MaestroSorrow's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Tribute To Ali]

Neat

wow, I would think that you despise this girl? Such a dark song tribute.

I really liked that booming kick in the song, it really gave an intense feeling.

I really liked the intro to this piece, before you introduced the synths, the synths removed a good deal of fear from the song, but not because of the melody it played, but I think because of the sound it gave. It was too "high" in my opinion.

I also think using effects like reverb, and flanger on those synths playing the melodies would have made it something else entirely!

Overall a good song, you did quite a few things I would never have though to do with FL studio, but there is is for you!

I would like you to listen to track under the alias MaestroRage
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/view.php?id=1714459

I have used the reverb effect in that song a great deal, I would like you to hear what it can do, and why I think you should have more of it in this track.

5/5 from me, keep them coming.

sente3 responds:

lol, yeah you would think I despised her, but i dont. She just wanted me to make a song for her so I did. Anyway she said that ,overall, she likes it excpect the fact tha its sorta goth but thats ok because its one of my best works, so she has a good song tributed to her. And I have to aggree that the beggining was very well done and I'm happy with the effects tha i dont usualy use.

[Back Into the Womb]

Damn fine.

It's amazing, i'm finding so many real performers on Newgrounds lately. A great boon I am sure.

I keep wondering, what effect are you putting on your vocals? It seems like a flanger type of effect, but I could be wrong, i'm just curious as I wish to learn vocal work as well.

I don't listen to nearly enough heavy metal, so i'm afraid I don't have any constructive words for you, but I did enjoy this track a lot.

Awesome stuff, 5/5 from me. Keep them coming!

FUNKbrs responds:

Thanks man. As for the effect, it was a really weird type of flange. I completely forgot what kind it was, though, sorry.

[Kheni - Waltz]

Impressive.

Hey KimKen.

I noticed nobody wrote a review for this piece, and it's too good a piece to let go uncommented on. So here we go.

Now first off i'd like to make it clear I have never composed a waltz, and so i'm afraid I have no idea if my comments will be valid, but here they are for you.

I liked the melody, it flows very good, without much disturbance.

I wonder if those snare? hits in the background are necessary. I hardly hear them, and personally I didn't quite find a good use for them in the song.

Around 1:08, the melody took some nice twists, I thought it was going to be dark at first (as the first three notes would suggest), but it became happy again. Now that was strange.

Around 1:35 I thought the song was going to pick up the pace, as the breakdown would suggest, i'm not saying it's bad you didn't, but that was the impression I got from that segment, and the notes that followed shortly after the breakdown were quite fast, so yes, misguiding.

GREAT use of the tremelo strings. I love trem strings, and you've used them greatly around 1:36 I believe.

I don't know if choirs go into waltz pieces, but I imagined one in here anyways, and it wasn't bad per say, I wouldn't add it, but it gave it a neat effect.

I don't really have much to add to this song KimKen, it's excellent, 5/5 from me again.

Kimken responds:

Thanks for the long review Sorrow :). Yeah, this is actually my first waltz, just tried to make something out of an idea I got while composing..

The snares were meant not to be heard so much, just to be some kind of background thing while the song plays its melodies.

The tremolo part was actually the only part I was really serious, not that I just fumbled through the entire piece :D, but yeah.

Yeah, being short on ideas right now. May take a while to upload a new one.

Thanks again!

/Kheni

[Kim - Peaceful Village]

Damn fine!

Hey Kimken.

It's been a while since you submitted huh!? I'm quite glad you did, I always enjoy your tunes.

That piano(harpischord I believe) intro was pretty neat, nice smooth melody, but I wonder if maybe the intro moved a tad too fast. It held together, but a little shakily in my opinion. I'm not saying it failed, i'm just saying it came close ;). I think it may have been those few string plucks before the bulk was introduced, I feel if you removed those entirely, it might make the introduction to the song smoother.

You know i've never EVER been able to use the "ooh" choir, i'm glad somebody was FINALLY able to, it gave me some ideas on how to use it myself, maybe i've been too biased against it (It's just I don't ever see people going "ooh" at the pieces I submit).

I liked those spiccato strings, they were in the background, but they did good work.

The melody didn't seem to change that much, but that is understandable, this is a great ambiant, laid back track.

Some suggestions.

I didn't hear a flute anywhere! Why was there no flute T-T? I could imagine a flute in this scene so damn perfectly. Now you've made me shed tears.

>:(

I joke, I jest, I jibe.

I wonder how a nice deep cello would have effected this piece. I think it may have added a tad bit more depth.

Regardless, excellent song KimKen, i'm glad to see you submitting again.

I would also like to ask you to listen to a new track I have made. I have decided to start submitting again under the alias MaestroRage.

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/view.php?id=1714459

5/5 from me Kimken, keep them coming!

Kimken responds:

Hello Maestro! :)

I agree that the first harpsichord notes doesn't fit in this version.. i have another version of this where the main melody is played by an accoustic guitar and it sounds a bit better..

I started composing this piece as a midi, because i think it is much easier to detail the harmonies making midis. After i finished the midi i imported it to another music program and added virtual intruments and didn't put volume/pan/reverb/etc so detailed (made it very fast).

Yet again you give an honest and good review. So thank you and please check by every now and then.

Regards
Kim

[The Path Within]

Interesting

Man, I loves this song. Truly I think it's one of your better ones. I didn't really love the bit crushing action, but GrumbleDuke DOES bring up an excellent image to it, which in turn made me reconsider it, and made me give it a thumbs up.

Damn you Grumdle >:(

Still, nuff with that.

The piano did seem out of place, maybe it were bells? I know, keepin it all synthyness 'n all! The second time the piano comes in, I think that part actually fits pretty nicely, it's just the first time the piano came in I felt they were a tad unwelcome in the song if you know what I mean.

Composed it from the drum line first you say eh? I've never tried that, I suppose I should give it a shot, see what happens.

5/5 from me again General_Leo, keep up the good fight, and keep them coming!

LoneEagle responds:

Yes composed straight from the drums... it was a first for me lol. Usually i make a good melody or whatnot then i try and figure my way out of putting drums on there. This time i decided that i was going to make a good drum pattern first and then apply my other instruments.

I agree with you and some other reviewers, this is one of my best songs. I still listen to it from time to time but not too much hehe.

You are not a fan of bit crushing are you? Well i understand cause it's just a damn noise after and i put it there to fill up... i mean i didn't wanted to start straight off with the piano and pad melody.

The piano seems out of place... quite possible. As it doesn't follow the rest of the song maybe? Kind of like the piano saying "ok guys i'm heading this way" and the other intruments "ok see ya at the end of the song, we're going another way" lol something like that i think. I could've explained this in less words and less retarted i think :D Maybe i should have put another instrument and another melody as well for the first segment, replacing the piano part...

Thanks much for the review, as always, it is greatly appreciated :)

[Enlightened by the Night]

Sweetness

wow, nice long loop! I love nice long loops.

Nice bass work, simple, yet effective.

My favourite part of this song would have to be 0:31-0:40, that short segment, was very moving to me. Melodic works there were like awesome, but even more awesome at 0:57-1:11, and not because I love the strings so much it makes me biased beyond words, but because I geniuenely felt that the melodic works those strings contributed to that segment made it something new and interesting.

It does loop pretty well, I have no qualms with that.

The intro was quite nice, nice echo effect, really gives it a celestial feel.

I guess thats all I have to say for this song General_Leo

5/5 from me, keep them coming.

LoneEagle responds:

Well now, i actually had to go and play this song in windows media player to see about the special time segments that you mentionned :)

Between 0:31 and 0:40 into the song... the part with the organs playing, yea it's a nice part. It's kind of like a long transition part. I had listened to songs on the radio at work and i listened at how the song was made, how did the "pros" managed these soft transitions and how do they arrange their patterns. That little segment is an exemple of that. I started the song doing, excuse my terminology but you use FL too so you'll know what i mean, i did 2 identical patterns with a lenght of 3, the intro. Then 2 more almost identical patterns of legnth 3. Then... lol this is getting long hehe, i did this one pattern (0:31-0:40) before switching back to 2 identical patterns just before the string part...
Anyways that's that... just wanted to say where i got the idea and all...

Yea my goal was to try and keep it interesting as much as possible as you mentioned with the strings. And also right after that part, i kind of have the same melody playing over and over but everytime i changed the instrument, trying to keep it diverse.

Loops are easier cause you don't have to make intro/outro, just get it over with and it starts over anew where you left it...

I don't really like this piece so much... i just submitted it here cause it would have been a waste of time to work on something and not share it... and it's not because i don't like it that others won't like it as well.

Ok, i'm done typing now lol. Thanks for reviewing this song Maestro!

[Wandering for Eternity]

Neat

Oh man, I love that piano chord you have going on! It's a common chord, but I love how much flexibility it gives it's users.

I really enjoyed the parts where the strings came in (surprise!?), but I didn't quite get the feeling of "Wandering forever", I get the feeling "Wandering Lost", like you know, when an adventurer goes into a foggy forest, with nothing but a can of baked soup *the miracles of RPG's*, and a wooden sword... stupid character!

The melody flows very smoothly, loops perfectly. I didn't even realize where it looped until after the fourth listening.

Thats no easy feat for a song like this, so I suppose my hats off, and my thanks for the submission. 5/5 from me General_Leo, truly, I am glad to see you submitting, keep the fighting spirit strong, I see great potential in you.

LoneEagle responds:

Lol yea... a can of soup and a sword. All the necessary things to survive with in todays world. - This rpg is for age 8 or below - or something like that.

Hey you don't have to thank me for submitting lol, feels wierd.

I feel like i got that "almost perfect looping thing" down pretty much. If you check my "final ascension" song you'll see.

I will keep the spirit strong! :D
Thanks for voting/reviewing my song.

It's only a shame that you don't submit anymore so i could return the favor... and have some eargasms too lol.

[Ice Temple]

Awesome!

Hello General_Leo.

It's been a while no? I see that you have put up several upon several new songs for me to delight my senses with since last time I checked (it's been a few weeks).

Enough about that, lets talk about this song.

The christmas tamberines nailed the whole "ice" feel of the song.

You know, I never imagined a wicked bass beat to be playing in ice temples, I always assumed the little ice trolls loved their high treble instruments. But seriously, I could see this playing in a game.

at 1:04, you brought in these strings, and through my unbelievable fetish of strings, I fell in love with that segment. It's just... it's what I wanted to hear :D.

The sudden instrument change at 1:33, though normally I would have said "careful", I feel in this case it was handled, pretty well. Still for the record I will suggest some kind of buildup before altering the core of the song to such a degree.

Also have you considered having an oboe play at the same time as the flute? I think an oboe is more geared towards making a "sad" feel, which works wonderfully for such a feel I think this song presents wonderfully.

I didn't hear those christmasy tambarine thingies near the end, I think they would have been a neat addition, might have been my speakers, I don't know, they sux.

Is that a Glocken, or Celesta bell your using at 0:41-1:02

Also as suggested Papelmedia choirs would be a neat addition, as well as from the same site you get Papelmedia, Child Choir, i'm not saying it's useful for this song, but I use that choir all the time, it gives a unique flavour.

Good stuff General_Leo, I hope to enjoy all your new songs as much as I did this one.

LoneEagle responds:

Hey Maestro :D Yea it's been a while...

Hmm, an oboe and a flute you say? I'll have to try it out one day. You see i was just so happy about my new samples that i just put the oboe and i was like "wow this is great" and i didn't think of adding anything further at this point.

The bells that are used in this piece are "Tubular Bells" or at least that's the name of them.

I'll be sure to check out this papelmedia site soon. Hmm this child choir looks suspicious XD but i guess for soft backgrounds or something. Hell if you say it's useful i'll definitely check it out.

Thanks so much for reviewing my songs, your reviews are always a pleasure to read :)

[A.F. + Improvisation in F min]

Sweet

the beginning of the song was quite something. Very ambiant, and cruel. The song itself flows pretty well.

With Reason you say eh? What refills are you using? I don't think I have seen those in my Reason. The gradual filter removal was a pretty neat idea, the gradual move to a sweet melody itself was pretty astounding.

How did you move so casually? I have to admit I never say it coming, and yet it was there.

I don't think I have anything to add or remove from this song, great stuff 5/5 from me, keep them coming ^^.

WuSchell responds:

I used several programs for the beginning. (not only Cubase, but my Korg Trinity/Roland D-70 and even the good ol' goldwave!) Sorry, but I lack of knowledge to the english language to accurately tell you what i did. Some stuff is made by onboard effects, some transitions were made by use of different programms... etc ^^

Thanks for the review ;)

["Entangled" with Harpsichord]

Neat

Pretty sweet song...

I love the melodic flow of this song, I can see the imagery in this so vividly.

I wonder though, what it would sound like if it had a flute counter melody. I think a flute would have done some pretty neat work here.

I also liked the use of harpischords, that instrument is rarely used, I myself have great difficulty using it properly, just sounds so wierd when I try to put it into songs.

Well this was done pretty damn well.

Good stuff, thanks for sharing.

WuSchell responds:

- thanks a lot! =)