Score: 8

"very good !"

submission: Super Mario Galaxy - Bouy Base

date: October 18, 2009

Not bad !

The chiptune with pads on the backgrounds sounds really nice.
I really appreciate the fact you actually mentioned VGMusic as being your MIDI provider, because a good portion of people posting video games song are in fact using MIDI files for VGM, claiming the entire song to be their own etc.
This is stealing ...
But anyways !

I do have 2 issues with your song. I know it's just some experiment, but you might want advices if not just don't read this LOL.
First of all, your square-ish lead is bit too high-pitch it's not pleasant for your ears after 1or 2 listens !! WHat you can do is lower its volume, or use one of Fl Studio's Equalizers :)
Also, ironically I found your song lacks depth. By that I mean low-pitch bass. Square basses usually sounds nice. A bass note from time to time would have been nice. Although THIS is really MY opinion, it's really up to you to decide !!!

:)

I think your experiment turned good ! Keep up the great work !!!

=)

Score: 9

"Wow !!! :)"

submission: Sleepy Village

date: August 24, 2009

Cool !

Like the previous 2 people said, it sounds like a WesternRPG game, like Fable and Oblivion !

It sounds really good :)

Personally I would have called it town life, or something like that rather sleepy village, because your song is a bit too energetic at times to be representating a village, sleeping ;)

Also my main criticism would be your dynamics. Don't get me wrong : they VERY well made. It flows very well with your song, but they are a bit too aggressive to my taste. That's just ME though ! I find that suddenly the takes volume momentum (like at 2:40), there's a cymbal crash then quiet again !
The end was perfect though, because it sounded like if you were foreshadowing a higher ending volume :)

ALSO, it just be my earphones that deceives me, but I don't hear much bass instruments. If I get it right I think I hear a contrabass both in staccato and in legato :) Now do you video game music composer Jeremy Soule ? (Morrowind, Oblivion, Total Annihilation, Neverwinter Nights etc.) you should check him out if you don't know him because your style is really similar :)
What was I saying again ? LOL ! YES ! Your contrabass ! I think you use your contrabass more often, so to fill your song with all sort of notes from all the range of the EQ :)

That's just me though o:)
Anyways : great work ! Keep it up !

Score: 8

"Great !"

submission: Rêves Mystiques

date: July 15, 2009

First thing I notice is that you answered to every review posted on the song ! That's nice of you !

Now on to the music ! Rêves Mystiques ! Mystical Dreams ! That's a great name, however you could have translated in your comment so everyone knows, but on the other hand it's your choice if you want the title to remain as mystical as the song ;)

The intro is quite strange for such a title, but after the second listen I was OK with it. Maybe a bit too robotic, not soft enough ?
The pad at 0:20 works perfectly with the bass and kick drum ! That's great.
The violin that follow is really suited to the atmosphere, so is the piano. I love the synth at 1:15 followed by the ensemble, it sounds great. The clarinet (or oboe) is also suited to ambiance of the song.
At 1:41, the rhythm comes in. I think your snare is a bit too aggressive, it sounds a little too military if you see what I mean. I wouldn't have mind that, if the rhythm wasn't so irregular. Well yes, your rhythm does follows a pattern, but it doesn't sound regular, it sounds rather awkward.
Great piano pattern at 2:00.
At 2:44 NICE piano transition ( I should do that next time I compose something involving a piano) it was slowing down, but all of the sudden the piano is here to shaken things up !

The conclusion is not a fancy one, but simple ending works. But the volume of your flute or clarinet or oboe (or something else ?) and the very, very end, is too high, I think. It would have been better with something calm, to complete the mystical dream !

A bassline (even if sometimes it was following the melody) is present and that's great ! Bass frequency fills up the song !

So the only problem I have are the rhythm pattern, the choice of drum and at times, their volume that was ALMOST too high.

That's what I think of your song ! Great work with great potential you have here.
I hope I'll see you in "best of the week" in the future !

BromineFlare

PS. (you're going to say at the end of your comment : "Thanks for the review, Gravey" LOL ! Or will you ?!?!?)

Score: 7

"Not bad !"

submission: B&Kazooie Grunty Battle -Orch-

date: July 4, 2009

Wow ! Not bad at all !
I have 2 criticism though : First being, there's too much reverb at times, it becomes annoying, the melody is hard to catch. Your Chinese Gong's volume (that big cymbal thing) should be lowered, it's too loud.
The Second, being, you probably ripped the MIDI file found in vgmusic.com, didn't you ?

Anyways, it's a rather good edit of that song. Please be careful with reverb and volumes :)

Score: 8

"Almost perfect !"

submission: Tetris: Dark World

date: June 28, 2009

It's almost a perfect song ! I love the idea and how you organized your patterns. I also enjoy the little things like those heavy piano chords from times to times, or the choir in the Tetris theme.

I do have one issue with the electric guitar though. Don't get me wrong, I love rock and everything, but I find that the guitar is like an intruder. The idea of using it is good, however it's too present in your mix, and I think :
- Or it should not be there,
- Or the volume should be lowered during the Tetris' theme patterns.
Also the guitar, which has a somewhat rough feel that makes a rather brutal contrast with the rest of the instruments that are somewhat calm and soft.

Except that, it's a great idea I love it, and you did a good job ! Well done !

Score: 7

"Great but ..."

submission: Im a Scatman![kittycat84]

date: June 28, 2009

You song is great but you don't use it at its full potential !
I hear two major flaws :
- First it's too irregular, I had to listen to it in loop before to get your melody, that we don't hear enough. There's variations, yes, but you might want to create new patterns
- Too much breaks !!!! There are too much places where it's silent (except for the drum), I don't mind that, what I mind however is the rhythm quickly annoying and boring.

It's a great song, but they are lots of things you can do to make it better :D

Score: 9

"Lovely robotic !"

submission: [SD] Electronic City!

date: April 13, 2009

It has a a very robotic atmosphere, indeed, and blended with that sort of techno - trance - ambiance elements, it makes something quite unique. My main critique would be that it misses an optional distinct bass line (I say optional, because it's not necessary, but would have been nice with all those synth effects =D )
Except that, it's very good song !
Well done

Score: 10

"Great song !!!"

submission: Popcorn [EON Remix]

date: March 21, 2009

Usually, I note some things that composers can improve, but I can't on this one !
There's a great ambiance and it is impressively well remixed.
Good job there !

Score: 8

"Not bad !"

submission: Zelda Oot - Water Temple

date: March 12, 2009

Really well done !
It makes a cool ambiance music :)

Score: 6

"Hum ...."

submission: Mortal kombat mix

date: February 23, 2009

Well ...
Let's start positively, there's the melody, the bassline (well kinda), and the rythm which unfortunately stops right after it began. They all fit together. The idea of a MK loop is actually good. You offer variation beginning around 0:23, so the listener don't get bored too quickly.

Now, there is much room. Let's start by the samples. The samples, man, THE SAMPLES ! Use a "saw" effect of your string thingy, it's too ... let's say brutal ! It's not soft enough. After listening 2 times to your loop, even if my volume was relatively low, my ears were hurting ! Choose your samples (or instruments, if you prefer) CAREFULLY !
That being said, you need to add stuff. It's not "filled" enough. What you could do, is adding a synth string to make the chords.
For example, (while using FL Studio) if you want a classical approach, choose Sytrus/Synthstrings/ Violon Ensemble 2. Then, add the chords in the piano roll, around C4, an octave below the normal C (C5), and lower the volume a bit.
If you want a more techno approach, choose Sytrus/SynthStrings/ Basic. That you can keep around C5, but still , lower the volume a bit.

Then add some rythm. You can do this with the Kick, Clap, Hat and snare already given, OR you try to make something using a drum plugin named FPC (Channels/Add one/ FPC).

That's just suggestion, there's much more you could do, but keep in mind that for a successful song, there SHOULD be 4 things :
- Melody
- Bassline
- Rythm
- Chords (or Arpeggios, denpending on the type of music)

I hope you'll considerate my advices !
Good luck if your next composition !