Official AIM Review!

First off, piece is super-duper quiet. Recommend bringing it up some. The up side to this is, nothing distorting, lots of dynamic range. I know classical/filmscore is a genre that relies heavily on dynamic contrast, but I say that it could probably benefit from some sort of compression, notably multiband. Occasionally I find myself wishing for airy highs that just aren't very present in the mix. Rather than EQ'ing these into each instrument and risk sounding overly sibilant one might try applying a little air with a multiband compressor. That way the air is there when you need it, but it never exceeds a certain threshold.

I would probably recommend some more tempered velocity on your chime samples. Repetitions of the same note sounded fairly inauthentic, as did some of your horns and choir.

I will say, great job with those timpanis. Kept things flowing. I did find myself wishing for a roll or two.

Our final section and outro was also well-handled. Despite most progression relying on the adding and subtracting of instruments or the occasional flourish, I enjoyed the piece.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

---Official AIM review---

I like the mood and melodic content at the beginning. The dark percussion at :23 is a nice touch. The instrumentation is not very authentic, which is especially obvious when the choir comes in. You have a great sense of harmony and progression, though. The call-and-response vibe between the bells/choir and the main theme (at the beginning and other places) has a really satisfying effect. I also appreciate when you break away from that framework at 1:24. The horns at 1:45 sound a bit harsh, and the piece does sound a tad repetitive by the end. Overall, my main complaints are with the production quality, not the composition. After a time, the percussion sounds really indistinct, and at various points the main theme and other elements also get a little buried in the mix. The mix is also pretty quiet as it is. Perhaps some more compression and equalization would help you clean up the mastering. It’s also possible you’re using an excess of reverb, especially on the percussion. Don’t be afraid to give the drums a little bit of gain in the compressor. Usually you want the drums to be the loudest instrument in the mix, even in an orchestral piece like this. You’re clearly a talented composer, but I think you should focus on using production tools to really bring out a clean, balanced, and full sound to your tracks. Overall strong work! Very catchy piece with a strong harmonic theme. Keep it up, Spcialist! :)

8.25/10