Excellent work on this!
for some reason though, the flute soundfont sounded a bit low-quality to me compared to the rest of it... still very enjoyable. The only other thing that I noticed was the lack of a harp. What sinfulness! XD
if you feel up to adding to it, throw in a harp gliss or two... they're cliche, but used often in "Orch-irish" stuff.
Once again, great work on this. *gives payment of peanut butter cookies and whole chocolate milk... virtual of course*
Good morning! Up late listening to irish music, are we?
"the flute soundfont sounded a bit low-quality to me compared to the rest of it..."
Now that's odd. I thought the two flute sounds I had used sounded nice... oh well. That was possibly because they were both in each ear, so less realistic than most. I love flutes though. xD
"if you feel up to adding to it, throw in a harp gliss or two"
Sure, I might do a bit of that. ^_^
"Once again, great work on this. *gives payment of peanut butter cookies and whole chocolate milk... virtual of course*"
YES. Thankies! :D
And since you didn't say it...
Keep composed(ing)!
Great work here building an effective "soundscape" and combining the electronic and 'acoustic' elements. I've known you for your work on rather light pieces, and now it's neat to hear someone else take on the dark side too.
For some odd reason, this reminded me of the Eric Whitacre piece "Godzilla Eats Las Vagas", which is pretty entertaining to listen to. Both pieces have a rather contemporary feel, but his is all orchestral I believe. Perhaps one thing to consider would be a bit more change, unless you're going for that semi-minimalist feel where all the patterns/motifs seem to loop.
Great work here man, can't wait to see what the judges think!
Excellent work. :D
I enjoyed the use of dissonance. Your piano responses around 1:20-1:30 might be more interesting if you added more to them... The motif reminds me of the Hogwarts theme for the Harry Potter films. I also liked the use of woodwinds... something I need to do more. :/
Excellent work overall on this, good luck in the contest!
-Samulis
Well to receive a 5-star review from you, that's certainly boosted my confidence :D
There is certainly more I could do with the piano - and originally, that segment was much better. Unfortunately, in my DAW, when you click on a track, it selects all of the patterns on that track: I was reworking the section at the very end, deleted it (not realizing all of the other sections were also selected), and saved the project. My piano playing isn't great, and most of the time it's improvised, so my original (and best) take is lost :(
Woodwinds and brass aren't my strongest sections for part writing, so that's something I really wanted to work on.
Thanks for the review!
Excellent work! It really spoke to me honestly. :)
I wish you had a stuccato piccolo part doing arpeggio stuffs (like ever-cliche Glorious Morning or Philip Glass Songs from Liquid Days)... it'd add a neat touch to it.
This match is going to be great. I really liked this piece.
Thank you! And probably after the NGADM and RAC are over, I may consider adding those touches to it. A remake is due, after all, considering I only had my integrated mic.
I'm honoured that you love this piece. x
"Shaking and Trembling"
Just listening to this... amazing work man! I'm going to have to use some crazy stuff to even make a dent against this. :D
I always have been amazed by your sheer ability to put the idea of Power into an orchestra, it's great for a strong cinematic feel... horns... trumpets... the classic Bosa Chorus of Death and Destruction and Epicness.
Out of all the pieces of yours I have heard, I can honestly say this is my favorite... it has a strong cinematic feel, enough horns to sink a battleship, and a solid flow... though I wish that fanfare lasted longer. XD
Can't wait to finish up my piece. I hope it will at least compare!
Keep compos(ing/ed)!
-Samulis
You have what it takes, my man! I am fully aware of your excellent skill, and I can easily be defeated with the right approach.
You are the king, after all!
Good work!
You kept a good beat going and the melody was catchy enough. I especially enjoyed the rubato feel of certain parts. Your mic/export is a bit muffled, so consider using a different mic or mastering the mix differently. Are you playing this live on a piano? If so, great work (sadly this isn't a compliment from someone who can legitimately play piano).
The overall feel is more like Videogame music than Classical. Sounds like something I'd hear in some short cartoon without a great stretch of imagination, so good work there. :)
Keep on compos(ing/ed)!
-Samulis
Thank you Samulis :)
I'll take your wise-hermit style advice when I make my next thing.
Oh yeah, um I do play this live -___- (but I can play stuff way better then this XD haha!). I basically directly export the sound into a recorder (via cable). It's clean, but the issue is I gotta master the recording technique for it.
P.S: It's really a videogame music? :O I thought it was more classical -__-
First off, Welcome to Newgrounds, I hope you enjoy your stay. :)
From a first impression, this piece is nice and rather pleasant to listen to, with good drums, melody, and progression. Although I dislike overly repetitive figures, you do a good job transitioning into new themes and motifs as time passes so not to bore the listener (you have that same "keep writing new passages until you find a good stopping point" mentality I have, it seems XD).
One thing you should work on is clean transitions- things like percussive rolls (cymbal, drum, etc.) to smooth over a sharp transition- in orchestral music, cymbals are your best friend.
I find the piece to have rather flat "highs" (such as around 2:00), it's barely different in volume compared to previous parts. There you must push further and transcend the bounds- be it a key change, or additional instruments (you could add a full chorus, a counter-melody on cello (consider counter-point and a running counter-melody that is prevalent), or so many other things... I did notice you added rather quietly some trumpet).
The style of the piece is very contemporary and only orchestral by the fact that it has strings. I honestly see this, no offense, best put in a sideshow of a vacation or a trip or perhaps a montage-style cut in a film. I still enjoy the piece greatly, as it does well with the chief quality of all cinematic music- to pass on emotion.
In that emotional regard, there is a rather odd side; although it is a relatively joyful piece, it has sentimental, if not sorrowful moments. This essential "two-tone" style of a happy passage and a sad passage is a really good way to go when working on original pieces.
Mixing is well done and the piece is clear.
May I ask, how long have you been composing? Have you taken classes in Composition and/or Scoring?
Good work on this piece, I hope to see more in the future. Consider posting your work in the Review Request Club thread or advertisement thread in the future though. :)
Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis
Hello, thanks for the in-depth reply! I appreciate all the time and thought you put into it and will definitely be applying some of the technique you mentioned in my next pieces. As for transitions and volume / key changes- I definitely agree and need to work on those more.
As for my own compositions: I haven't actually taken any formal theory or composition classes yet, though I am starting a Theory class next semester and an internship with my professor to begin learning modern composing techniques. At the next college I'm transferring to I will be taking formal composition classes, as the one I'm at now doesn't have anything like that. Additionally, I do not know anything above basic counter-point (such as major thirds, fifths, and sixths) and that is only because I did some very minimal self-study in it. I have been composing and arranging for maybe a year at the most now.
I am very new to Newgrounds and not sure where it's appropriate to post things yet, could you send me a link to what you just mentioned?
I believe I may have heard an earlier version of this at some point. Regardless, it's a great piece with an excellent mix of various genres and styles, between a very calm and laid back ambient feel and a strong battle feel. Chords are well selected and I love your use of tasteful dissonance. Here you've managed also to use cymbals well for your transitions, unlike many others.
The one thing that bothers me is the 'zap' sounds going on during the orchestral part, but that's just me being a stickler for orchestral. XD
I find it hard to place this piece as similar in style to any composers, but it does at time remind me of the original menu music to Civilization III if you have ever heard it, and some of the music in that game, but of course, produced at considerably higher quality.
I do have to say that it is very amazing to see such a long production... almost seven minutes is incredible regardless of style. I can hardily imagine how many instruments and different effects you had going on it and it is impressive you completed this in only one month... it's like a full score in one single piece... I can hardly find an issue with production, although the orchestral instruments do sound a bit weak in the battle part... not sure why.
Great work on this, I wish I could offer more constructive critique, but I'm afraid I cannot think of much... there are few flaws. :D
Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis
Samulis! Hey there!
"an earlier version"
...um, yes, you did. You heard this when I had just finished the orchestral part (and I used some of your feedback for completing it), and heard it when it was done as well, before I posted it.
"excellent mix of various genres and styles"
Mixing the two genres took SUCH a long time. x.x I can't even begin to express the amount of pain I went through getting them to transition properly.
"Chords are well selected and I love your use of tasteful dissonance."
Coming from a master of tasteful dissonance, I thank you very much for that compliment.
"you've managed also to use cymbals well"
I work extra-ultra-mega-hard on transitions, and beat myself up over transitions that most people would call 'awesome'.
"the 'zap' sounds"
Oh yeah, that's part of the extensive transitions in and out of the orchestral bit, since they're reminiscent of the more ambient sections. I tried to at the very least keep them in-key.
"I find it hard to place this piece as similar in style to any composers"
YES. YES. YES! THIS is possibly the best compliment you could have given me. I want to be different from other composers. And if I have to do insane stuff like this in order to get that, then I will. :D
"original menu music to Civilization III, but of course, produced at considerably higher quality."
1. I own Civ III, so yes, I do know it, and yeah, I see how it's somewhat reminiscent.
2. ...holy crap. I honestly don't know what to do with this giant flood of compliments you're giving me. I seriously love the Civ III soundtrack and respect it as some of the best music I've heard. So... wow.
"I can hardily imagine how many instruments and different effects you had going on it"
No need to. I had... 30 instruments if you don't count each percussion instrument individually, and... 69 if you do. As for effects, I surprisingly had no SFX in there whatsoever (unless you count one of the percussion things as SFX - it was the ambient non-drum-or-orchestral percussion, one of the hits you hear in the beginning, and then the reverse cymbals and stuff. The percussion with the echoes. Buuuuut, in the case of FX on instruments, I had... ...er. 52 different VSTs in my mixer, not counting things like Guitar Rig 5 (which has multiple FX things inside the VST). So yeah. Ton of crap. Actually, less than what I have in the song I'm about to be posting...
"it is impressive you completed this in only one month"
...I could have gotten it done a lot faster, honestly. But you know, school and stuff. Makes it a tad difficult to focus.
"it's like a full score in one single piece"
Okay, that has a definite reason behind it. The entire piece is meant to sum up a webcomic that's like. 1528 pages long. And counting. ...granted, it'll eventually not sum up the whole thing, but when I finished it, it did.
"the orchestral instruments do sound a bit weak in the battle part"
The orchestral instruments are weak. :< I really should get EWQL Symphonic Orchestra or something, shouldn't I... Tch. Ra first, then Stormdrum, then Symphonic Orchestra!
"there are few flaws. :D"
:D
:D:D
:D:D:D
:D:D:D:D
:D:D:D:D:D
Hey look, I made a pyramid. But yeah. That pretty much explains my happiness about that comment.
"Keep compos(ed/ing)!"
Can/will do! You too, Samulis.
-Swint
Five days and no review? I shall have to rectify this!
Take my constructive criticism with a grain of salt... from your forum post, you seem much further along in your formal theory education than I, but I hope it sounds like I am saying coherent things.
Sound and mastering is great (and I mean like EPIC)... what VST(s) are you running for this? Sounds like EWQL Symphonic Orchestra.
Honestly, there's really nothing musically "wrong" with this (probably solid evidence of your schooling), but there are some bits that could be improved upon slighty.
Melody is flowing, percussion is vivid, chord progressions are clean. My main feedback for this is to remember to make transitions into silence a bit cleaner- there's a jump at 1:31 that seems awkward as if the harpist is trying to get their pedals set or something. I'm sure any harpist would favor arppegios like that over massive glisses (blame Wagner), but think of different patterns (1,3,5,1;3,2,1,5) so they don't fall asleep on the strings. XD
The ending seems surprisingly abrupt, although it is so calm and legato. Perhaps have the harp play the chord in the mid-range and the tonic an octave below; pianissimo, right after the last chord gives out... so we have a little something to ponder on. Also, that bass drum roll could wait for the very end of the piece and the flute playing 1st, 7th, 1st (8va) (or something like that) in the last three measures might offer an interesting twist.
Although Timpani and Bass Drum can present itself as overkill sometimes, consider using one in the beginning area for very light accents of key chords.
The anvil gets a little tiring... try having one hit on one sound, then the other three on a different sound so it feels less repetitive.
Speaking of styles here... this reminds me a lot of the score for Percy Jackson and the Olympians (meh film, beautiful score- Christophe Beck), if you've ever heard it.
Well, don't be afraid to throw anything else up on Newgrounds. I can promise you the other orchestral-cinematic composers don't bite... well, at least, most of us. If you're ever interested in a collab or such, feel free to ask. I find collaborative projects to be both educational and a lot of fun, especially when you end up working with someone who has a vastly different style.
Keep compos(ing/ed)!
-Samulis
Excellent work; next Howard Shore right here. :D
The piece has a decidedly contemporary taste with the repetition... although that can bother me sometimes, I found it very fitting metaphorically regarding the rolling crests of the waves. This song is so full of strength, vitality, and emotion... I am afraid you don't give it any time to breath and simply relax... as in, just some calm strings with no fast motion... but I see that the ocean does not take breaks.
The ending is abrupt, but not so much that it throws one off. Perhaps consider giving it a bit of a slow down or a long held note on strings at the end.
I really like what you're doing here with the motion in the strings and such... have you ever heard the opening of Wagner's Das Rheingold? It's a really neat thing to listen to... it starts with some octaves, and then some horns kinda flow up out of the deep and strings take on a steady rhythmic pattern, which reminded me of this.
I love that bass drum there, but perhaps try using it a bit more than every other measure. For the absolute climax (crest of the song, if you will. :D), consider dotted-quarter, dotted-quarter, quarter or some other more complex patterns.
.mp3 isn't that bad as long as you keep it between 196 and 320kbps. If you go any lower than 196, quality degrades very noticeably. 320kbps is perceptually not that far from lossless formats such as .wav.
Overall, it's a good piece to listen to. Mastering is good, instrumentation is good.
Keep compos(ing/ed)!
-Samulis
Orchestral music, weird instruments, and sample libraries just about sums it up.
Age 29, Male
Sample Library Dev
Berklee College of Music
New England
Joined on 1/3/10
~SW~ Moon Lake in the Sun 
-Rupture- 
Hymn To The Fallen 
Propter Te 
King Samulis 
Pleasantness 
Through the Fields 
The Role of the Tides 
