HouseMasta's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[A world so cold]

MAC Oct Christmas Review

This is the MAC Oct Christmas Review for A world so cold.

the start things off, i didnt expect vocals. major props for that and it will probably give you the edge... but lets not rush ahead hear.

the song is slow; something good for Christmas as itll help relax you in front of a fire.

The vocals were drowned out in some parts, but its ok i guess as i could still hear him. He was also off key in certain areas, but hey, this is NG, so no biggy. The 2 singers added a good contrast. the guitar was a nice effect too.

I really dont have much else to say. the song was meant to be a vocal/guitar piece and it delivered.

time to get to the nitty gritty
10/10 Originality - singing your own tune is instantly a 10 by me. especially if you can do it well.
9.2/10 Clarity - no problems here, quality was fine but i hear some scratches from the mic
8.7/10 Diversity - just 2 singers and guitar. what else can i say.
9.3/10 Effort - you guys made your own song, thats some effort.
8.8/10 Appeal/Catchiness - i wouldnt be singing this ever, but it appealed to me nonetheless
8.9/10 my overall score - you did a swell job, congrats

Adjusted MAC Overall Score 82.3

~HouseMasta~
5/5 vote

DarKsidE555 responds:

I have to say, if you didn't review my entry, I would have been 20 th place or so. This is really the only review that really is deserved. Not want to sound arrogant but this song was hardly underrated in the MAC.

Well, thanks for taking the time you put in your review and thanks for the vote!

[Greensleeves (MAC6)]

MAC Oct Christmas Review

This is the MAC Oct Christmas Review for your remix entitled "Greensleeves."

I was going to give you a higher score, but then you threw in the techno synths and that just destroyed the mood for me >:( lol

anyway, lets start with positives. The song was pretty damn good for a remix, ive never heard it done like this before. the main melody at the beginning should be brought out more though, it can be hard to hear it in some places. remember, NG doesnt have Equalizers...

the flute part was like a curve ball into my brain. it reminded me of Robin Hood, but it was a very nice breakdown to new instruments. it was a nice tough though, but the techno part after. it just doesnt fit AT ALL. next time, reconsider the choice of your instruments. Organ, flute, then techno synth? doesnt fit, see?

i was expected a heavier Kick too when the snare came in and not just toms. maybe lower them an octave each to give more depth.

i also noticed no bass, but thats ok, i dont think this song needed one.

As a Christmas Song, i have to say yes [duh] as its remix of Christmas songs.

overall, i enjoyed it except for the Godforsaken techno part. time to break it down to the nitty gritty.

4.8/10 Originality - not you songs, so i had to score low.
9.1/10 Clarity - very good sounding overall, except for sound levels here and there
10/10 Diversity - if i didnt give you a perfect 10 here, id be lying.
9.7/10 Effort - a lot of work must have been done. congrats i guess lol
9.6/10 Appeal - even the techno part cant hinder this song from being kickass
9.2 My Overall Score - loved it

Adjusted MAC Overall Score - 79
it not being an original costs you points since all the others im reviewing are originals [as far as i can tell]

NOTE: im going to give you a 9/10 on this review and a 5 vote. congrats

attemptedperfection responds:

hahaha, sorry I offended you with my techno synths, but I'm glad you liked the rest of it. thanks for the review!

[Snowman Dance]

MAC Oct Christmas Review

This is a MAC Oct Christmas Review for your song Snowman Dance.

Ok lets start things off with the positive features. the main theme was pretty good and the song flowed well. the breakdowns were nice, as they offered a little variety. the drums kept it going throughout most of the song too.

Things you need improvement on.
First off, the guitar just doesn't sound right here, but i guess its about preference. it also peaks at some places.

th breakdown with your synth and guitar would soung so much cooler if you used the filter and some panning effects. i would have enjoyed it more.

Your song was also all treble. Bass is needed badly to give it some contrast. running bass lines would work really well here.

lastly, the end cuts off in order to have it loop back to the beginning. while this is ideal for flash, or even NG in general, as a regular song, its a nightmare. a nice breakdown to the ending would be nice.

and as a Christmas Song, it has a lot of potential, but it just doesnt cross the boundary of being a full blown Christmas song.

heres the nitty gritty
9.6/10 Originality - 100% you im assuming, but one of the synth runs sounded familiar. maybe its me...
8.4/10 Clarity - it peaks in some areas, hurting my ears.
9.3/10 Diversity - techno? yea i guess so
8.8/10 Effort - you probably work on this for more than 10 min, so thats good
8.6/10 Appeal - catchy tune, but still needs a better of mix than just 2 instruments.
8.2/10 My Personal Score - not bad, but it needs to be worked on still.

Adjusted MAC Overall Score - 76

~HouseMasta~

[Christmas All Along]

MAC Oct Christmas Review

This is the MAC Oct Christmas Review for your Song Christmas All Along

Overall, its not a bad song, but there are a lot of problems to be worked out. First, i dont think you used the mixer at all. theres no contrast between instruments. No reeverb, filters, panning, anything. that will cost you dearly, as it makes the song sound very flat.

The opening bell theme was pretty cool and i think you should have incorporated it into the song towards the middle or end.

The piano sample youre using, along with the strings are trash - pure and simply. you can tell you used crummy samples when the notes when higher, they got shorter. you desperately need to get more VSTs or master the hell out of it.

The ending was another let down. i was expecting the bells again or something. just one note from the bass isnt going to cut it with this.

And Lastly, it doesnt really have that Christmas feel, besides the bells and the shaker...

Heres how yor score is going to break down.
10/10 Originality - its all yours as far as i can tell.
6.8/10 Clarity - need to work with the mixer desperately
7.5 Diversity - i wouldnt classify this as pop. tis ok though, youre new at this.
9.2/10 Effort - im giving you a high score here, as its your first song. not bad at all
9/10 Appeal - not a bad tune!
7.3 My Score - Overallm, this song sounds like it needs to polished up a lot.

josh-tamugaia responds:

Hi Housemasta. I would like to thank you a lot for the review. Other judges gave me like 2/10. I can tell that some judges just ditch the composition and give those lousier tunes but better samples better scores, like 4/10. You are the different one.

I have to tell you, I am definely a better composer than an arranger/mixer. I write the notes and I can give it to a band and play it for me, but making the instruments sound good is not my thing, though I am learning to better myself at it.

btw, what is a VST?

Am I gonna join another NG audio contest? Not in the near future, and maybe not at all.

Also, being accused of stealing this song (by one of the forum guys) isn't really my idea of encouragement. Probably those who gave me low scores were the ones who really thought I stole this song and did not have any way to prove it (because I did not steal it) so the only way to get back at me was to give me 2/10. Pretty smart.

[The First Sled Ride--_--(2:16)]

MAC Oct Christmas Review

This is the MAC Oct Christmas Review for your song entitled "The First Sled."

I have to say, right off the bat, i was impressed on how it actually sounded. Very nice choice of instruments.

Ok, time to the nitty gritty. The piano volume lowered significantly when the notes were higher up in the octave scale. why is that?

As for a Christmas song, its one of those songs thats almost there, but just cant reach it. if you added Christmas Bells or Regular Bells in certain parts for contrast, i think it would give the song the perfect Christmas feel.

the last thing that bothers me it the ending. i was hoping for something other than a fadeout. maybe some chimes or a big build up or even a fade out as a whole song with all the instruments still playing...

Overall, i think its a worthy submission for the MAC Oct Christmas one.

Ok, here we go
9.7/10 Originality - good melody
7.9/10 Clarity - few volume issues, nothing to be worried about
9.6/10 Diversity - im voting on high because this sound doesnt sound like jazz. its more orchestral, or instrumental.
9.1/10 Effort - i can tell you put some effort into this if its over 2 minutes long
9.4/10 Appeal - besides some minute details, this song is very catchy
9.0/10 My Overall Score - The song is almost perfect, but it still has some issues it needs to work out.

Overall Adjusted MAC Score 83.5

~HouseMasta~

[DJ Santa's dance club]

MAC Oct Christmas Review

Ok Heres the MAC Oct Christmas Review for your song, DJ Santa's Dance Club.

Overall, it was a very plain piece. There was basically a main synth, a drum kick, and bells [+chimes at the end]. The song would have sounded better with some counter melodies from strings or even a running walk with bass.

Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that the main melody was on the upbeats of the song. i think the song would have sounded much better if they were on the downbeats with the kick and instead, put the bells on the upbeats.

The Chimes at the end were a very good touch, however, its not enough to keep the listener interested. I give this a 7/10 and a Vote of 3.

10/10 Originality - all yours
10/10 Clarity - no clipping
5.8/10 Diversity - sounds like very bland techno
6.7/10 Effort. With one melody, how can i give you more?
7.8/10 Appeal - the tune is catchy, but again, needs to be beefed up with some other instruments
7/10 - My overall score.

Adjusted Overall MAC Score 60.1

Last Note: this song has potential, try to fix it up and add some mixer effects like panning or filters and itll sound really good!

~HouseMasta~

[Deviant Soul]

wow, absolutely breathtaking

everything i ever wanted in an Ambient song. tons of Pads, Snare Rim, nice kicks.

my only concern was the "main theme" i guess. i dont know, it just didnt really connect with the song fully, but im still going to give you the freakin 10 because i enjoyed it that much.

be proud, as this song should be higher.

fifened,
~HM~

[WG-Fighting Spirit-Naruto]

very good job!!!

hey not bad at all! congrats on this being your first gold track! im sure more will follow after.

i liked the main melody of this song, although it hurt my ears at some parts.

other than that, fantastic job man!

-Steve

Weapongod30 responds:

Hey, thanks for reviewing! I don't know if I will have any other gold tracks though, I'm am off the AP indefinitly! Oh well. Anyways thatnks for the review my man!

~WG

[Cotton Field Blues]

much better

great job, i like it. it sounds a little under-filtered in the beginning, but its not bad.

RadRacer responds:

under filtered eh? Don't really know what you mean by that but thanks for the review

[two mexicans]

not bad

but its about mexicans. thats just racist i guess. i hate to give you a bad review, but seriously. racism isnt cool

ill review another one of your songs and give you a better score...

RadRacer responds:

so fuckin what? It's not racism just because theyres mexicans in it . . . weiririririririrrdooo