Troisnyx's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Wanderers Go West]

The music, for the most part, sounds like something off Final Fantasy X (ever heard the theme from Bikanel Desert?) Now I can kinda sorta visualise what you're going for here, and it's solid.

However, I have three gripes with the piece.

FIRST: Instrumentation.

Depending on what kind of feel you're going for, the ideal choice of instruments could go one of three ways.

1) Set it purely to piano, for four hands, and make it soft and delicate.
2) Set it to something very remotely oriental, like a koto and a shamisen for some of the parts.
3) Make it sound like it came from a western! Guitars, harmonicas, subtle basses, possibly an oboe for melodic accents.

The instrument choice here, by contrast, is uninspiring. It sounds bland and generic -- although not all of it can be blamed on instrumentation. You see, with the right technique, even the worst instruments can sound cracking. Which leads me on to...

SECOND: Volume control.

The instruments here are played with the same volume with every single note. This makes it sound unnatural and very stereotypically reminiscent of a MIDI.

Now, to circumvent this: listen to someone play the piano. Doesn't matter what his skill level is. You'll find subtle differences in volume between notes. It's a natural human touch we give to our instruments. In sequencer language, we call it humanisation.

If you are using FL, open the piano roll and look to the bottom of the screen. You'll notice some green vertical bars. Other sequencers ought to have the same function. That is your note-for-note volume. You want to play around with it. Hold left click and run your mouse through it, and see what it gives. Change it around, make some slightly softer, and others slightly louder. The key is for it to sound natural.

THIRD: Mixing.

Now this could cover tutorials way past the character limit of this section, but this is what I notice: everything is panned to the centre!

To the side of each instrument you use there ought to be knobs for channel volume and panning. You'll also have a mixer, which you can access in the View menu. The whole point of panning is this: imagine your instruments are in a room, and you're gonna sit there and listen to all of them being played. You want to place them at different parts of the room for the best sound you can get. Try moving the knobs left and right, and the volume sliders up and down, and see the difference it makes.

I also want to cover reverberation, or reverb. Again, this is done so that your instruments sound as natural as possible. You have different settings, like if you want it to sound like your piece is being played in a studio, or a hall, or a cathedral... Confirm with me if you do use FL: if you do, I'll help you with some tricks on it when I get the chance.

tl;dr: Solid ideas, but suffering greatly from lack of humanisation and mixing. With the right tweaks, it would prove very atmospheric!

3/5.

VacantVirtuoso responds:

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review, a lot of the things you explained made a lot of sense, i pretty much have no music background or understanding of this program at the moment which shows in this piece, also the program i use is indeed fl studios, thank you again.

[Laser]

The piece has all the makings of a dubstep piece, what with the bass growls and powerful kicks. But it's missing a lot for me to call this a hit.

It basically is a bit of uninspiring buildup, then bass growls, then a bit more buildup that is a little bit more promising but doesn't quite hit the mark, then more growls.

Where's the hook in this piece, the part that is memorable and reels listeners in before the breakdown with the bass growls comes in? Ordinarily this takes the form of a melody, be it with voice, piano, synth, what have you.

The buildup before the growls could have served as the hook, if it had lusher instrumentation. It's really hard on the ears because in a lot of solid dubstep pieces, you have a balance of frequencies. Not part- extremely high, part- extremely low - yet this is the case with your piece.

You made some good use of sound effects, and you chose an apt title for this piece... Listening to popular music got me into some understanding of how dubstep sounds, if not how it's made. I don't claim to know how it's done, but I do feel the need to point out what's missing in this piece.

3/5.

Electronic-Headphone responds:

Thanks for the review. I know there should be more but, uh. . . Yes !! Go on my page and listen the remix. Just click on the URL adress. . . leave a review again pls !!: D

[8Bit Starlight Remix]

The people who made bootleg versions of Sonic for the NES, including Somari, ought to have taken a leaf from your book. Not saying that piracy is good in any way, but Somari and its music are hackneyed in comparison to this. Allow me to give this a general 'well done.'

My suggestion would be to try make this piece your own and put a different spin on it. Like the way Picopict does for Mario themes.

If you did this without expansion chips, would you still be able to produce this many layers of sound, out of curiosity?

Keep up the good work!

4/5

VolcansMusic responds:

I probably could do this without an expansion chip, It probably wouldn't sound quite as good, but I could probably get it pretty close. Thanks Trois! Glad to see a comment from ya. ^^

[Feelings]

As someone who is familiar with this song (and a pianist as well), I have to say, right off the bat, you've got really good expression with your playing.

The arrangement is short, for starters, and doesn't take into account the second verse -- "And feelings like I'd never lost you", or somesuch. That's quite a disappointment for me.

The broken chords are fine, but... try and see if you could go past that. I don't know why, but after hearing broken chord left-hand parts from so many people, I tend to associate that with those who have only played for a few years -- and the whole point of a cover, especially if it's your own, is to go past what everyone else does. That being said, you've already stated that the arrangement was by someone else.

Which leads me to the question: why don't *you* arrange this song? 'Feelings' is an amazing song when done with simplicity in the beginning, and extravagance in the choruses, building up in the verses... Because the cover doesn't have your take on the song, I can't rate it as high as I would rate an outstanding cover. I'm not here to look for someone's version of 'Feelings' which already exists and has been already covered before. I'm here to hear *yours*.

3.5/5.

Musicious responds:

Thank you very much for your review!
I'm agree, I can cover a song, but I like this version, so I want to share it with you.
Someday I will cover my one song, if I find a very nice song. :)
Thanks for your review. I will reconsider it!

[No!!!!!! (Siney's gift)]

Those drums at the beginning caught me. They sounded just amazing. <3
Then the other parts kick in, and I listen to your words -- it takes a little bit of listening to, but I'm able to figure it out. It seems a bit faded in, so a little bit more clarity is appreciated. I got the vibe of a studio jam session/small live performance from up to 1:18. That cymbal roll at 1:18 is divine, by the way.

Then when the big NO kicks in at 1:19 and all the atonal pop starts, I can tell you had fun twiddling around with this, that and the other. That guitar sounded like it was in the hands of a budding Jimi Hendrix. I am DEAD SERIOUS. Everything sounded nightmarish, but the occasional 'no' bits made it sound less of a nightmare than it felt it could be. Then again, there's a very thin line between having an atonal pop section, and outright turning it into some rock or metal smashfest. XD

I quite like what you've done in general -- I've been nitpicking here and there, but you've still made nothing less than an enjoyable track.

4.5/5.

DivoFST responds:

Yeah unfortunately i am still struggling quite a bit to properly mix my voice to make it as clear as possible....both my mic and my voice have a lot of low end so it gets really hard to find that sweet clear spot :(
Maybe a bad choice on my part to include the ongoing NO!, i wanted to maintain a remainder why the song had turned into something "horrible" and at the same time keep the connection to the first section.
"That guitar sounded like it was in the hands of a budding Jimi Hendrix" *.*
Unfortunately it was in the hands of a Divo :( xD
Thanks a lot for the detailed review Trois and good luck in your future!! :D
Cheers!!

[Five O'Clock Blues]

Having handled blues before (and even accompanied blues pieces on drums myself), I just LOVE how smooth this is. And soulful. The chords around 0:41 catch me each time. 1:08 was similar too.

There's a lot more variation as compared to traditional blues -- you'd normally expect renditions of blues pieces to have a standard structure about them with the occasional solo, but here you seem to have made another section which just flows naturally from the main sections. All in all, a very enjoyable listen.

I initially found the lead guitar a bit harsh, but it grew on me quite a bit. The vibe I'm getting here is a typical city scene -- and it fits ever so well.

5/5.

camoshark responds:

Haha, thanks Trois, glad you liked it!

[Sweet Kisses]

Breaking out the other side of me -- the trance afficionado!

This piece, right off the bat, makes me feel like I'm listening to 'The Man with the Machine Gun' from Final Fantasy VIII.

I don't quite dig the fact that the basses in the main melody sections, even 1:29, follow the melody -- I DO, however, dig the synths starting at 2:02.

1:08 onwards sounds like a trance progression, and was arguably my favourite part of this song. You had a drop, you had a gradual buildup back to the main melody, and I really liked it.

I've told this to many a person making trance music, and I've had the same lesson taught to me over and over again too -- which is why I'm about to repeat this to you:

The purpose of trance is to make the person lose himself in the music. The chords, the reverb, the percussions, the buildup, the melody, all play a part in this. Subgenres in EDM are made so that people can distinguish the kind of feel they would get from hearing a particular song. I like the idea behind this piece, but I couldn't lose myself in it.... I just couldn't. This felt more like techno or house -- and as a trance song, it does fall short.

SUGGESTIONS:

1) Have an A minor pedal point in the intro, and have the melody faded somewhere in the background, to put people into the atmosphere. Then gradually bring the drums and other synths in. (Yes, I was guilty of this before, and that's why I'm suggesting this to you now.)

2) 1:08, the drop, is the chance for you to switch things up a little bit. You've done so through instrumentation, but you could also do that through chords.

3) Your leads are quite watery, and I like that -- but a little bit more could be done with the synths from 2:02. Try, perhaps, using them in the background also? Keep them in the background, but automate them (make them get slightly louder when progressing from section to section). Trance is all about peaks and valleys, highs and lows... as all music is. But here, especially so.

4) Try switching up the bass and chords a little? If you insist on going with the melody, try keep that to one section. You've got lots of things to experiment with. You've got pedal points, where the bassline is the same but the chords switch up. You've got your standard-issue, pop-music progressions. And then you've got the drop, where you can really go wild with it.

3.5/5.

Svenzo responds:

Hmmm i think this probably would actually be HOUSE and not trance,ill change that.But yeh u got some point in ur suggestions there

[Ice Cube]

Right off the bat, I quite like the wobble in the bass, and how everything, from drums to pads, kicks in gradually. When 0:31 kicks in, the whole piece feels very quirky, I like.

0:51 was the clincher before 1:09 came in. 1:09 reminded me of, pardon the expression, a Crash Bandicoot stage. It just felt like it -- the mystery, the excitement, the quirkiness. I got an early PlayStation 2 vibe from this.

1:50 sounds like you're in the midst of ice crystals, trapped. I like.

2:06 is about the same loudness as 0:51, and 2:21 is the same loudness as 1:50.

The whole piece feels atmospheric and quirky -- and quirkiness is an up factor for me -- there's still a matter of tension, buildup and loudness to address.

SUGGESTIONS:

1) A little bit more variation would have been appreciated here between 2:06 and 2:21 -- building up tension? A very, very light saw wave or pad that sounds icy, perhaps? As you go later into the piece, imagine yourself in the heat of the dance. You don't want it to be a similar-sounding moment to a previous part of the piece -- by that point, it'll have reached the climax it ought to have reached.

2) Now let me iterate that I LOVED how the intro progressed gradually. Now the ending feels abrupt. It would, admittedly, be a bit cliché to end in the same kind of length that the intro had. But, a shorter ending with a decrescendo on the hi-hat cymbals (basically, a fade out), a fade-out on strings, and other disappearing parts, could help this ending.

4.5/5.

Svenzo responds:

Well i am glad you liked this.ofcourse repetitiveness again,maybe im just too lazy lol but yeh i might work on that a lil more

[Sacred China]

The dizi and erhu are well-placed in the beginning. 29 seconds of similarity does get a bit tiring on the ears though.

From 0:29 I hear some change in the chords, which I very much enjoy.

From that point on, there's quite a bit of variety added in the chords, the percussion (1:28!), and the (synth?). 1:28 particularly sounded like a chilled bit, but a little bit of toning down would have been much appreciated.

As an ambient track, it was fairly simple, and could possibly be looped -- but I can't say it does stand out among other ambient tracks of a similar nature. Perhaps a little more could be done?

SUGGESTIONS:

1) Now I know this is an old piece to listen to, and not the best example, but you can always take the good in other pieces, and use it for your own. The song I am thinking of is a techno song, 'Butterfly' by Smile. There's a string arpeggio in the intro, accompanied by a koto (you've got a Chinese equivalent to match).

I know the intention of your piece is meant to be chill and it does the job alright, but I suggest listening out for things that would make your ambient pieces more atmospheric. At the moment it sounds like typical office music with a little bit of Chinese flair. And reason why I am finicky with this is because I hear that music on TV nearly all the time....... and I want something different from what we normally hear.

2) Possible volume automation, this time? I'm talking in parts like the introduction, where you've had 29 seconds of similarity before some difference kicks in. Also, I'm suggesting automation so that the drums may kick in gradually, rather than suddenly. I'd like to be put at ease with a chill track, and oftentimes bringing in something gradually is the best bet.

3.5/5.

NB: The World category often suggests something otherworldly, exotic, or even culturally different. Where this is blended with Ambient, take care to not make your tracks sound samey.

Svenzo responds:

repetitiveness is a recurring thing in my tracks,but i make songs always more in electronic chill house way,so suposed to be repeating,i like it that way.In this style i dotn want too many different melodies and chords.

[Gregorian Chants]

I have the same complaint for this as I have for Gregorian Sadness. This time, however, I fully recognise the plainchant that you sampled. It is the Orbis Factor setting of 'Kyrie eleison', which translates to 'Lord, Have Mercy'. As the title, key and notes of the plainchant suggest.... THAT ONE is meant to be sad and plaintive.

Also, the sampling didn't go quite right -- you started off sampling it in the right key, D# minor, but then within just a few seconds, your music was in D# minor while the singing was in D minor. Ouch. >_<

There's not much volume control in the instruments that you've used, and your chords don't vary here either. And your background does nothing to bring out the sadness of the piece. It doesn't sound half as ambient as when you've got proper backing to bring out the actual gravity of the singing.

SUGGESTIONS, again:

1) VOLUME CONTROL FOR YOUR INSTRUMENTS PLEASE.

2) STUDY UP PLAINCHANT TYPES, LYRICS AND PURPOSES, PLEASE! I cringe listening to this, I honestly do.

3) I failed to suggest this the last time, but now I think it's due: please, PLEASE vary your chords. Or write them in a way that suggests a little bit of variation. Sometimes even three-chord pieces can be done right, but this wasn't. Learn up your inversions, and learn up some good chord progressions.

If in doubt, when using plainchant, find those with organ backing, if you can. Or stop by during a choir practice at a nearby parish that you can find, and listen in. By listening, you'll know what kind of music clicks with this kind of singing.

1.5/5.

Svenzo responds:

Uhm this is a really old song i made liek 4 years ago,this was suposed to be deleted,i dunno why its up,let me correct that