Coop's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[~BH~ Aurora Theory]

Classi-Techno

I'd never have thought that you could use piano with a Techno piece - the two styles just seem so different. I like the pace and the beat that accompanies the scales that you're playing with good tempo, to keep this track working nicely.

Perhaps more could be done with regards to variation of the piano, as it's just a little on the repetitive side of things. With something like a slower solo, you'd be able to give a new layer to the piece, eventually giving it something different for the beat to return with. That new dimension is something that can take the tune forward.

[Review Request Club]

ErikMcClure responds:

Almost all my techno songs have piano <_<

The song's variation is rather tricky. The piano has subtle modifications all over the place, but I couldn't actually change it around that much because the song already was running around with nearly 5 distinct melodies. I put in any more variation and it goes from having variety to sounding random.

Thanks for the review!

[The Essence of Time]

Nice work

While I'm unsure about the tambourine (?) sounds in the intro, it's a nice sounding piece, with a great piano overtone.

I think that it's a little short and while the strings give a good backing to the track, they may be classed as a little overbearing, perhaps taking away from the presence given by the piano. A little messing with the volumes of the constituent instruments would help here.

It's a little on the short side and the piano can be used to give a much better grouping of solos, as the versatility of the instrument can be allowed to sing through, as you give it more control.

[Review Request Club]

Step responds:

Solos? You know, that's a perfect idea. Yeah, that is a tambourine, it's true it gets annoying, I may take a few parts of it away. The piano solo can make it longer, and as for the strings, I sort of saw them as the main melody and the accompanying melody being the piano, but usually strings are background instruments, so I'll try and reduce their volume a little. Anyway, I'll be adding a piano solo. Thanks for the great review, expect the updated Essence of Time coming any time soon ;).

[Windows Wars]

Good sampling

A great use of the sounds available to the Windows universe, but it sounds a little unrefined in places, as the solo at around 1m 40 sounds messy and it could be cured perhaps by slowing down the number of repeats that you do on that sound in such a short timespan.

Some good drums and a beat in the background, but I'd still view this as a work in progress as you expand into the realms of making the piece sound tidier - cutting out the high end static around the notes that play around 3m 30 and from there, it already starts to sound better.

[Review Request Club]

Step responds:

Aww man, you ruined my perfect 10 score :(. Lol, nvm, I was expecting you to be the one to do so anyway :P. For that solo at 1:40, I'll switch them to quavers instead of semiquavers to remove that sudden fast pace. I'll work on 3:30, too. Anyway, thanks for the review!

[LB + Song of Storms Remix]

I though it was going to be like Sound of Silence

Nice piano throughout and a very interesting introduction, that put me in the mind of Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence.

The piano could have stood to do a lot more, with the simple loop repeating almost ad infinitum. With the way that it progresses, you've got a good range ofg instruments that get themselves into the tune, but the piano is the main stumbling block. More things with the piano sooner would certainly help the track to sound much improved.

A nice almost requiem-like string backing, which could possibly take it further than you have at present.

[Review Request Club]

Lublub194 responds:

Hmmm... I like you're review, and your choice of words. Haha.

Glad that you like it, and I can understand that the piano get's repetitive, that's why it takes a bit to fade in, and leaves a bit later.

Thanks for the review :)

- Lubz

[Midnight Illusion (DP&KP)]

Work in Progress?!

Well, for a work in progress, this piece sounds a little finished for me :P You've done what sounds like a good job getting it ready for publication, but all i can really suggest that you do is start editing it down for time.

Yes, it seems a little long at 6 minutes long. I'd have set myself a target of 4-5 minutes and work towards that, slowly pruning bits here and there. This might make the track sound more cluttered or generic, so beware not to cut too much of the 'interesting sounds' or instruments, but you can certainly shave a little time of this beast.

[Review Request Club]

Kalapsia responds:

HEY YOU THANKS YOU FOR DA YOU REVIEW LOL

[Race On (WIP) [SFPL]]

Try some modulations

Okay, it's a work in progress. Try pausing the beat for a few loops and then get the key to change and the melody to go somewhere else. This little ramble could get the tune to a new level, like you've already done, or it could just bring the piece back to where it left off, joining back up with the beat and heading on again.

I love that crescendo that you throw in at around the 2 minute marker - very much like the screech of a motorbike engine, as it takes off in the direction of the race track, vying for the lead. Possibly make it sound like there are some gear changes in there, for added "raciness".

[Review Request Club]

SFaPiL2 responds:

Ok, I'll see what I can do about "the key to change and the melody to go somewhere else" thing.

He he, I love that crescendo too ^__^. About the gear change effects, I need to think of a way that I could create that sound and make it stand out from the rest of the song. Hmm...

Anyway, thanks for the tips Coop83!

[The Ice Queen's Palace]

Nice

It reminds me of some of the music that accompanies Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, as some of those books were made into TV adaptations. It certainly seems like the sort of music that they used around the Hogfather's icy castle and the Tooth Fairy's castle (materials unknown).

Perhaps the sounds of the choir need to be raised slightly, as it would make it more chilling - sometimes, they seem quite conspicuous by their lower than anticipated tones.

I like the oboe accompanying the rest of the tune, though it could use more variation with the strings - possibly violas as well as violins.

[Review Request Club]

sarias responds:

its just for bassoon and Vocal Soprano :) I have considered arranging it for orchestra though I think it would be more powerful if it was thanks for the review though

[Welcome to W0RLD]

Not bad

If you hadn't made the intro so long, relative to the length of the rest of the tune, this would be a stellar piece. Sometimes, too much buildup can prove to be a track's undoing, as it has here. Try throwing 2 or 3 elements into the tune together, or go through less runs of the basic component loop before you get to adding a new piece.

I can certainly say that the latter part of the track sounds great - there is a wealth of great sounds that would certainly make this feel at home in a Kirby or even perhaps a LoZ setting. Keep working at it and you'll have something that artists want to use :)

[Review Request Club]

PuffballsUnited responds:

Yeah, I never noticed how long the intro really was. Thanks for the feedback!

[No Parking]

I'm not sure...

I can't see the real meaning of this piece, from your description. I like the way that you've put together a great sounding happy track here that is clearly in the ascendant category of sounds - on the up, as opposed to on the down, so to speak.

I love the variation of instruments that you've used in the piece and the beat is pretty good, keeping the tune going after I'd have thought it was going to end, just by ear. You've got a gift for writing tracks like this, though I'd have suggested that you make this into a loop, in order to keep it perpetuating and bring the tune forwards.

[Review Request Club]

sumguy720 responds:

I'm glad you pointed that out Coop83. The description-- and thus what this song is 'about' is more of the context of me writing this song. I usually write music when I've got a lot of stuff happening in my social life, or when I'm trying to resolve other problems, so you could look at this as the resolution to "I'm getting depressed because I haven't been around people and I'm getting behind in my work."
I never really thought about it though, until now.
And ending my music... blah I've not been so good about that. Maybe this would make a better loop-- after all, when I start writing I make the most intense part looping, and then vary it and tone it down for buildups and alternate parts. As for this song, I've become accustomed to it in it's non-looping form, so I don't know if I'll change it.
One thing I don't understand is what you mean by 'the ascendant category' as opposed to the descendant category of happy tracks. Could you explain that?

Thank you for the review!

[Big Red - Ain't No Sunshine]

Interesting vocals

Is this song totally vocal? Wow, that's awesome. You've got a great sounding piece made here, how long did it take you to put that together, as it sounds great.

Nice pace and a good accompaniment for the rest of the track, though it could use a little from instruments, I feel. When the 'boom' sound from the bass vocals comes through, perhaps it would be worth throwing the occasional drum beat in there, just to add a little impetus, as it's a little quiet at the moment. Messing with the recording volumes could change that slightly, which could prove beneficial.

[Review Request Club]

BigRed responds:

Thank you thank you!