TheBellmaker's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[ZIG - By My Side Tonight]

Nice beat

Despite having only one lead playing at a time for most of the song, I think you still have apretty nice tune going on here. I can see how this is the work of several different versions.

Some things I want to point out

-Tempo: I feel that this song is too fast to be a House song. House is usually around 128 bpm, and this is definitely faster, even faster than trance which is around 140 bpm. Thus, I feel that either this should be placed in a different genre (I think video game would be most appropriate) or you should slow it down if you really are aiming to write a House song.

-Variation: You definitely need to vary the bassline if you are going to use it for the entire song. Varying the percussion was a nice touch, but the repetitive bassline kind of overshadows it. Introducing a new melody at :40 was a smart choice. But as far as I can hear, there are only 3 distinct leads playing 3 distinct melodies.

-Instruments: Judging by your instruments, I'm guessing that you don't have access to multilayer synths? Well, that's not the real problem. What I think could have made this track better is adding more subordinate instruments that back up the main bassline, or even stack on top of it. Throughout the entire song, you usually only have one lead playing, which leaves this empty space throughout the sound spectrum.

Overall, I think this is a good start, but you could have definitely added a lot to this track to make it sound more interesting and varied.

Good work!

xxxZigZagxxx responds:

Thanks for your very helpful criticisms!

I agree, the tempo is quite quick for a house song. I'm quite new to this house thing, just experimenting with sounds I like/dislike. The bassline can get repetitive, I agree. I haven't layered the synths, and you've shown me that that's a good idea. I'll take your advice on the next song I make. :)

I agree there is a lot of empty space in the spectrum, and I'll try to fill that up next time. Thanks for your kind criticism! :)

ZigZag

[Snake's Service Announcement]

I am fully inspired

I do agree, the track does fit the voice. I like your wit and humour in the announcement, and to be honest, I feel that kids would be inspired because of you.

I think you could have added to the announcement. Now, I am not saying that simply because of the soundtrack :P, but perhaps you could have been more specific, like referencing specific things you should learn in school. Hehe, something like "Do you have any idea how I managed to take down the final boss in Metal Gear solid 3? I used the Pythagorean Theorem..." If time is a constraint for this track, then I think you did everything you could in 48 seconds.

Overall, loved it, but I think you could have extended it.

SirKillington responds:

Yeah, I just felt it should be quick, like an after school special kinda feel to it. I was thinking of doing more of them, sorta make a series. I wanted to make it longer, but I kinda like the shock value of it being short because it causes you to want to listen to more, it beckons you to want to hear what he says. I just didn't want to beat a dead horse by continued examples. I really appreciate the music you lent me, and I thank you for the review good sir :D

[SF-She's a Solar Flare]

Good work!

I think it could use more melodies though. %uFF34he supporting instruments are done very well, it gives me that feeling of being in space. Maybe something high and tingly, to remind me of the stars would help...

The piano was good though.

I didn't hear any bass? I think bass is absolutely necessary for an electronic song. I thought I heard something missing.

[rebot]

Interesting

I actually enjoyed the lyrics a lot. I think, however, that you could have put more bass in this song, and/or beat variation. In fact, I think if you remade this song, it could turn out something pretty sick!

sweet21 responds:

Unfortunately my brother in law did the singing, and this was just a test. I did however recently get a microphone, so I guess if I were to remake it....? Hmmmm....My voice sounds radically different than his, so there will be alot of changes. And a remix! Jazz it up! Jazz bots from the future!

[(Day1) Evolution]

I really like this version :D

I'd say it was a big improvement over the first version. So much more energy, and a lot more variation. It kept me much more interested and "awake" than before. Everything flows very smoothly. I especially like 1:30 where it starts to get a little mysterious sounding. Just two suggestions

1:00 (or within a second of) The background dance lead hits a note that sounds very dissonant with the rest of the song. %uFF34he rest of the pattern for the dance lead, just that last part.

1:31 when you introduce that weird sfx, I think it could be processed/filtered a little more to give it a dance feel. Right now, it sounds a bit raw. Maybe some reveerb would also help it as well.

Very good improvement, I must say!

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

about 1:00 i dont hear anything being off but the lfo a tiney bitand to fix that will be kinda hard -.- ill see what i can do tho!. im more or so use to makeing hardcore sonds where being off makes it sound better
im re working the mastering atm after that imma try filtering the part after 1;31 better
this song is vary high energy for me intending this to be vary slow lol

[Fiwthy HighEnergyDubstep(]

Very Dancy Dubstep

Sorry for the belated review. I like the mix of dubstep and dance elements that you put in this song. However, I still think it could have used more bass, especially since both dance and dubstep depend on bass for energy. Although I do really like the kick you used.

0:53 - I've noticed you like to do this technique a lot. The sort of pulsating low lead. I think it's pretty cool, but you definitely should vary it up if you're going to play it for a while in one song. The filter was good, but it needs something stronger.

Good rhythm, good job!

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

its fine ^.^ im gunna add more bass :D fer sure since the leads are so high.
0:53 i plan on makeing 4 dif lfo leads to vary threw the tempos so it wont get boreing as it dose XD like ive said i just started this :D
thanks fer ur time!!

[RunRoze (July NAC)]

Postscript from RunRozeEdit

I actually like the version with the MwAHAHAHAH...run vocals. I feel that it provides the necessary transition from the creepy circus to running for dear life. However, I think the laughing part could have been modified a bit more to fit in. Maybe make it a bit softer and add some distortion, and layer it with another distorted lead? I don't know how to make such awesome vocals anyways, but just my thoughts.

Congratulation on your second place too!

MrMusicalLion responds:

Interesting :D Yeah, some people like the run, and others don't. The laugh was a little bit under-edited, I saw that in hindsight.. I might have a quick mess around with this to make it better, before it [possibly] gets front paged in a week or two

Thanks! :)

[White (Piano Improv)]

pianorgasmic

I would very much like to know how you made this song. I'm assuming you recorded it live? If not, I would do anything to get my hands on a piano plugin of that quality *drools*

Oh gosh...9 mins....I think I'll skip around a bit. I'll look at three parts of the song that I think are most worth reviewing.

0:52, when your left hand starts syncopating chords. I think you could have varied the chords themselves to give this part a little more flavor. I don't know if that's just outside your improv abilities, but definitely something to look into. Otherwise, I like the feeling that I get from the light and airy right hand melodies. Good work on this part.

4:13 See, that's what I'm talking about. Excellent variation in both hands in this part.
Although I feel your right hand could have done a little more in this part as well. I feel that a two chord pattern would work her, going up down up down in the right hand and keeping the left hand as is.

8:40 Beautiful close out. I like the arpeggios in the left hand. They give such a calm and relaxing feeling to this part. The right hand is a very good complement as well. I personally like this section of the song the most, because everything just kept flowing and keeping me interested.

Overall, I envy your improv skills anyway.

MrMusicalLion responds:

Reason 5.0
Piano Refill.

Go. Get. Enjoy :P

Twas a piano plugin indeed ^_^ I did play live though. Directly to MIDI, in Reason 5.

My improv skills need sharpening up. Admittedly I've been focusing on learning Acoustic Guitar for a while now, piano has been put away for a bit ^_^ When I start playing an Improv piece, the quality improves gradually over the song, as I start to figure out what worked, what didn't, what I can do, what is impossible to do etc etc so the beginning always tends to start out quite bare compared to the end product ^_^

Thankyou for the reviews, They are great and very helpful too ^_^

[RunRozeEdit]

Thanks for the nightmares....

I haven't listened to RunRoze yet, but I'll just review the piece as in. Why did I choose to listen to this track at night, I do not know...<_<...>_>

I'll start with the intro. This part is definitely my favorite. It definitely gave me the creeps when listening the first time around, and even the second and third. I think the what made it so effective was probably the random voices in the background in combination with the lone melody. Personally, I think the static at 0:33 was a bit loud, masking the creepy scream a little too much.

0:49 - Wait, what happened? I find the lack of a transition here quite disappointing. One moment, I'm watching zombie children eating a corpse's guts, and suddenly, I'm running out of a hotel infested with undead. It was just far to sudden for my liking. Aside from that, I actually enjoy the beat, fitting for a zombie apocalypse. Plenty of distorted and disturbing sounds. I think in this part you could have added some sfx though, maybe a maniacal laugh or something. Like the one at 1:53

2:06 I personally think the voice doesn't go very well with rest of the instruments. The voice is sinister and secret, but the beats are scathing and slicing (alliteration unintended). I think you could have defaulted back to creepy background noises and/or a soft lead to complement its creepiness. I like the lyrics, though, they fit very well with the theme of the song. I like the fade out at around 2:50, it really brings out the creepy voice.

Ending - Freaking. Amazing. Basically gave me as much reason not to go to bed tonight as did the intro. I liked all the noises coming together on this on.

Overall, I don't think I'll sleep well tonight. Good work!

MrMusicalLion responds:

>:]

I will read this review again when I have finished grinning like a maniac
There's something I absolutely love about having the ability to scare people senseless xD

[(MiB!) Elegant Bass]

Feels more dancy to me.

I think this song sounds a lot more like songs in the dance genre than dubstep. This is mainly because the beats are much more regular than in your other dubstep songs. It's more uniform. Also the fact that you included a dance lead also contributes to the feeling. Not that it's a bad thing, but just wanted to let you know. I really enjoy the song nevertheless, it still makes me want to get up an move. Just one suggestion: the song is a bit repetitive, especially after you switch back to the main theme at around 1:50. There is definitely more dubstep type beat pwnage you could have added to spice things up.

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

yea :D tempos 180 not 140 i started a few others to get a bit better at dub step to get bet better at makeing lfo synths to make more awesome sounds ,