ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Touch of the Wind]

I'm floored at not having found your music sooner -- this stuff is right up my alley! Loving the breaks and more IDM style production! Thoughtful, lively atmosphere with unintrusive motifs. In general, just real nice

8-BITek responds:

Thanks, I’ve got a few IDMs on Newgrounds

[Yamaha PSR-400-500 Song]

I'm here for that ting-ting-tong agogo, and no one can take that enjoyment away from me. Without removing said agogo.

This got me wondering if the PSR-400 sounds are substantially different from the ones loaded in my girlfriend's keyboard. I was thinking of making a sample pack of the different patches. If they're not too different, though, I may recommend this soundfont and record some interesting modulations instead. (EDIT: I checked and she has a PSR 423, so no wonder the patches sound familiar!)

This composition is a bop btw.

ALSO, I just thought of this since you mentioned Casiocore in your tags. Not long ago I put out a CasioTone 2400 sample pack with some soundfonts. From this track, it sounds like you could make it bang! Check my profile if you're interested in that sort of thing.

8-BITek responds:

The PSR-423 has different sounds and additional filters that weren’t present in the PSR-400. You can listen to the PSR-400 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce6iYByAqxk - completely different sounds.

By the way, speaking of Casio, my first keyboard was the Casio CA-401. To this day, I’m still searching for a soundfont with those sounds. If you happen to come across one, let me know!

[F-777 - Deadlocked (Cover)]

Not sure why this has such a low score. It's a perfectly serviceable chip cover and doesn't sound bad at all!

[Quantum Ooze]

That happy-go-lucky intro, amens right off the bat, followed by that drop. Nicely varied, just the right amount of crushing and clipping. Very well deserved frontpage. Really takes you on a journey! Only one item of critique: the drop growls don't translate very well to laptop/phone speakers. Giving them a bit more high mid or experimenting with clipping/reso may help in that regard. Otherwise, fantastic

[alone with a friend]

This is just gorgeous. Minimal? Yes, but that's the charm. It feels like a window into an intimate ceremony, something we're not ordinarily supposed to see but do. There's a magic to skin heads (no, not those kinds of skinheads -- I mean olskool actual skin drum heads) that you don't hear anywhere else. It's raw, natural, and real, and I'm here for it.

[Oinks - Brainfuck]

Don't have headphones on to properly appreciate this, but I LOVE the grooves going on here up through 1:39. Whole track is just weird in a good way :)

01NX5 responds:

I think I mixed this track exclusively for headphone, which was a mistake of mine cause I did master this track only in headphones and without speakers, even though this was made on mobile and phone spekaers aren't the greatest, but maybe I shouldn't fully rely mastering on headphones.

But mastering aside, I'm glad you enjoyed the track, it was, for me and my sakes, risky cause I perfer to write more complex tracks whereas the minimal and repetitive approach I had on this track, I like how it came out and I appreciate your comment! :D

[White Knuckle (feat Ilya Mirosh)]

Decided to listen to this in my car. Was not disappointed. Ilya's vocal performance is an advertisement in itself. Very well deserved front page. I would actually back off on the compression on the master just a bit. Or the reverb coming in from the drums and low end. Otherwise sounding great. Like the stuff I used to listen to in middle school, and that's a high compliment! Think Breaking Benjamin and so on

FarFromSundown responds:

Thank you! I take the correlation to Breaking Benjamin as a high compliment. That's moreso what I was going for, so that's really encouraging to hear :D

[No Bark 70s]

I have no words except that those chords are smooooooth

[Future Shine: Mindblow [Full Album]]

Finally getting around to review

Beautiful pads. Woah.

Intro got a nice chord progression. I might layer your snare with a typical rnb downtuned, lopassed snare.

Through Dreams doesn't feel like its own track but rather the same as Swimming. That seems to be intentional with the name

I'm not a huge fan of Watermelon, partly because the mix is off balance. The plucks and lead are quite high in the mix relative to the 808. And I'm not sure about that upper octave note on it -- I think it's 10 cents sharp or so, maybe even a full quarter tone. Sounds good everywhere else and is a nice tone.

Hard Moments approaches a better balance but still has a lead that is quite up there in terms of volume. I would like to hear more of your snare and a wider stereo field on the perc. I dig this one in terms of composition

I got a gossip in the 90s.... what a title haha. I feel the inspiration. This is my favorite so far. Very aesthetic and vapory. All elements sound like they belong, and mix is pretty good. I'd still like a bit more brightness in the mids.

Hot Cocoa is not quite to my taste until it gets going, but the approach to the song is interesting. I might swap out that wubwub for something a bit more gritty and dynamic. You've done a great job on that legato arpeggio in the left channel though! I would bring down the lead in the right though. It's a bit loud!

Pistachio Ice Cream from the note go had me glued to my chair. Such a nice opening chord. Yes. Would love to collab with you some time on a track like this :)

Parkour mode is CLEAN. Making it real hard to pick a favorite here! There are still some mix issues going on with the clarity of percussion versus lead instruments and other track elements, but it's such a bop that I can lay that aside!

Blessed by the Gods -- you're really leaning into the vapor aesthetic here and I love that on the intro. This is the craziest breaks, arps and drops I've heard in a while. Reminds me of the insanity of a particular track on Megaman X Command Mission. LOVE IT. I actually would like to mix this for you, or remix stems -- or just a separate download to cover it. This is CRAZY. 5 for this song alone.

Diabetic Lollipop is a WILD name hahaha. You're really coming through in that aspect. Great arps here. I think the mix could stand to be a bit brighter overall in the high mids, just reduce the volume of the leads and bump up the bass a bit to compensate. Reduce some reverb wet and presto.

Escape from central station -- Gotta love the standard dnb break. I LOVE the drop bass on this. Classic, gentle acid wub. You really make that thing talk. Shredding arps and great rhythmic sense. This is a bop. Some care could be taken to ensure consistent sub presence across all bass patches outside of the fills but otherwise great. I think part of the perception of lack of hi mid could be reduced by adding a little crispy high and high mid to your snare.

Too much information for me also has a sick bass line. At this point I just want to hand you something and say "bassline, go" xD

191 mix is best I have heard out of the album for genre. Nice two step here as well. Not much to say. Another favorite from me. The ritardando is a nice choice.

Mischievous deals -- again, great bassline. Mix is also pretty good! I love the acid elements. I might do some decluttering with your wet FX on heavier sections where the lead is featured. Great song structure. Key change also is fantastic

Will not save you even praying has a great nostalgic intro. Reminds me of old space dystopias I use to play. Great choice on those crispy, crushed breaks as well. You knew exactly what you were doing with that ambiance. It's sort of a cross between sci-fi videogame composition, synthwave, 90s breakbeat, and dark wave. I love it.

Glad you sent me this!

[Soundbin - Mulligan]

Very chill breaks and pleasant, if simple bass. I dig it

I would recommend turning down volume of cymbals somewhat and revisiting the mix to make sure all elements are clearly heard. At some points the lower instruments are fighting for space with reverb and so on.