ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[moltress poop]

I'm not sure what's going on here either, but that is a pretty swaggin solo. Little too bendy at times. A little more precise handling of the mod-wheel and I would be all over this.

If you're looking for a more realistic bass sound, I recommend Ample Sound ABPL bass, Emissary amp, and NadIR cab. They're all free.

[pumkin head]

I'm not sure what's going on here. I feel like my ears are drunk. Would rate higher for a longer more developed piece with like, a bassline, drums, something. Also moved to a more correct genre. If you feel this one isn't right, you can swap it to Experimental or Miscellaneous.

[blue, like the sky]

Cheerful little tune with lots of jazzy influence, sounds like. Maybe even gospel chords. Progression works well, and levels are all where they sound like they should be.

My one gripe may be a bit of almost artificial sounding stereo-widening/reverb. I would probably cut the wets down on most FX by 10% or so. That, and one of your samples sounds eerily like a metronome. Only part that took me out of the moment. This almost reminds me of a Perfume instrumental with how poppy and sweet it is.

This piece is just plain pleasant to listen to. I'm surprised you managed it without proper monitors or headphones. Maybe you should leave 'em. :P

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

icantpronouncethis responds:

Thank you for your critique. It took me a great deal of effort just to get the mix to the way it is. Had to listen to the song in many different sources; car, ipod, earphones, headphones, etc. I was going for a clock ticking sample in the beginning but ended up changing my mind. It does sound like a metronome a bit too much. Maybe I should've lower the pitch or something. I'll take a note of what you wrote and apply in on my next track. Thank you again for dropping by.

[Somewhere In The Future]

Made with one plugin? This beautiful? Instant 5.

AvizuraNG responds:

Thank you =)

[Suvi - Deep Waters]

Great use of SFX in your opening. Just the right amount of verb, right amount of decay. FX on your vocal samples is relatively clean.

0:39 seems a bit muddy on that bass. May be mixed too loud. I think I hear it overdriving/distorting occasionally. You may try compression to duck those levels if they're a problem. It could be that the song was mixed a bit loudly before mastering FX was applied. I try to leave around 6 dB of headroom on recommendation of commercial mastering engineers/services.

1:17 sounds much cleaner but the leads still seem to hang out in empty air over the bass.

Kick is nice and strong, and claps are sitting in a good space.

1:50, I find myself wanting more low cut on that reverb wet, as well as a bit less send/feedback to keep things clean.

Arrangement is fairly sparse, but this track works well. Would give an extra star for a nice solo with a cheesy portamento saw/ramp lead. As is, the track feels just a bit naked, missing that little cherry on the top.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[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.