bassfiddlejones's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Last Prince]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-The intro was really cool, I liked the way you used the piano to convey the mood of the piece.
-I really enjoyed the warm low strings that came in after the opening piano. The dynamics really add a lot to the atmosphere.
-I love the strings at 2:32! Very subtle and great dynamics.
-The climactic part near the end when the choirs are introduced. Very nice!

What could have been better:
-I think this piece is lacking direction, I would have liked to have seen a strong motif throughout.
-Some of the builds are effective, others are not. I would have liked to see more texture throughout the piece.
-Some samples' sound quality were great, others not so good.
-It gets repetitive at times.

All in all, this is a great piece which suffers from some production issues. I really enjoyed it, and believe that you've got it in you to make stuff that's even more awesome! Mixing/mastering is always a difficult thing, but you've got some great fundamentals to build from. Keep at it!

Score: 6.7/10

TitanMusic responds:

Thanks bassfiddlejones!
I'm glad you enjoyed the low strings after the piano. It's been met with mixed feelings but I like it.
Ill definitely go through this review again as I work on my next songs.
I still don't really know what I am doing when it comes to mixing and mastering haha

[Anthem of the Adventurer]

This is an NGADM Round 1 review.

Great intro! Sounds like this could belong in an RPG for sure. Reminds me of sailing. I really like the part at :37, though the mixing could be a little better – I feel as if the arpeggiated strings should be taking a back seat to the neat melodic stuff you have going on, but they really stick out. While I like the build in the middle of the piece, it definitely could have been a bit bigger. In general, I think, the piece could have been “bigger”. The modulation, while a good idea, just sort of crept up without notice. Maybe the introduction of a new instrument, descant, or cadence would have really helped build the section before the modulation. And naturally, I was hoping to hear the modulated part give me something new other than the same thing in a new key. The ending is a bit abrupt, kind of like you’re reaching the top of mountain to shout “VICTORY!” and right before you take your last step you trip on your shoelace. Maybe because of the voicing in the violins (they should resolve upward to the tonic!). All this said, this is a great piece and I very much enjoyed listening to it! It takes me back to my old gaming days.

Score: 7.5/10

ChronoNomad responds:

Thanks for leaving me this informative review, bassfiddlejones! Everything I used was strictly a Squidfont instrument, and that was maybe part of the problem. Honestly though, I didn't have much else to use at the time, but I've been busy trying to expand my instrumental repertoire for better quality going forward.

As for the arpeggiated strings, they were a bit softer originally, but it was suggested that I make them stand out more...which I ended up doing kind of against my better judgment, and that was - in perfect 20/20 hindsight - was probably a mistake. Everyone hears something different, so sometimes suggestions run counter to each other; that's fairly inevitable, I suppose.

Nothing you've said is untrue, though the stumbling on your shoelace analogy did kind of make me cringe. ^_^; C'est la vie. I'll be taking all of this input with me as I move forward and hopefully continue to improve in my musical journey. I'm really glad that you still enjoyed the piece regardless of its flaws, and once again thank you for taking the time to leave this review. I truly appreciate feedback more than I can ever express.

[Mechanical Anima]

This is an NGADM Round 1 review.

Quite an interesting track! I like the beginning a lot. Good atmosphere with the pizz strings and light percussive elements. I think I’m hearing some parallel fifths in your “major” section after the intro. It was interesting that you moved from minor to major sections – broke things up a bit in the piece. I liked your second major section a lot (starting around 2:09), composed very well. I think you could have made that modulation a little bigger, but it was a good idea! Neat ending, I liked the effect used. Great job overall!

Score: 7/10

steampianist responds:

parallel fourths actualy. thanks for the review

[The Ancient Ones]

This is an NGADM Round 1 review.

Nice intro, really sets the mood. However, it is a bit long. The build in the middle section is pretty good! I would have liked to see more variation in general though. The entire middle 1/3 of the song is the same violin riff played over and over. While I see what you’re trying to do, I would have liked to hear another riff or counter melody. It’s a good riff, but you sort of beat it to death. I like the atmosphere you’re producing, good job incorporating the choirs as well as the percussion. The ending is a bit abrupt, I felt as if it should have built more. Overall a very enjoyable piece to listen to!

Score: 7/10

TitanMusic responds:

Thanks for the review.
I am in agreement with all the points you raise and will look out for excessive repetition in my next song submission. I really did beat the staccato string riff to death haha!

[Streets of Whiterun Vocal]

Jeremy Soule Is a fantastic composer indeed... And you have done him great homage with this piece. I'm quite impressed by everything you've got going on here - excellent vocals. The best by far is your use of dynamics. You do a great job evoking emotion with the swells and diminuendos in the vocals and strings. Very subtle and quite effective. I'm off to listen to more of your stuff now (once I'm done listening to this on loop for awhile) :). The only constructive criticism I could give would be to clear up the mix a little bit. While I love the reverb and think that it works very well here, sometimes it gets a little muddy. Great job! Looking forward to listening to your other stuff.

headphoamz responds:

Much appreciated. Thanks very much BFJ! :D

[Dreamworld]

Wow... This has Bosa written all over it.

This is masterfully crafted. Everything comes in at the right place. The strings provide an excellent backdrop for the brass that comes screaming in before the piano interlude. Again, you do a fantastic job of mixing your industrial/electronic sounds while still remaining true to the "organic" feel of an orchestra. Great percussion sounds. I really would love to see the template you used for this, if I had your epic libraries.

Great piano interlude. It's extremely effective, especially with the flawless modulation. Unexpected and pulled off well. This piece most certainly stirs the emotions of the listener. I can envision a beautiful story unfolding with this in the background, filled with love and war, adventure and loss. You've packed a lot into this little piece.

The only not so good thing about this is probably the mastering. There's actually some clipping near the end (1:47 onward - come on Bosa!). I understand the loudness war and all that, but I'm fine with turning up my volume! Also, I would have loved just a little more decay before you cut off the track.. let it sink in!

Overall, a fantastic piece. In fact, I would go so far as to say it's your best piece yet (except for your jazzy, metal stuff and whatnot). Excellent work, sire. I would love to see more.

Bosa responds:

There is no clipping. You're scaring my audience.

[Blue Bosa at Chitter Street]

Jazzy Bosa. Unexpected.

Bosa responds:

This is ancient lol.

[Anaconda]

Neat intro, really loving the retro vibe you have going on. The way you layer things keeps it pretty interesting. Some really good atmosphere here. Wished to hear a little bit more of that "middle eastern" feel you have going on. Even though your chordal structure stays pretty much the same throughout, there's enough variation to keep me listening. I would like to hear a little more variation, however.

Good mixing. The ending was strange to me. I wanted a little bit more than I got, it just kind of fizzled out. Overall, I'm very impressed by this piece. I like the middle section especially. I could see this being played in the Matrix or something like that. Great fighting/chase music. Good work, man!

Sequenced responds:

adding another progression would just make this song a bit more of a cluster fuck lol.

Thanks for taking your time to review man. :)

[Bataille Royale EXTEND]

I really like this... excellent work friend! Great key changes, keeps things interesting. The flute/horn solos in the middle are really nice, I like that the piano keeps things going while still being subtle. Loops perfectly. Awesome job! 5 vote.

Troisnyx responds:

Thanks a lot! -- but what of the mixing? x

[Death's Groom]

Who knew Bosa was a metalhead?

Bosa responds:

Lol this was years ago!