Larkeep26's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Boombox!]

Great Song

This song is complete and every section works well together. Very original.

There are a few reasons I gave it a 7/10:

-I'm not a big fan of the instruments used throughout the song. The starting synth sounds very dry and, to be honest, a little annoying. It at least needs a little bit of effect such as reverb and/or some very subtle delay. The drums sound very thin for a song that is meant to rock the boombox. There needs to be a little more substance. The clap doesn't work very well at all. I suggest some really thick, over compressed sounding drum samples.

-The guitar sounds nice and fits the song well.

-The mix sounds like it needs a bit of work. Some instruments are too high and some are too low. The voices need a little more presence as I find they take a back seat to the instruments. Perhaps the chorus needs some more overdubbing to really give the vocals an in your face feel. Just record a couple takes of the same vocal melody and layer them over top each other.

-I do like the strings. They sound good and compliment the other melodies. They could stand to have some effects or something. Maybe give them a really wide. stereo feel - the stereo enhancer from FL Studio does a wonderful job with this (there's a preset for strings).

Anyway, Overall, it's not a bad song at all. The lyrics are catchy and so is the melody. The song is just lacking a bit of presence.
Hope this review was OK. Take it for whatever it's worth.

Thanks,

Larkeep

giftedbuttwisted responds:

Thanks for your in depth review! As far as the instruments go, I spent a while experimenting with different instruments to figure out what would sound best and I personally like the instruments I chose, but thats just personal opinion. I used the clav for the main melody so it had a video game-type feel to it. As far as drums go, I made this the first time playing with FL Studio so I didn't know where the drum options were so I used what I could find. You mentioned effects..at the time I had no idea how to add effects in FL Studio. With the mix, yeah I know I'm not amazing at mixing songs and I mix everything in iPod headphones (I can't afford monitors and I imagine most people will listen to this on their iPod). With the vocals..again, you're probably right, I'm just not very good. I'm glad you like the strings, though again, I don't know how to add any effects in FL Studio. Overall, I'm glad you like the song, and thanks again for the in-depth review =P

[Echoes Of Velvets Past-Pinard]

I can't get over it...

Every single ****ing song I've listened to puts me to tears or makes me want to jump for joy or ... I don't even know. Sorry for the language but I feel so strongly about this. It's one of those opportunities to hear something by someone and just know they were destined to write music. You've got the mind of an 18th century composer.

FOR EVERYONE READING THIS REVIEW: This artist (Nathan Pinard) is easily the greatest artist I've ever heard in my life. Every single song is packed with emotion and is written incredibly well. Please, please, please listen to every song you can and be blessed.

nathanallenpinard responds:

Thanks for you comments, although I would not call myself the greatest artist. I still have learning to do.

[Brave New World]

Wow...me again

I seriously can't get over your talent. It sounds SO PROFESSIONAL. Thanks for submitting this piece.

nathanallenpinard responds:

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Project song for school]

Starts well.

Well, I think the song starts pretty well. Unfortunately it goes downhill from there.
Here are the aspects I like:

-The main piano line is catchy and it sounds like one of those moments where a main character would be thinking up a great idea then putting it into action.

-The second drum loop starting at 1:20 is fantastic. It's up-beat and tight.

-There are some areas where the strings are quite nice. For example, starting at 0:33. They could stand to be turned down a little as they're too much in the foreground. In fact, I have no problems with the strings from then on. They work well with the song.

-The second piano riff at 1:02 is great. Catchy and it really comes alive when the drums come in.

Here are some constructive critiques:

- I think the first drum loop starting at would be really nice without the cowbell. The beat itself is nice and even the congos (bongos...whichever) add a nice element. The cowbell sounds very digital and I'm not fond of the rhythm.

-I'm assuming that the song speeds up at around 0:57 due to the story line so I won't comment there.

-For the second drums loop, it's absolutely ruined by the cowbell and congos/bongos. Very distracting and there's too much commotion.

-A lot of your instruments with exception to the drums need to have some effects on them to give the song some depth. Reverb, delay, stereo enhancing, and panning go a long way when used properly and they can really give your song not only a more naturalistic feel but also a big sense of depth and layers.

Anyway, that's it from me. I hope that wasn't too bad. I find you're on the right track and you have some wonderful ideas. Take this critique for whatever it's worth.

Thanks,

Larkeep

statueofdiveo responds:

Thanks, i did not take this seriously. I really appreciate the critique.

[it's all around you]

Wonderful

This song is great. Short and sweet.

I find it's very difficult to get 2 picking parts to sound well together and not too cluttered. Not to mention the slaps and whatnot really add an acoustic AND almost a bit of a Spanish feel.

Thanks for the post.

Larkeep

patternapparatus responds:

Thank you :]

[-*Memories From The Stars*-]

Overall: good song!

I love the piano / string riff throughout the song. It's a nice line and helps keep you interested.

There are only 3 small things that I would like to constructively criticize.

-The hi-hat at the beginning sounds a bit awkward. It sounds like the hard hits are on the 'offbeat' when I feel as though it should be on the 'on-beat'. Also, the velocity seems a little too low on every odd hit. It's makes me feel a little anxious or like I'm not quite getting my fill - if that makes any sense. So, perhaps just bring the volume up a bit more. This is only at the beginning though. It's perfect for the rest of the song.

-Second, I realize that it's very difficult to find a good brass sample, but I have to say that the trumpet sounds very digital and a little too perfect. I'm entirely sure how to fix this. Perhaps tampering with the ADSR (Attack, Delay, Sustain, Release) a bit will give it more of a natural feel.

-Overall, especially on the piano and trumpet, there needs to be a little more effects. Reverb, delay, stereo enhancer, panning - these can really help give an instrument depth and a more naturalistic feel. There's a specific part towards the middle (2:35 - 2:50 ish) where the piano needs some reverb and maybe a slight deay - it sounds very dry.

Anyway, aside from all that, I think it's a great track. Well written. There's many things to keep the listener interested. Everything seems to fit well together. Hopefully my review was more helpful than insulting. Take it for whatever it's worth.

Thanks,
Larkeep

DjRocALot responds:

Yeah, I really appreciate these types of reviews, cause they give me a point of direction of what to fix etc! Its not insulting, its helpfull. And the reason that its helpfull instead of insulting, is that you point out the mistakes in the music that can be better, which I can / will make better. The improvements are soon to be heard, so be sure to keep your ears and eyes open! :) After all, this is made in FL studio and the sounds that I have there are not exactly natural and real, they are really mechanichal, unless you do some serious mastering to them.Anyways I dig the review ! Thanks for pointing out things I can improve!

Roc A Lot

[A Valiant Effort]

Only a few things.

Firstly, I love your writing. The melodies and riffs are great. Some really innovative ideas coming out. I thoroughly enjoy when the bass comes in. It's a great contrast to the song.

I've listened to a bunch of your songs and the overall feeling is that you could use some work on finding some better (or refining your existing) instrument samples. Some of the synths and drums especially sound very dry with little to no effects. Effects, such as reverb give an instrument more depth and make it sound a little more natural. By giving your song more depth, you'll create different levels. The listener should be able to hear multiple levels of layers throughout the song. As I'm hearing it now it sounds like it's all in the foreground.

So, by using things like stereo enhancers, reverb, delays, panning you can really turn a song into something exceptional. Think of layers. This goes with the mix as well. You should look at every layer carefully and make a thoughtful decision on how loud or soft it shoudl be. Example, the synth at around 2:10 sounds too loud and takes over the song completely.

I hope this was ok and I wasn't too forward. Please take this as my opinion and for whatever it's worth. Like I said, I love the writing and creativity.

Larkeep

NinjaEskimo responds:

hey thanks, this really helps :D

[Kazmo - Sinking In]

Sounds awesome

I love the mood of the song. The writing is catchy and very mesmerizing. Also, you have some really great transitions between the different sections. Great work with the frequency filters - a lot of people over-do it with those and I think you've done it very subtly but also very effectively. Especially at from 2:40 to 3:03. The fade ins and the dips are very interesting to listen to.

As for some critiques:

I only have one and that is that the piano that comes in around 1:50 sounds very digital. Dare I say FL Keys? Anyway, it's really tough to get a realistic sounding piano with synths but I thought I'd just throw it out there.

Thanks

Larkeep

Kazmo responds:

Nope, it's not FL Keys, it's a Rolland soundfont. I feel that it just fit the song better than the Steinway soundfont I have, it pierces through the lead more, the Steinway is a tad too soft.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

Like I've said before, I feel that transitions are sooooo important in trance. And yes, I'm learning that it's not always about the filters, FX play a huuuge part in transitions, and combinations of filters/automations are key.

Thanks for the awesome review!

[NEON :: Px]

Great

This is a wonderful ambient-trance song. It's flows very well and it's easy to get lost inside its smooth melodies and beat.

Thanks for posting

Larkeep

GrantProjectXero responds:

Glad I could help take you from reality :D
-Px

[Electric Cirus]

Needs something...

I'm not sure how you went about putting that together. It does sound very circus-ish. Definitely something you would hear at a circus.

My only criticism is that you should use something other than an organ and add a little bit of effect like reverb or a very subtle delay. This with give it a bit more depth. Perhaps some other background sound effects would do well such as a crashing symbol or some commotion going on. Something to also give it more depth and also tell a story.

You're on the right track, it just needs to have a little more to it.

Thanks,

Larkeep

TheMysticCreature responds:

Thanks, your words made me think about it, so in the future i will try and do it. Not to mention i didn't put thought into it at all.