slappmedoo's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Hexic [major wip]]

Needs a bit of polish

And I only say that because it doesn't demonstrate your true abilities very well. Outstanding transitions and synth potshots around 00:33. I'm a sucker for low, filthy synths like that (how the hell are you getting it that dirty in FL Studio?). I agree with Flared24 about the snare. It seems a little off somehow, although I can't really tell why. The ride bell pops out perfectly, but it could definitely use a little hi hat balance. I don't know what else I could say that you don't already know. Please keep up the good work. It makes my ears feel all sexy. 9/10 5/5

SteakJohnson responds:

thanks man advice appreciated.... For all that dirtiness i just take advantage of every lil knob and i layer synths and resample etc mutiple parallel filters... messin with fm synths (sytrus lots)

[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!

[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.

[-[Rising Out]-]

Not too bad

Catchy melody, and I really like the change-up around 1:55. But, I feel like it doesn't pack enough of a punch. Even if you're going for a lighter feel, I think you need some lower frequency instrumentation. Particularly the kick. It's obviously there, but it's not "thumping" like it should. Overall though, great job on this one. 4/5, 7/10

japetheape responds:

Thanks for the review, I can't believe I used to make music like this and called it trance :P. I agree with you on pretty much everything there but I have learned a lot since I made this song.

[-<Star Factory>-]

o.O

Yo dawg, yo be hittin dem phatt beetz mad liek yo do, yo.

But seriously, I know it's old and your style has matured quite a bit. Still, the fact that your dated stuff is of this caliber speaks volumes about your musicianship. Bravo. 5/5 10/10

japetheape responds:

Omg this song is so crazy I haven't listened to it in forever, I know I could not make this again if I tried :D.