ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[GTB - Ascending To Heaven (Instrumental Mix)]

Opening, this just sounds fun, and your sweeping sidechain transition does pretty well. Reminds me of something beachy, honestly, like a Wave Race game. It's just got that happy, wind-in-your hair. I really like the keys on those chord stabs, though I feel more could have been done with them.

Transition at 1:00-ish is interesting, into those strings, with chords I don't often hear in this genre, and the bass sweeping into the new progression. I feel the keys should have crept back in at a less intrusive volume, but once there they mix well.

Build up to 2:20 gives us a satisfying bassline and keys, but that lead is a little weird and just feels like it's hanging out on top of everything. Distorted guitar lead also lays on top of the mix. It's sort of crowding out my ears, and the mix begins to distort. This is where the track loses its center for me. Those leads are waaaaay over the top, and everything starts to feel overcompressed, to the point of distortion. They're simply carelessly introduced and too loud. It is here the track loses all of its dynamics, and I feel the happy is being slammed down my throat almost.

Lack of fade-out ruined at good outro for me. Overall however this was a pretty pleasing sit and listen, with just a couple tacks in the chair. You'll get there though. Keep at it, and again, thanks for the requests. Brightened my night.

[GTB ft. Himeko - Tomorrow(Is The Day) [PREVIEW]]

You really love sidechain :P

The piano could really use modulation on those notes. Mainstream music used to think the happy-hulk-plonk was cool but in reality, it dies on the ears once you've heard it a few times in other songs and just sort of sounds generic. Velocity and modulation are your friends when it comes to "classical" keyed synths like the piano.

Vocals aren't really sticking out. Could use some compression, chorus, EQ -- they're really drowning in the (admittedly pleasant) instrumental. It's like trying to listen to a conversation in a club when all of the sudden the crowd's absolute JAM comes on. The end result is struggling to hear what the hell the other person is saying. Would be fantastic if not for that. Make the vocals pop, so the listener doesn't jack the volume until their eardrums do trying to hear them.

Thanks for the review request, and sorry it took me a year to get around to them. Depression is killer, I tell ya. Anyway, hope this gives you some insight for future mixes.

[GTB - Break My Fall (Preview #2)]

Interesting. I like the bass especially. Just wishing the percussion were more prominent in the mix, and the sidechain was not *quite* as heavy as it is. It's leaving a bit of stab on the attack, resulting in a disorienting spike rather than the ducking effect. Bell-like leads are also a bit too loud relative to the rest of the track.

[TheFatRat - Monody (feat. Laura Brehm) [GTB Remix] DEMO]

Responding to your review request from around this time last year.

I have to say, Laura's vocals are probably the focal point of this song for me. Instrumentation could be stronger. I'm not feeling a lot of sub bass. Sort of feels like the high end and the mid chomp up the bass. Hats are pleasant, but I'm not really hearing anything but them, the vocals, and ... It just isn't meshing. Not that it's bad. It just could use some improvement. Probably would back down the hats a db or two and bring up the accompaniment, and maybe drop that bass arp an octave.

Dj-Gonzo responds:

Thanks for all the reviews you made. I respond all of them here because I am finishing this remix at the moment, and I feel that you'll see that "just sidechain" isn't anymore my production skill ;D.

These songs from 2015 are pretty inconsistent in their mixing, I was learning to use compressors, EQs n stuff back then, so yeah, I couldn't agree more with your point there.

Again thanks for reviewing all my requests, so, if you want to see my "evolution" as an amateur producer, I would like you to check out my 2016 songs, specially Alma or, by the end of this week, the final version of this remix.

Hope you enjoyed the songs I made, it's always glad to recieve constructive critizism :)

Thank you, EDM364.

>GTB

[Underly]

This is a catchy little loop. I especially like the simplicity and percussion. No real complaints here, but I would say this is probably in the wrong genre.

Random-storykeeper responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I was really confused about the genres on Newgrounds at the time I uploaded it, but looking back at it now, this definitely does not fit into the 'Ambient' category. I'm not exactly sure where it would fit, though. It doesn't seem to be proper in any of the other categories, but I put most of my music in "Video game", so I've just moved it there for now.

[When Stars Appear]

This song is a testament to the inability of shoddy equipment to overtake good composition. There were some moments where vocals sounded distorted, canned, or faltering, but the emotional quality made the ultimate difference for my ears, and you did a fair good job of mixing. I hope things improve for you.

[Demo Reel: Channel Surfing]

This is pretty cool, varied, and stylistically appropriate with each snippet. You've got some skill going on here. I dig it.