samulis's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The War]

Hey there! Welcome to Newgrounds. :)

I like your work with the tone of the music here. However, there are a good number of things that you might want to look into.

First with the strings- you really need some more reverb or something to make those clear. Also consider having this repeated an octave up/down, as is sometimes found in traditional string writing. You really don't have much of a bassline in this. Here's a chance to have some marcato/staccato contrabass/doublebass lines going on under all of it, perhaps in a pattern like "quarter-quarter-quarter-triplet" on the root note of each chord or so.

The next thing is that there isn't much of a melody persay... something rising up over the rest. Here violins in octaves would work, or horns, or anything really, but a melody is very important to having a continuity in your song. You should look at the works of some other cinematic composers here on Newgrounds such as Bosa and Emid... both are superb and write pieces that have good solid melodies that rise out above the rest.

You should really try using more orchestral percussion in the mix too, in addition to the tribal stuff going on. All these taiko drums and tribal percussion are used so much in film music, but adding back a nice big gong (since you have EWQL SO, try the 60" gong... should be the first one, and then a F... it is a nice hit that gives a good roar without too much accent) or some timpani or crash cymbals.

A tip for low brass orchestration... they sound best in octaves when in their lower end- tuba/bass t-bone then tenor trombone up an octave from that with whatever other fixings and notes you want above that. Always gives a good bassline. This piece kinda reminds me of my work for Art of War...
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/liste n/499662
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/liste n/499663

You might recognize the brass samples from that. ;)

Biggest tip with cinematic- never be afraid to step outside the mold and the usual!

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

TitanMusic responds:

Thank you Samulis for the detailed criticism and suggestions. I really appreciate it from someone with your experience. Unfortunately the links don't work but I went through a number of your songs just to see what I am doing wrong etc.

I really need to work on my mixing and mastering(I think this is the first song which I have actually attempted post production editing)

Although I agree that melody is important, with this type of music (Trailer Music) I am still trying to get the basics down. (Fast "Epic" rhythmic pieces) I shal try work on more melody with the next compositions.
Thanks again!

[Raiders in the Dark]

I like the feel you have here. Definitely cinematic.

When the trumpet comes in at 0:31ish, consider having it an octave up... the timbre in the lower range is not very pleasing. Also, the strings' panning (both violins and cellos) seems a bit extreme and they seem quiet thus. Perhaps consider bringing them a bit closer to everyone else...

You could also have a bit more of a transition into 0:40 from the chord, perhaps the 60" gong full crash (I think it's on F) at a fortissimo. Also, you could probably get away with boosting up timpani a bit. Cinematic music generally has booming, fairly reverbed percussion.

Your taiko drum could use a bit more reverb to it or perhaps even some light doubling on bass drum, just to give it that extra ooomph.

The general feel almost reminds me of some mid-1900s war movie (plus taiko drums)... it has a cinematic nature, but it isn't so overblown like most modern hollywood scores.

Overall a good piece. :)

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

[Remembrance]

You have a good sense of emotion, but you are lacking so much in orchestration! Where's the harp? Where's the sorrowful cry of oboe? Where's the moody clarinet in its lower register? What even about vocals or a choir? A full orchestra and more can express so much more than mere strings can and shows so much more mastery of the palette than just strings alone (it is like a pencil sketch vs. a full oil painting). Trust me, it's worth experimenting with at the least. If you aren't sure about ranges, emotions, etc. hit me up, I'd be more than glad to show you some great resources and give you some instrument-specific advice.

While emotion is arguably the most important part of any work, equally important is the extent to which that emotion is expressed. Right now, this piece doesn't really pull me that much. I don't feel the tears. Sure, it's sad, but it's not really that "homely" sound you would want to hear. Most of the emotion is because of the tempo. I can promise you if I sped this up just a bit, it would sound like a heroic anthem. Thus it's really not too far from neutrality. The effect could be enhanced by, as already stated, using more instruments in their various best roles to fit this music, using choirs, and adding a bit more "light" to be piece- harp arpeggios, metallic percussion, cymbals, etc. might help.

The subject matter also doesn't fit the song specifically either. Listening to the song blindly would make me instead think rather of a gentle forest setting (I can practically hear the birds chirping away in my head). It needs a bit more of a grandeur, a heroic sound to show that symbolism of servicemen and women. Right now it sounds like a peaceful forest. Imagine yourself in the shoes of the people affected- imagine yourself as the wife/husband of a soldier lost in war! Imagine your lover or relative going off to war, watching them drive off. Tap into that raw emotion there, not just what is in your head or your heart, but what COULD be in your head or heart.

The strings arrangement itself is fair enough... the parts are too liquid for me- no idea what is going on or where the melody is most of the time. Counter-melodies should come out, by panning, volume, or pitch... which is hard when you limit yourself like so to strings. You could also do a bit more of a call-and-response style with the motifs you decided to use in the piece, for instance, having violin I and violas play one line, then having cellos and violin II play a "reply" motif, like at 00:10 to 00:12 where the violins and violas hold that note, put something embellishing it there with another instrument that is in a different area (pan), volume, or pitch (range)! More motion spread around more sections = more emotion spread around the score.

I could hear a lot more work going into this... this seems very simple and plain- suitable more for an underscore in a movie (indeed it has an excellent cinematic sound)... It's mostly linear/wandering in its form and has some more modern/pop ideas.

I heavily recommend you move this and any similar works you have to the new "cinematic genre", in which this would be much more suitable (perhaps warranting a 4.5 or 5 out of 5).

All in all a decent piece. I think you could work much harder and make a more interesting piece in the future!

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

[A Carnival Dance]

Good work here, you keep creating great works! :)

0:40 is crying for some gorgeous horn or upper woodwind (flute? oboe?) solo over it until 1:14 when the viola (?) takes over.

Consider replacing the cymbals with tambourine for more of that folky-dance feel, or adding tambourine on the side. Also, some tenor drum or hand drum never hurts with this. The bassline is very nice and string arrangement is excellent.

Also, the ending could have a bit more finality to it. Consider looking into cadences (not drum cadences; the other kind) if you haven't already, they help a lot with closure in endings. Also look at how this sort of music would be typically finished- perhaps look at some folk dance music or such and look at that for inspiration; some genres have very defined ways of ending a piece such as a hold or an arpeggio or such.

Emid responds:

Hmm. These are certainly great ideas. Its always fun to create different moods in your piece; dark, happy, sad, folk, regal etc which give you different dimensions and of course learned opinion like this. And not to forget ... an incredible experience. Your ideas and instructions are always on the top for which I am indebt thankful to you.

[Return to the Badlands]

Sounds nice. Consider the Cimbalon (sp.) in Gypsy too... it has a great low end and offers a good bass (see my piece El Cid- has the Spanish Steel + Cimbalon). Really also sounds like it could deal with some tambourine... that'd add a lot to it, even just hits on every other beat and a few shakes here and there.

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

Phyrnna responds:

I did consider it, but I opted to not use it based on my friend's requirements for the song.

[~SW~ Pale Blue Dot]

I've heard this piece as it comes along... your work always amazes me with the amount of detail and professional level of the finished project. Listening on my mixing phones in a state of awe. :P

I really like the various sound effects you use from time to time in the background to augment the percussion... really adds a bit more of the ambient feel. Your pads are also incredible and very well utilized.

I'm really a fan of Camo's gentle side of trumpet playing- I know too many trumpet players who just blast mindlessly on the thing, but he can really make it sing... and you put the right reverb on it to match the soundscape so perfectly.

10/10, no question. I can't really comment much on composition, as this genre is not something I know much about or can compare much to.

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

SkyeWint responds:

Mixing = fun for me at this point. ...at least, if I'm not trying to redo the mixing of a previous song.

The various sound effects are mainly from Guitar rig, a LOT of delays and stuff. The pads are all pretty much directly out of Omnisphere.

Camo's trumpeteering was pretty awesome, honestly. The main "reverb" on it was actually a delay - cool thing about it, delays can sound almost exactly like reverb if done right.

Hey, I'm fine with any composition comments you can give on anything. :) Say what you think it could use!

I shall most definitely continue!

[Memories]

I still don't know how you manage to make your percussion sound so good... great work. :D

The modern touch is really well done and doesn't override the orchestra too much as sometimes happens. I do wish there was a bit more orchestra behind it or even some choir for added effect.

I really enjoy the chord progressions you chose. They work well for the feel you are going for. The instruments too are well chosen and used.

Keep compos(ed/ing)! :)
-Samulis

Emid responds:

Percs are from Best Service Ethnic World and yes I did work hard on it due to different factors which might not be noticeable as listener. This is also an experimental piece using LASS violin and Altiverb, so was a bit of headache. And yeah...chord progression is the easiest and I think a creative one for any layman type composer like me and also for the feel as you said. Thank you Samulis for your insight as always.

[At Dawn]

Great buildup to start. Percussion is nice- a lot of people forget to use the triangle, but it's always a good taste. This is the first piece of yours I've heard that has more of an orchestral style to the percussion- more transparent and focused on moving the piece along. You've definitely come a long way since the first 'classical' piece of yours I listened to. :)

Consider using brass instruments (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba). They have both a great strident sound and a very good gentle sound when quieter. Mixing-wise, your flute was a bit quiet, perhaps consider boosting it up a little bit at times.

You really are reaching more towards a good setup with some identifiable melodies, sounding good!

Consider other options for counter-melodies OTHER than arpeggios (the up-and-down motion). There are lots of different approaches to counter-melodies that work.

Perhaps the best tip I ever found was "keep it fresh". It's important to have identifiable melodies and some sort of continuity in the piece to hold everything together, but sometimes a new instrument, a new key, or a new chord progression/melody can go a long way in holding listeners.

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

Luc0z responds:

Thanks for the review, really helps me out alot. Near the end I will admit that I got a bit lazy and decided not to add in a new melody just yet, and that I'd upload it to hear what people think first. Also, I tried using some brass instruments but it seemed a bit of a hassle trying to master them to blend in with the other instruments without overloading the mid frequencies (even when I tried to reduce the mids, but this is definitely something I will look into.) I am thinking of a counter-melody alongside a slight variation of chords in the prominent melody you hear throughout the piece, building up yet again to a simple chord progression on its own and finally making it's way effectively to the end. I do have ideas for this, I just need to find the time and inspiration for further extension (it has always bothered me when trying to extend a piece as long as two minutes, but this one is the closest I've been to a full instrumental.) Again, thank you for the review! I may even look into some of my unfinished projects and import some melodies from those after playing around with them a bit.

[Give this a title (WIP)]

Your classical-pop style is always interesting- you have a lot of good ideas both from a more classical background and a more pop background, so it's neat.

Something to consider working with in future works from this is a certain "main melody" and other melodies that form up a piece in a sort of structure, where one idea comes and goes into another, but some of the same ideas are still there. Too much variation and the listener will get lost! Too little (like many pop songs) and they will be bored to tears! It is a hard balance to find. :)

[Visceral Cycle]

I like the feel you have here. A lot more classical in style than the last... almost reminds me a bit of Aaron Copland's Rodeo in the way you have the parts play after the strings introduction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXik DnYZYpM). He's definitely a cool dude to check out the work of if you have time. :)

It has a bit of an eastern feel to it, which is a neat effect.

Luc0z responds:

Thanks for your time with these reviews, I really appreciate it :)