slappmedoo's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[EXTRA - Demo]

Hmmm

Right off the bat, it sounds like you need more low voicing. It's all high saw, and that gets pretty old pretty quick. Add some bass to balance it out. The melody's solid, but maybe think about its progression. Everybody loves a song that goes somewhere (and doesn't just spin its wheels for 3 minutes).

Your percs seem a little...weak. Once you add bass, your current percs are going to have a hard time cutting through. Get your snare/clap to slice through without being too overbearing, and make your kick nice and punchy.

Not terrible, but it definitely needs some work. Keep at it! 2/5, 5/10

B-man123 responds:

I have a bass and a good bass drum/kick. It just sounds like shit or not at all on some speakers. I mixed this with my nice big speakers and some headphones. I can't hear the low stuff on my MacBook's speakers. So, I hope that you like it more with some different speakers/headphones.

This is also only a Demo, I will probably change the beginning so things don't repeat. I just took 4 measures and repeated it a ton and added parts of it in to make it longer.

[Breakin' It Down]

Not too bad

Nice and simple. My biggest beef is that the melody sounds too much like it's hiding. You could definitely take this and expand upon it. Bring the sounds out more and add a bit more progression. 7/10 3/5

riffmaster32 responds:

Thanks a ton! This one was one of my first Fl 9 loops I made, so it's not that great. Thanks for the feedback, I'll for sure try to make the melody stand out more.

[Arctic Fire [Wip]]

Woo wee!

You weren't kidding about this song. The divebomb flanging around 0:12 is pure sex. Beats are nice and heavy, as usual. Once you finalize the intro, this song's gonna be bumpin'. I do have a few small suggestions though.

First off, I know that a ton of beat variation isn't exactly the nature of DnB, but you might try playing with a different flavor of the same beat, if you get my meaning. Maybe swap out a ride bell for the hat? Also, I'd say you can bring out that little melody in the background just a touch. I really like that it's lightly sprinkled there, but it gets covered up more often than not. Around 1:06 seems like a good balance for it.

I'm really excited to hear the finalized version of this. I'll keep an extra pair of pants on hand for it. 5/5 9/10

SteakJohnson responds:

thanks for the review man, glad ya like it! Really appreciate the suggestions too, will definitely bring out the melody more, and the kick drum needs more crunchiness. Beat variation is a good idea, it needs more random breakdowns and stuff too... but thanks!

[[SJ] Octane]

Well

First off, you should know that I needed to change pants before writing this. Second, the last time I checked in on your music, you had just released the Snowstorm WIP. Needless to say, this is a vast improvement. Very intense, through and through.

I love the intro. It has a sort of "calm before the storm" feel to it, and it transitions into the buildup perfectly. The impact is spot on without being too over-the-top. Random praise: you do DnB and dub effects just as well as anyone I've ever heard. Like, ever.

A few tiny criticism points. First, the snare isn't my favorite. I know this is a matter of personal opinion, but I just feel like it's a little too out there the whole time. I became aware of it for a second, then couldn't not hear it for the rest of the song. But again, this might just be me. Also, as a few others have mentioned, this song is very intense all the way through without really pausing for a breather. 2:25's a good spot to dial it back for a bit, then come back stronger than ever.

Your music eats mine for breakfast. 5/5 9/10

SteakJohnson responds:

Hey thanks for the review man (and the praise!), made my day lol. I agree with you on the snare, theres somethin funky with the attack... ill have to check it out :)

btw if ya liked this one, arctic fire is as intense, but has no intro yet

will check out some of your songs to equalize the breakfast eatability lol!

[P// Raving in Heaven]

Good stuff

I definitely agree with IllPhase about your musical formula. You have great melodies and very well-constructed songs, but they tend to follow the same pattern every time. Not that this is necessarily bad, but it does make your music a bit predictable. By themselves, the songs are great, but listening to a few in a row gets kinda repetitive, even with awesome and original melodies.

Another small criticism I have is about your impact. Your first one at 0:07 is really good. It has a nice heavy feel to it that makes for a great buildup. However, and I've said this before, your main impact just doesn't live up to its hype. Around 0:42, I can only hear 2, maybe 3 things going on: your melody, your percs, and a bassline? It just feels a little empty. Add a counter-melody and a fat bassline, then you'll be groovin'.

Positive stuff! Your percs at the start of the song, particularly the kick and the ride, were orgasmic. Very heavy, very clean sound. I also like your choice of synth for the song. It fits well with the other elements in the song. Also, as usual, your melody is really catchy and creative.

I think that, with a little polish, this could be one of your best song. What you have is outstanding; it just needs more substance. 4/5, 7/10

Keep it up!

[P// Tell me why]

Well, let's see

I really like the beginning of this song. The record scratch into the crackling gives me vintage vibes. Just a minor suggestion: maybe add some sort of build up to the lyrics' entrance. Otherwise, it feels just a little out of place.

Once the song actually gets going at 00:13, I feel like there aren't quite enough lower voices. The high saw (silver?) seems suited enough for the genre, but it's not balanced by that heavy bass. Also, the kick from 00:13 to 00:38 seems a lot harder (in a good way) than it does at 1:05. Maybe my speakers suck, but I'm just not feeling the pulse like I would expect in a dance song. Your high voicings seem like they're drowning out the lower ones a bit. If you're gonna "drop the bass," I'd say do it like you did in another of your songs:

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/liste n/295546
At 1:06

Definitely digging the buildup around 00:48 (with a few comments). It's got a super clean sound, but I think it's just a little too long and doesn't quite get strong enough. The buildup at 1:31 is much better, although it sounds like you may have given up on the end of it :P I think some heavier impacts would greatly help both of these transitions.

I'm not sure what to call it, but the racing(?) snare effect from 1:47 to about 1:54 seems to be a little trademark of yours. I really, really like it a lot, but I'm wondering if you could get a similar effect with other percs? I have no idea how it would sound; just a suggestion.

Overall, as IIPhase said, you've got an excellent production here. It just needs some polishing (as I'm sure you're doing as I write this). Keep it up! I'll be on the lookout for the final version!

4/5, 8/10

[Snowstorm [DnB-Wip]]

Holy Christ on a bicycle

Sick sound through and through. Love the heavy-handed ride bell (I would even bring it out just a bit more). Your leads also have a very pleasant....squishy sound. Can't wait to hear the final cut!

5/5, 10/10

SteakJohnson responds:

lol holy christ on a bicycle. thanks!

[DJ CGL - Midnight Annihil]

Well

It's not too bad once it gets going. My main complaint is that it takes so long to get going. After that first bell toll, there's no suspense. Just dead space. I do, however, like the progression of the song. Bell (add), bell (add a little more), and so on. It's really groovin' around the 2 minute mark, but up to that point, it's pretty dull. 6/10, 3/5

crazyguylink responds:

sorry about the delay. it's supposed to have an apocalyptic theme to it, that's why it took so long to kick in. I'll see what I can do to improve it and make it more interesting.

[[JR] My world ends without you]

Not too bad

I have almost no criticisms about the opening half of the song. It's a very rich sounding piano, and the effects you layered over it blended very well. Adding the strings (and did I hear brass?) worked great. Also, I like the depth of the percussion. It's a nice break from the standard hi-hat/snare/heavy kick combo, and it fits with the feel of the song quite nicely. Finally, just wanted to say that the divebomb hit at 0:38 sounded really cool.

Now, my biggest complaint is about your choice of lead starting at 01:55. Considering how mellow the song has been up to this point, it's too aggressive to be effective. The amount of detune on it didn't help much either, considering how high the notes are. I would say turn down the electro filtering on it and bump it down an octave.

Your style has improved a helluva lot since this song, but I still think it's a great piece. It's nice and mellow without being too weak. Keep at it!

4/5, 7/10

[Bass'Infexxion-CryingSoulRMX]

Hell yeah!

If you're going for high energy, you've nailed it. What really stands out to me is the contrast between the buildup at 0:42 and the impact at 01:06. I definitely wasn't expecting such a hard hit after such a light snare/kick combo, and it was really intense (in a good way). Also, the echoed melody at the beginning got my head bobbing right off the bat.

Criticism: After such a heavy impact at 01:06, I feel like the rest of the song didn't quite live up to it. From 01:06 to 01:39, it just feels very plain compared to the earlier parts. 01:39 was a nice transition to the end (with a good "unwinding" feel to it), but it also felt a bit too empty.

A lot of users (myself included) submit finished products that aren't half as good as this WIP, so my hat goes off to you, good sir. I can't wait to hear the finished version! 8/10, 4/5

JordanRothery responds:

Thank you VERY much for your helpful review! when i finish this track, i will make sure to let you know! thank you so much!