MadenameXD's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Outbreak [ELITE ReMaster]]

Olllllldd

Lets get straight to the review. The bass drum kicks are really pathetic, I'm not going to soften that blow. The guitar is also pretty weak compared to most of your works. The entire song is really bland and needs a lot to it. Yeah, obviously this was a long time ago for you. My personal problem is that I made 30 seconds or so of the melody to Castle Lololo in FL9, then I learned that the music standard these days is soooo much higher, and I gave up because I was worried it would suck. I think that when I get the time, probably around summer, I will finish it up and maybe have my friend give me some ideas if need be. Anyways, on with the review, overall the song is bland. It almost sounds as if you have literally no bass at all in it. The only thing that sounds somewhat like your current things is the harp, and you rarely use that anyways. Haha the 3 year difference really shows xD

~Spiralz

rtnario responds:

Hahaha XD Well, let me start with one factor you don't seem to know: this is the sound of MIDI. As in, literally MIDI, Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth or something along those lines--a sound that I always loved because it was part of my foray into the world of digital music composition. But of course, compared to professional standards, literally converting a MIDI into MP3 without thinking about any other factors (EQ, compression, balance, complete sound, all that) was something I didn't even begin to understand when I made this XD;; I just gave melodies and let MIDI do the work o: Yeah, I guess this will always be my style of composing, which is why you hear familiar favorite elements of mine *coughharpcough* :D

And if ever you finish a song, be sure to let me know, I need to pay you back for all the help you've given me regardless if you want it or not! >:D Thanks for the review!

[Midnight Breeze (KuroMisuki Remix)]

Ah-hahahaha

I saw that ending from a mile (2 minutes 24 seconds) away.

Anyways, the piano seems pretty clear, and the background (cello or viola?) is a good accompaniment. The violin is nice, although it definitely has room for improvement in fitting in with the rest of the instruments for a more blended sound. The flute sounds ok, although it feels like it could be slightly more balanced. You do transition in and out of the flute with good dynamics. This must be very hard for you and your non-metal anxiety. I'm not sure about much advice to give because I'm no pro as we all know, but it sounds like the song all in all could use a bit more balancing of the instruments. Sometimes it feels like certain instruments are sticking out more than others where they shouldn't. The crescendos and decrescendos are good though. It seems that if you try just a bit harder, your classical songs will sound great.

~Spiralz

rtnario responds:

Of course you did! XD

Yeah, I think I made it pretty simple. The mix of instruments isn't exactly so polished, but yep, definitely more attempts into a non-metal genre. Again, may I remind you I have more classical outbursts that aren't on Newgrounds, but all the same each one is a learning experience made even better with people who give critique :) Thanks for the review!

[Maelstorm (EliteFerrex Remix)]

Cool percussion.

The percussion instruments are pretty nice throughout the song. The beginning timpani (I think that's what it is) sounds great. The big-obvious-downgrader (at least in my headphones) was an overpowering, piercing piano at the beginning that was sort of an earsore. The sound was good, and it came out well after the timpani came in, but at the start it sounds a bit too harsh. The piano was kept at the same setting it seems for the whole song, and I think you set it as an accompaniment rather than a melody. It seems to fit the guitars better than when it's solo. The guitars seem ok as well. The bass drum could have a bit more or a bit less, although it is fine for what you were doing I suppose. The strings sound great as a filler in the background, and the chanting or choir patch/sound is a good accompaniment. Haha I like my harsh grading. If I don't grade down on the small things, I don't enjoy the music as much because I don't know what is there. This analyzing actually makes the music sound better all in all. Hope you have fun making whatever music it is that you're working on!

~Spiralz

rtnario responds:

Well, it's a timpani with a bunch of other percussion among other things XD Yeah, the piano was tweaked to be in the same, hmm, stereo field...or something as the rhythm guitar, and it was already made loud for the latter parts of the song where it'd be scaling the high heavens. Yeah, I notice too that when I listen to this song, I'm like, WHOA BASS DRUM FOUNTAIN. I didn't really tweak the bass drum to be fit for that kind of fast drumline XD Oh well, you analyze for mistakes, but you also realize what the song really sounds like in the first place :) Thanks for the review, and I definitely will have fun making music XD

[Little Bit]

Hmmmm...

Personal opinion here, but I think that you should add a fourth instrument, or a light percussion. Sure 8-bit can consist of this amount of instruments, and yes it sounds fine (the repeat is annoying though because it does that 5 note pattern like 9 times in a row), although some fillers to it would make it sound more complete. The bass does sound good and fills a bit, although that doesn't change that some more would be nice. Three instruments is DEFINITELY better than 2 in this instance though.

rtnario responds:

Oh well, really, I was actually bored and this was meant to be a joke or something, but I just added it to my discography anyways XD I guess it is, haven't really experimented so much with looping things, in fact you probably know that the only two songs I made to be very loopable are this one and Boss Battle!. Oh, and the melody isn't original, it's actually something taught to me in school XD Oh well, thanks!

[Infinite Being (Touhou 5 Remix)]

Meh...

It has a great potential, although I guess I just don't enjoy the sound in this as much as your other songs. Also (I'm not grading down because of THIS, but it might actually be true) it seems that near the beginning the Harp Chord, or whatever the rapid notes are, gets off from the beat of the deep strings/guitars (or vice versa). I really started actually noticing it at the guitar entry. Maybe this is true, or maybe the guitar's off or makes a distorted feeling. The sound is ok though, although I would like the bass in this song to be slightly louder than it is. There's this thing pecking at my ears (not a very bad peck, just a picky one) of a low bass in some parts where it could accompany the melody more.

On the bright side, your songs that I'm listening to now seem to be very full in the background, and not missing a lot of things if not anything. You can always add more to a background though if it adds to the sound (after all, why not fill the ears with more tiny things in the background to make the song seem far more complex?). I don't feel like going on much more, but I shall go on a little.

The guitar at the beginning when transitioning from the intro to the beginning of the main song (where there are the rapid snares) could be a bit lighter. Maybe it could just have a bit different of a sound, more like a mellower guitar. The main melodious guitar is very nice, and the harsh guitar at the beginning in that transitioning area could lean more in that direction. I don't know if I am actually pointing at the right area (heck this song's long! :D), but it's somewhere around there.

Side note: I like the piano and the 8-bit sound, but the 8-bit could be slightly quieter and the latter for the piano ;)

Oh yeah, I think that adding a line of blank space in between parts of my reviews will help you to read them. Your welcome ;D

~Spiralz

rtnario responds:

Hmm, I think it's more of the distorted feeling. o: And yeah, actually this is one of my most ear-piercing songs to date since the guitars aren't supposed to go that high in the real world...I think XD Had to make some edits myself to make it that way, and without proper EQ that's gonna make some ears bleed XD The bass is also another point of interest because it's unreasonably rapid, but again, straight from the original melodies I heard.

Background's a very factor when it comes to any song, and I just have to keep on findings ways on to improve that, to make it really sound full. But there's also the problem of putting too much in the background as to crowd lots of other instruments (Last Showdown and co.) so balance is needed XD

Actually, that guitar, lighter? I wanted it heavier o: But maybe you're referring to its tone, and the way it was used in the song showcases the fact that it's not exactly the best sound for this kind of song, I admit. The song's long, but that's because the whole thing repeats itself, haha XD My -real- longest song to date is Winter Night's Journey (Through The Storm), and THAT deserves the length!

If you like the piano and the 8-bit, try searching for another song I made that's not on Newgrounds called Core Oppression. You'll see that the 8-bit is used so much better there :)

...and I think you mean "You're". HA! XD Thanks for all the reviews, I just finished replying to all of them (it's a lot of work I swear XD) but really I appreciate them all so much!

[Radical Squadron Swat Kats (Swat Kats Remix)]

Haha

Haha I love the Swat Cats theme. I watched it a bit here and there a while back. I didn't have the channel that it aired on, or at least I didn't know when it aired hence my not watching it xD

On with the review. As you can easily tell, this song is very short. That makes for an easy 10 (cheater). In case I don't have a well though out review of it, I think that there's another 10 of yours on here. I will check out the song again, and try to listen in to the details now that I'm using headphones again! The bass in this song is pretty nice and doesn't have an overpowering sound to it with the layout, but it isn't so weak as to make you strain your ears to hear it. The guitars sound pretty good as well, and the drums accompany them with precision. At least it's not like some of your other songs where you take the drum and give it an overdose xD

All in all, it's great, but I'd like to see this quality of music in a longer song. Listening to this 10 times to get out of it what I would get from 2 times of a decent length song. Also, what's with the 3-4 seconds of pure cymbal at the end? Haha oh well I won't mark off for what's after the song ends. Fading something out is what Audacity's for (if you're going to put it on an MP3 player/DSTwo). Good job, and keep it up. I can tell that this is one of your more recent songs that you uploaded (coming from 2009, which isn't THAT long ago), so I expect more recent songs to either be 10 or have some stupid mistake somewhere in them that I will crop out after downloading.

~Spiralz

rtnario responds:

Aww XD As for me, I should rewatch the entire thing, it's obviously not on TV anymore and it'll definitely give me some nostalgia :D

Yep, very short indeed. First 10 ever! ...doesn't count! Too short! XD I need to get a 10 I can honestly be proud of, so just you wait :) Yeah, this is part of some more experimental mixing I did. I will point out though that the rhythm guitar mutes seem to lower in volume unnaturally thanks to my compression. So it should be a 9/10 8| Oh well XD And I love giving drums overdoses, else it wouldn't sound much like my style, but here, like I said, experimenting o:

Maybe I made the end too long, which can be faulted to me just plain exporting and uploading the song. Guess I was excited, didn't really think about so many factors like those song aesthetics in regards to the ending. And, hahaha, I completely get what you're coming for, and you have discovered a fellow DS-owner with a flashcart...three flashcarts, and fading out really would help on our Moonshells, eh? XD (btw, I'm jealous, I want my own Supercard DSTwo someday, want to test out its extra RAM capabilities) Anyways, on topic! Thanks yet again for the review, and I will get that 10 someday. =)

[[Tetris Menu] -Zero-]

Nice to hear!

It's great to know that you're back now with your talent. This has a very nice and calming feel to it. It's not too short, but not too long. Your typical piece of work, and appreciated very much. Well I look forward to hearing more of your songs, and with your instrument choices your songs stay original to your style. It's also pretty cool to be able to take one of your songs up early in the grading by (+0.19) ;D

Well then to reiterate, I hope to hear more!

~MadenameXD/Spiralz

[HUZZAH (Cave Story Remix)]

30 minutes to...

30 second review ;D

Yeah, I can kind of tell that you didn't spend too much time on the song by its resulting blow. It's not bad, not at all, but it's not the best. You've done a lot better ;)

Haha this sounds so rude now that I look over that 30 second review part, but then again I like to hear your full potential. Your full attempts are sound better on a whole. It's kind of like comparing a band in middle school to a college band. They may both be playing the same song, but the college band is more experienced and thus will be more in tune, and know how to shape the phrases. There's far more to it than that, but I'll just leave it at that for the analogy. Anyways, keep up coming at us with songs. I know this one's somewhat old, so haha I'll keep that in mind for some future songs.

~MadenameXD/Spiralz

rtnario responds:

Right you are! In fact, this entire song was actually a test...until I made it repeat twice and I posted it as an actual release, that is. Yep, I definitely get what you're saying since it's been some time since I made this remix, and even in some years time I can already spot so much that I can correct. And if I DO remake it, in some more years I can spot errors yet again. A never-ending life of improvement, as all artists have, is what I'm referring to, of course :)

Thanks for the -insert number here- reviews!

[Garden Of Moonlight]

Haha

I'm sorry, I laughed at the ending. So simple, yet such a "classical" feeling of unoriginality xD

I know you must struggle making something peaceful and classic, especially because you like making metal mixes. All that being considered, this is definitely a good "peace". That play on words about sums it up. Some of the flute's notes sound like attacks. Also, some of the blending just doesn't seem right haha. This is great for a metal artist's attempt at a classic song, but somebody like Chronamut who does classic pieces all the time has a more comfortable feel to it. After all, he's used FL for like seven years now, maybe eight, and classic (if you ask me) is his specialty. I don't really have much in depth of this except for that it could use slightly better blending for the melodies, and some slightly less strong attacks with the wind instrument (flute?).

rtnario responds:

I wouldn't take offense to it at all, considering that even from a not-exactly-classical musician, I know that it's a tried and true unoriginal tradition, as you so mentioned appropriately :D

Yeah, I do. But sometimes it's the other way around, really. I make too much metal that I get tired and want to make something different, and when I'm given no choice but to go classical (right now while my CPU is broken), I get tired and want to make metal. Anyways, damn, I was about to toss a rock at you for the wordplay, but apparently you meant it seriously XD Actually, if you check my personal blog you're missing more than half my current discography :D But the point of mentioning that is to show that I have more classical outbursts than I make it seem!

Funny how you mention Chronamut whom some years ago I knew for making a Spark Mandrill remix when I was checking around for people who have remixed that song already. But I haven't checked his most recent works, which I assume by your description should be an example for how I should try adjusting my view on classical music composition more. Guess I'll be checking him out!

And yeah, guess it could, since the whole mix is still one that's...made for...metal...and I didn't adjust attacks XD Thanks for the review!

[Return Flight]

I believe you mean "Therefore"

Muahaahahaa you got me on a failure before, so I gotcha back xD

ANYWAYS, on to the review. The usual, 9/10, 5/5 as to make sure to help your grade because you deserve more than a 3.91 which I raised to a 3.93. First thing's first, the two cymbal crash things near the beginning are kinda harsh, and they overpower EVERYTHING. That's not good if you ask me, unless it's seriously a major required thing of the song, but they seem slightly too loud while overpowering everything. Excuse me if it's just these headphones of mine which are well overstaying their welcome, but some of the background sounds also sound kinda bad, unlike the usual pure background you like to put in. The riffs are very nice though, and well executed for the most part. I'm sorry if it's just these headphones, mainly because I wouldn't lower your grade one point because of the cymbal crash thing. The strings are also kind of overpowering at the end, but all in all they are decent. I swear (swearing is bad, yes, I don't swear literally ever, but swear as in oath) that I will find a song of yours that I will give a 10, whether it be because of me having a good day, or because I get new headphones, or because of both and me not noticing any flaws that are big enough for a point deduction. I look forward to new pieces (yes I know this one is old, 2009). Happy composing~!

~Spiralz

rtnario responds:

...AWW C'MON THAT WAS SUCH AN OLD ERROR IN THE PAST I DON'T BOTHER TO CORRECT XD

Now THIS one's probably very different compared to the others you've heard. Aside from being quiet, everything was pretty simple and untweaked. So that would kinda explain the two overpowering crash cymbals :< That ALSO explains why you don't hear the "pure" background since this is back then when my sound was pretty...in beta stages, I could say. If I listen to this now, I could point out my own errors XD And yeah, strings are too sharp for me, I didn't have my present strings then. Oh well. Thanks for the review man, still gonna head for that 10! :D