bassfiddlejones's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[T-Logic - Softscape]

TL! I enjoyed your track, it gave me a "Stranger Things" soundtrack sort of feel. I think the A/B/A/B sort of progression could have benefit from a nice C section somewhere in there. It was an honor to fight with you in Round 1!

TaintedLogic responds:

Thanks for the kind words, BFJ! I agree about the structuring - I could've done more with it. I'm unfamiliar with the Stranger Things OST, but I imagine the first 15 seconds or so at least fit the mood. XD Thanks again for the review! Good luck in Round 2. ^_^

[You're the Same]

Solid work LSD. Congrats on getting the highest score this round! Your production quality and musicianship has gone up significantly since the last time I've been around NG. You will be a force in this competition for sure!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you! It means a fair deal coming from you :)
I'm glad that my progress is noticable, since I've kept on doing my best to improve in the musical field, alongside my studies. Who knows, perhaps we (along with someone else) will end up in the finals together. Best of luck to you and Josh!

[The Carpenter of Post Town (1f1n1ty Remix)]

I'm really digging the sound design you have going on here. It's a nice stereo mix, and there's a lot to keep you interested. While this takes awhile to get started, it does homage to the original with your percussive elements. I think this is all about atmosphere, and you do a good job creating it! I really like the ritardando, it was pulled off well.

A few points to consider: The piece cuts off without letting the last note decay. Also, the ending/parts of this piece feel a little bit repetitive to me, but that's also the nature of the song that you decided to remix, so I can't fault you too much for that. I like what you have going on here man! You can definitely use the skills that you're working on in this song for a wide variety of applications. Keep up the good work!

Onefin responds:

Finally someone reviews! I was starting to get concerned.
Thanks for the review. Now for a response

Sound design --> Does it count as sound design when all the synths are presets and half of the percussion samples are taken straight out of my limited library of sounds?
Stereo --> I worked super hard on that. The problem with my headphones is that stereo is really hard to hear. A sound has to be panned pretty much all the way to the left/right for me to distinctly hear it. Maybe that's why it's hard for me to hear the difference phase delay makes. :/
Long intro --> I tried to divide the track evenly between the four big sections of my remix, but I still see where you're going at. If you regard the first two sections (which is pretty much the first half) as an intro, it can seem long.
Good atmosphere --> My question for you is what you thought the atmosphere I created so well actually was :P
Good rit --> Tempo envelope, 120 to 60, 1 measure, smooth stairs curve, etc
Cut ending --> Gosh dang it. I just noticed that and now I feel sad because I'm notorious for pointing it out in other people's songs. :(
Repetitive ending --> I tried to mix it up a bit with the bongo line (does that exist) and the delayed arp thingy, but maybe it wasn't enough?

So anyway, thanks for the review! I appreciate it. :D

[~SW~ Annar]

Good sir, I do believe I owe you a review.

You start things off pretty nicely with an interesting drum track. Sounds a little chaotic but has enough consistency to move the piece forward, at least for an intro. Drum sounds you're getting are good, they're mixed well for sure. What is the beginning of this piece, 12/8?

The synth you use as the underlying chordal basis for your melodic stuff sounds a little muddy to me, and a tad out of place. Also, while this piece has a main melody that weaves in and out, it doesn't feel coherent to me. Part of a good melodic structure, to me at least, is something that you can hum when you're done. That usually means that it has a repeatable rhythmic element to it. You sort of took the prog-ish route here with your approach to the melody and drums. While that can be impressive for a time, it becomes difficult for the listener after awhile. Also, as an aside, that last synth note at 1:43 sounds way too loud.

I really like the idea of the guitar solo, but the patch used just isn't doing it for me. I've always had this bias against midi guitars though, something about them just feels misplaced. What you have written hear doesn't sound playable, though I don't think you were going for a realistic sound. That said, this section gives piece a little bit of what I think it lacks - an aural break for the listener to recoup. The relentless drum/lead combo you have going on is cool for a little while, but without some kind of relief it becomes a little bit cumbersome. Even still, you have the arps running in the background to give it the running sort of chaotic sense you employ in the beginning of the piece. This adds a little bit of consistency but I think it detracts from the break you expect to hear (it still sounds kind of busy). The strings in the background here are really nice. I think you could do a lot more with this section.

This is an interesting track. There are a few things I think that could use some work. Firstly, I think this thing needs a heavy section that's a little bit more melodic and less chaotic (bring in your main melody and move from off-beat drums to something a little more driving). Don't think of this as something negative, think of it as emphasizing your point to the listener. Additionally, I would nix the guitar patch for something else, but that's personal taste for me.

Sorry for the nitpicks, but I know you like to get specific with your reviews so I thought I'd return with the same attention to detail. This really is a neat piece and it has a lot going for it. You didn't use too many instruments here which helps with mixing clarity, and it helps for each instrument to shine. The mix is good for sure, I don't get the sense that anything is overpowering in the regard to EQ and placement. You also do a great job getting a good drum sound. The problem I have with it is a little more basic and might sound base to you, but when I'm finished I don't have the sense of "man, I want to listen to that again" - it's more the sense of "ah, my ears can rest a little bit now". Intellectually and theoretically I'm interested in this song, but it's a little bit too non-stop melodically and rhythmically to conjure up a high replay value, for me at least. I think that you can keep the spirit of what you're going for here and still accomplish that. For instance, your previous track "Thurm ins_wa_" I find myself going back to and listening to from time to time, and it definitely employs some of the same elements you have here, the difference being you know when to hit the brakes. (Also the consistent bass in that track helps pull it together)

I hope this was at least mildly helpful/coherent, and that it helps you in the future when writing. I know songs aren't supposed to be all about the listener, but these are just some thoughts from the listener's perspective!

SkyeWint responds:

Yaaaaay review!

Absolutely!

This song was more oriented towards the musicians interested in the technical amount of it, which is definitely why this piece didn't continue on in the contest IMO.

I can understand about it feeling busy. That makes sense. I don't like this piece quite as much as my other ones either, tbh. Oh well.

I can't disagree with anything you've said, so I don't have much to say. Thanks!

[BVYS N GVRLZ]

So, admittedly electronic music is not my forte, though I can appreciate good stuff when I hear it. There are a lot of things I like about this track. Solid, catchy melodies, funky bass line, excellent production, wonderful outside-the-box chords at times, with little hints of 6/4 and things like that. Getting a serious Dirty Loops vibe from this, which is a wonderful thing. I'd actually love to play bass for a tune like this (funk bass is kind of my thing, despite the nature of most of my submitted tracks). I'm digging it man. The only thing negative I can really say is that I'm not a huge fan of the voices, but even that's not really a big deal. Good work man, great production!

midimachine responds:

yesssss dirty loops is the shit. cheers!

[The Concert]

Wow! This is really fantastic.

Starting with the beginning, I thought it was an excellent and realistic touch with the applause and coughing. It really pulls you in (maybe because of all the orchestra concerts I've been to)! Excellent sound quality with all the samples.

I really love the piano throughout, but especially around 1:32 onward. Very tastefully done.

I thought the ending was great with the piano, though I would have liked to see more than just the horns and pizz strings accompanying it - would have been a great time to bring the whole orchestra in for a majestic close!

A fantastic piece - I wish you luck! May you crush your competitors!

SoundChris responds:

Thanks for your kindness sir! The beginning was inspired by wagners tristan btw and the piano style is chopinesque or also inspired by the late russian pianist composers rachmaninov, scriabin, prokofjev.

The thing with the horns in the end is true. I have a finished string orchestration for these 4-8 bars and also a few insertions for the piece, but i had massive problems with logic so i uploaded the version without just to make sure it would be online in time. While bouncing the orchestral track i noticed that it took too long - i would have completed the upload 5-10 minutes after the deadline. After this round is over i will upload the other version :)

Best whishes!

[the fight]

This is an NGADM Round 6 review.

--

What I liked:
-The reverb really sets the mood for the piece.
-I like how the bass sits in the mix.
-The drums around 2:11 work really well.
-I feel like this belongs in a Sonic game somewhere, which is awesome.

What could have been better:
-I know this is 8-bit, but the drums in the beginning actually sound a little out of place compared to the rest of the synths you use.
-The ending is a little underwhelming considering the awesomeness that came before it.

This is an excellent piece. I'm really impressed, and you've got some sweet composing skills! Congrats on taking the win, and I will take you up on both a beer AND a coffee if I'm ever in San Francisco (yes, I read your textwall)

Score: 9.2/10

johnfn responds:

What impresses me most is that you read my wall of text :)

Thank you for the review! And I am totally down whenever you are. Just let me know~

[A Weirdo's Gigue]

This is an NGADM Round 6 review.

--

8-bit steampianist!

What I liked:
-This is a fantastic track. Quite possibly my favorite from you yet!
-Amazing rhythms throughout this piece. It's very funky.
-Great main melody, and the harmonies are all done well.
-This belongs in a video game somewhere.
-Neat 5/4 section.
-I'm really a sucker for circle progressions.

What could have been better:
-The 5/4 section was lacking some of the punch of the rest of the piece.
-The ending was a bit abrupt, but not entirely out of place.

I really don't have much to complain about, this was a great piece! Excellent job.

Score: 9.8/10

steampianist responds:

Thanks jones as always

and im glad my scores got higher from you each round thanks man

[Graveyard Shenanigans]

This is an NGADM Round 5 review.

--

What I liked:
-Catchy melody and chord progression, as always!
-You did an excellent job using atmospheric sounds in this.
-Great melodies and harmonies all around!

What could have been better:
-I feel like the track was lacking some low end.
-Mixing wasn't bad, but it felt a little flat to me.
-I would love to hear you change your instrumentation up a little - there's no doubt this is "steampianist", which isn't necessarily bad, but I would like some more variation!

Overall a great piece, not too much to complain about. Excellent composition, sir!

Score: 9/10

steampianist responds:

Thanks man

[Confession]

Wow Emid, this is fantastic! I really love the groove you have going on up to 1:59, almost like epic funk music. Makes me want to play some bass. The way the bass and drums work together is fantastic. I can't get over how good this section is, actually.

The part following that is very cinematic, but feels a lot less "full" then the amazing start to your track. You could use some bass between 2:00 and 3:18 or so. That would add a lot and really round out the track. That's probably the biggest critique I have of this piece. The only other thing that I would suggest is bringing back the original rhythm and melody (the funky stuff) and reintroducing it near the end.

I really love the choir/cello near the end! It's so beautiful sounding and you still have the pulse of the strings in the background giving the piece consistency. I can tell work went into this - you've done an excellent job! Looking forward to hearing more like this, friend!

Emid responds:

Lovely to see you again.

I agree with you inch by inch. I could have easily introduced bass for the fullness you've mentioned. Don't know why I didn't. Will redo it again. Yes my biggest bet was to return back to the starting 2 minutes patch. I did certainly want to do it. But I couldn't find the work around to merg them smoothly. There is where my creativity ends and your's starts as a pro..... yes I mean it.

I recently downloaded free cello from Blakus and found it amazing. As you are a cello player, you would understand well. And if it is integrated ok in the piece for you then it is good for me and believe me, am tapping my shoulder for that :)

Thank you a lot bassfiddlejones, am really happy to have your attention.