Yeelp's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Odd Bliss]

It's taken me a while to get to this (So I apologize) but a promise is a promise! I've also noticed that this piece is a loop, so near the end, I'll evaluate it as a loop (Like, does it loop well, etc). With that said, let's start with your instrument choice.

The piano sounds really good. I'm liking it. The drums also sound good and aren't too cheesy sounding. I'm not sure if your arp at around 0:17 is playing at the same frequencies as the piano. If that's the case, then that would explain why the piano kinda gets drowned out. You could try ducking one sound under the other sound or change instruments entirely. If however, the arp at 0:17 ISN'T playing at the same frequencies as the piano, then it seems like it benefits from playing in some frequencies that you weren't using too much and so then it would be a good choice of instrument. If you still have the project file, check the frequencies your piano and arp are playing at. Your music box sound at 0:25 was a great choice. The rest of your 'ambiance' in the piece, created by the other sounds, sound great too. All in all, despite the arp I mentioned, there's no real complaints here. Good!

Composition-wise, I'm sure you've heard it before. It's a little too repetitive. But, contrary to what others seem to be saying, it's not a huge detriment (It's still a flaw though). The song isn't a complete experience, it's a loop. Loops, in my opinion, are almost always a little repetitive. That's just how they are. One's enjoyment of the loop then comes from how much you enjoy the repeating motif, as opposed to a song, where one's enjoyment comes from their feelings of the entire experience the song creates. That being said, I enjoy the piece from a composition standpoint although it is a little to repetitive for a loop. If the loop wasn't 2 minutes, I'd have no complaints. but, due to its length and repetition, its not as good as it could be. I would've enjoyed it if the song ended around the 1:10 mark, since it already seems to be simplifying down to what the piece started with.

For your mixing/sound levels, the piano gets drowned out. This is really my only complaint. The piano struggles to be heard over everything else. That could be a volume problem, or some other instrument is taking up its frequencies. Everything else can be heard nicely - which is all I care about with mixing and sound levels.

There's very little theme to touch on since loops aren't fleshed out experiences. The feel the loop creates is consistent throughout the piece so that's good. Not much else to really say here.

Overall the loop is good. But not great. If the loop was shorter, then the repetition wouldn't be a huge issue. The piano either gets bullied by the other instruments for frequency space - which causes it to be too quiet, or it gets bullied by the other instruments for dB space - which causes it to be muffled. Those are really my only issues with this piece. These problems are what I find holds the piece back from being pretty good. But it's still good as is!

Cheers,
-Yeelp

[Melodic Dubstep WIP]

So this is a WIP. So, when I review this, I was going to evaluate the current WIP as it stands (almost like it's a finished piece. Keyword, almost.) and then discuss how a potential final rendition would fare. So let's kick things off with the instrument choice.

The instruments in the beginning sound good. That 'wind' sounding synth right before the dubstep section is pretty good too. All your instruments in said dubstep section are pleasant to the ears as well. I gotta say, the instruments are sounding great: The percussion sound good, the synths and pads sound like long, lost lovers together (which is a good thing!), and the 'dubstep' (I kinda suck at describing dubstep instruments' sounds) parts of your piece sound absolutely great. I'm loving the dubstep a lot.

As for the mixing, The instrument that plays your chords in the chorus seems a little loud, and overpowers some of the rest of the mix, especially around the minute mark. In addition, I feel like your kick could be given a slight volume increase. I can *just* hear it over everything else. Other than that, the mixing is actually pretty good. You say it'll be a pain in the ass in the final version, but that pain in the ass will really pay off if done right.

Composition-wise, it's pretty darn good but of course, since it's a WIP, there are some hiccups. I don't hear much of a drop after your build-up. It just seems to go right into the dubstep. If there is a drop, it could benefit from being more pronounced. The build-up isn't as lame as you say but it does need to be fleshed out a little for the final product. I like the rest of it though. It's headed in the right direction for sure!

For the feel and theme of the piece, there isn't much to say since it's unfinished. The instruments work well together to create the same feeling throughout the piece. In a few words, the theme and feel is really nice!

Overall, I think this piece has potential to be a really good dubstep piece. For a finished product, I would expect: the mixing levels to be perfected from what I hear here, the few hiccups here fixed, and all the great stuff the song has going for it to remain unchanged for the final version (I'm talking the instrument sound and the overall feel of the piece.) Your dubstep composition skills are great and the song is a strong start for a WIP. Let me know when the final version is released. I would like review the final version to see if it has improved upon the WIP in a way that makes it stand out as a great song.

Cheers,
Yeelp

BlueAlpha14 responds:

Woah. You weren't kidding when you said you were going to review this XD

Yeah, it is kinda hard to describe dubstep bass instruments. Especially if you're not an avid listener.

Yeah, I'll have to fix the saw. Another person told me it doesn't really sound like a saw so I'll definitely have to play around with it.

The kick is weak, I agree.

It's funny how you say the mixing is good, since this isn't mixed. Well, I mean some of the instruments are mixed with the FX in Serum, but overall this isn't mixed.

I have a hard time understanding what you mean by "drop". The drop is usually where the bass instruments come in. That's the only thing I really need more clarification on.

Other than that, super thanks a lot for this review! I can tell you must've spent some serious time writing this, and it does help a lot. I'll be sure to let you know when the final piece is done.

-Alpha

[Koopa Airship]

There's a ton of SMB3 airship theme remixes out there. So, when I decided I wanted to review this song, I wanted to answer a simple question: Does your remix bring anything new to the table that helps it stand out from the plethora of other remixes while at the same time, improving upon the original - in a way that stays faithful to the original - to make it a better experience overall? Well, let's see, starting with the instrument choice.

It starts off with the timpani - as one would expect. The timpani patches definitely sound nice and are pleasing to the ear. Good job! There's also a layer of ambiance in the background which serves to spice up the original introduction. It's a nice addition that builds upon the original, without throwing a bunch of new stuff at the listener right at the beginning. I like it, although maybe it could be the slightest bit louder (just a touch) to bring it out just a LITTLE bit more. That being said, it doesn't make the remix any less enjoyable - so it's more of a nitpick than anything.
As for the other instruments, they remain faithful to the original while bringing your style and sound quality that I know well to the mix to add your own personal touch to it.

The composition stays true to what made the original mix so iconic. It spices stuff up with a few changes to what the original mix offered, but it doesn't go overboard. In addition, it also includes the fortress theme from SMB3 which is a great attempt to help the mix stand out. the piece almost seamlessly transitions into the fortress theme which underlines their similarities quite nicely. I think the fortress addition was done quite well and sounds just as good - if not better, than the rest of the mix.

The whole piece has a very cinematic feel to it; it was executed very well. No complaints here with the theme.

Overall, how is the piece? It's pretty good - much better than most SMB3 airship remixes. It's not the best SMB3 airship remix, but it's pretty darn close. Since there's so many remixes of the SMB3 airship theme, it has a LOT of competition. Your unique sound and style, along with the addition of the fortress theme is what gives this piece its competitive edge. The song plays it safe and stays pretty close to the original for the most part. If a little more was done to help differentiate it from the countless other remixes it has to compete with, I wouldn't hesitate to give this a 5/5. If the song was a standalone, original creation, I still wouldn't hesitate to give it a 5/5. But compared to other remixes of the same theme, it only has so much going for it.

All that being said, I still love your unique sound and style, and I still love this piece. I can tell a lot of effort was put in here and it shows. It's pretty awesome.

Cheers,
-Yeelp

MiguelVolkov responds:

Wow! Yeelp, thank you very very very much, I really mean it. This is the kind of reviews that I enjoy reading.
As you said, this track has a cinematic feeling, and that was exactly what I tried to do... Suddenly, the SMB3 Airship Theme dropped by in my head for weeks and I imagined it with a full orchestra sound, I wanted to keep it close to the original but with a darker atmosphere.
Also, what you said about the Fortress theme is correct. I was thinking about not leaving the Airship theme alone and put on some other Bowser theme from SMB3 that combines perfectly with, and that's why I chose the Fortress theme, I think they were the perfect complement.

Sometimes when I think about taking a Nintendo's music piece to remix, I do not always think about transforming it a lot, and that was what just happened to me with this one. I sometimes imagine the "upgraded" versions, because most of the times I do these mixes for myself to enjoy them, it is like some kind of: This is my interpretation of what it could be.

Anyway, I'm really glad you took the time to write this awesome review, you gave me some stuff to think about, and now, taking all your advices, I will probably look for some new and fresh remix... Thank you so much for that. It really makes me happy how you describe my style as a unique sound... I'll be still working to improve it. Thanks for that too.

Cheers,
Miguel Volkov

[Never Give Up! (Never Let Up! Remix)]

I think the mix is pretty good. Having played Dream Team myself and of course being a music fan, I've been looking around for nice remixes of the OST and this one is actually pretty good. It definitely has a different atmosphere compared to the original and that's what makes a remix great; when it has its own personality that reflects the writer's style and not the OST's style. The sounds were indeed fun and unique which made the song was nice to listen to. All the sounds blended well with each other as well. Keep up the experimenting!

Cheers,
-Yeelp

M-Gentalmen responds:

Wow, what a comment! Thanks!

[Chaos]

Listened to this one over and over again it's so catchy! I love this as much as your other song you wrote for me! This one is groovy, upbeat and just nice to listen to! I'm gonna keep this one too! Awesome job! Keep it up!
Cheers.

Demonic-Overmind responds:

Thanks. I'm glad you like it.

[Morning Time]

I really enjoyed this when I first listened to it. I would have loved to hear it earlier but I was busy with a ton of school work. I guess we share having busy and hectic lives!

I really enjoy this! I find it to be perfect. The whole theme is really touching - I really like what you've done here. I think with more time you would be able to really flesh it out nicely - not that it isn't already! You'll have to let me know when second song is out - I'm looking forward to it!
Cheers.

Demonic-Overmind responds:

wow! I thought you wouldn't like it. I'll upload the second one soon.

[Quark-Gluon]

It's a pretty good track. Everything flows nicely and works well with each other. There just isn't that awe - that style that really gets me flabbergasted. I haven't listened to Supercollide so I can't use it a reference when judging this. But even without listening to Supercollide - I find myself enjoying this piece.

It's definitely a good piece - congrats to all of you guys. I'm sure it was well worth the effort!
Cheers.

frootza responds:

Get out!! Thanks so much dude!! I put so much work into this!

M.

I was tremendously offended at your commentary five years ago, now, it doesn't bother me.

[Mars]

I thought this was kinda cool, it had an almost sad theme going throughout the piece. It seems like you've really captured the whole "empty void" side of space with this. It really is a moving piece. I'm glad to see you've uploaded something again, I always kinda enjoyed your work.
Cheers.

Pandasticality responds:

thank you very much, im working on more songs hopefully il get to capture the feel im going for in those aswell.

- Pandasticality

[The Ferry]

At first, I was a little confused on where the whole song was going... But now I understand.

You say this is improv? That's really cool. I had no idea people were THIS good with imporv. It's a shame that jazz songs don't get much attention these days (as you mentioned in the reply below) because stuff like this is great! it's really groovy with rounded sounds - nothing too sharp or ear splitting, but nothing too soft either. Jazz may not be able to convey a wide variety of feelings - but the feelings it can convey - laid back, relaxed, carefree - it conveys well if you follow. Your song does a great job of conveying what I think to be the key feelings jazz songs convey. Awesome job! Although jazz isn't something I'd listen to on a regular basis like on my iPod - it is a great genre and I do enjoy listening to it! Listening to this reminded me how great the genre is. I love this song! Favorited this song too!

frootza responds:

Thanks Yeelp! Yeah this track was all improvised :) thank you for the appreciation!

Jazz and Blues do seem to be dying out, it is quite a shame. I used to be a strictly EDM composer even though I've always played guitar in real life, but I decided to get back into composing live stuff with my band. I'm glad it reminded you a bit of how cool jazz can be!

Don't forget, no matter the genre, a good composer can evoke any mood through the music they are writing! Jazz can be happy, sad, excited, dreary, relaxing, shocking. As can all the other genres, it just depends on how it's being played :)

(This song, as the title suggests, was meant to reflect the feeling of taking a short ride on a ferry :D)

Again, thanks for the review Yeelp, I appreciate the positive response!

[Preach it, My Brotha]

It's a very unique piece for sure. The drums at 0:46 seem out of place - they don't seem to fit with the groove you made. The rest of the drums and percussion work out amazingly with the song. I think the added synth around 1:49 again, seems just a tad out of place.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing on your song. It's amazing in all other areas except those areas. They just need more work is all. The rest of the song is really groovy and flowing. I really like the synth at the beginning - it was really nice! All in all, it's a great song, I can see the reasons why you like it so much, it just needs a tad more work.

SilverFoxJams responds:

Thanks for your honest review. Perhaps I could replace that beeping synth with a sample I could create, now that I have a VST, along with a great audio editor. :)

I'm working on doing better with the one-shot percussions in making beats. I'm doing so in this remix of my first dubstep. I think the whole mid-section of it will be a custom beat. So much to do, and I just know it will be a long while until I get that beat right. It's fun to get into, but at the same time it's such a challenge!