sumguy720's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[El Segundo Paso]

Great job

This is a nice track, I like the song. It's not quite as high octane as I am used to for techno which is simultaneously a good thing and a bad thing. Did you use garage band to make this? I think I recognize a number of loops from there, but they were used well. I can tell you've been mixing for a while.

I think maybe if you added something else to make the song pop out more, give it more depth, you'd have a way more successful song here. (The ending is kind of abrupt as well).

Quite an original piece of work, doesn't get boring, great job.

MrSandwich responds:

Thanks, and yes I used some modified garageband loop tracks.

[HardHit (demo)]

Sweeeeet

Hey man, this is really good, I've never heard a sound like this one before. I'm not sure if fixing the tempo problem on this is going to make the song better or not though, I like how it all holds together. The only thing I think you should work on is making the song open up a little more. This is a good foundation, really good really good, but add to it, make a melody or something, add variation, I'm not sure exactly, but that's why you're making this song, not me. :)
10/10 5/5 for a great start.

[Tea and Crumpets]

Sweet, except....

I really liked it! This sounds great. I'm not really familiar with the brit pop section of newgrounds, but this is definitely one of the coolest songs.

I only wish there were some brit lyrics. Would you seriously consider that? That's the only hing that would make this better-- it sounds almost as if it were written to have lyrics anyway.
5/5
9/10

[[ Infiltration ]]

Weird and cool.

Wow! it was really cool how it seemed like it was going to be in 4/4 at the beginning, just because... like everything is, and it came out to be 4/3 that was awesome because it caught me totally off guard.
Nice job on this one! I really like it, it just works.
9/10 for the song 10/10 for the 4/3 which is crayyyyyZ
1/1
(That's 5/5 for those of you not yet in algebra)

[{dj-N} The Beginning of Time]

Blah... WOW!

Is that called nate piano?
Here's my breakdown of the beginning, it would normally draw me in, but I hear that sort of intro in a large portion of techno/trance/dance songs around the audio portal. If you invented it, proprs, everyone uses it now. I only wish you'd hit us with something a little more unexpected.
The middle of the song-- immediately after the intro I love, super job on that! Really kicking beats and melody. I like the way it builds up and sort of feels like it's winding its way around the central melody.
Except for the breaking silence, I think it came on too awkwardly. It would have worked maybe if it were shorter, or more on beat. I saw some super useage of that effect in the song "midnight express" (on newgrounds somewhere).
Nice song, 5/5 8/10

[Thunderheads at sunset - Shen]

I wasn't sure

Like the last guy, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not until about 2:03, and then I decided this song really isn't for me. I think the music quality is good, perhaps trance isn't my cup of tea. It seems like the song is trying to go somewhere but never really resolves or comes up to a sufficient climax.
MAYBE I don't understand the genre quite well enough to write a coherent review. But it's a nice job.
So breaking it down:
I didn't think it was great, 5/10 --- 3/5
I have little experience with trance, and the way it's put together works really well.
8/10 --- 5/5

[1st Loop [Perverkam Mix]]

Pretty good

This loop seems pretty good-- As an ambient piece I think it grabs too much attention albeit the sound isn't bad. One of the things that took me out of it the most was the drums, they seemed cut away from the strings in the beginning, like two songs had been spliced together.
The fade in/fade out loop style is sort of a cop out (I think) for actually making the music continuous.
Pretty good!

est1913 responds:

Cerri - thanks for the feed back....it's a work in progress...

est1913 - I appreciate the comment and compliment. I will take the fading and panning into consideration when making further tracks.

[Macrocosm Magic]

Nice!

I really like the rhythm this song has going throughout it. It makes a nice track, but I would classify it as more of an ambient piece than a techno piece, because it lacks a sort of punchyness that other techno songs I've heard somehow utilize.
So yeah, as an ambient piece this is really cool, I like it.

What program do you use?
I was just thinking about how this would almost work as a midi. But that would be some unnessecary work. It kind of has that midi feeling without the lower quality. It's like a high quality midi, which I think is what gives it the rhythm. Anyway....

MegaMac responds:

I used an assortment of loops and custom made loops in ACID. For other types of music I use Audacity, Cakewalk, and MIDI Maker along with direct recording with a PC mic, for I lack the equipment needed to implement my 4-Track (it has also lost its memory card). Quite soon I will upload some songs (some finished, some still in a beta type state) that are soundfont enhanced MIDIs I made from scratch. Thanks a lot for the comment!

[To the End of The World]

Awesome

This is really kicking! It reminds me a lot of Yanni's 'Santorini' in the mood it sets, and how it opens up. I really like how the lead guitars fit in with the other instruments without drowning them out or dominating the sound unnessecarily. The tunes are really catchy, and this song has a great texture. I think the only thing I could ask for is a little more suprising buildups-- or maybe that's not it, maybe just some contrasting elements that could highlight the strongest part of the piece, like maybe going back to the mood the song started with. I'm not really sure what I mean because I don't have the nesseccary expertise.
Great job!

cazok responds:

I know what you are referring to, but when I made this song I had no idea it would be such success. I didn't use time trying to perfect the build ups and all that thinking it wouldn't matter too much.