The Adventure, The Camp, and The Smiles of Old
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“As a content creator myself, I can say that it isn't easy creating something from scratch and hoping that it's good. "Neon Nights: The Arcane Files of Jack Tracer" seems to have that, however: start out with only a concept and turn it into one of the fastest growing Audio Drama's today. The show's interesting, sure, but the origin is just as interesting as it's actual story, but that just makes the show more interesting and fun to listen to! Listening to Will promote his wifes work, listening to him talk about Uncanny County and how they inspired him. There's a sort of personality there, one that most content creators shy away from, but one "Neon Nights" unabashedly embraces.
Now, this will be a long review, and it will feature constructive criticism, of course, but what you need to first understand is that this show is great. When I got back into the AD scene, I wanted to absorb as much as I could. Jack Tracer just happened to be the first I spotted. I clicked on the iTunes thumbnail, went to Episode 1, and started listening. They're easy listens; so much so I'm surprised they're 15 minutes! And because they're such easy listens, I binged the entire season in about a day and a half.
I don't think that Jack Tracer is a show for everyone. When I sat down on a couch after moving it up three flights of stairs, listening to "Jack Tracer" during "The Case of the Man in Black", my brother sat next to me. He listened to only one line and said, "What the hell is this?" He commented on the audio quality, on the sound effects, and on the point that "They aren't voice actors". He hated it. So, like I said, it's not for everyone, and that's okay! Because, to me, all those things just improve "Jack Tracer". Why? Because of camp.
Anyone who's listened to the old "Shadow" radio plays cannot tell me that those were not campy as hell. All of the old audio drama's were, and that's what "Neon Nights: The Arcane Files of Jack Tracer" is trying to emulate! It's NEAR perfect! The level of seriousness is matched by a certain level of camp. When the vampire hunters last name was "Belmont", I chuckled. Whenever Red says, "Dont' call me (Blank)", I smile. But when the show actually wants to be serious...it is. There is real emotion here, it's not just quips and jokes. And that's why it's so easy to listen to.
Now, what can the show improve on? There's a list, some of which as been covered by other reviews beside myself, so I'll only go over the two largest ones. Let me say that, if the show did NOTHING I recommended, it'd still be a five star experience. If they did improve on the things I'm about to talk about, then it'd be a five star experience and more!
First, I recommend cardioid microphones and a smaller room. When I learned the show was done with a Blue Yeti in a living/dining room with the actors standing together and the mic set to Omni-Directional, I just sort of nodded. It made sense to me, because doing that creates room echo. I recommend getting a few more microphones (I'm not talking expensive auxilaries and condensers, just some Blue SnowBall iCE's), taking the Blue Yeti, setting it to cardioid, taking it to a smaller room, like a bedroom, and doing it from in there. Each actor can have a microphone, you won't have too much room echo (hopefully), and the audio quality will sound MUCH better. Omni's pick up everything in a room, so the room tone is picked up exponentially higher than if it were cardioid. Cardioid, however, only picks up whatever is in a direct line with the microphone, so it has a narrower pick-up pattern. It's difficult to do multiple Blue's on one computer, but it is doable from what I know. Something I'd try out, before buying a mixer/auxiliary and a bunch of broadcast or dynamic mics. But, then again, I don't know their setup! Everything I could've said above may not even matter!
The last big thing would be editing around the mistakes. I've noticed several times in the first season, when someone makes a mistake there's no editing in another take, they just plow on through. Now, my audio editor, Sean Hopkins, would say, "It adds a certain level of authenticity", but, to me, it sounds like a stumbled line. My only recommendation is that the team does a couple of extra takes and, if a line is stumbled, replace it with a good take. To some listeners, it may not be noticeable. To me, it is, and I really want this show to do well! Like I said, it's a five star experience already! Imagine if the little tech issues were taken care of?! It'd be AMAZING!
I'll end on a positive note; this show is amazing. It really, truly is. Sit down and listen to it, and be excited for the second season! This show is only going up! So, to Will, to Rachel, to Aaron, and to John: keep up the amazing work. You should all be incredibly proud of everything you've accomplished, and you should be excited for what's to come. Thank you for making an amazing show!”Read full review »
thomasmckean via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
07/25/17
More reviews of Neon Nights
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“Glad it’s still going. Really enjoying the listen and story.”
Love Audio Dramas via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/09/18
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“These are great entertainment. Great noir feel with a bit of silliness thrown in.”
sharpdm via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
05/03/18
“I love this series. This is one of the few audio dramas I got into that inspired me to try to make my own.
Jack Tracer is a perfect mix of suspense, “who dunnit?” and mystical lore that keeps dragging you back for more.
The personalities of the characters are fantastic, and their voices are...”Read full review »
Chris Rosewood via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
12/23/17
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