blackattackbitch's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[MH16: Breaking The Barrier]

I don't know what synth you used for this song

but it sounds absolutely amazing. The bassline and that synth blend together flawlessly, creating an ambience of victory, duty, and futuristic themes.

I feel bad for your writer's block, but you seem to have shattered that with a sledgehammer with this song.

The melodies on this song are amazing, I have to say.

And the drums and the drumbreaks, flawless.

On my favorites list this song goes, excellent job!

Oh and if you don't mind checking out my newest song, I'd be greatly appreciative, it has zero reviews on it right now :(

FairSquare responds:

Haha, yeah. I used the biggest sledgehammer i could find and tried to hit it as hard as possible :P
Thanks for the kind review and i'll check out your song too :-)

[Glass Shards (Full)]

Referred here by Gravey1

Well, where do I begin? I'll start with the synth in the beginning. I think you could have designed a better fitting synth, it just doesn't fit for me.

Secondly, I can definitely hear clipping in the left speaker (god bless these headphones, they are amazing) when the drums start up.

I'm not sure (as I'm not sure how loud certain instruments can get) but I don't think the woodwind should be the main instrument during the chorus, I just don't think that it would be able to carry such a high volume unless it was at the front of the orchestra setup or there were more of them playing at the same time.

That starburst sound has to be my least favorite part of this song admittedly. It's just a bit too loud and it cuts off way too abruptly. I'm a fan of smooth cutoffs to sounds, I have to admit.

The timpani....I just want to advise you that a timpani is a tuned drum, so it will interfere with the bassline if you don't use it correctly.

The piano melody was excellent, as well as the flute melody. And the chords were creative, I have to say. I particularly like what you did with the choir, I'll have to steal that, if you don't mind ;-p

And this song is extremely nice, with a lot of potential to be an amazing song. I would suggest you keep working on it and let me know if you do submit another version. I'll be glad to lend an ear.

Aeris responds:

THE ALMIGHTY BLACKATTACKBITCH lol i hear alot about you from Gravey.

I did some edits and I'm rendering the piece now.

Things I changed and fixed:
- Buzzy noise... sorry bout that
- Intro synth (no distortion)
- Windchime velocity is lower.

Things I did not change:
- The timpani.... I had them tuned to the tonic, D, for d minor... They also did not play a major role in the piece (if they even played a role at all) so they did not require high detail work. Though, don't get me wrong, I believe every detail counts, there's always one that will notice.
- The woodwind. Normally, no they wouldn't be able to present themselves well above the other sections. However, this is synth, and secondly, there is not brass in this piece... Well there's some but ya they're quiet and minor. If this was designed to actually be played live (which i might edit and publish), then I would choose different instruments.
- Kept the windchimes. They're mystical to me, though slightly overused i will admit, they set a good twilit mood.

That's that, thanks for the intuitive review! Also, the choir is PapelMedia, so you should be able to replicate perfectly if you want. The chords are simple variations of D minor.

I'll PM you when the editted version is uploaded C:

[_-={Marching Siegers}=-_]

I have to echo The Great One's sentiments...

It feels too generic with not enough expression. But it would fit perfectly with the game, no lie.

Also, the lower frequencies seem to be constantly rumbling, although I'm not sure if that's my new headphones or the actual song.

Other than that though, this song is pretty much perfect for a war game. I'll give it a 10 because I'm not sure if it's the headphones causing that rumble or the actual song.

Also, you can thank the RSS feed for this review ;)

MaestroRage responds:

and I would echo my agreement, read what I wrote for TGO's review for the reasons why I went with what I did.

And no that's not you. I mixed these when I had crappy headphones and crappier speakers, the bass was completely invisible to me. I'm humbled you would give me the benefit of the doubt, but in this case, it was all my fault.

Thanks for dropping by and writing a review, glad you liked it!

[[Edited]Swimming Thru Memories]

You want a full sound? It's all about landscaping.

While I think that this song is pretty much solid, although I'm not a fan of the beginning, a good technique to fullness is using, well, full sounds. For example, instead of using such a soft synth in the background, combined with the piano, use a detuned saw synth, although honestly, I wouldn't change much on this song if I were composing it myself.

This song has a nice ambience on it, I like it.

Another technique is a stronger-sounding bass and a more powerful kick, as well as a more-creative drumbeat. Maybe do more with the high-hats.

But this is a nice song, it really is. Good job!

Blakren responds:

Thanks man. That actually helped alot : ). So I just gotta use harder sounds, ok got it! Thanks again for the help!

[Kw- Sol Descent]

Mix was a bit unclear

You kinda mentioned it in your comments, but I figured I might as well mention it here too. And I think there were better ways to mix classical and DnB than the way that you did.

What I personally would have done with this song is use a combination of staccato acoustic instruments and multiple chord changes, but then again, I'm more of a melody person than a percussion person, so you might have wanted to focus solely on drums rather than the instruments.

That one snare-like thing, I honestly don't know what to call it hahaha, but you might want to turn the volume down on that instrument a bit, as well as turn the kicks up a bit.

That pretty much summarizes my review. The drumbeats were sickening, in my opinion, and that sliding synth lent so much to the song. And I especially like what you did with that snare thing.

Overall, it's a 7.9 in my opinion. Nice job ;-)

nightsurfermusic responds:

Drum beats: is sickening a good thing? :P
I do like the sliding synth.
I would agree that more classical elements might need to be added.

Thanks for reviewing. :)

[Hanii - Broken Star (vocals)]

The organs are a lil overbearing

They make the rest of the mix hard to hear, including the lyrics, which should probably be the most audible part of any mix, at least imho.

When the guitar came in, I could barely hear it.

Personally, I would have used a piano instead of an organ in order to avoid this problem completely, but it feels like the organ is an integral part of your composition, so I just recommend that you turn the volume of the organ down.

The mixing isn't all that great on this song. But the chords and the melodies are all pretty good.

Sorry for the score, I really am, cuz I hate to give out scores lower than 7 cuz I know how much it hurts to recieve stuff like that, but I can only give this a 6.8 at the most when everything is wrapped together.

However, I will say that the emotion of this track is unique, that's pretty awesome if I say so myself.

Also, kudos for a 7 minute composition. I'd imagine that took ages to do. And the lyrics are pretty good too, Deanna has a nice voice.

HaniiPuppy responds:

Thanks ^_^

I want to go over this song in the future when I'm better on the production side - I consider myself more of a writer than a producer - of music, I'll keep this in mind.

The reason the organ was so much louder - and the reason I used an organ in the first place - was because according to the story told, the organ's really the only thing instrument that's actually there, seeing as it starts off and ends at a funeral.

Once again, Thanks ^_^

[Instrumental #4 (Karco Remix)]

Givin' a thorough review to the review god...

Don't know why I didn't do it sooner. You'll know why you're getting this review though if you read the AF Lounge.

Now to commence:
One of the main things that stand out for me is the weakness of the main snare. It gets drowned out by the hi-hats.

The ambience of this track is amazing though, and I like the bassline in the fact that it's noticable but not overbearing.

That's pretty much all I can criticize on this track, the piano is absolutely amazing, as well as the ambient synths. The amount of work you put into this song blows me away. Great job with this, I'm absolutely awestruck.

Kudos, that's all I can say, this song is amazing, beautiful, just great.

You're gonna be the first trance artist to ever make it on to my favs list!

Karco responds:

So apparently I'm a review god, even though I haven't reviewed in two months? :) Will go read the AF lounge right after responding to this review here!

There's no snare in this track, I used a clap instead, and regardless, it was hardly meant to be the focus. Not everything can be front and center in a good track. ;D I understand where you're coming from though, thanks for pointing that out.

Well, I'm a bit flattered now. :D Thanks for the rest of the review (mostly praise, but you took the time to write it after all), glad you liked it!

[[S:C] Gigantic Pentameter]

Nostalgia

Rap beatz were my shit before I went all film-score, but reviewing this brings back memories hahaha

The main thing that gets me is the quality, but knowing that I personally have significant problems reaching my desired level of quality, I know how it can feel. If you're looking for good orch samples though, stop by my newspost and check out what I have posted.

The drum sequence, with the exception of the snare, is pretty sickening tho, the bass drum is perfect, imo. I could spit some crazy verses to this!

The attack on that tuba section was kinda weird tho, and when the tuba starts playing long legato, it doesn't really seem to fit. Other than that tho, the mix is pretty damn amazing!

That last trumpet sounds really weird though, not nearly as a trumpet should sound.

That pretty much sums up this review, this song is pretty freakin sweet. All in all, I'd give it an 8.6/10, which rounds up to a nine. I won't vote cuz I'd have to give it a 4, which would drop the score, but at least you got the review hahaha

If you can, can you check out my most recent song, Abbadon's Army WIP #2? I used a few techniques that are new to me, so I need some help on that one. Thanks in advance!

SymbolCymbal responds:

I recently went by your news posts and RAPED THE SHIT OUT OF THEM!.. i had no idea how well something can sound with use of samples.. i feel weird using them but it is a legitimate wizardry of music.

YEAH.. last trumpet is kinda cheetos.. and chester the cheetah cant help out. Pure cheese .. i need a real trumpet played to play that line and i need to upload it.. i have a trumpet player in my band. I would have to set up a good recording rig though.. and as this song is oldschool.......... so am i .............. i jimmy rig EVERYTHING live.... duct tape.. i got ROLLS OF IT.. But anyway im completely off point.

Dude i have been checkin your stuff lately and to be honest i really think your capable of getting out there and becoming part of the advertising world. You have great samples, you have awesome structure, just get some money together from Mcslave and dope your shit out man. Ill be listening to your stuff .. you put out something worth listening to almost every 2 weeks... IMPRESSIVE!

Look at me talking about you in my review response LOL.

[Journey to the East ~P~]

Hmm

I'll review this one as I listen.

start-1:00
The first thing that I notice is the FL bassdrum hit. I wouldn't suggest using that because it's not the best orchestral sound out there, in my opinion, and especially not in the way that you used it. The reverb on the actual original sample is way too high to be used with most mixes. Roland Orchestral Rhythm has a bass drum that fits much better with the way you wanted to use it, and there's tons of other soundfonts out there that fit also.

Excellent slowdown at the end of that section though. And the strings for that section were pretty nice-sounding. However, I'm more impressed with that slowdown, as you articulated it well.

1:00-2:00
Right at the beginning of this section, the strings end a bit too quickly. I personally would have stuck to a slower fadeout on the strings in order to avoid that moment of silence.

Everything else about that section, the chords, the melody, the mix, all was good ^_^

2:00-3:00
Nice job articulating the buildup. However...

The section after 2:31 sounds lower in volume than the section before it, although that's supposedly a built-up section. That might just be me though. And I wouldn't suggest using those FL core hits, as the one you started using in that section actually sounds more hiphop-ish than orchestral.

And that's expressed further when that other solo instrument (the name escapes me, but it's a plucked one) starts playing.

3:00-end
Flawless except for one thing, which is when the strings fade out. That's all.

Overall, I liked this piece though. Good use of leitmotiff and the mix was okay. And you stuck with the theme really well. Also, the instrument choice was great!

Rating: 7.7/10

Good job on this!

Congrats on being the first audio reg to be placed under scrutiny by myself tonight.

Phyrnna responds:

I guess the drum could've been better. I didn't have any other samples though that had that heavy drum sound, so that one fit the bill the best. I'll look into the Roland one though.

The strings for the section are nice I agree. I had to EQ the samples out and put effects to get them to sound that way though. :P

I actually did like the silence... just not the way I led into it. :/ I might fix that later.

The part at 2:31 isn't actually quieter than the buildup, but I suppose it would sound so since the singular Guzheng stands out a lot.

Again, the core hits were all I had. I should really look into better samples.... >_>;

The part from 3:00 to the end was actually what I considered the MOST flawed part of the song since the strings were hell to work with. I had bad samples so I had to mix around to get them to sound good. I'm glad you liked them though.

Thanks for the listen and review! I really appreciate it!