JoshuaHughes's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Indecision- LoveKavi Ft. DJDj]

Okay, so I said a while ago that I would review your stuff when I got back to my little studio, and here I am! Haven't forgotten, dude!

So first off, it's always nice to see a full-fledged song in the portal. The lyrical work is pretty solid and the vocal work is pretty awesome. They really do a good job expressing the internal conflict the song is trying to convey. Favorite part definitely went to the bridge of the song. I know what it feels like thinking about that stuff when life tries to set up a tough obstacle for you.

Stereo acoustic guitar chords are such a treat to the ears. I don't know, it's something about the strumming that sets off that relaxed feeling. Drum kit is wonderful. The kick is present, but noninvasive, the snare hit sounds great on the offbeat, and the panned percussion is a great addition to the beat. Synth for the chorus is a little cliche, but it opens up the song nicely.

Only other thing I have to say is that I'm sure you're aware that the reason stars don't shine during the day is because the Sun's light drowns them all out, and I'm sure you weren't looking for a literal explanation to a somewhat emotional song, but I had to say it anyways. I apologize for not being able to contain my inner smartassness. It's a great song, dude!

NeoAlchemist247 responds:

Lol. It's no problem, man. Thanks for a rally detailed review; I hope your studio is coming along nicely- and I'm glad you enjoyed the track! Stay awesome, bro.

-DJDj

[Fairy Mountain WIP - InfernoZN]

Liked the strings again on this one, although these were a little more apparent that they weren't recorded than the other ones in the piece that I reviewed earlier. Still liked the attack on them, and they really complimented the bells well.

Not sure what to say about the drum kit on this one, because it's kinda weird hearing a hip hop kit over this tune, but it kinda works, and I honestly can't think of any alternative to offer. Maybe a kit that's a little more experimental?

I'll have to agree with jawalker213 about your vocal issue. It's good advice to mixing vocals in with the rest of the song. If you do decide to record multiple takes, what I would do is put the main vocals in the center and put the supporting vocals on the sides or maybe pan them out a bit. It makes them sound a little more open and wider, and I think a song like this would definitely benefit from it.

Neat idea! Hope to hear your newer version soon!

[Heaven - InfernoZN]

I don't really know what to call this either, dude lol. It's honestly difficult for me to decide whether or not I like the mashup of digital and acoustic instruments in this track. The strings in this piece are top notch and the panning and stereo effects really bring out a ton of width in the track. My favorite has to be that percussion though at :56 and 1:44 with the rolling snares and banging bass drum. Love it!

Now after listening through it again, I will say that my problem with this piece is that the digital drum kit really brings down the quality of the track, in my opinion. It's not necessarily a bad kit, and I'm sure it would work well in a lot of techno beats, but in this circumstance it just feels too plain to be keeping the beat for an orchestra. I'm thinking it's the samples used, but maybe I'm too used to hearing an acoustic kit behind an orchestra lol. Sizzlin hats and all that, y'know?

Never really heard of something like this before, so you've got uniqueness on your side here! Just needs a little ironing out on some of the digital instruments and I think you'll be throwing out some pretty cool stuff!

Free2Play responds:

Thanks man, especially about pointing out the string mixing. I do try really hard to get the strings to sound convincing and not too fake.

I agree completely, the drum kit is something that is hard to notice after you're used to it but it really is lacking in enough variety and the samples aren't really what's needed for a song like this.

Maybe I should look up different kits used in orchestras? I stuck with classic snares and bass drums in the buildup before the chorus, which sounds way more interesting.

Thanks a lot! I might just go back and try to fix these things and get a better sound.

[Recorders]

Wow, Lumina sounds great, yeah? Is this a precursor to some more renaissance music?

AshleyAlyse responds:

Yeah, Lumina has a bunch of great sounds! :) I really love the legato bassoon and the recorders.
I really want to create a bunch of renaissance music! :D I love, love, love renaissance music and other old fashioned music. Just trying to find a few more instruments. I'm looking for a great harpsichord, dulcimer (hammered and plucked) and also a nice tambourine. Some drums too, actually. Thanks for the review! :)

[Mnargl - Chiptune Loop 38]

Pretty tense! I'd can't say this isn't the most you can do with twelve seconds, even for something as minimal as chiptunes, but there is still quality to be had! Kind of makes me think of a theme that requires motion. Those galloping triplets seem to allude at some sort of dramatic cowboy scenario involving horseback riding and revolvers. But it's only a few bars of a slightly variated version of the same thing, so it's just stuck on repeat in my head. Any chance of expanding upon this, or is this only reserved for menus?

[Embrace Salvation (2014)(Demo)]

This is amazing! I must have more! Ending it so abruptly almost seems criminal.

johndan20 responds:

thank you it is still a working progress how ever i do promise i will get it finished for you!

[The Mystery Of Life (2014)]

You simply stole my heart with this one. <3

johndan20 responds:

Thank you! i started my career on a bad and low note so working really hard to radeem myself, i hope u enjoy and like this song!

[Space Loop]

It's all good, dude. I feel like loops are good quick bursts of ideas that just need to stand out by themselves. By the way, 3 days? You going to throw your hat into the AIM contest?

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I'm glad you like it :D!

Yeah. These short loops are my lazy learning projects for the moment. Since my time is still slightly limited, but I still want to get some results, I just make quick loops every now and then to learn and have fun (I'm very new to all DAWs. I don't upload most of the loops though). I can agree with how you feel about loops too :D

Nah, I'm not entering the AIM contest XD
To begin with, I don't think I'd stand the ghost of a chance, although it would be fun to enter! Steampianist just uploaded a track that I just think might win one of the prizes too. Good luck to you though, I genuinely feel you have a chance! (But I've only listened to about 20 entries :p).

Also, I'm not sure I'll be done with the track I'm working on in 3 days; I just got done with the composition, and I'm both lazy and not that good at mixing :'D
It's just more DAW training for me anyway, it's not that well thought through :')
The 3 days are how many days are left of my work. After that, I already have a three month vacation! So I'll spend my days inside, making music the whole summer! Maybe... :3

Thanks for the review!!! :)