PIED3's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Not My Mistake]

I actually liked the panning on the bass but the strings fading in and out didn't work very well i don't think. Good driving opening that gets me in to the mood of the song and doesn't let me get bored because of the new instruments constantly being introduced. The very short acoustic guitars at 0:51 and 0:56 are a little loud though. I don't think a hip-hop style rap would go well with this but it's hard to tell until you've heard it. Some singing could be nice. The melodies were a bit too static for my liking, they rose a bit but always fell back to the same base note and that got repetitive. That's probably the worst thing about the song really, the melodic and harmonic stagnancy. You tried expanding it abit with the guitar at 2:50 but even then everything else just droned on and it felt to burst out. I really did like the deeper more rhythmic bass and drum parts and there are nice riffs throughout. Good luck with future work!

Skcy3 responds:

I see exactly what you're talking about with the melody constantly going back to the same note, it's something I never really thought about until you just pointed it out. I'll try and avoid that in future work,thanks for the review, it means a lot.

[Happiness is Hopeless]

The main aspect of this i enjoyed were the lovely melodies. I found them a strange blend of melancholy pensiveness and a stirring sense of joy. Definitely very well crafted as was this whole composition. I think the echoing on the piano at the start might have been a bit much but the richer deeper piano sound at 0:25 more than made up for it.
In fact most of the timbres and synths were good throughout barr the strings (and symbols) at 1:30 which sounded a little santized and artificial and the bass drum at the end (3:58) which was really quite jarring and far too loud. You introduced some dissonance and devloped the tune mid way through and that kept me engaged despite a fairly repetitive song structure.
The more jazzy parts at 3:00 were just too perfect. It was then that i knew this song was one to download and add to my collection. A really charming piece that i'm sure i'll be listening to lots over the summer and that has inspired me to go check out your other works and fan you. Keep it up!

Supersonic63Leo responds:

Thank you very much! I'm flattered

[Ghost In The Synth]

Thick deep throbbing synths that swim around my ears are great even when alone. I think you needn't have made this song so rushed, i wanted a bit more time to explore the first bass synth before the chords (?) came in over the top. Perhaps i'm just a bit too patient with drones type things but i really would have liked this to be a lot longer and slower. Still, as it is there's a sadness to it that sets a nice tone. Good luck with future work!

AlxEllis responds:

Thank you very much for the review...perhaps an extended version I'll make?

Glad you enjoyed it anyhow :)

[Electric Demons]

If you're unsure about the genre stick it in Misc. cause then nobody can complain.
I like the synths and the percussion but i really dislike the lack of melody. Far too much of the song is just one note cutting in and out for 2 bars and then another one cutting in and out for 2 bars. Sure, they played out interesting rhythms but what would have been really nice is if each note of the rhythm was different and produced some roving melody. You sort of do this later on around 1:20 but even then you just repeat the same arpeggio over and over. If it is techno then repetition is to be expected but i can't say i like it. Some parts where you did have more of a melody were really dissonant and seemingly random, the notes formed no recognizable flow or key and it seemed sharp on the ears. You embraced this sharpness towards the end and i think it worked better there as it seemed more like a style than a mistake. Definitely had the feel of robots malfunctioning or some virtual madness.

Seismoz responds:

Thanks a lot for your detailed review!

[Robot Love Song]

Heh heh, awesome. The mixing was a little off and at times it was hard to hear your voice but from what i could make out of the lyrics i liked. The timing of the opening sample robot grumbling was a little misstimed i think. It sort of pulled me out of the flow. I also didn't like the very short rap segments inbetween the singing sections, in fact, that was probably the worst thing about this: the song structure. It was way too short and whilst it had a decent intro that got me excited it never went anywhere. I think if you'd actually had verses of rap and a hook with the singing you could have something pretty nice here, but as, it's a little lacking. A nice song for robot day regardless!

[Wish's]

I really enjoy the use of pitch bends in this. Those sliding notes are very fresh and funky. The start was enjoyable and interesting but i didn't really like the drums when the first entered. They felt a bit too uniform and repetitive in comparison to the sweetness of the other synths i'd been enjoying up till then. THe drums at 1:58 were much better i think. Fit the mood better and felt a little more grand. I liked pretty much all of the synths and the melodies though the main droning/chord synth that was there from the start could be a little better. It sounded a bit to gratey on my ears. I can't really express very clearly what it is i don't like about it but perhaps you understand my meaning. Perhaps it's the slightpanning it has that i don't like.
As a whole i liked the song and think with a little work and a slightly more interesting song structure it could be something really neat. Keep at it!

deathnerd responds:

Ty sir and yes I do know what you mean about "the droning/chord" thanx for the feedback and will be working on it a bit longer. see where she takes me.

[El Rodeo (Kyuss Cover)]

Can i hear crickets in the background? This song certainly has a nice and relaxed feel but i haven't heard the original so i can't really judge how well it compares. I thought the riffing up until 2:20ish was a little dull. Yes there were some nice melodies but it all seemed a little aimless and i was waiting for it to go somewhere. Of course there's only so much you can do with solo guitar but i still feel it was a little bland. When the chords came in it started to feel a little more structured and i could get into it more. Still though i think a lone guitar strumming chords really doesn't make for the most enthralling music. Have you thought about trying some multitracking? Singing? Percussion?
Just something to add a little more variety to the piece and to allow for more complex structure. As is it remains a failry nice piece that could really do with some filling. It's like a sandwhich with only bread. The bread's nice though. So you just wish there was some ham with it. And tomatoes. hmm and perhaps some salami too...
If you can't sing try getting a buddy to or try multitracking. Good luck!

Viper responds:

yeah i know...but i dont really have any "buddies" to do multitracking and i cant sing the song otherwise i would have at least to do so...im seriously considering taking this down and either re-recording it or just keeping it down ._.

but thanks i suppose...

[The Machinery]

Very dramatic melody! That motif really did sound like a villains theme and i could almost feel his treachery through my headphones. The synths were nice and proffesional sounding but i think the mixing could do with a little work as it all sounded a little weak to me (i.e soft). I also think the composition could have been improved by having at 0:30 a melody join that had double the speed (i.e if the original was quavers, this new melody be semi-quavers) over the top. Because whilst the piece had some good tension it felt more like an introduction than a finished song, i was waiting for it to burst! To explode! And sadly it never did. Definitely shows a lot of potential for a more fleshed out song though and it neatly fits it's purpose as a villians theme. Good work!

Witcherrage responds:

Firstly i considered it as a loop so i didnt make the "burst" you were talking about. I will make a longer and heavier verision though. Thanks for advices.

[Chillstepchik]

Well it's certainly chill. I can imagine it being used in a night time city scene of some film. Despite it's relaxed ambience it also made me feel some underlying menace. Perhaps it's just how deep and potent that bass synth sounds but i really sense some threat underlying this piece. I liked all your melodies and i think you did a good job with at keeping it interesting with the variety of different synths and rhythms that join as the song moves along. Despite the songs repetitive nature i never found myself getting bored with it, rather i just got more and more absorbed. In fact the more i listen to it as i write out this review the more i grow to like it. Very catchy tunes throughout. Only thing i'd suggest is making it loop as it definitely feels like it could holp up even whilst playing for eternity. The fade out at the end's sort of a cop out but then again it's fairly standard with this sort of music for allowing mixing with other songs etc. so i'm not sure if i can complain.
I'm rambling now so i'll stop and say i really have grown to like this and shall be downloading it, putting it in my ipod and playing it my car when i go out driving. Great work!

[Alladin`s dream]

I almost thought it was a real orchestra until the strings came in! But that was mainly because it sounded a little dampened like might happen with a live recording. So i think the synths were a little lacking, the drums were nice but the strings had too fast and smooth an attack. I'm not sure what software you're using or if it'd be possible but varying the speed of the instruments attack at different parts could help make it sound more natural.
However i think the main element of this piece is the composition. Which i really liked! Lot's of interesting melodies that really captured an "Aladdin" feel. I liked the variation of monophony and polyphony and the chords that sort of broke off into melodies. I loved the part at 0:58 with the wind instrument and the metallic sounding percussion, very magical and enigmatic.
So all in all i really did enjoy the piece though i felt it was rather let down on the technical side by dodgey synths and bad mixing.

Shredator responds:

Thanks, i really appreciate this! I know almost nothing about mixing and how the synths work, just year playing in real orchestra and in orchestration. I need some book on technicall side.