I think you should do like 77 more funk songs because that's like my favorite genre. As may or may not already be obvious. Anyway, that initial baseline sounds great! But then at :17, whatever that instrument is is just wayy too harsh. And then at :27 there's this rising thing that just obliterates all the other instruments. By :33, the baseline is totally buried, which is kind of a shame because it was so awesome. I really think that it should just be down an octave or two though, really hitting that base register. At :34, the trumpets(?) carry a good melody, I think, but it's very hard to tell because they need a sharper attack so I can tell when the notes start. As is they kinda blend together - their ADSR is more like a pad then a trumpet should be :P AND there's like this cool wah sounding thing, but yeah, it's kinda buried too under the trumpets.
You have the same problem that I used to have - I would just put all my instruments in the mid-range because, when you solo an instrument, that's where it sounds the best. But the truth is that you only need TWO instruments there *at most* - the main melody, and maybe a backing pad that isn't even that loud. Any more and you've got a really cluttered mix (unless you're doing tricks with panning or something).
Anywho, it sounds good to me. Just needs moar mixing. Separate out those instruments so they don't overlap in ranges! (And if that means getting rid of a few... that's ok). Nice work... I want to hear more funk.
I always feel like I'm failing you when you review my stuff because whenever you do, it's never any of the songs that I feel really good about! (I needed to finish this sentence off properly so I started googling emoticons but then I got distracted and long story short this is now my new favorite emoticon: ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)
=> baseline =>
You know, one of the most annoying things about Newgrounds is that it autocorrects 'bassline' to 'baseline'.
=> 0:17 =>
Oh, the organ. When I added that, it was originally in a lower octave, and I just thought "mid mix is getting a bit cluttered. Better raise it."
=> 0:27 =>
I guess that's what happens when I try to make the brass sound more interesting. :P
=> 0:33 =>
Yeah. One of the problems I have with basslines is that I need them to be more bass-y, but if I make a catchy one (this one, for example), I want people with crappier headphones (me, for example) to be able to hear them properly. I guess it lowers the overall quality of the song, but hopefully, it's also a bit more convenient for people like me.
=> trumpets ADSR =>
I wish I could improve that. Logic really does have crappy orchestral instruments. Remember SoundChris and Hitokirito's Green Flamingo?
=> brass =>
Ha! I was trying to keep that in mind when I did this. There aren't just trumpets, there are trombones and tubas as well, and I don't know what I was thinking, but I actually felt that the trumpets were getting drowned out, so I lowered their volume and increased the trumpets'. Then, since I felt the trombones were now getting drowned out, I EQ'd them trumpet-wise, since they were playing the same thing. I made a lot of mistakes. :P
=> mid-range =>
Really? That seems a little counter-intuitive. Then again, you didn't win NGADM for nothing! Thanks a lot for all the advice. It really means a lot! More funk on the way! (Eventually.)
This is really nice! I was thinking while listening to it that you must be my musical alter ego or something, since your chord choices sound almost EXACTLY the same as mine (at least, when I'm in this sort of emotional piano mood). The only things you did that I normally wouldn't do is that sometimes you really go heavy on the chords e.g. 3:55 (or 2:00). Aside from that, we're pretty much exactly the same :P I was thinking we should get together and play piano, but... Finland...
I have 1 technical nitpick, which is that sometimes the mixing gets a little muddy - too much sustain I think. For example :29, and :32. You generally don't want to sustain 1 base notes that are in different chords - it sounds muddy very quickly.
I have another suggestion about the composition. This piece is like I'm in a train (in Finland?) looking out the window, and I'm seeing different stuff all the time, and it's all very pretty, but to me it feels like there isn't much of an arc in the music itself. I think you could help by having more variation between your different sections. Each of your sections are the same sort of moody slow chordal stuff. There's nothing wrong with it, but you can give your song more of an 'arc' by switching it up. I mean, I'm the last person you should call a classical music expert, but even I've listened to moonlight sonata, and I'd bet a good reason it's so successful is that it starts out with a slow moody section, but by the end it's exploded into this insane arpeggiated craziness. Keeps the listener's attention!
Another thing that might help would be to try sticking with 1 melody as a sort of theme, and then try bringing it back throughout the piece. Gives the whole thing a sense of coherence.
Anywho, those are just some random thoughts. Hope that helps. I liked the piece! You have a lot of good ideas on the piano. I liked the thing at 1:44 especially. Heck, I thought that you could have got even more mileage out of it just by repeating it again! Also, isn't 3:20 the phantom of the opera theme? hahehah. for like 2 seconds anyways. It works really well.
Hey, this was a totally unexpected and big review! Thanks a lot!
"...your chord choices sound almost EXACTLY the same as mine..."
=> That's quite the compliment right off the bat, there! Maybe we both just have really good taste in chords ;)?
And well, 3:55 is kinda the climax of that segment, so I wanted to give it a slightly different feel, with the orchestral rhythm and all :)
Yeah... We don't exctly live close to each other (Hehehhehe, now johnfn will never get to know how bad I am at improvising along with others >:D).
I agree with the sustain pedal thingy. I'd like to blame Phonometrologist, who added much reverb while mixing the track (knowingly, because I like much reverb), but I DID hold the pedal down at such points you mentioned. On my electronic piano, it doesn't get that muddy if done like this, but with the piano vst that Phonometrologist used, the same thing is not true :p
So it was a clash between different intruments, I guess (I always play a bit differently on a real piano and an electronic one, as the sounds are still so different).
I can totally see the train analogy, as this is a progressive piece in the way that it always moves forward, without looking back (Which is also why I don't have repeating melodies that moce across the sections!!!).
While I agree with every criticism you give, I'll still give you my point of view. While the melodies and chord are different in different sections, I agree that they are all similar (well, there was the clumsy change from 3/4 to 4/4 at one point, and a few other rhythmic parts) to each other. The reason for that is mostly how I approached the peice. I first made a few different melodies and parts, in a similar manner, as I wanted to glue them together into a sense-making piece. However, they turned out to be too different from eachother (when I was about midway done, or so) for me to easily be able to make them sound part of the same piece. This resulted in them being similar in the way you mentioned, yet different in the way that they don't mix well together. That is why I decided to come up with the story for the piece. My thought process was that while the sections represent different emotional times of a persons life, it's still the same person in all the parts, which is why there are both differences and similarities. So basically, I made a medley :)
That's just my take on it though, as much is up to the listener.
I still agree with what you said though. It's just that I was so far gone with the piece already, so I was too lazy to make many changes :p
(I love the first and third movement of the Moonlight Sonata).
I do sometimes stick with 1, 2 or 3 main melodies that repeat in different ways, but many times, coherency is not what I go for. I also like to switch up the melody and change it a bit, using the same chords, or play the same (or a very similar) melody, but with different chords.
It is a very useful technique though!
You definitely helped! I didn't even think about the pedal thing at all, for instance. You have a great ear for music, as usually. You know, I actually thought about repeating 1:44, while making it a bit more dramatical, but I ended up with 1:56 instead :/
And I can see what you mean with Phantom of the Opera; there are some similarities in the overall tone as well!
Thanks a lot for the big and sudden review! I really appreciate it!
Now... Time to go review your newest upload...
Thanks Johnfn! Happy to see you're not dead. I really worked hard on that percussion, so I'm glad you liked it. Also, do you have any plans to upload anything soon? I swear I've been going into Johnfn withdrawal over here. :O Seriously though, thanks again! ^^
Nice job Troisnyx! I have to say, I can't remember you every attempting to do something like this, and yet you pulled it off really well! Good job!
My only real complaints are that it's a little too long/repetitive and the sidechaining at times was way too strong and it messed with my perception of the song.
I really liked the main melody and its subsequent modulation(s). Kinda wish I heard it more, actually.
Pretty darn good handling of chiptune I think. I guess sometimes (during the solo) I was imagining you doing slightly more intricate/jazzier takes on the theme (rather than just reiterating it usually). Maybe in difference voices. This may be just because I listen to a ton of jazz chiptune, but I think it's usually a good idea because it sounds awesome! :D (listen to this sometime http://fearofdark.bandcamp.com/album/motorway, you'll love it)
I was pretty impressed by the mixing of the dry chip with the rather wet orchestra in the first half. No clue how you did that, whenever I try it never really works out...
The track is filled with highlights but the best part by far is at 2:20. IT GIVES ME FEELS. Even when I'm lying in bed sick with the flu. Such a good part!
My one criticism is with the Step MonsterCymbalCrashes (TM). To me, whether it's true or not, they sound to me like you're a little insecure about your song - using one feels like saying "here comes the good part -> -> -> " but honestly I think the good parts would stand out just as well with simpler, stripped down transitions. I also have this suspicion that big transitions like that make a listener tire of a song quicker, but I don't really have any evidence to back it up. (yea, I might be a *bit* of a hypocrite here...)
P.S. <troll> Also it doesn't make sense to include chiptune in this medley since SMG didn't have any chiptune in it ya dunce </troll>
Johnfn! Was just reminded how much I enjoy your reviews. Thanks a million for dropping by! I'm really happy you enjoyed the track (and gave it one of your hard-to-earn 10/10s). This and my other arrangement (In a Dream) are two tracks I worked super hard on, and I'm proud of both, so it's great getting reassuring feedback!
"Pretty darn good handling of chiptune I think."
Glad you think so! Got to be honest, once again I totally ripped off your style of lead synths with vibrato and grace notes and stuff for that Gusty Gardens solo. Hope you don't mind :3.
"I guess sometimes (during the solo) I was imagining you doing slightly more intricate/jazzier takes on the theme (rather than just reiterating it usually)"
Aghhhh, you are very much correct, and it kills me because I really wish I thought of it while making the track. You are also not the first to mention this. Echo mentioned that there should be some kind of contrapuntal thing played by another voice during the solo, especially during 3:22~. Maybe I would've thought of it if I had more time, but I basically went through a music-making marathon to finish this on time, sometimes up till 3 - 4 AM in the morning, so I unfortunately had to rush a lot of it.
Thanks for the recommendation! Heard a good part of it already and I absolutely adore it. I think I'm going to buy it, in fact. It's amazing, seriously.
"I was pretty impressed by the mixing of the dry chip with the rather wet orchestra in the first half. No clue how you did that, whenever I try it never really works out..."
Have you tried adding delay? I don't have too much reverb on my chiptune synths but I do have a hefty amount of delay. The chiptune percussion is also full of "muted" white noise "hits" (dunno what else to call them) and other little intricacies and effects, which kind of fill up the gap of depth that the reverb would've otherwise filled, if that makes any sense.
"The track is filled with highlights but the best part by far is at 2:20. IT GIVES ME FEELS."
The Good Egg Galaxy theme is beautiful isn't it? I remember getting really excited to get to 2:20 so I can just throw all I've got at a huge uplifting climax, and I'm glad it worked out!
"Even when I'm lying in bed sick with the flu."
Still sick? Aw man. Get well soon!
"My one criticism is with the Step MonsterCymbalCrashes (TM)."
LOL I love how they're a trademark now. But yes, once more I agree entirely with you. I didn't really think about it while composing the track, but the other day I was listening back to it and just thought "man, so many cymbal rolls... what was I thinking". The thing about them is that the more you use them, the less effective they become when you actually NEED to use them for a huge climax. I should've used them more sparingly.
"P.S. <troll> Also it doesn't make sense to include chiptune in this medley since SMG didn't have any chiptune in it ya dunce </troll>"
Real nice. I appreciate all the sound choice/design you did, and I think it's all pretty solid honestly, feels pro and would definitely be at home in a visual novel like atmosphere... with the exception of the drums. I think the drums could be a bit better maybe, they feel a bit muffled. Better samples perhaps. I never know what to say about drums. Also the big heavy hitting crashes e.g. 2:27 are great but maybe a little out of place in an otherwise chillaxing piece.
Also the little section at 1:12 is SO Step. (so are those crashes I just mentioned :D)
Mixing is fine. I like how the strings swell in, that feels very pro to me. Definitely has an eerie feel, like I'm exploring a haunted house, but the house isn't VERY haunted, it's haunted by like the ghost of a dog or something. Despite you saying the song is very melodic, I don't really think that it is - it feels more atmosphere driven to me. I don't say that as a criticism though, it still works well.
JOHNFN. Man, I missed your reviews. Thanks a million for leaving a review!
"Real nice. I appreciate all the sound choice/design you did, and I think it's all pretty solid honestly, feels pro and would definitely be at home in a visual novel like atmosphere..."
That's great to hear. This is my first time making an OST this size, so I'm having HUGE amounts of trouble trying to follow the requirements for each piece. Ergo, (I feel like such a snob using that word) every bit of positive feedback is a huge breath of relief for me haha.
"with the exception of the drums. I think the drums could be a bit better maybe, they feel a bit muffled. Better samples perhaps. I never know what to say about drums."
I'm not huge on the drums here either! I wasn't quite sure what kinds of samples to use. 0:23's drums are supposed to be muffled as they're mostly an atmospheric element, but when the actual drums come in I agree that the samples aren't quite fitting.
"Also the big heavy hitting crashes e.g. 2:27 are great but maybe a little out of place in an otherwise chillaxing piece."
I COULDN'T HELP IT, MAN. I feel like my music is almost DEFINED by those huge cymbal roll transitions into the climactic sections. I'm a one-trick pony, it's all I can do well :c. I think I did go a little overboard with it, but still, since this is the first track to appear in the OST, I also think that it won't be entirely out of place to have a more eventful piece of music in the background.
"Also the little section at 1:12 is SO Step. (so are those crashes I just mentioned :D)"
Hahaha. I need to vary my style more. You know what, one of these days I should make a track involving a smooth synth lead with subtle portamento and a bunch of reverb playing uplifting melodies with grace notes, and I'll give it a lowercase song title.
"Mixing is fine. I like how the strings swell in, that feels very pro to me."
The wonders of volume automation! Nowadays I actually don't write any string patterns without having an automation clip on their volume, in fact.
"Definitely has an eerie feel, like I'm exploring a haunted house, but the house isn't VERY haunted, it's haunted by like the ghost of a dog or something."
Yeah it should have a somewhat eerie and slightly tense vibe, as if you're expecting something to happen, but shouldn't verge on being too tense or too eerie. The haunted dog thing certainly wasn't what I had in mind but it's definitely interesting haha. Woof.
"Despite you saying the song is very melodic, I don't really think that it is - it feels more atmosphere driven to me. I don't say that as a criticism though, it still works well."
I think it's pretty melodic for atmospheric BGM but what do I know :3. Thanks a lot for the great review!
I started working on the quiet section of the track at first. It was going to be all around that idea. But walking about I had that melody playing loud with drums and stuff and I couldn't stop myself from taking it into that direction.
And I've already started something kinda similar to this track for the next round haha. I promise after NGADM you'll hear something more interesting from me.
Also, you know both of us had the same chances. Don't be silly and go make music right now John! <3
I guess I have some small nitpicks. The drums are mostly underwhelming, like they could be more interesting. They mostly loop the same patterns, and are generally kind of quiet too. I almost feel like the song would be better without them.
I also felt like the song was very sparse. If you just would have had piano, that would have been fine (assuming you made the dynamics work to your advantage). But once you introduce rock drums, I start wanting other elements - particularly, I REALLY want a nice pad to fill out the song.
As a minor complaint, I felt like the call and response in the first half of the song e.g. :59 doesn't work, because the high piano is too quiet.
Alright, all complaints are now out of the way. I thought you did really good! Sorry as usual for grousing, but I really did enjoy this cover. The combination of the different themes was well done, and the transitions were nice. I almost didn't even notice them, heh. :)
Yeah, I do know what you mean in most cases here, but I ultimately set out to make a less-is-more track with just piano, bass, and percussion. Why did I do that? At this point, I'm not even really sure anymore, but that's what I did. I quite like the drums myself, so that's the only real area where I'll vehemently disagree, though a few more instruments could have served to make the track a bit more...robust.
The bit about the transitions is pretty awesome, though! And hey, I know by now that your constructive criticism often comes with a modicum of grousing. The fact is, you take the time to listen and leave a review of real substance, and that means a lot to me. I can put up with nitpicks and such all in the name of feedback. Heck, it's kind of a prerequisite.
Thanks again for sharing your time and insight; both are thoroughly appreciated! ^__^
Jammin' 
Medley of a Shattered Mind 
T-Logic - Influx 
Ini:flipsphere/. 
To the Stars 
Skyless ![Schala's Theme [Vocal Cover]](https://aicon.ngfiles.com/591/591115_small.png?f1414539171){kind=small}
Schala's Theme [Vocal Cover] 
Imminence 
Impulse 
Bound for Home 
