MetalRenard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-A New World-]

Ok you had me at the drum beat. Just yes.
I can hear the difference between this and your work today production wise but the composition is really awesome and those drums... More please. ^^

Step responds:

Thanks a million :3. I'm still pretty proud of this even though yeah the production isn't all that good. I love the melody I used here though, I have NO idea how I thought of it.

I'm glad you like it! I really want to review one of your songs back in return (like that Metroid-inspired one which I would actually very much enjoy reviewing considering I think Metroid is AWESOME and have remixed lots of the tracks in Metroid [Unwavering Assault is the only example that I have on Newgrounds right now])... but yeah, so much to do :(. If I find time this weekend I'll return the favour!

I appreciate the review!

[Sanctuary]

I've been back to listen to Ecosystem no less that 15 times so I thought it was time I check out your other music and I'm glad I did. This is superb work, lots of dynamics (loud/quiet) which is sorely lacking in today's music, and of course your very cool epic feel which is very well pulled off, partly thanks to the tempo change right before the epic "chorus". Good job!

Step responds:

Another review! Thanks man, your feedback is awesome.

I'm glad you liked this. I agree it's pretty dynamic, although looking back I think I made it TOO dynamic; you know, it changes mood too often. I'm not very good at keeping up a more static pace in orchestral songs without it ending up repetitive though, unfortunately.

Thanks again dude.

[Silhouette of the Samurai]

Hello Neon-Bard! (hahaha)

Well this piece definitely invokes its name very well, it has that fast-paced action feel I would imagine if the main character from Shank was replaced with a ninja (wait, didn't they do a game like that? ^^).
I think the kick drum during the intro sounds a bit odd because of the reverb used on it (or the sample is recorded in stereo and with room echo) but later on it blends in really well. Reminds me of the issues I faced with Native Instrument's "Battery" until I discovered the joys of Studio Drummer.
Anyway, good track with a very cool video-game vibe that picks up and develops well while maintaining the initial vibe throughout. Good job.

Neon-Bard responds:

Thanks for listening MetalRenard! :)

I actually considered removing the extra beat that I used throughout the song because of that odd sounding intro, but in the end I just left it in. Again, thank you very much!

[Ecosystem]

Well I think you've had all the constructive criticism you need so I'm just going to say you did a great job on this. Good luck with your school project.
I'm kinda jealous you have access to all those lovely instruments through school that I have to work hard to get. :P

Step responds:

Hey I don't learn music at school! :P

I wish I did but there aren't any decent music colleges here... not like Berklee, for example. Almost nobody here my age in Malta is a musician which is a shame; but yeah it meant I had to buy the lovely instruments too haha.

Thanks for the review; if you have any criticism I'd still love to hear it, the more the merrier.

Thanks again!

[Tercios]

Interesting piece of music, quite unusual. It creates a really unique atmosphere. Reminds me a bit of starfox on the Gamecube because of the (djembe?). The harp's melody is nice even if the playing isn't very natural, it's very pretty and keeps the listener interested. I enjoyed it overall, definitely worth the 4 stars I'm giving it.

Negatives now. This is constructive criticism so don't take it the wrong way. ;)

The first half needed a little more balance in my view (stereo spectrum). It was heavy on the right because of the percussion so would have benefited from the harp being on the left a bit.
At 1:41 the panning swaps from right to centre very quickly and that creates an odd sensation, you should watch out for things like that when using automation.
The first half of the song doesn't gel well with the 2nd half well in my opinion. I feel the transition is too sudden and the strings don't sound all that natural either.

Good job, I look forward to more!

maquecosa responds:

Thanks sir, it was really helpful to read your comment.

[Weather Season 2 Credits]

That was totally awesome. Great job!

[The Golden March]

Nice music, very happy feeling. Good job on that, it's much less natural for people to write happy music.
You said in your notes you were looking to make it sound wide and full so I've got some tips for you on that. :)

- Use bass in the centre to keep the focus of the song and make sure the much more powerful bass doesn't unbalance the song (this isn't the case here, just point it out for future reference)
- It is indeed "wide" but only certain parts, most of it I found to be very narrow sounding. You could try panning the instruments even more, or using a space enhancer on the master to make it wider (make sure you do that correctly as some frequencies really need to stay in the middle). If you have money to spare, try Ozone 5 for mastering. If you don't have spare money, try Melda's plugins. Many of them are free and they're all pretty damn good.
- Classical/orchestral music tends to sound so "wide" because of where the instruments are placed on the stage. Research a little into where everything is placed and why, this may help you in future classical pieces.

Good job!

DuttonsaysHi responds:

Thank you for the review/tips! and yes as i said to someone elses post in my attempts to make it brighter/wider, I eliminated a little too much of the bass aspects :c

It did occur to me to try and pan around a little but I tend to mess up when it comes to panning instruments.. I struggle to balance them out nicely without it sounding too cluttered. I guess I just wasn't feeling risky :c I'll be sure to try harder with the panning for future orchestral projects though!

oh also I use reason 5 so plugins aren't available to me :(

But again your input is appreciated! I'll try work with the panning for a more natural sound next time :)

[The DarkLands <Avuari>]

Hey there. :)
Here are some pointers for you:
- Your music isn't in time. There must be some vertical bars where you put the midi information in your DAW (mixcraft in this case), right? They correspond with the "bars" and "beats" and sync with your tempo. When you place notes you need to make sure they fit in with the beats and bars or things get a bit messy. ^^
- Watch out for notes that clash. At 1:43 there is one - the flute. Once you get used to it you'll spot these notes really easily. Just give yourself time to train your ear!

Good luck and most of all, have fun!

[Angels]

Really good job on this piece. The guitar intro is really lush sounding and really sets the mood for the piece with the ambient strings in the background.
Nice harmony with the choir too.

-0.5 stars because your lead guitar in the later part sound a bit out of place in my view and would have benefited from sounding a bit different. That kind of distortion is strongly associated with not having the right gear to get a pro sound. Work on this and it would be perfect.

That's literally all the criticism I have, the piece works well and I really enjoyed it!

Arkaft responds:

hehe!! You might me right :P I do not use the most expensive gear! But thanks! Appreciate it!

[Fire in the Library]

Interesting piece, it has movement and variation, so good structure to keep the listener interested. What it lacks is solid production, a certain sonic presence.

Good use of percussion too, its cool that you didn't just create 4 bars and loop it, the variation (like I said earlier) makes it much more interesting to listen to throughout. Good job!

SilverPoyozo responds:

This may have been just a quick composing exercise, but I think I can see what you mean.Something I really have to work on with my music.

Yeah, I like variation a lot, I rather have a little piece with many fresh sections, than a big repetitive song.Thanks for your input!