exact same problem with your Round 1 track's intro). Of course this might lengthen a track that's already fairly lengthy, but I certainly wouldn't object to cutting down on some of the length of 1:01 - 2:06 to make room for this addition.

The outro was approached really well, but the ending itself? Eh, I was a little disappointed. I'm not one for the abrupt/unfinished endings like that, so I might be biased, but it did feel a little unsatisfying. Might've just been a stylistic choice on your part to end it like that (or maybe it was just deadline pressure?) but whatever the case, it isn't my favourite ending from you to say the least!

Anyway, I've mentioned quite a few gripes I have with this track; the intro/outro could use some work, I was hoping for more melodic variety and some of the sections weren't as interesting as they could've been... so why such a high score? Well, when I listen to the track as a whole I realise that, frankly, those issues really aren't that detrimental from the overall listening experience. You've made an absolute BEAST of a track here, and I hope you continue to impress for the final round!

SCORE: 9.8/10

garlagan responds:

Can't believe this review Step. Your writing skills, god. Just WOW. Reading it has been a pleasure to say the least. THANK YOU!

By the way 'like a film score in the guise of a Drum and Bass track'<-- loved this.

'All of the melodic material was composed of different variations and takes on your primary motif'. This is probably something I need to work on. The idea though is that it only takes one listen to like and understand the track. But it doesn't offer much more than that. So maybe I should keep a balance between risky and easy/friendly stuff.

The first thing I did for the track was the quiet section in the middle. I started with that sinewave thing doing the main melody. Then I realised it got these Mirror's Edge vibes and it actually inspired me quite a bit. I'm in love with the OST so it was nice coming up with something similar to it.

Regarding the intro being kinda brief, I tend to abuse this resource a bit. It's tempting to introduce something and let it go quickly into something bigger to catch attention more easily. I usually try to imagine what a listener might think/expect when listening to my tracks and as I'm totally impatient, even when pretending to be a random listener, my tracks end up going from part to part sometimes too fast.

Immensely glad you liked the track!
Also that score is surreal. Can't believe it!

[Your Father's Blade]

This is an NGADM Round 3 Review.

--

You know how much of a fan I am of your music, but it seems like with each new track I hear from you, it feels less and less like I'm hearing music from a Newgrounds artist, and more like music from a Hollywood composer. Your competitive edge lies, without a doubt, in your absolutely faultless execution. This sounds enveloping, captivating, and gripping, partially because of your wonderful motif and partially because, once again, your sound design choices and mixing thereof is simply ON POINT, and leagues above what I aspire to hopefully be able to do myself in the future.

In both your Round 1 and this track, there's a point where the track opens up gloriously. In "Revelation", it was 3:05. Here, it's 2:55. These moments are, in my opinion, what really sell your pieces. Your masterful control over the sound and levelling of your instruments gives you the ability to create such jaw-dropping transitions like those, which can be appreciated in their entire grandeur and splendour at high volumes. My favourite aspect of that transition is actually how you nailed a balance between abruptness and smoothness. It sounds abrupt enough to really hit home with its sudden change, but still smooth to keep the listener enthralled by the experience. It was both understated and hard-hitting, whereas the standard route would be to have an obvious buildup to that section (which is what I would have done). Your approach, while fairly bold and daring, is an approach I personally love.

I have to also commend you on your excellent choice of instruments. There's a slight ethnic influence which isn't needlessly in-your-face but still present to give this a unique flavour compared to what you've made thus far. One aspect I think you excelled particularly in would be the percussion. All throughout the track, your percussion fits beautifully. It provides subtle rhythmic taps for the first half which give this track a good sense of forward motion, and then the percussion seamlessly morphs into a huge driving force, with mighty thumps and booms serving as the backbone of the emotional and uplifting climax. The only issue I have with the instruments is the vocal section that starts at 1:10... I don't know what exactly is annoying me about it, but I'm not feeling it. It sounds kind of artificial/synthy. Did you use Voices of Passion for it? Because that might explain it - I hate Voices of Passion with a passion (pun unintended)! I think the vocals sound more at home later on in the track, though.

I have one minor complaint with your otherwise flawless production. After many careful listens of the climax at 3:05, I think it slightly lacks mid frequencies. This might be because the brass is slightly too understated. Turning it up a little, and maybe boosting more of its mid range, will fill up that gap that I think I'm hearing in the frequency spectrum of that climax. On a more composition-related complaint, I felt like the first half of the track needs more complex composition to retain interest. Before I listened to this, some of the other judges had already told me that they preferred the second half to the first. Nevertheless, during my first listen I tried my hardest to enjoy the first half, but I have to agree it could be a bit more interesting. While I think the mood and atmosphere you portray over there is simply spectacular, I can't help but wish for more interesting compositional aspects beyond long, sustained notes and a consistent drumming rhythm.

The overall listening experience of this track, despite any flaws I might have mentioned, is simply glorious. Mind-blowing work, Peter. Plsteachme.

SCORE: 9.6/10