BlazingDragon's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Your Prelude (True)]

Beautiful!

This is a very beautiful song, I absolutely love the style! The strings are very nice as well. :) Percussion too, eh? This just keeps getting better!

This song is nice, and I love the key changes and chord progression. I do think that the dynamics really could use some work though. Up until the end, the volume didn't change much in certain parts, and I felt that the piano notes you put stress on kind of made it sound strange. Usually the stress is on the downbeat, unless you're wrinting ragtime, but it really wasn't that big a deal. The ending was nice though.

I really do love this song though, I think it has a lot of simplistic beauty to it in the piano. :) Very nice, just try to work on the dynamics a little bit perhaps. Nice work! 8.5/10, but I'll just give it a nine overall. ;)

Bosa responds:

Sorry about the hard keys. I was just getting so swept away in the music, my heart was pacing fast like a strong frail of wind that blows across your face and you immediantly feel its effects.

[Classical Etude in D Minor]

I love all of the melodies!

I like this one. :) I like the melody a lot, and there are some nice musical devices you've incorperated in there.

Just as a note, I think there clarity could use just a little work, mainly in the lower tones, but I assume you are not yet completely familiar with mastering the Garritan? Either way, it's not that big of a deal.

Anywho, as I said, I like some of the melodies a lot. I don't know a lot about the study of counterpoint, but I think that you nicely created some counter-melodies throughout. The very highest melody in the treble cleff toward the beginning was one I liked quite a bit.

Out of the entire piece, I think the bass line could use the most work. It's not bad, but it, again, is a little muffled, and I feel was the melody lacking most. Not to say the melody wasn't good, I just didn't like it as much as the other counter-melodies in places. Also, try to maybe cut down on the pedal or something, because the bass does sound a bit over-pedaled or muffled in places.

I did really like this etude though, mainly for the many different melodies going on at once. It wasn't too much to follow, though there was plenty to listen to the song various times and follow the different lines. That made this most enjoyable, in my opinion. There were some small instances were there was some clashing notes, but I'm just being picky by saying this, because it really wasn't all that noticable.

So basically, my suggestions are to: Cut down on pedal use if possible, work on remastering, (mainly in the bass) and I'd also suggest trying to work just a little more on dynamics. Sometimes I felt one melodic line should have been brought out more clearly than the others, and that some should have been a bit quieter.

Really nice job though, I enjoyed this one a lot! 9/10 :D

SuperTonic64 responds:

(Sorry it's taken me so long for the review, just got caught up in some matters concerning scholarships I'm going for. :P)

As you have assumed, I am NOT good at Garritian yet...it will take some time. :P (Heck, I'm STILL learning more about FLstudio, and I've been using it since 2004!!!)

The bass line melody does need some work, I'll admit that. :D I'll keep working on that to make it more melodic and powerful.

That's what I love about classical music, so many elements going on at once, you can't pick them all out the first time! :D I have 3 main melodies in the piece, all with their own seperate variations. :)

Okay, but I don't use a pedal when writing, I use a notation program to help me. (I'm still in the process of learning piano...:P), but I will fix those mastering problems. I will also take your advice about the dynamics, because I agree that they seem random at moments. :D

Thanks for the awesome reviews! ^_^

[" An Epic Theme"]

Not bad

This one, I feel, was better done than some of your earlier pieces. Better samples, ect.

I do think that you could have brought out the meody better in some places though. The beginning was pretty good, but it progressivly went downhill, though not extensively. I did like some of the strings.

Good job. 7/10

Roy00 responds:

Thank you for youre review! I do indeed feel like this one was better done. I feel im getting better with every song!! LOL, i think... i'll take your suggestions. thanks again!

["A (Good) Bye"]

Hmmm....

Meh, it's not absolutely horrible, but as I pianist, I can't say it's exactly my cup if tea. (That IS an expression, right? Or am I just making that up...O_o...)

Some of the notes were kind of dissonant. Some of the accidentals, or even just out of place notes within the scale, sounded out of wack. The song itself was a little boring and I don't think the harp really fit in some places. I actually did like some of what the harp did though. It was kind of nice and cheerful. :)

Try incorperating something more interesting to keep it from being too repetitive. Maybe do an arpeggiated left hand or something, try to through in some sevenths...I don't know, but do try to make sure the notes don't clash too much.

Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but I'm a pianist, and I'm not too into this one. I can see where you are going with this one though, and I think with some reworking it wouldn't be bad at all. :)

6/10

Roy00 responds:

Thank you so much for your review. and you're right, the song is boring. when i begin a song i have no idea whats coming into my head; i just write! but this was just some melody i thought i wanted to get out. Thanks again!

[_-={The Metal Visage}=-_]

Epic!

It most certainly is an interesting story! I would never have guessed the ending...Th hero...Dying? Ah well, I'm here to review the music, not the written story.

I really ejoyed the song a lot! There was plenty of up beat, battle-like chords and percussive elements, and I loved the low bell that would chime in every so often. Even some of the instruments lend to a slightly metalic feeling, but not in a huge way. I loved the building up, dynamics, and variety within the song. Very cinimatic! :)

I really enjoyed the story and song. Though I would imagined a very different story from the music, I can see how you really tried to illustrate your's. Great job, 10/10! :D

PS. I love the laugh that comes in midway, that was cool. :P

MaestroRage responds:

The hero has been winning these fights for too long I say! It's high time some evil doer came downeth on their face like Thor's drunk hammer on wenches of yester years >:(!!!

As for the laugh, surprisingly I had somebody say it bothered them, but I personally needed it there as a staple for the song's story!

In any case i'm glad you found the story entertaining. Thank you for your review ^^.

[BattleTone-Death]

Not bad...

Hmm...Not bad. There are some things I like a lot; the woodwinds, the lower strings, some of the little things like that. I really have a huge problem with the highest set of strings though. They are often in a major key, which is misleading when compared to the lower instruments and even the title of this song. It is kind of bothering my ears to hear it.

Also, it just keeps repeating the exact same progression without much of anything else. It is also kind of short. My suggestion would be to change the upper strings to a more minor set of notes, throw in another section to lengthen in and add some variety, and possibly change the title. It just doesn't fit the song, IMO.

Like I said earlier, not bad...But not great either. This was okay, but I think it could be a good deal better. 6/10

mgear responds:

Ok thanks

[I'll Follow You {Sample}]

I could dance!

This is something I could kind of see myself dancing to! (And I do NOT dance :P) I love the upbeat percussion and chord progression, it really lifts my mood!

I don't have much else to say other than good job and keep it up. I really like this one! :D

DaGrahamCraka responds:

yay :D

[Stay With Me {Fixed}]

Alright

It's a nice piece, but I feel it is a little repetitive. And isn't this more techno than classical?

Anyway, the piano part is way too repetitive, and it just doesn't satisfy. Also, try to work on the dynamics, especially in the piano. A little more harmony in the piano part would be nice too, especially in the left hand.

I can see what you are trying to do with this song, and it isn't bad. I just think you could take it up a notch, especially on the piano, considering that is mainly what the song is made up of. Try to add a little more variety and expression.

Not bad, but not the best. 7/10

DaGrahamCraka responds:

thanks for the review.

[Julia's Piano--Theme from FF8]

Very much like the original...

You finally got Garritan's? Congradulations, I can't wait to hear what you can do with it! :D

On to the reviewage though. I think that the new sound library really does compliment the music. In fact, it almost sounds...Hauntingly reminescent of the original. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this a note-for-note remake? (Maybe I just have bad music ears >.< )

I like the fade out at the end, and the dynamics and such were nicely done. One question though, are you going to be using the Garritan personal orchestra with that Fl Studio demo, or can your version of Finale support VST's?

Anyway, nice job. :)

SuperTonic64 responds:

Thanks! ^_^

Okay, I'm going to set the record straight. This is the original theme, but this is a TEST to see how the soundlevels are going to come out. It was an old file I made a long time ago that I happened to find on my computer to see how the program worked. XD

I use FLStudio, but Garritian is also compatable with Finale. But, I prefer FLStudio for the mastering, since it has a lot more diversity compared to a notation program. :)

[Aerith's Symphony FF7]

A gem among video game songs

Your arrangement on Aerith's Theme is absolutely wonderful. I practically cry everytime I hear this song, whether the original or remixed.

I really liked some of the samples used. I really liked the oboe. (I think it was an oboe...) I did feel that the piano, however, really could have used some work. Being such a fan of the piano, I almost cringed when I heard it coming in at the opening. It also could have used some more expression. The rest of the song, though, was absolutely beautiful. :)

I did take the originality score down though, because this idea and style of remixing this theme has been done soooo many times. It sounded very close to the original in my opinion, almost more of a remake than remix, but that may just be me.

Whether it was original or not though, I'm a sucker for Aerith's theme though, and I think you did an excelent job! 9.5/10

Realmguys responds:

Wow, that is amazing that a song can do that to us huh? (jerk tears from us). Yeah that was an oboe. That piano sample is one of Yamaha's better ones. Glad you liked it overall though. Thanks for the criticism.