Benesh's Reviews

[Study in Counterpoint Theory 6]

Well

If you are intended to create some traditional counterpoint (like bach - if this was your intention) you should get rid of all those consecutive fifths. As you know they are forbidden in the strict harmonic movement (i hope its the correct word in english), unless there arent any other options. Also the principle of counterpoint itself - moving the notes against each other, is something you should regard, especially for avoiding the consecutive fifths.
If you want some more baroque-sounding you should try to create some "always-busy"state ... more movent in the middle voice(s), ongoing harmony without stop and stuff like that.

As for a choral - i think its better using all 4 voices(to get some more full sounding), but thats maybe a personal choise.

And if you want to get a more nicer sound, you shouldnt use so much reverb (especially no "music school room"-like reverb :) ) and have some dynamic and tempo alterations (even if the tempochanges are only little).
I dont really know what i could add - its pretty short .. so ...

I give you a score of 6 and a vote of 3 - go on studying !

[Symphony of the Fight]

My opinion

I want to tell you my opinion about your track.
It feels like some parts were just put together with using percussion.
I suggest you to make some real transitions, using a buildup, or some other instrument than the percussion, playing a melody line. For example at 0:35 - its pretty sudden (maybe you wanted it that way - i dont know). To make it more convincing , i would add some crescendos in some added instruments like brass or maybe strings.
One big problem i have are the horns - they sudden appear and disappear the same way - there is a real big lack of dynamics. (same for the doublebass at the end). But you did it in the later parts - so why not there ?. The piano itself also lacks of dynamics, try to imagine someone playing this - trying to hit every key with the exact same velocity. I guess thats not easy.
Its also not free in tempo - which is understandable because of the percussion.
The doublebass has also some errors in the sound with sudden jumps (dont know how to describe it) and is very loud at all in the later passages - i would make it much more silent, and maybe adding some other strings at all.
The percusion - well its always the same, try to alter it a little bit ,adding some metals, changing the rhythm or maybe even the mesure.
Another point is the combination - the piano is playing soft but you added some harsh percussion to it. If you wanna make the listener having imagination of a "sad looking woman" you should cut out the percussion and replace it by woodwinds and strings.
At all there is not so much happening , that could make it sound boring - try to avoid too long passages where nothing new is happening - thats why i suggest to alter the percussion. You can also change the harmony of the piano - transpose it a 5th upwards or whatever- so its not everytime the same key. (at all the best part was at 1:00)
At last something about the mix - It all sounds like every instrument is in some different room. For example the horns and the doublebasses are "right in the face" overlayering the piano, because reverb is missing at all. You should place them in one room (if you wanna have some orchestral sound).
So im finished.
I give you a score of 6.5 (rounded off to 7) and a vote of 3.
Work on it, be creative, then it will work :)

cloverkid13 responds:

Wow, finally some constructive criticism! Thank you, I will get to work on some more changes and yes the horns are quite sudden and I'm not sure why the doublebass jumps like that... It might've happened during the mixing. But thanks for the feedback.
Edit: Also, I agree with 1:00 being the best =P

[.:TD Simple Orchestral Power]

Uhm...

Frist i wanna tell you my thoughts about this piece.
The first thing which leaped into my ears, was the very bad mixing.
It sounds like (and im guess im right) there is a limitier switched on. Let me give you the advice : NEVER put a limiter or compressor on classical music.
I cant barly hear the horns .. the percussion is soo loud.
Im also missing the reverb, roomsound and stereophony - which makes an big part of some more realistic sound.
You have also the so called "maschineguneffect" in your strings, because of the repitations - you can avoid it by either cyceling different samples for the same note, using RR samples or change some other midi parameters like pitch, modulation (or whatelse) for every note.
Another point is in the stereofield ... the middle is nearly complete empty just filled with the percussion right in the face.
To the composition :
There is a lot to be done...
You have called it "orchestral power" .. .but to be honest , i dont hear any power in there. So how do you create power ? For example by realeasing tension or building large chords for the whole orchestra (especially the brass) with some sort of slow percussion (bass drum for example).
You could also change that cello figure, alter it, let some other instrument play it ... put some buildup tension in there. Its just everytime the same.
Another point are dynamics (in the basses for example) - a must have. Even more for some powerful moment.
Well okay .. thats all what came to my mind right now.
Your homework is ... listen classical music (NOT hans zimmer :P), to learn by hearing.
So to answer your question, i can improve your song, but i think thats a matter of you and your work- i will only give you hints :)

I give you a score of 5 and a vote of 2.
Go and work on it - put some more time into it, if you want to improve yourself !

TomDavies responds:

Whao! What a review! Certainly a lot of good advice here to work on, thankyou! I'll message you shortly with a download link to the .flp.

As for the song itself, i planned it out in about 20 minutes, the melody came to me randomly in school so i wanted to stick it in FL Studio before i forgot it. The mixing/ proper separation of each instrument is something i'm currently working on.

As for the 'classical' genre, it's meant more for the Harald Kloser/Hans Zimmer style, nothing else. And my main producing genre is Trance anyway, so orchestral style is totally new to me.

Thanks! :)