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169 Audio Reviews

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Very nice.

DnB and guitars were meant for each other. What can I say?

There's not a lot of negative criticism that I can throw at this review. Might I recommend that you throw a vocalist on this track, even making a slight VIP of it along with the vocals? The DnB group Nutronic has an incredible vocalist. They're practically the identical offspring of Pendulum, and this sounds like something they'd enjoy doing. I suggest giving them a call.

Missin' a lil' sumthin'. = P

First off, great job with this song. Pardon me for pooping on people, but I rarely ever find a Newgrounds song with such standards as this, and it's a relief to find one. Well done.

However, I still reserve my right to nitpick. Something is missing. My first instinct tells me that you need a more definite pad in the middle frequencies. I hear the piano and strings, which are nice, but they're too rhythmic to qualify as a pad.

Again, this doesn't mean that the song is bad in any form or fashion. But it's these small differences that raise the bar.

YakovlevArt responds:

Don't worry about offending. Your giving a proper review man. I appreciate you breaking down the track and tellin' me what you like/dislike.

For some reason I'm not big on having pads in a track. Its strange I know but it's just not my thing.

Overall I'm happy you left such an extensive review =]

Well made.

If I ever get a gig, I'll considering throwing this down one day. This sounds like a fun track to mix.

I was actually so focused on analyzing the music that the 1-minute mark was rather unexpected. I laughed audibly.

Audio quality is an issue.

You have some good dubstep vibes going. I'm feeling a Skrillex vibe with your glitch sections, only less obnoxious. But the audio quality needs work.

The first issue is your opening instrument. The attack is way too abrasive and it makes an annoying, underlying popping sound. I'm not sure as to what instrument family the synth comes from, but see if you can simply mess around with the attack knob to make the attack less forceful. If you can't work the attack knob, see if there is a frequency you can filter out or reduce.

The next issue, which is probably the biggest, is the fact that your instruments are clipping. I could feel it in the piano, but it became fully visible when the kick came in. All of the instruments are fighting to be the loudest, pushing each other out of the way. It's sloppy and unappealing. Work with a mixer to see if you can get a more exquisite sound out of your instruments.

The composition is there. Just remember to keep sound quality intact as well.

Hello there.

I've been following your music for a few months now, and I'm also a friend of yours on YouTube. If you can recognize me by anything, it's the fact that I tend to cook-and-grill producers that submit to the portal. I'm almost apologetic for my high standards. = P

Speaking of which, I have to complain about the chord structure. One problem is that I find it quirky, but I've been bitten in the butt for incorporating sole opinions into my reviews, so I'll say "to each his own" on that matter. However, 2:44 needs to be a slightly different chord setup. This is the emotional finale to the track, and it needs a little bit of variation, if not tension in some of the chords. It'll keep the song interesting and will give listeners the (relatively speaking) tear-jerking finale they're looking for.

Do you listen to hardstyle often? If so, you can understand how the final climax (or drop) often incorporates slight chord changes or new harmonies. The best example I can think of at the moment is "My Life" by the up-and-coming producer, Gauntlets. It incorporates the new harmony in the final climax, pushing the audience over the emotional edge, creating that ideal experience. You should be able to find him on YouTube, but if you need an mp3, go ahead and contact me.

This might be a small detail, but working out the smaller details makes the bigger parts all the better.

SUB4RU responds:

I see what you mean, although this melody was made by a friend starting out on Fruity Loops. He only had about 30seconds made and was stuck, so he sent it to me and asked me to try something with it....This was the end result using his melodies. (And yes, I had his permission to post this)

I will be honest, not much effort went into this track as I have said in another review, "Temptation" & "Vacancy" is my proper tracks that I put effort into.

That climatic finale with a new melody sounds like an option that I will definitely try over the weekend though! Thanks for your thoughts!

PS. Check out my soundcloud and listen to "http://soundcloud.c om/beefourmusic/true-meaning-of-fear-
beefourmusic" to answer ur question about hardstyle... :D

Have to agree with durn...

...but it's negligible, because this is the first Top 5 I've seen in quite a long time that isn't complete garbage. I would've preferred a harder trance motif, but it's fantastic the way it is.

PrEmoEffect responds:

Haha thanks, but I wouldn't call all the top 5 stuff garbage. And again... it's not trance!

I totally understand where you're coming from.

While I do respect Skrillex's work, I've never been a big fan of his glitch style, and I feel as if he's doing the bare minimum to write a dubstep song. Apparently, you're not a fan either. X 3

Musical satire never hurt nobody, I suppose.

EricFreeman responds:

I like his songs that show music talent like Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.

Oh thank sweet merciful God....

I haven't heard this much artistic effort in the Audio Portal in weeks.

The only problem I might have is the style. I was thinking more along the lines of what Matt Darey might play. A particular song I have in mind is Adam K's mix of "Crimson Sun," or "Entanglement" by Josh Gabriel. Both links are in their respective order below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_QqC BWSCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA2p7L dCJx8

I know that style is often down to the individual producer's opinion, but please do give these styles a try, perhaps in another song.

I'm looking forward to more music from you, my friend.

iheartsonyheadphones responds:

Overall, I'm pretty upset that you put your rating down (Only by one point though) because of your personal opinion
it feels like you think it deserves less because of the way I produced the track, and because it doesn't sound like some other professionals work.. ):

But truthfully, I agree with you. My structuring could be better, and i've realised this half way through production :/

I'll let you in on a little clue though, my next track might sound a little like this:

http://www.you tube.com/wat ch?v=1m_AavgKn8c

ANYWAYS
Forget the first part of my review because i'm sure it wasn't just your opinion that influenced the 9/10, so thankyou for the review!

I listened to those tracks and i was pretty impressed, although what can you expect from such a record label as Armada Music.

Thanks for the feedback!

Much appreciated!

Dan Roth <3

Style is repulsive.

If dubstep and orchestral music were to mix, a melodic dubstep track would be much more suitable, not a filth track. Think Modestep, Magnetic Man/Benga/Skream, Gemini, Camo & Crooked, Doorly's remix of "Raindrops," even the lighter side of Flux Pavilion's work if you want to push the envelope that far.

In the end, the combination of orchestral and dubstep isn't bad; it's the style, however, that'll really define the track's quality.

broove responds:

Soft boy, huh. It is a matter of taste. Nothing else. "Filth" can work as well as a light stuff. Besides, I wouldn't call this track a filth.

Loungestep?

I need to wean off of tagging "step" to the end of certain subjects, but you can't tell me that it's not tempting.

Anyway, this song has a very chill, walking-down-gang-turf feel to it. Is there a high-quality version? I'd love to throw this down someday.

Yeah. I'm an EDM nerd surrounded by rock and country music. Don't ask how it happened. I'm slow to produce tracks as it is, and college isn't helping. So if you enjoy my work, please be patient.

Age 32, Male

Student (Music Ed)

Texas State

Round Rock, Texas

Joined on 9/1/08

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