EoD696's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Banjo Player's Porsche]

Kicks my teeth in! Holy shit! This is top notch composition, top notch mixing/mastering. No criticism on either front.

Regarding your vocals - fucking fantastic! Don't take this as an insult, but I feel like the singing is reminiscent of Hoobastank or The Fall of Troy, while the screaming is a bit more like Chimera. Your tone is epic, and cries out beyond the walls of my studio (hope the neighbors don't care that I'm fucking cranking this shit right now, and again because the song is over but I'm still writing). I'm not a vocalist, but this stuff sounds like it came off a RoadRunner or a WarnerBros. record - I want you realize that I say that because it's quality is impeccable, the performance is flawless and extremely energetic...its not because it sounds mainstream. Mad respect, bro...mad. This shit amazing!

hoorayjay responds:

you know how to make a goy happy, thanks for listening!

[Vacuum Cleaner]

I thought you named it vacuum cleaner because it sucks :-P (that's mean, I know, but it's funny, come on!)

:/ is the best way I can describe my reaction to this whole piece. It has some potential compositionally, and the drums are by far it's best redeeming attribute...the lead is sorta bouncy, sorta funky, I can dig it. However, there are serious shortcomings with the sound of everything. It kinda feels like an old Casio toy keyboard is playing it back to me. I really don't like the sound choices for the lead, and the distortion on it at 1:55 really doesn't help matters at all. The backing chords are nice, that's a nice BG organ with a subtle leslie effect in it...that was a decent choice, but that lead man...that's got to be clearer and more attention grabbing, in my opinion. I'd try it with a wurlitzer, then maybe couple it with a crystal synth to kinda get that rhodes feel but sorta not...I think it'll be a nicer way to feel different than what you're doing...give it a shot!

Kalviter responds:

You wound me! I'm joking, that's a decent pun, well done.

When you say that there's serious shortcomings with the sound of everything, could you elaborate a bit more? Is it mixed weirdly/badly? I get that the lead could have a better sound (Especially the distorted one) but how much of the mix do you expect it to take up?

Thanks for taking the time to review this, but I'm kinda left with more questions than answers. Hopefully you can take the time to clarify a little.

[Metanil]

Initially, it captivates me. The piano is mesmerizing, and very well mixed...oddly composed, which I think is part of the allure. But...it continues the same refrain, it starts to get kind of predictable and repetitive. I'd like to see some variation on this accompaniment line as the song progresses. As you bring in more and more instruments, things get a bit more interesting. I like the echoey vox and the leading piano line that comes in around 1:00-1:15, but you counter that lead line with some sort of crystal synth that oozes in slowly...and I think it'd be better without it (the synth).

Then at 2:05 it feels like you break out into a totally different song. I can tell it's the same chords voiced the same way through some woodwinds, but the beat of the bass has changed, and the swell of the chords is more aligned with the downbeat. You bring in more and more layers, and the piece gets more and more discordant...then it ends semi-harmoniously. I think you need to revisit the voicing of the chords for the woodwind section - maybe drop one or two notes altogether, and increase the distances on the rest, that should help...you may need to structure the chord slightly differently to make it a bit more harmonious. Mixing and mastering for this stuff is whole 'nother tale, but what I will say is stereo-separation and subtle chorus fx coupled with some slightly stronger reverb will go a long way to smoothing things out in that woodwind part.

Anyhow, good stuff, cheers!

BuzzkillSquad responds:

The dissonance and gear-shift are deliberate. That's how I do :) Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to listen so closely and critically

[The Refugee's Song]

There is a careful balance to strike in this sort of piece. It's exceptionally difficult to hit - it's a very small target from a very great distance. People are predisposed to pop-music. Something like this has to be accompanied by a rich narrative in order to be appreciated. It feels like a cultural song, displaying some sort of history...if that history is false, the song loses value. If that false history is attached to some sort of game or other pop-culture phenomena, it may gain value by being appreciators of that world.

There are tiny, minute details which...ruin this piece. I thought the song was over around 1:12.

It's gorgeous, compositionally. I cannot possibly fault either of you in anyway for what this piece is SUPPOSED to be. It's excellently assembled and performed, up to a point. I feel like the vocals are distant, almost prescient-in-the-past. I suppose that might be desirable, but...it also obfuscates what's being said. But also that mock-snare which presents itself first at the end of 02:25...should not be there at all...ever...I'm sorry if this offends you, but that is like...being in a doctor's office with 15 other people, and out of the blue soemone shout's "FUCK!"....and you're left sitting there, thinking...what just happened? And everytime it comes back, it's like a slap in the face...like walking through a crowd of people and there's a dude outside of your sight that's just yelling "FUCK" every once in a while...it's totally out of the mix of the rest of the song...where did that thing come from? I feel the song would be much better without it altogether...

Troisnyx responds:

Very spot-on, and I thank you -- it gives words to many of the niggling concerns about this song that I and others have. The percussion out in the end isn't fitting, the reverb is too heavy, the lead is drowned out, and I understand what you are getting at with that illustration about the doctor's office. :P Offensively hilarious, but point very well understood.

Insofar as the veracity of the content, it is true, but on a personal level with people who are fleeing their homes. So yeah, I guess that was my motivation to put it under "Other - World" -- as a cultural lament. Couldn't find anything else to put it under, and there was very little in the way of folk instrumentation apart from a cobbled-together tin whistle sample. ^_^'

[Memories]

This is a big improvement from your last submission! I can tell you've delved considerably deeper into mixing/mastering for this piece, and I think the results are engaging and beautiful. Once again, great composition, I'm really intrigued by the way you assemble melodies and movements, and I think you've got some really good transitions in here. I was a little put off by the sudden introduction of the piano lead at 0:47. I feel like that transition could be fleshed out more - I'd play the piano refrain once before that downbeat with a ramp on the track volume. It'd start out silent, then come in slowly over the course of the bar - when the crash hits, it's at full volume. Also, that crash feels buried - I'd like to bring him out more front and center, probly just needs a little volume boost to accomplish that, but maybe a compressor...I'd look at the amplification envelope too, maybe you can reduce it's attack time. I could keep nitpicking til the cows come home, but I feel like you've got a real good piece here, and I'm noticing improvements in your execution - keep it up, m8!

Mauxus responds:

Thank you. Yes, I lost count on how many hours I spent just on mixing but It's fine because it's part of the learning process and I know that even more will be required. Great suggestion about introducing the piano ahead of time: done! (with a little trick added too). I changed the crash altogether because that one wasn't up to the task. The track is supposed to be much louder overall too, (consider yourself warned ;) Thank you for your feedback.

[Ambient Improv]

This is some pretty good stuff, Mich. I dig it. I think it fits it's bill too. The whole thing seems very free form - I'm not used to that. I can usually pick out the time signature, no problem. But here, everything is so fuzzy, my mind is telling me it doesn't matter...just lay back, and breathe....ahhhh....

Mich responds:

Cheers, glad you like it. :) There was indeed no metronome or anything so I didn't keep time, just kind pushed away at the keys and twiddled some knobs along the way.

Thanks for the review!

[Manufacturing Consent]

This is a really good piece - it has a very complete overall feeling. I can't offer a lot in the way of constructive criticism...but I will try anyway. The first half seems like it's a bit lengthy and drawn out...and, at times, it feels very busy. Between the gates, and the delays, and the distortion, it's really hard to keep track of what's going on. But I like the way it ebbs and flows - I really enjoyed the buildups quite a bit, and the final section is golden. All in all, top shelf stuff! Cheers!

zybor responds:

Thank you for your review. :D

[-Phixius]

This is a really good composition! I feel like there's tons of potential here...but at the same time, I feel let down by the instruments and mastering. It almost feels as though the piece has been designed to fit into a limited sound library for an emulator or a specific MIDI engine. I always feel that the compromises that requires really takes something away from the music, versus the depth and breadth you can get with more natural sounding instruments that are composed of more voices. All that aside, I really dig the transitions, the melodies, and the overall structure - again, it's a really good composition! I just can't dig on the sound of it, my man...

Mauxus responds:

Thank you! I am at a point where I'd like to take it to the next level but I am not sure how. I hope I'll be able to find answers here. Mastering is definitely something I haven't...well...mastered yet :) The track is coming straight out of Logic Pro X. I only have the instruments the software came with. I'd love if you could expand on your thoughts but for now, thanks for pushing me in the right direction!

EDIT: EoD696 thanks for the suggestions you pm'd. The track sounds amazing now! It's like night and day. Not only that, I also learned a load of stuff about mastering. I feel that I am beginning to understand it. Thank you!

[Solarize]

It's alright. I can't say hardstyle is really my aesthetic, but I feel like this fits the bill well. I'm just a little let down by some of the transitions - the sweeps you've got down well, but I feel like you're missing a few crashes here and there on the downbeat (maybe that's the style?)...also I'm not sure you're really stretching the capability of the engine you're using to mix those crashes out - most of them feel like splashes to me, and the important ones (on the downbeat) could be bigger and bolder if you matched a couple of them up together and always matched them to a loud kick....speaking of which, where is that kick at, it feels distant....I'd double that hardstyle kick up with something meatier and deeper from a trance set, just to give it depth.

All in all though, well composed and decently mixed. It fits the bill, cheers!

[Memetics]

This is excellently mixed! The throttle noise of the distortion in those guitars is tearing my face off! And the stomp riff around 2:08 is wicked as all hell, dude! This would shake the the fuckin house down if you played it at my favorite metal spots!

I only have a bit of criticism regarding that transition around 1:30 with a clean guitar in the background...really, it sounds like your backdrop cleans are just a bit nebulous all throughout. I feel like those could be more clearly defined in the final-mix, maybe giving them a riff thats a bit more varied than strumming the root-note and triad...i dunno what it should look like though. That's just the only area I can find where things seem lackluster...and I'm not even sure what to tell you to make it better, so I can't let it affect my rating, lol.

Cheers, this is wicked cool shit man!

hoorayjay responds:

Thanks for listening man!