bassfiddlejones's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Among Ancient Ages]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-Very cool atmosphere.
-I liked the introduction of the percussion.
-Great thematic ideas.

What could have been better:
-That bending effect didn't really do it for me. I like that it was different, but I don't feel like it was executed well.
-Sample quality is a bit of an issue.
-Would have liked to see more variation throughout the piece, especially in the percussion.
-Also, mixing/mastering is a bit of an issue as well, but that comes with time.

Overall a very interesting piece, keep at it!

Score: 6.8/10

[Sons of Valhall]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-You are an amazing composer. There is so much going on in the background here with the winds and brass.
-This song is packed with fantastic instrumentation.
-You use some great chords.

What could have been better:
-Sounds like you're pushing that horn to the top of its range.
-There's a lot going on this piece, and at times the mix seems a little muddy to me.
-The yelling people are effective, but overused a little bit.

This is an amazing piece, I am quite impressed, and you have great skill as a composer.

Score: 9.5/10

SoundChris responds:

Hey there,

thanks a lot for your kind review. I am really happy you liked the piece because i really liked your cinematic tracks. The orchestration was quite difficult for me to orchestrate and mix. This has been the first real orchestral track with high quality instruments (i used the EWQL Hollywood series and stormdrum here) and i still got no experience how to mix all those instruments well and also which patches should be doubled, layered and so on. The soundquality still could have been better if i have had the possibility to mix loud with boxes (which i couldnt do in that week). So unfortunately the result is quite "washy" and lots of details which can be heared only with headphones got burried. I also have to get more knowledge about the use of the brass section (thats why the horns got a little bit to high) - if you know some good books or stuff you can recommend to learn more about it i would be very thankful. I thought about working with the Rhimsky Korsakov classic orchestration book or "professional orchestration 2A and 2B" - dont know if they are useful or even too hard for me, but i think i will give it a try when i will got a little more time again.

So thanks a lot bassfiddlejones for your helpful review!

[Steam's Wonderful Contraptions]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-This is such an incredibly unique piece! And it's quite catchy.
-The industrial-type drums in the background cool.
-Great use of electronic sounds as well as pizz strings.
-I like the chords you use. You're not afraid to change things up.

What could have been better:
-The quality of some samples (the clarinet in particular sticks out to me).
-While this is definitely a unique track, it almost becomes repetitive at a certain level, maybe due to the drums and bass going in the background.
-I didn't much care for the whistle, but it did fit the piece.

This is an incredibly unique track, and definitely stands out from the rest as such. You've got great skills as a composer!

Score: 8.6/10

steampianist responds:

thank you for the review jones and im happy that i got a higher score from you
cos for me i youre one of the hardest judge. thank you very much

[Memories of a Forgotten Land]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Wow.

What I liked:
-This is such a beautiful piece. It's organic, and that violin is used so well.
-This is a very romantic, emotion-invoking piece.
-Production quality is super high.
-I love the simplistic approach you take.\
-That ending is beautiful.

What could have been better:
-Some samples could have higher quality (like the horns). They aren't bad by any means, but the live violin juxtaposed against sampled instruments makes them really stand out.
-I would have liked to see more dynamics. While you do incorporate them in places, it's dynamically a little flat at times.

This is an absolutely amazing piece of music which I didn't expect to find on Newgrounds. I'm very impressed by your production quality and the great composition. Excellent job!

Score: 9.6/10

MichaelJ responds:

I couldn't agree more with your review. Thank you!

[Draesdne Adaas]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-Choir sounds were quite good.
-Orchestration is done well.
-I really like the brass near the end.
-I can hear a lot of classical influence here, which is awesome.

What could have been better:
-This piece is a little underwhelming. When I think "organ" I think 'BIG'. I know that that's not always the case, and it shouldn't be, but it sort of feels like you were shooting for a really big sound but didn't quite get there.
-I think the organ should have been more of a supplement to the track rather than the focus.
-You end on a V chord. It leaves me wanting. It sounds like it's the end of the first movement of a longer piece. NOW I WANT A FUGUE.

Overall a really nice piece, but it doesn't reflect your potential. I really enjoyed listening to it!

Score: 8/10

samulis responds:

Thanks for the review, BFJ!

I wasn't really going for a 'big' feel. I instead wanted to go for more of a softer more intellectual style. Sure, this wasn't as intense as a Bach organ piece, but I tried to do something that at least wasn't the normal orchestral-cinematic blast-fest. :)

[A Long Way Home]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-Vocals! Very nice, and mysterious. It's very chant-like, which is good!
-I like the piano sounds!
-Chord progressions are not entirely standard, which is rare and good.
-Parts of this sound like they belong in a move like Lord of the Rings or something like that. Especially those super emotional strings near the end.
-Great job producing atmosphere throughout. I'm impressed.
-For working with sound fonts, your sound quality is quite high.

What could have been better:
-This piece feels a little disjointed, the beginning doesn't feel connected to the rest of the piece. While I really loved it, I would have liked to have seen it incorporated more or reintroduced.
-That somewhat Asian sounding part in the middle is out of place to me. The rest of the piece does not fit in to this genre.

Excellent job here. I'm really impressed with this, especially from 2:37 onward, the composition is quite strong. You have great talent, and I'm looking forward to hearing more of your music in the future!

Score: 8/10

[[IV]Maskmen]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-The atmosphere was really cool.
-The chords in the beginning are quite nice, I like the bass' entrance.
- The electronic elements are subtle but effective.
-Sound quality and samples here are great!

What could have been better:
-There is no real climax, which really takes away from this piece.
-It sounds like you were really on to something and then halfway through just sort of fizzled out.
-Lack of a strong motif/theme throughout the piece.
-Where is the climax?

This is a really great piece, but you are capable of much more! It does feel a little rushed and repetitive, but you have immense potential. Keep at it!

Score: 7.9/10

[Tir Na Nog]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What an interesting piece!

Things that I liked:
-Unique choice of instruments.
-This takes me back to my gaming days!
-I really like the percussion you use. Very effective in making this feel medieval.
-You're not confined to any specific chord progressions, which is great.
-The panning harp sound is really cool.
-Those vocals are great!

What could have been better:
-While this is a unique track, there are a lot of generic elements to it.
-The samples you use work in this instance, but increasing your sample quality would really take this to the next level.
-The flute is nice, but overused.
-I would like to have seen a larger climax.

Overall this is a fantastic track and I greatly enjoyed listening to it. You make some great music, and the incorporation of etherealwinds' vocals was a good choice. Great job!

Score: 8/10

ChronoNomad responds:

Don't you mean...8.3/10? xD Stuff happens; no harm, no foul. Thanks for the review, BFJ! You like a lot of aspects of this particular piece, and that makes me happy. It was certainly a lot of fun to make, and I think that manages to shine through. You also offer up some very solid points regarding what could have been better, though not much by way of suggestion. Of course that's part of the journey. Probably just needs more cowbell. ;)

I'm personally very content with the way this turned out, and EW's contribution is like the icing on the cake. I'll definitely view Tir Na Nog as my biggest accomplishment in this contest, and it seems primed to continue as my 'best of' submission throughout the remainder of 2013. ^_^

[When a Good Man Goes to War ~P]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-The general sound and feel here are great.
-The theme introduced in the beginning, and the fact that you reintroduce it!
- The lyrics.
-The Trans-Siberian Orchestra type sound you have going on, very cool.
-That this piece tells a story.
-The section at 3:47 is awesome!

What could have been better:
-The guitar sounds in the second half were a little generic.
-I didn't really like the didgeridoo.
-That your lyrics aren't sung!
-The opening sequence is great, but it's a little too long/repetitive.
-The percussion, while great when introduced, becomes repetitive and distracting after awhile. I would have loved to see more variation in rhythm as well as incorporate different percussive elements.

I really enjoyed listening to this piece! You've got great potential as a composer, and have some great ideas. I'm not sure if the guitar you recorded was live or not, but if you can get your guitar sounds more realistic it would increase the production quality of this piece dramatically. Also, those lyrics are awesome! They would have also dramatically increased the piece's value had they been sung. Overall, a great piece and fun to listen to!

Score: 7/10

Phyrnna responds:

Hmm, interesting! Thanks for the review!

Let's see here......
No lyrics actually, that's a poem from the thing I was inspired by. xD
No didgeridoo in this piece at all actually, just Uillean pipes.
Drums definitely needed work, i rushed those. xD

Thanks for the feedback! :D

[Ode to the Reader]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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What I liked:
-This is an extremely well thought out, nicely composed piece. I love the flow of it.
-Your use of percussion is fantastic. I think that more than anything else is what sets this piece (and your music in general) apart.
-I liked the transitions. While listening, it doesn't feel like anything is particularly out of place.
-Great sound quality for your samples.
-Use of dynamics, that crescendo near the end was awesome.
-Great ending! I liked the cymbal.

What could have been better:
-Your music is very loud, which isn't a bad thing by any means, but you may be losing some quality with compression.
-I would have liked to see more of a theme throughout the piece, it would make it more cohesive.
-The inception horn at 3:59. Part of me actually likes this, but it's an easy trick to use in cinematic music which many Hans Zimmer fans are guilty of, myself included.

Overall, this is a fantastic, well composed piece. I very much enjoyed listening, and you have quite high production value. Great use of dynamics and percussion really set this piece apart. Great job!

Score: 9.2/10