ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Underground collective WIP]

I really can't pick up the trap except the mild 808 and the hi-hats, which are crazy in both genres usually. If you really want a trap sound, you're gonna have to play with more offbeats. As just a pure DnB tune, it's a pretty nice hybrid though.

You might want to try masterlimiting rather than just pure compression on those drums.

Hallow responds:

It's more meant to be a DnB tune. I haven't seen too much DnB with hats this crazy though.

As to the compression on the drums, if you were thinking of the snares right at the end getting really loud at those high pitches, it was something that I fixed a while ago. I have a better WIP up at https://instaud.io/kRY, so let me know if it worked. Otherwise, I might try limiting the master / the track I have receiving all of the drum sends.

[Trillionz (Original Mix)]

Got some serious mixing problems. Are you master limiting this at all?

Also, it doesn't feel like it goes anywhere. Just the same canned transitions, same cymbals at different pitches, and no really melodic progression. It feels like it stays in the same chord. Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth with all those frequencies bleeding into one another, sorry.

Khris responds:

not everyone's gonna like what i pump out, but hey, i'll take what you're saying and use it to benefit my next project, i appreciate you taking the time to write an in depth critique of my music.

[F-777 - Deadlocked (Thiscom remix) [8-BIT]]

Not bad, but the drums need a lot more presence in the mix. The bass and melody are chewing it up and spitting it out!

[Screaming By]

Interesting stuff. It doesn't sound bad. Your perc could use work though, at least in the FX department. Reverb, phasers, flangers, chorus (stereo effect)... I don't think this is trance, though. It may be. It just doesn't sound like a lot I've heard. I like it, though.

Your leads aren't coming out as much as they should in the mix. Do you have a master limiter on the whole mix? Are you sidechaining? I hear some of the characteristic pumping, but I'm not sure.

That midrange bass sound is odd. Sounds like it's just kind of herp derping while the more synthy bass kicks the track along. 2:20 sounds really good. Your squirrelly riffs in the midrange are throwing me off though. Needs more of an edge to the sound. 3:00 is another good bit. The lead isn't characteristic of most trance I hear though. Listen to ATB - Could You Believe, and get a feel for leads like that. Actually, listen to ATB, period. Great inspiration for Trance.

Drewpy responds:

Hey, thanks! I didn't really know where to put this, and I feel like it's more trance than the other categories available. Thanks for the advice and the ATB suggestion!

[I Miss You]

Absolutely fantastic sample slicing, atmosphere, and vibe. I love this. Really translates the feeling of nostalgia, remembering good times with someone. And your phrasing is artistry itself.

[Hold On]

The swing felt a little clumsy to me, but you managed to tie back into a gritty, cohesive sound. Great work!

BOULLIE responds:

Yeah I didn't treat the drum loop too closely. I remember the swing growing on me after a bit and I left it where it was.

It's still hella wonky, but I'm glad it's at least enjoyable lol. Look at the newer stuff!! *Nervously bites at nails*

[Block Stompin']

Some good stuff. The string bass stuck out a bit, but I really like the distortion on your drums, and the panning and delays were fantastic. A phrasing problem happened around 1:35, but it could just be because it was easy to get lost in that atmosphere of the softer long notes. Your outro is nice. Wish it could have lasted a little longer or been hinted at somewhere else.

Great work -- and this is just your early stuff. Nice!

BOULLIE responds:

Oh god! Don't look at this stuff!!! lmao

I can't even listen to most of these anymore without feeling a tinge of embarassment, no matter how important they were to my development

[GloomyCity]

Your writing isn't bad, but your instrumentation and mixing leaves something to be desired. I feel like everything is sort of laying flat. I think there is a chorus or flanger on your high strings. It's really sticking out. The piano is also laying too loudly on top of everything. It should be spaced out, not in the way of all the other sound. Also, I feel like the low strings are too busy, or just too loud. Needs more 808 bass.

You could be doing a lot more work playing with those hi-hats than I hear here. It's just really long, and a lot of repetition of the same. For a beginner though, this is a good start.

I recommend learning how to use a master limiter on your mixes. This will solve volume problems without the risk of distortion. Compression is your friend.

Some good tools for trap are Massive, any 808 based synths you can program and get a good low end sound from. Sometimes I use distortion on my basses to make them stick out. If you don't have access to a good synth, there are VSTs like Alpha Sampler that you can plug in trap or hip hop 808 samples into and write them that way. Pay particular attention to the most common rhythms in this genre. Listen to other artists. Imitation and emulation can lead you to develop your own definitive style.

IMO, you should have busted out with the end of this song from the beginning. It's the best part. A lot of people would hear this and press skip. I'll compliment your fade-out though. Keep it up!