Ceevro's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Ghost in the Machine]

Thoughts while listening:

YAY! Another actual guitarist! And...uh...some weird sounds. Not sure what to make of this. Something Floydian about it. I really wanna kill the bit-crushed guitar. Some nice soloing there. Great blues sound to it. Very relaxed. Total silence at 2 minutes...almost 20 seconds of it...bit much...outro needs some volume.

Thoughts after listening:

Some good stuff:

-The song had some gorgeous bluesy moments in it, very reminiscent of early Pink Floyd
-You clearly either have some skill with a guitar, or have found some really nice samples. Either way, Ceevro approves of all acoustics!
-Great atmosphere here. I have an affinity for the melancholy, and this is wonderful in that respect.

Some improvements:

-The bitcrushed guitar is jarring. Try swapping it out with some light distortion and see if that doesn't sound better.
-20 seconds of complete silence can cause the listener to lose interest. I'd recommend putting...well...ANYTHING in there. Use some more experimental sounds, or even a low bass hum to make sure the listener knows you're still on stage!
-Check your levels. The total package here is extremely quiet. If you've got a 'normalize volume' thing happening, turn it off, so that it doesn't turn everything down to accommodate your loudest sound. You may also look at adding compression on your master track to pull everything to a more listenable volume.
-I really want some vocals in this. I know, I know, I really love instrumentals. But the atmosphere could be opened up a little more with even a couple lines of sung poetry. Give it some consideration.

Overall, this was an enjoyable listen. I'm not sold on some of the experimental sounds that seem...just...stuck in there because you could. Every sound should add something to the track, not distract attention away from it, as a rule of thumb.

3.5/5 R4R

-Ceevro

AlbertAnderson responds:

thanks

[HOLKAN - Clockwork [DEMO]]

Thoughts while listening:

Like the build-in. Great atmosphere. And we got some actual vocal sounds in there! YES! I'm so tired of pure electronic. The complexity here is astounding!

Thoughts after listening:

Some good stuff:
-Very detailed, intricate work here. I could feel the effort this must have taken.
-This has a highly aggressive feel to it. I wanna 720-spin-kick something.
-Mix was spot-on. Great EQ/levels.

Some improvements:
-This is a great intro, but not a full piece. I know this is a work in progress, but as you work, make sure you resolve the conflict you've created with the entry.

Overall:

You have some serious chops, and style for days. I wanna hear the full version when you get it out!

R4R 3.5/5 (mostly due to being incomplete)

-Ceevro

Holkan responds:

Thanks for the review. I appreciate it! Also this track is almost finished, but I'm having some problems with Massive & other VSTS, so it will take a while before to see it finished.

[Dawnfrost]

Thoughts while listening:

Sort of a flat pad on the start. Love the complex percs. Lead line is too loud compared to the mix. Nice mixup at 1:14...perhaps the low sound would be better as an electric guitar with lots of distortion. The violin sound stays in too long...like a harmonic feedback.

Thoughts after listening:

Some good things:

-Interesting atmosphere.
-Crisp motif that stays with the song throughout.
-Love that switchup! Keeps it interesting.

Needs Improvement:

-Mix is off. You need to balance your levels a bit better. The lead line is so loud it drowns out the rhythm section.
-I want sharper instrumentation where you say it switches to 'bite.' Try something with a quicker attack and more harmonics. I'd use electric guitar, but that's only my preference.

Overall:

Solid piece! I love hearing complexities in a mix, and you've got them to spare here!

8/10

-Ceevro, R4R

Hallow responds:

I see what you mean by flat - the pad playing the chords isn't that interesting, I agree.
(Sadly, the percs were just me messing around with a preset...)
I did notice that the high pad was a bit too loud, but that was only after I had exported it from FL, and you know how demos work...
The same pad was the one causing the feedback. I didn't really notice it that much at first, and again, I couldn't change it (I don't currently know how, either, but I would probably be able to figure it out with some fiddling around).

I'm glad you like the mixup. I used the word "bite" because I was trying to be clever (did it work?), but I see what you mean about sharper instrumentation. The one thing is, it wouldn't matter - every single note played by that pad is a slide :P
However, since I've only just started with electronic music, I didn't really consider using guitar (or any other instrument that exists physically) - that would be interesting. This time, though, I was going for a sort of dubstep sound and experimenting, but having fiddled with a few other presets to no avail, finding this one was a bonus.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm glad you liked it!

[Daily Life]

Thoughts while listening:

Love the bells...nice to hear well-orchestrated synths! I am totally digging the crap out of the vibe here! So peaceful! The accidentals in the solo do take away a bit...in this piece maybe it would be better to keep away from stepping outside the key. Very deep vibe going on with the strings vs. bells. This sounds like what I would like to hear after winning a game on the old Sega Genesis! Very nostalgic that way.

Thoughts after listening:

Peaceful, quaint, flowing. Wow, if this is your daily life, then you've got it made! My "Daily Life" would be a lot sharper, for sure!

Some good things:

-Great orchestration. I am utterly pathetic at using synths, so it's always great to hear someone who can do it right!
-You've captured a great flow/soundscape. It sounds like clouds with an epic speech about the meaning of existence in a cinema...on a videogame soundtrack.
-Loved the interplay with the strings and bells. Always gave me something to shift my attention to!

Some things that could be improved:

-There's a couple spots where the accidentals jumped out of the key. Sometimes that can be pretty cool, pulling a nail-biting noise out of the piece, but for this, I'd suggest staying on key, as the piece is not the kind that's designed to twist the ear.
-I'd like more of a buildup into a full release. This song could totally EXPLODE...but you stayed at the same intensity. Peaceful, but there's more to 'Daily Life,' right?

Overall: Loved it! Great tune, my friend!

[Chip 'n' Swing]

Huh. Well, would you look at that! I'm clearly not big on the electronic varieties of music, preferring to play live instruments myself...but the composition here is wonderful! You've got an excellent swing to the beat, interesting change-ups, sweet solos, key changes, floating airy sections, and almost a dirty casino feel to the close-out!

This is some seriously cool music! Respect!

Yahtzei responds:

Thanks a lot! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it ^^ and yeah, I usually make quite simple loops for video game BGM, but I had to make something that stands up on its own here that can hold the listener's attention without a game attached to it. Well, it seemed to hold your attention, so I'm happy :D

[Get down!]

Man...it starts of so...early '90s Technotronic, then evolves flawlessly into the next decade. Nothing to complain about here! Good luck in the competition!

[Jewel]

Excellent work on this! And dagnabbit...I was planning to do my next track in 5/4...looks like you sorta beat me to it!

Kor-Rune responds:

AWWWE DARLIN PLS DO IT I WANT MORE TASTY FIVES IN THE WORLD

[Ian Kayell - Connection(OM)]

And here's someone who's got their genre nailed-down! Lots of great changes in this, keeps it from becoming repetitive, like most trance!

Best of luck in the comp!

[Moon spirit]

Man, I'm not usually a Dub-kinda-guy, but this is mixing at its' finest! I love all the effort you've clearly put in with your percussion...that must've taken some serious time!

All the best in the comp!

EdKempeper responds:

Thank you very much !
Yes, it takes me some time to make this song.

[Lizards Against Jesus]

This is outstanding work! I can see I've got my work cut out for me, if I wanna keep up!