ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Outcast]

This mix is really low-mid heavy. I would recommend cleaning up the individual tracks with hi-pass to get those frequencies out of the way of your bass and other elements. Johnfn does a nice tutorial on this. Might ask him for it.

Volume levels -- snare is way down in the mix. Leads are louder than everything else in the space, which ensures they'll be heard but sucks the power right out of the rest of the track at the same time. 0:04, the sub is just too loud. Mid range overtones take up most of the sound space.

0:40, that snare doesn't need to come up so much as everything else needs to come down. The track sounds like it's floating around the maximum possible level of compression and minimum headroom that can be managed without outright overdriving the sound. I can hear this on quieter sections where the song sounds very clear like 1:19, versus your drop, which sounds absolutely squashed. I recommend Ben Levin's video "How to Hear Compression," on the subject.

I would also recommend about -6 dB headroom before you apply mastering FX. Some swear this is a myth or a holdout from the analog era, that we should all be mixing in 32 bit floating point, or w/e, but I find it really does help get a clearer sounding mix in the end. If your mix sounds good at -6 dB, it'll sound even better mastered. Try it.

Note, sidechain will not fix everything. You still need good levels to keep maximum loudness on your percussion instruments, or whatever you choose to side-chain. Done wrong, it sounds like ducking and pumping, just like improperly compressed tracks pump up random elements of a track when used like a brick wall limiter. I see this happening here on quiet sections, more severely on your releases.

That said, I enjoyed the presentation, and you've got a solid chord progression going with interesting switch-ups every so often. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

NoobGameYT responds:

Thanks for telling me the things i need to fix :) I will try to learn how to mix better soon

[Arcade]

Interesting play chopping off those releases and porting a marimba synth. 0:26, I'm interesting in where you're going to go with this videogame synth, though the interplay between ears is a little much on naked sections. It probably sounds cool on a big speaker system.

0:48 section sounds great but for percussion that seems almost absent and a build up that sounded a bit awkward. I would bring down most of your instruments and/or sidechain your kick and snare. I can't really hear a snare if there is one, actually, just a clap in the right channel. It actually seems like most of your track is panned right with a slight delay to the left.

With the percussion down so low, all the energy is sucked out of the track. I'm not able to properly enjoy it.

Piano outro is super cute, with some really nice changes. I'd cut that silent tail off though.

Mix wise, this piece was very low-mid heavy, and until your choruses, there was not a lot of breath to the piece (airy highs). As such, it felt very narrow. Some things I'd like to hear more of, cymbals/hats, transition swooshes (let's face it: I'm a sucker for 'em; they just sound so good!), and percussion.

Extra half-star for smooth chord progression and clean structure, as well as adventurous approach. Definitely see some mixing and mastering tutorials for your chosen genre. They'll make up the rest of the difference.

Overall, still enjoyed the piece despite its flaws. Nice work. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

MishkoLalko responds:

Thank you! It was very important to me. ^-^

[Fight for the truth]

Smooth piece. Would recommend a stronger, less twangy articulation on your solo cello in that intro. Instructors I've had constantly harped on that unless it was expressly directed -- and even then, strong articulations.

This piece as a whole is quite well written. The only real issues are mixing and panning, other than a few synth articulations, which I believe are fairly minor.

0:48 is a great drive. At 1:05 I was expecting to be driven over the cliff -- may apply some more dissonance here, a chunky low swell (think Rite of Spring's violation of lower interval limits for effect), or possibly even a hybrid transition. Timpani roll sustained would also function well here, with a crash on the end.

I would definitely like some cymbal play throughout. I feel this is what the track is missing.

Pan flute sounds great!

1:18, the nylon guitar that enters sounds... very robotic and dry. I would humanize the attack milleseconds so it doesn't sound so gridlocked. Also recommend Ample Sound's free AGML -- think it's a Taylor, for its key switches and chuckas, which would have been useful as aux percussion.

2:53 is a wonderful modulation. Love that. Timpani roll and cymbal finally comes in not long after, and we are greeted with sweet little arps. This is what I have been waiting for. Now, just waiting on that conclusion.

3:54, swelling, and... oh, what is this? Ta takita ta takita, etc. -- if you haven't looked up Indian rhythmic solfeggio, Ben Levin does a nice overview on that. I was very much not expecting this section to be over so soon, at least not without another moment like 3:09 or 3:11.

Overall, great piece. Really enjoyed it. Some things I would fix once you get the chance, this track is very boxy in the low-mids and lacks a bit of presence in the high register. At points, low mids (like 3:57) are the most prominent part of your track, with very little breath to make up for it. Other portions, pounding percussion sounds like it's in a totally separate soundspace from the very spacious strings and other instruments. I notice this as well with the nylon guitar.

Otherwise, great. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

lukiaffe responds:

Thank you a lot for this genuine and helpful feedback. I aspire to become a serious music composer and listening to this feedback is great! I am amazed how little I know the more I read your feedback, I have yet so many things to learn. It inspires me so thank you. Some things you mention is due to the deadline I had with the contest. I was originally making another piece but due to my own mistake I had to abandon that track for this contest and decided to quickly try and make another piece which became this. Doesn't matter now, I'm content with what I managed to do in this timespam. Cheers!

[Used to Be]

Watch the articulations on that vocal synth. The articulations give you away. Rather than having two strong attacks on the same note, since there don't seem to be a lot of round robins or legato settings in play, I would just hold and swell the same note somewhat on where you'd want your next articulation. Throughout, this synth sounds fairly dry and naked in the mix.

Now, this is R&B, so I'm going to move it to the proper genre once this review is finished. Before I checked the genre, I was actually going to say, this initially sounds very open, all the elements of the track just out there. At points it does sound too thin with the quick decays on the instruments, and it's hard to tell where leads have been placed, volume wise -- but extended over your usual R&B song structure, this song would make a great backing beat for vocals.

Initially I didn't like the booming sub bass where it is -- the long sustain on the sub does feel like it gets in the way of some of the other instruments, and it seems to be the only bass instrument in the song. I would work for a bit of a balance between that boomy kick and a bassline in future works. For this piece, the sparse presentation works, but it won't work for every piece.

There is a little peaking issue at 0:28, as well as most places where the sub hit occurs. It's a lot louder than all other elements in the track, to the point it almost overshadows them in the mix. I think I hear some soft clipping/overdrive.

It also looks like this track is unmastered from looking at the waveform in some places. That, or it's been approached more or less like a 90's R&B track. Definitely recommend researching some mixing and mastering tutorials for your genre on YouTube, maybe study some song structure formats to help you pace yourself musically. Had lots of good ideas and motifs here, harried just a bit by seemingly not quite knowing where to go.

Overall, enjoyed your work. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

KnockVoltage responds:

Thanks for the feedback!

[Blurred Vision]

Oh, very jazzy, functional, almost atonal harmony.

Something with that snare -- it's a bit too loud, popping in my left ear a bit loud.

Really solid bassline, almost a melody in and of itself. I was hoping for a lead solo somewhere around 1:57 just to switch it up. We've already heard a repeat of a lot of the same material a few times.

Appreciating that tempo change. Again, snare is a bit too loud, relative to the rest of the track, which is super quiet. You've got plenty of headroom, which would be great if I were to master this piece, but as a release, it comes out lacking punch purely based on loudness.

Compositionally though, great piece. Really enjoyed the ride!

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[Timeless]

Really interesting use of FX through this piece. Sounds like it was mixed too loud or some of your samples are clipping though. I start to notice it at 0:31, and it continues throughout.

Now, that aside, melodies are interesting, and despite sounding a bit blown out from being mixed too loud, the piece still holds together. However, because of how loudly mixed the other instruments are, when your drop hits at 01:18, it's almost impossible to hear your bass and breakbeat. Take that lead and those pads down some dB.

1:47, there's that clipping again, this time in the bass, and not when anything else is peaking. This tells me individual tracks may have been rendered too loud.

2:19 is almost brick wall compressed at 0. Getting a bit of a head-hurt sensation here.

Otherwise, strong melodies, and I still enjoyed the piece despite serious mix/mastering issues. I definitely recommend taking some time to look at tutorials for your DAW. You've got great writing, good use of modulation, and a solid sense of progression. Work on your mixing, and you've got the skills to be a pro.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[You'll Get Yours]

I may not agree with that first couplet from an ideological standpoint, but song as a whole is great. I only have a few critiques on the mix/FX.

Vocals are a couple dB too loud, even into the big outro section. Sound a bit too dry as well until the 2:18 outro.

1:36, sibilant s sound sticks out.

Otherwise, it seems to be a bit over-reverbed in places, 2:34-2:35 started clipping -- seems mixed a bit too loud before . You could get that nice, silky, spacious lead tone by double-tracking it 5-15% L-R, then applying light reverb via sends.

Enjoyed the track. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

dude2312 responds:

Thanks for the feedback. I am so glad you enjoyed it, ADR3-N! I am getting great tips by everyone here on Newgrounds, I am loving the people over here!

[Aqueous]

Nice use of SFX -- unsure why it disappeared at 0:22.

Ride cymbal at 0:07 has a strangely dry sound. I find myself wanting a more spacious, tinny hit with a longer release.

0:17, it feels like the energy we were building up prior is lost when that sample just stops. Why not just play with volume, low and high pass, etc., as the rest of the track flows? I'm feeling a little swing in your piano, which still sounds a little tilty even after listening a few times. Just a bit more consistency with the beat here would massively improve your intro.

0:58, I was a bit weirded out that I almost could not hear the snare -- was expecting a punchy PSHHH sound.

1:24, watch out -- your chord structures are starting to get chunky in those low mids. Keep that space open so that the overtones don't clash. Chorus gets catchier and catchier every time I hear it. Think it's going to be stuck in my head. That synth you're using sounds eerily familiar to CS One Bass. If you've never used it, pretty sure it should be available free somewhere. Easy to modulate formant growls with that one.

1:51, it sounds like most everything is panned center here, but the chords are a little more concise.

1:22, volume pumping issue on your transition. Sounds a bit clunky.

"And cut" could probably have done with some compression.

Overall, compelling chord progression. I'd say up until about 1:24, the piece was harried with structure problems, seemingly unsure of where it's going, but this can easily be remedied with some study of voice leading tutorials, song structure, etc. There were still some issues of over-reverb, but not so much that it particularly sounded muddy until bigger sections. I enjoyed the piece. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[Thunder Man]

Nicely structured, catchy little loop, with solid progression. Since this is intended to be retro-gaming music, no complaints about instrumentation.

Volume wise, drums could stand to come up about a dB. Leads occasionally get a bit too loud for the bass to sustain. Then at 0:47, bass suddenly becomes too loud.

0:19, the hi-hat seems to be slightly dragging behind the leads.

I can see that the loop looks to be well-cut, but it isn't looping properly in NG's player. Would be a smoother transition if you took the time to write an intro, repeat the section we have here with some alterations, then wrote a short outro with a stinger. Would have been an extra half star for me.