Coop's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Earths Exit]

Very good sounds

A little high end static on top of the louder notes, which was a shame, but this just means that you've got something of a 'rough diamond' which needs a little more polishing to finish off.

I like the scales that you run with the piano in this - the way that the dominant sound of the piano is offset by the strings, which compliment quite nicely. I think that the piece is very nicely done, but I'm struggling with the symbolism as well - it might be down to me being tired, but it's something that could be well worth me revisiting.

[Review Request Club]

[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

[awesome windows song remix]

Needs work

Remixing a good song doesn't always make a better one :P

You took a really poor sound for the first thing to sample into this mix - what sounds like a windscreen wiper passing across a dry glass surface only serves to bring this track to it's knees! I can't believe that you thought it sounded alright and submitted it with this glaring error in it, to be perfectly honest.

I'm awarding marks for the parts of the track that you've stuck to and have made sound good - the melody and beat of the track are good sounds and they serve as a good backbone, but more work is needed to take it past this label of 'average' that it bears.

Perhaps more windows sounds could be added - god knows there's hundreds to choose from in a variety of styles and finishes, to boot. The world is literally your oyster for this kind of piece, surely.

[Review Request Club]

[*- Dreams and Nightmares]

Nice

A good close harmony that the two vocalist sounds have - did you mean this, or is it just a fortuitous glitch?

I like the sound of this piece - simple, yet effective acoustic guitars and some very well written lyrics. How long have you been playing? I think that there's a nice beat and is there a bass in there as well, just to keep things flowing nicely along.

The way that you've arranged this sounds quite professional, but there are things that could be achieved through mastering and re-taking parts of the songs. I think you've got a great start with this demo though.

[Review Request Club]

[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!

[Asinine Display of Faith]

Virus in the machine

I'm not much of a fan of the voice in this track - everything else is great, but the voice just seems to grate against me in this context. Perhaps consider giving it more of a prominent role, encouraging it to be a little slower and more understandable.

With the way that the rest of the track sounds, it's not too bad - there could be more industrial sounds in there, like hammers, giving a more defined beat, for example. For Industrial (as heavy as you're describing it), there needs to be something heavy and strong to form the foundation of the track and keep it in check.

It's on the right track, but it needs a little more before it's there :)

[Review Request Club]

[FFX_Battle_Theme [Box-Killa]]

Nice work

Certainly something I could see being used on any Final Fantasy style game or movie. The variation is good, as is the pace and the sound, that reflects battle themes that I've heard in both FF8 and FF10. Keep up the good work.

I think that it might have needed a little something else, as the part when the bass beat gets cut out, it tends to slip a little, giving the impression that something is quite obviously missing from the track.

I'd have considered throwing some sort of high solo in there, to keep the intensity of the piece going, as if you're in combat, you want to have a sense of urgency about the decisions you've got to make, after all.

[Review Request Club]