ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[shopping at the mall]

This one is really cute. The mix is indeed a bit off as you suggest. Hard to hear the kick. Bass is nicely up. Chords on the side need to come up about .4 dB at least and potentially be double tracked or spread out otherwise in the stereo space. Beyond that you've got such gorgeous writing on the leads I hesitate to score much lower than this. I especially enjoy what sounds to be like meow synth and would like that to be just a bit ... wetter! Otherwise I feel like cutting my critique here. FinaLee has a lot of great points!

[Superior Magnetic]

Gorgeous vibe at 53 secs, and great solo. I think the clarity of mix could be improved significantly however, less reverb, a centered bass, or double track two basses out to the sides, who cares. This one is already a wild step into the unknown. Great atmospheric work and chords. Sounds very much like FF13-2 to me, which I dearly loved.

Cresince responds:

I'm gonna have to look at those basses, they are centered on panning but i think stacking them gave an off center effect I will have to explore. Thank you for your mixing pointers as always! Now I have an FF OST to check out as well :P

[Une nuit proche des étoiles]

This is not a genre I typically enjoy, however, I praise your tactful mixing and arrangement. The piano sounds lush and atmospheric. Only a bit more sonic blending and contrast between intro and mid sections, and this would shine gloriously.

2:40 strings show as hybrid cinematic it sounds like. I think the choir past that point sticks out a bit as synthy and laying over top the rest of the mix. Needs to be spread a bit more. The rest of your elements sound gorgeous. Only need a bit more balancing, less reverb, and more attention paid there. The final chord choice is a confusing one for me. Could be resolved to major 1 chord with heavy 3rd

BAOWZ-Tobass responds:

Thanks for your comment. The final chord choice is on purpose 😈 I felt like it would have sounded to conventionnal with a major triad, so i changed it. And yea, the choir is kinda mid. First i wanted a solo soprano girl voice. It does exists in vst but it's not free...

[The Octagon - NGUAC 2023]

Fantastic writing for solos and driving rhythms. I find the mix is a bit off balance though. It's pretty high mid heavy to my ears. At points the bass is sucked out from under, perhaps by overcompression. Percussion such as kick and snare are not cutting through properly. Shakers and hats are cutting through overly. It is causing transitions to be not quite as impactful as I'd like. Still a rocking tune!

amishpimp responds:

Thanks for the feedback! Mixing the rhythm section has always been pretty hard for me so I will work on this more in the future!

[Different Shapes (NGUAC 2023)]

Great structure. Something is missing in the high end of the mix, around 10-15k. Not quite giving that shimmery feel I suspect you were after. I hear frequencies above that a bit out of balance in some sections. Beyond that though, this is a swinging house track. I have to wonder if it is that it sounds a bit centered which is lending to the feeling of lack of high end.

[Ripples of Time (Reduce)]

Absolutely dope collaborative effort. I think I would like a bit more compression on CD's vocals, as well as on the overall master. @Hania kills the chorus. Could be panned a bit more between vocalists to provide more contrast, or widen the backing vocals.

ChordC responds:

Thanks dude! Also, appreciate the feedback things to improve on. Taking notes for the future!

[Ripples on the Ground (Ripples of Time - Instrumental)]

Excellent work on this. I'm surprised that it hasn't seen more recognition! The only thing it could use is a bit more compression on the master, and a tad less volume on the cymbals. Perhaps .2 more on guitars and some more obvious double tracking. I'm finding the guitar hard to hear in the left channel

ChordC responds:

Thank you for the detailed review! This is exactly what I need. Means a lot for an amateur music composer like me. Keep it up!

[DJ Lomka - Timeless Bizarre (2022)]

Басс мне нравится, очень! Миксинг/смешивание вполне меня устраивает. Звучит как старые, добрые времена -- музыка EDM 2006. Класс))

[Angels Without Wings]

I love when an old piece gets stuck in your head and won't come out. I find myself stumbling upon old motifs by accident, or interpolating an tune I wrote into a new context without meaning to. The best is having the motivation to go back and touch on a deserving idea, left in the drawer. That's the nature of music, I think, just waiting for the next execution, a breath of life, something natural. That sums up my feelings about this piece, actually.

ChronoNomad responds:

So beautifully stated, ADR3-N. Revisiting those old tracks is kind of like being reunited with an old friend. :D

[Because We Miss You]

What is it with folks dying and nearly dying these days? You're not the first contestant to tell us this week something horrible has happened and a loved one is gone. I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm shocked by the beauty of this piece and can't think of a better way to honor her memory.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you so much for your kind words! I definitely put my heart into this one.