Deemo-R's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[You Told Me]

Geez, what is up with all of these recent 0/1-star ratings I keep seeing -.-;

Definitely not an accurate rating for this. I like it a lot; it's got a very pensive vibe going in the intro, with the nice, distant chords juxtaposed to the crisp bass. The drum part is very interesting, but the mix on it needs work. I know how hard it is with the drums, though. Those things can be cruel to work with, but it's crucial to attaining the perfect sound. ;)

For the drums, the snare needs to have more punch and not sound so far away. It sounds almost as though you're listening to it in a school auditorium (which I'm not sure what your recording environment was, so I can't say much about that). The bass drum should also have a bit more presence, but in this context, it should seem like more of a feeling than a part (if that isn't the worst description I've ever made...). Think of it like the thumping of a person's heart, or the feeling you get when the bass drum resonates in your chest. That sort of sound will most likely sound better in this song. The cymbals sound less than desirable, too. I can't tell if it's the way the set's mic'd or the mix, but they don't seem to create the proper sound...

I generally just suggest to listen to professionally mastered material and try to break down similarities in what they do with mixing the parts. Experimentation is the way I personally do it, but it's not the preferable way of going about it.

Either way, great musicianship in this! There's a lot of potential in this sound you've got going!

kingdarkeyes responds:

You're very right about the drums. The cymbals are very...eh..."crunchy", and the snare and bass do need more presence. The problem is mainly that we have to record in a room that's not very well-equipped in the studio acoustics department, and we have very lo-fi gear. Not to mention this is the first song I've ever had to "produce" (if you can call it that haha). But hey, it sounds like you know a thing or two about it, so I'll probably be shooting you a PM at some point for tips, if that's cool. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and thanks for the feedback. It's much appreciated!

[As The Phoenix Rises]

I love that you've put so much of yourself into this piece, it really gives it a special sort of feeling that you don't see every day (or hear). To me, this seems very much along the lines of a film score, with a lot of cinematic imagery floating around within it. I think the parts are very well written. One thing that I'd suggest is to really let yourself be free with the dynamic motion of these parts; it does wonderful things that nobody usually expects they are capable of. Push and pull, rise and fall, every part should be going somewhere. When I last performed with an orchestra, the conductor could easily pull aside any section for hours at a time to relay a single section to them. You could practically write a documentary on each of the instruments' parts, there was so much the composer would do.

I really hope to hear more stuff like this from you in the future! ;D

Neon-Bard responds:

You know, I'm beside myself after reading this review. It makes the song that much more meaningful. To know that somebody else appreciates it for what it is and what it means personally is fantastic. It's pretty cool that you mention that it has a 'film score' feeling to it!

This really struck a 'chord' with me (see what I did there?....yeah it's awful I know...):

"One thing that I'd suggest is to really let yourself be free with the dynamic motion of these parts; it does wonderful things that nobody usually expects they are capable of. Push and pull, rise and fall, every part should be going somewhere."

I'll definitely be keeping this in mind for everything else I make. Btw, it must be awesome to play with an orchestra...I don't play any classical instruments myself so I can only imagine what that must feel like.

I will be making more stuff like this for sure, it's great to know you'll be keeping an eye out for it. :D