ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Something New (Original Mix)]

Interesting opening here. Mix seems a little sparse and over-reverbed though. If you ever notice the tin-can sound going on, turn down your reverb wet signals, decrease release time a bit, and cut low frequencies.

Structure of this song is fine, so I'll reserve my critique for mix issues.

Your leads and pads are far too loud for your mix to sustain. Standard big room snare is not even cutting through the mix by comparison, and your samples are drowned out on bigger sections. This signals to me a compression issue.

Protip, before you apply FX to the master channel, make sure your track peaks no higher than about -6 dB. Mastering services almost universally recommend this because it allows you the freedom to shape the end result as you please without sacrificing clarity. If your mix sounds good here, it will sound good at any volume, and most importantly BETTER when properly mastered. Bar none, I've found this to be the one technique that will force you to mix your songs better.

Beyond that, I would cut feedbacks and wet signals on most of your FX. Most of the space in a mix, contrary to popular belief, does not come from 'verbed up synths. It's from your percussion. Side-chain also is not going to sound good on super muddy tracks.

Notice how muddy and overdriven 1:15 drop sounds in comparison to the rest of the track. This is because it is compressed so hard, the leads and pads are mixed too loud, so that even the hi-hats are almost inaudible. Your pads also have an insane high fizz on them. Cut those frequencies. They are as loud as your swoosh transition noises.

Other than that, smooth big room. I'd just love to hear that clean offbeat bass on your drops clearly!

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

dukebartje responds:

Thank you for the feedback! Mixing and mastering is not my strong suit. I need a lot of work on that. The feedback really helps me improve.

Thank you!

[The Darkest Wish]

Initially, I was thrown off by the synth intro. Arrangement is good here though, so I will just reserve my comments for the mix.

Your rhythm guitars and synths are too loud for the drums to sustain throughout the track. You can try compressing the drums more, but I would definitely bump the guitars down a dB or two. Compression wise, it looks like this mix is about as tight as it can be squeezed without getting muddy.

I would also try applying a tape saturator to fatten that snare up. It's sagging a bit. Kick sounds good.

Also, left channel rhythm guitar is a bit quieter than the right. Bass is also a bit muddy. I can't tell if this is low end on the guitars getting in the way of bass frequencies, or just not being quite compressed enough. I'd like to hear a little more of that crunchy string rattle too.

With metal, it's very important to clean up your frequencies on guitars/other instruments to get them out of the way of the bass. I generally low cut my guitars around 250 hz, kick around 50, bass at 27, just to keep compression clean of low hum. It's especially bad with anything analog, even with noise filters. You may check out some tutorials from Chernobyl Studios -- don't want to take up your time rambling on.

Overall, slammin' track. Reminds me of a cross between Metallica, Megadeth, and a few heavier old bands I used to listen to back in the day. Solid sense of groove, great pacing, sweet solos.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

MisledSatellite responds:

Thanks for the review and thanks for the advices on the mix. I will use them while working on final piece for NGUAC)

[Candlehead]

Interesting SFX. Reminds me of the church by my grandparent's house.

Sounds like this is D&B at first, then, I'm not sure. However, I do know I like the directions you're going. At 1:27, we're back solidly in the realm of D&B. I think the scratching/glitch FX may be a bit too loud for the mix to sustain.

Structurally, I'm not entirely sure what's going on, what awaits beyond each corner. Generally, I'm pleasantly surprised by each new development, but I do wish your drops lasted longer. I'm not sure if you have chorus/reverb on your bass, but if you do, I would reduce the wet signal.

I'd also increase the volume/compression on your percussion. It's hiding in your mix.

Overall, enjoyed the piece. Could probably do with a good master. At its loudest, it isn't quite making full use of the soundspace. Try it on one of those generic internet mastering sites and hear the difference, or maybe take a peek at some mastering tutorials for your DAW. It'll take you to the next level.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

dct2204 responds:

Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed most of it, i'll definitely try those out.

[Rattlesnake On the Railway]

Oh my Jesus. I'm not sure if this Ample Sound AGML -- I think I may have recommended it to just about everyone I know at some point, but watch your articulations, room sound, attacks and -- you could probably stand to use some keyswitches, palm mutes, etc. to make this sound more natural. As is, it isn't bad, but the acoustic guitar is not blending well with the electronic sound.

Part of this is, when you make rhythm guitar tracks, you want to double-track them -- one guitar 100% left, 1 100% right, with slightly different mic, FX, attack time, velocities, and millisecond humanization to avoid the dreaded phasing/flanging sound when played on stereo. That's my single biggest gripe with this song. As is, the guitar is centered, which makes it sound very flat and one dimensional.

Key switches take ages to learn how to use, but they will add a totally new dimension to your synth guitars -- SFX like slides, chuckas, palm mutes, pick and slap attacks, all are important to presenting a nuanced, human performance.

Now, since I realize the lack of double-tracking is half the reason your guitars are too quiet in the mix, I'll try not to talk about it any more, lol.

Also, given the synth percussion, I would probably not place this in Gen Rock. Maybe Pop or D&B. I may actually go ahead and do that once I finish this review.

Compositionally, this is a very nuanced piece, but at times I find myself wondering why you haven't dropped a bass line in yet. The thin instrumentation sounds fine for orchestral additions but naked without them. By 2:44 I'm wondering if I'm ever going to hear one. At 3:01, I think I do, but it's no doubt hidden far under your electric guitar. Do double-track that when you get the chance. So rewarding.

At 3:28 I'm expecting you to go full drum and bass. I'm disappointed by sudden cutoffs of the electric guitar.

Also, I'm unsure if you're using a generic distortion plugin or not -- you may appreciate Emissary Amp and KeFIR/NadIR cab. Both are free, and you can find impulses for the latter free online. Chernobyl Studios does a few great tutorials on using them effectively, if you intend to bring more e-guitar into your compositions. You sound like you have a good head for using them already, just lacking some of the technical aspects. I'd actually be really excited just to hear the guitars in this track touched up once judging is complete.

Other than that, fun piece. It has its technical issues, but overall, I think it works well.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[Strange Taste]

Interesting approach to songwriting -- forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone. I think it was a good choice not to compress the drums much this time around. They're already sitting right where they need to in the mix, perhaps even a bit louder than they really need to be. Dynamically, everything is sitting right about where it should. Occasionally the sudden fade-outs in volume do bother me, though.

1:20, I'm not really liking the lead you've chosen. It's a bit thin before 1:45. Same with 1:52. I'd like a stronger sustain and perhaps vibrato.

Great modulations through this piece, though structure feels a bit off. 2:08 I was very perplexed that things seemed to be over already. I would apply some FX, transition noise -- w/e just to keep things going.

2:44, we've got a good driving beat. Bass and leads are a bit loud for the drums to sustain. Here I would have pumped up the compression a bit just to get them standing out again.

3:19, leads still sound too loud. Bass is starting to sound really gridlocked and synthy. I'm curious as to what synth you're using. Previously, it sounded pretty natural with those earlier portamento long tones.

Overall, piece is quite a journey. Perhaps not as polished as it could be, but great for time constraint. Lots of cute little runs and a pleasant unpredictability for the most part that delivers on its promises. Loved it.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

ColinMuir responds:

Hey thanks for the review man :D

[Hope Sonata]

Nice writing on this piece from the jump. Functional harmony, good structure and pacing.

Those strings are a little ... wonky though. I would recommend Synful Orchestra strings and/or free version of Pocket Blakus for believable articulations. The attacks on Halion are fine for long tones and swells, but for runs as you have them, not quite genuine sounding. Hear the attacks and releases against each other? How they sound almost like a keyboard? Stringed instruments all have a sharp, breathy attack, especially bowed strings. You can hear the horse hair or synth fibers catch the string before they start to vibrate. Some artists use this to great effect.

I've taken a moment to look up Mari Kimura, just to make sure this is who I'm thinking of -- indeed she is. What you hear when the bow first catches the string is a split second (milleseconds) of "subharmonics," overtones, "undertones," etc., before the strings start singing. Mari uses them in her music quite frequently, and I figured it might be an opportunity to hear what I'm talking here. String Theatre features a short demonstration, and as she continues to play, note the slight scraping sound with each attack and release, occasionally through a sustain. Halion is wonderful, but it sounds so sterile to my ear by comparison.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this piece. Very nostalgic. Modulations in all the right places. Shave off some low end from the reverb, cut a bit of a shorter release on 'em, and give those strings a little more breath in the 16k-18k range, and that'd be the icing on the cake. Very nice work.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

AzulJazz responds:

Thank you su much ADR3-N for this really helpful review !!

[Magnetic Flow]

Yo, sad to hear you had problems with this track. I can hear the stress. Also sad that I can't give a better score due to the unfinished nature of the track itself, which is about 55 seconds long.

What I'm hearing is aesthetically pleasing, despite somewhat tin-canny from stereo FX/reverb. Your use of FX and percussion is very organic sounding, something a lot of modern electronic music could stand to emulate. I find myself wanting more volume on your snares, less on your leads.

I could definitely do without the heavy ... is that reverb? It sounds like being trapped in a small shower cabin, and I'm on monitor headphones.

Were this song finished, I'd give it a full 4/5. I hope you revisit it some day when you're feeling back in the groove though. It's cool as hell.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

Abstrack responds:

Hey, thanks for your honesty and for your time spent on reviewing this.

I think you are right for the reverb (yeah, it's reverb haha), I hear what you are talking about. I might have put it's volume too high; or perhaps should I take a closer look at its settings. Also, I think you are right for my mastering. Ugh, so much to learn!

Like I said in the description, I should have tried to make this song for me, how I wanted it, and not for NGUAC, asking myself (while doing it) what people in general might like to hear. It would have killed pressure and removed useless emotions x).

Anyways, everything you said makes a lot of sense to me. I'm gonna try things and see what happens.
Thanks a lot for your help!

[HeaD BoP]

Looks like this may have been brick wall limited. That kick at 13 is massively loud. I feel like it's going to squash everything in its path.

By 0:41 I'm noticing pretty hardcore side-chain pumping, and your instruments are starting to sound muddy. The compression here is a bit beyond what your instrumental can sustain.

Drop at 1:22 is not as clean sounding as 1:13, but it is catchy. I'd bring that kick down about 1-2 dB, possibly space out your keys a little bit. They sound very centered, which makes the track as a whole sound more quaint and narrow than it really is.

2:18 section was a good choice stylistically. I would have probably been ear fatigued by now had you not moved to a slow triplet feel. Can't tell if you've actually changed meter or not, but the effect is the same.

Chord progression is good. Bass, compelling. I find myself wanting a little more of your snares and claps. Solid structure and the piece seems to know where it's going for the most part melodically.

Nice work for a three day cram piece. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!