ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[AIM] Felix Zophar - You Can't Hide]

I'm impressed you made this on a mobile DAW.

Wishing the texture at 0:17 went on longer... Second listen and I realize this is a snippet of the drop.

Mixing wise, this piece is fairly rough and cluttered, but my-my, that drop is catchy! It's clear you've got an ear for music. I'd have liked to hear that a few more times.

Most of what I have in mind has already been said -- transitions, transitions, transitions. 1:59 I was again moderately disappointed not to be greeted with the drop again. Seriously, love that drop. This piece may have benefited from a true bridge in a different key before returning to our chorus. By 1:39 I was feeling a little confusion -- and wondering when we were going to move on from that riff.

However, theme is strong and cohesive throughout. My only real complaint would be mixing, and I realize this is probably much harder to nail down on Auxy. You may want to look over some general mixing tutorials, as I notice the percussion is especially sibilant, and at some points, like the drop, we begin to see the limits of what the mix can sustain. Bass and lead kind of overwhelm the drums as well, yet mix as a whole is generally sitting about where I aim to have mine for premastering/mastering.

Overall, enjoyed the piece. Pleasantly surprised when I read the words harmonic minor that rather than the usual arab-esque treatise, I hear horror-themed EDM, haha. Nice work!

FelixZophar responds:

Yeah I was surprised at how it turned out. It was so scary to me. I like the drop as well. Auxy is great for a mobile DAW and I think everyone should get it if they can't afford a DAW like FL studio, or Ableton. But I just have one problem. I have an iPad 2, so the newer version isn't compatible with my iPad. So I have to use an OLDER update. In the older update, you don't get sound packs, you don't get all the effects. There are seven (well, there is an eighth, but It's only on two other instruments out of a hundred) effects in the version I use. Depending on the instrument, delay might be replaced with shape, but they sort of do the same thing, and then there is tone, reverb, filter, ducker, and volume. So yeah, only like seven effects. In the newer version you get like ten effects. But what I have I can work around. Thanks!

[AIM - Peacemaker]

Official AIM Review!

Oh, Lex does a western! This piece is fairly simple and straightforward with its writing but well done. I'd like to hear a little more of your rhythm guitar, perhaps a little crispier on the distortion.

Riffs are simple but effective. I particularly like your slide work. Would have appreciated a little more variation in your intonation, maybe harder, twangier picking on your accents, and some bends and a couple more flourishes/fills so that when repeating a verse, it doesn't feel like a literal copy paste of another section.

One complaint throughout -- drums sound relentlessly flat and one dimensional. Would have liked the occasional tom fill, maybe some ride cymbal here and there. You may also try a tape saturator on your snare.

I usually pan my drums fairly aggressively these days, excepting snare and kick, following as a general rule the orientation I'd hear them when playing. Kinda livens them up a bit.

I was about to complain bass wasn't standing out enough acoustically until I read you were using BooBass -- and then I was surprised. Sounds pretty good for a synth. It does seem to be covering up that kick a bit though frequency wise. Still would probably recommend something like AMR 2 for a grittier, more natural sound, not to mention support for string taps and extra pick noises. Bass is a percussion instrument. I'd have loved to hear a slap on between those mutes.

Overall, laid-back, jammin' tune. May have appreciated a little mastering compression, but enjoyed the listen, and fits the art you selected perfectly.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

LexRodent responds:

Another nice and detailed review :)

All fair observations, specially on the flatness of drums and lack of variation on the sliders.
Idk why time constraints are like neurotoxin to me ; I screw up way more than usual when time it's a factor to consider. I have already started to work on some tweaks to fix some of the biggest flaws and give this track a better polishing.

Thanks for listening.

[AIM - Old Meadow Rain Dance]

Official AIM Review!

Sparse intro with tribal drums was a good decision compositionally, though occasionally the drums do hide in the mix. Most notably on your big swells.

As noted, it is fairly slow to progress and does have a drone like quality.

I would probably recommend a different bass, even be it a ramp synth. The stringy one you have now sounds fairly inauthentic and occasionally distracts me on that basis. There are several free basses available like Ample Sounds' ABPL, which has reasonably good articulations. (I used it on one of my previous tracks, Old Wounds, which was frontpaged, if you'd like to hear it in action.)

Back to the track at hand, I'd probably have liked a transition into 3:17. It's a pretty abrupt change in our texture, from super spacious forest with swelling synths to what sounds like either a bassoon or oboe tuned down, drums holding down the beat.

This kinda reminds me of some older videogame music I used to dig. Great job maintaining atmosphere, conveying the plight of the last tree alongside the memories of a bygone time.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM!

primallightmusic responds:

Thank you very much! It was my pleasure to submit. I will look into that plugin you referenced and maybe integrate it into the final version of the song. Thanks for the great feedback!

[AIM - Quirky Little Circuit Girl]

Official AIM Review!

Very fresh sound-palette. Super smooth bass, which is so bouncy in and of itself, it almost sounds like the melody. Really, it's no secret what's driving this piece. A pleasure just to hear someone write bass well.

Piece as a whole seems quite crisply mixed, although I do notice the bass and kick seem to be just a bit loud throughout. Kick is probably not so much a problem and I may just be hearing the two of them together as quite loud. Might solve that problem with a little creative side-chain/hi-pass to get the bass out of the way of the kick in the sound-space.

Nice work maintaining a very quirky-girl theme. It's going to be stuck in my head.

I'm not noticing what TL said about too many high freqs on your kick. Sounded great to me on my monitor headphones, which have a very flat sound response.

I will add that I was initially dubious of what I was going to hear at 00:15 with that loud synth. Might have gone for a smoother sounding synth. That one's very sibilant. You really out-did yourself with the variety in this tune though. Keeps my ears fresh throughout.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM competition!

TheOneAfromaster responds:

Hey! I'm glad you liked the bass (I've been listening to 'Gaslighting Abbie' a lot lately). I definitely wanted to use high-frequency kick to enhance the bass part a little more so some of the low-end took a back seat, I will use your suggestion next time around. As per the sibilance you mentioned, I think the hi-hat + triangle roll combo may have contributed to that alongside the synth choice, so thanks for bringing that up. I appreciate the kind words, thanks for the review!

[AIM - Ichor Valley]

Official AIM Review!

Nice work crafting a desolate sounding 'scape. Reminds me of some of the more unsettling Dark Souls tracks, particularly of a scaly/scaleless nature. Texture at 1:15 is especially eargasmic. Would have been nice to have some lyrics to understand what is being said, and if it relates to our dragon story at all, or if you simply chose those phonemes because they sounded appropriate.

I appreciate the panning play after from the perspective that you're trying to draw out those choir lines without them getting stale. May have been panned a little too hard though. Those basses sound fantastic though. I'm actually curious as to your library/VST, as I have a few vocal Kontakt libraries.

I agree with TL that this piece feels somewhat incomplete, neither progressing, nor regressing. I will say, fantastic use of horns and atonal elements. Overall, kept my attention right on the razor edge. Though I probably ought to get my head checked. I found it (and all those queasy string textures) soothing, hahahaha.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

SmokeAvery responds:

Hey thanks alot for the review! These contest are what makes me better each year

[AIM - out of order]

Strong use of SFX and ... what almost sounds like a computerized barbershop quartet. Compositionally, this piece is quite a journey -- from insular forcibly sanitary, possibly insane computer land to freedom in our dream and later escape into the outside world.

It's not often I hear such a diverse piece, 2:10 section rivaling what I've heard from major studios. I'd probably recommend a different clarinet synth such as Synful Orchestra. It handles runs and swift articulations much more naturally in my experience. You can also hand-tool jerkier, computery articulations out by hand if you prefer with key and breath samples.

2:38 transition was extremely abrupt. Would have liked some SFX leading up to that.

Jesus, though. You've crammed so many styles in here, with such quality, it almost reads to my ears like one of those promo/demo reels. For technical skill alone, this piece comes as close as any I think I've ever encountered to a perfect score. 9.9/10. Would be a perfect 10 for somewhat smoother transitions.

I would really appreciate a sort of walkthrough or howto video on your creative process, even if it's just a podcast with pictures. Lots of artists like myself on NG are curious creatures. Inspiring work.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM competition!

Miyolophone responds:

Thank you so much, ADR3-N! I'm really happy that the piece was such a success in your eyes.

Transitions were the hardest part and I know I didn't nail all of them so I appreciate the feedback on those. The solution is probably to not put every genre in one song (the prospect of using this as a demo reel did not escape me while I was making it haha). And thank you for the tips on the clarinet, I'll look into it!

I think a how-to/podcast on my creative process would be kind of a mess but I would certainly consider it if people were interested. Maybe on a less ridiculous and hard-to-explain track though :P

[A.I.M 2018 - Kingdom.]

Official AIM Review!

I find myself agreeing a lot with what has already been stated in TL's previous review. Although, I did like the slow sweeping intro, the piece as a whole is suuuuuper 'verbed up, kinda muddy as a result.

00:50 sounds like a few tracks may have been mixed too loudly and are distorting.

You've got a nice sound palette but on your chorus, drums are buried under not just your bass but your background synths.

However safe your chord progression may be, I do feel like you've used it to your advantage. Structure of the song is good, and your transitions are fairly solid. I would have liked a slight variation on your second bridge. It almost sounded like a copy-pasta. Overall, it sounds like you've grasped the basics of good song-writing. For sure take some time to look at some mixing/mastering tutorials for your favorite genres, tips and tricks with your favorite synths, and you'll have the secret sauce to spice things up for your upcoming albums.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM competition!

[AIM - across the water]

Official AIM Review!

Creative intro with that FX play, coming into an interesting riff at 00:11. Love your progression. Wish track as a whole were more compressed to more clearly hear those little nuances.

Forgive my lack of useful comment, as I'm simply experiencing the piece. Got a horrible headache, so I'm not sure if your bass is just a bit too loud or if that's my head pounding. It's a tribute to your composition that I'm not really bothered.

Will say I wish your drums came up a bit stronger in the mix. You may try something like tape saturation for a little more compression/color.

You've got some really interesting textures going on here with your fx, not to mention great hooks back to the art. A great touch was the grass and car door SFX. Really does feel like driving up, having a photoshoot, and heading back to the car.

Great piece!

[endK - Cotton Glade]

Official AIM Review!

Man, super cheery cotton-candy progression. Imaginative textures.

00:58 is where things finally gel together cohesively, largely on part of your bass. I really feel like the flowery keys and other leads aren't meshing exceptionally well with your D&B drums. However, points for taking an adventurous approach to the piece as a whole. Your modulation on your leads throughout is wonderful.

Piece is well written but feels pretty top heavy to me. Perhaps a bit too much reverb on some of your synths. 00:35 onward is where I really start feeling the thin -- perhaps too open -- quality of the piece. It diminishes some on a second listen. Those background string swells could do with being brought out a lot more on bigger sections and perhaps voiced differently. I'm really missing low mids throughout the whole piece!

2:57, brass seems to be farting in and out on that attack. Outro was totally unexpected. I was ready for a second run of the chorus. Last minute key change? Second listen I was a little more prepared.

Overall, pretty solid piece. Thanks again for turning out to this year's AIM!

endKmusic responds:

Hey!
Thanks for one more in-depth review!
This one was full of build-ups and intros to main sections, and in those build-ups there was lack of bass, but it was intentional. I could've lowered the highs however, brought up the mids / low mids in those parts or somehow managed to mix it more properly.
Certainly not my best work, but the image looked 'airy'. It does sound open - as you said, I kinda went for that, but the realization certainly could've been better.
Thanks for both of the reviews, I totally get what you're saying and I'm grateful for the advices.
Much thanks once more! :)

[AIM - Hurricane]

Official AIM Review!

This feels very 70's jam band-y. Lots of different phrases. Very hard to follow what's going on due to the seemingly improvised nature of the entire piece as a whole. 1:46 was your strongest section.

2:25 was also pretty interesting and I was hoping that progression would go on a bit longer before devolving completely by 2:49.

3:00 was also a nice section.

Essentially, this piece sounds like several different compositions stitched together. Can't really tell what's happening and thus can't give good critique.

I will say the bass was up far too high in the mix, drums were hiding behind your piano, except for your toms. Do like the FX on your piano. Gave a nice texture to the piece. If I had to say this piece needed anything, definitely a little more instrumentation. Between drums, piano, and bass, there's just not a lot of options you have musically to convey your ideas. Even if it's just adding a lead, rhythm guitar, or some strings for some riffs, unless you're writing a solo instrument piece, probably best to give yourself a little more room to play.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

rockossss responds:

Thanks for the review. Lot of advice here to look into. Would have loved to add a mellotron section, but technical issues got in my way. Better add vocals and mellotron in a new version. Remixing too, thanks again.