ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[B!aku - Love u no More]

There's some grammar errors in english that don't make sense to me because the correct grammar would sound just as good -- taked instead of took -- but I'm going to completely ignore that because it doesn't matter

This song would BANG fantastically if the mix was better. It sounds like each instrument, including the vocal is mixed too loudly or distorting somehow, and the mix is crowded. The low-mid and bass range is especially crowded it sounds. I notice this most around 1:09 on the backing vocal.

However at this time I'll say that I LOVE your writing. I would just prefer less distortion.

I would also like the acoustic guitar to be mixed to sound more thin and perhaps pick a side to pan to.

I would remove a lot of reverb from the keys and other instruments for bigger sections, as acoustic guitar is getting lost in that.

Otherwise, I listened twice! Nice work!

Biakuu responds:

Thank u so much for your observations!! i really apreciate them a lot.
sorry for the grammar, english is not my native lenguage as you can tell, but i try to learn along the way.

I know i could have mixed better, If I had given myself the time to, maybe it was the hype to upload the song, it's a pretty experimental piece as well, so i'll be working on that point the next one!!

im so glad u liked my lyrics, it's a little tedious to capture the feelings i want to project, and being so, I am very encouraged by the fact that they seems to hit the bullseye!!

again, thank u so much for giving yourself the time to analyze my work, i promise i will keep it in mind for my next songs, witch i would love that you hear, see u next time, hope you're having great day!!

[XVII - The Star]

Really enjoying the idea and the vibe of this piece, however my least favorite part is actually where things get going at 3:30 or so minutes in (the typical length of a radio song, wow)

I feel the slow drums are not quite the right fit in terms of timbre. Could use some more FX, maybe, glitching, saturation, distortion, modulation... something as they feel flat to me

Careful with your filter sweeps -- the 15khz plus is pretty loud! There is nothing in that range so you are safe to take it down just a tad and roll that off without fear of losing it!

Sonically, this is quite the journey. The keys and melodic sections are very relaxing. Nice work!

[Calamity]

I find that I want a lot more volume out of your kick and snare, and less on your cymbals. They're a bit muted and don't cut through the guitars quite as much as I'd like. On softer sections it's not as noticeable. That hihat is really up there though.

Bass could also use some hi-mid and potentially a volume boost on bigger sections.

As TL mentioned, transitions can be a bit abrupt, but I think it's fine.

Those strings are a bit thin sounding, and I think they could be fleshed out with either several other key instances in the background, or potentially tremelo pan.

2:50 is a great section. Strings there in the left are a bit too loud. Choir sounding good. I find myself wanting it to be a bit more centered, as well as the strings.

It appears this is unmastered to my eyes. A quick run through an internet mastering service might help here.

But your writing is FANTASTIC.

Overall really enjoyed it!

[It's Back]

There are some great sections here and good composition, as well as chords, however it feels like a mash of a lot of elements that just don't quite go together, or are going together against their will.

Lots of bass notes that don't fit well in the chord, the reverb on the chords is so strong that I am having a hard time differentiating them from pads at louder points. Even for ambient I feel at times it is excessive.

Autopan and tremelo/gate effect at times sounds great, but it also persists throughout. My favorite section is probably the one between 3:40 and 4:35. I also feel the bass that pans back and forth right to left, if it can be called bass, is too loud relative to the other instruments, and there is a lot of high end distortion or saturation that permeates the piece like tape noise.

Just in general I am not quite able to appreciate what is going on due to wrong notes and some mixing choices, regretfully, as the overall idea is really cool, and I like the chords you chose for your pads and keys!!!

I wish I had more good things to say. But no matter what, I want you to continue pushing the boundaries you want to push. You will find what works for you and what doesn't, and it ultimately doesn't matter who likes it, or who does it better. The only person you should seek to be better than is who you were yesterday. Don't let anyone tell you different. This is probably the most original piece I heard all month, with daring sound design. Keep it up, and I know you will kill it. I'm excited to see what you come up with next!

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[I Get It]

I didn't get to review this when I heard it for NGADM, and here you are again. Being as I have already scored it once and using the same rubric, nitpicking a second time would not be fair.

Suffice to say, my only critiques were, sonically, this sounds unmastered, and would benefit from compression to be radio ready. Vocals are catchy, so is writing. It actually does not sound angry at all. Disappointed, but not angry. Vocal performance could have just a tad more edge for the chorus, or on I get it. It sounds as if we are holding back a bit.

Guitar performance, great solo. Could have just a bit more stereo play in the left channel with that delay, perhaps wider chorus or a light tremolo pan. The delay backslap at the outro could pan harder left at a quieter volume.

Beyond that, real treat!

[Your Own Traveled Path]

Enjoy the videogame element to your intro. Could be improved by moving the attacks of the strings backward so they do not TWAH attack behind the beat but instead sound like they're coming in on time.

I think the bass is a bit loud, but it is very nicely written. 58 sec sounds like it got an accidental wrong -- one semitone off where it needs to be for that chord. Check that and try bumping that note down one semitone. See if that sounds better. I F up all the time with that.

I want to take a moment to praise lead writing and phrasing. Very nice composition.

Mix notes
Drums are not cutting through. need more kik and snare volume, or take down lead and bass respectively. hi-hats at times a tad loud. There is not much sonically to compete with them
solo leads could use a pingpong delay perhaps, at a subtle volume
backing strings may benefit from double tracking with a different patch, panning appropriately, and a bit of reverb -- just a bit. They sound a tad dry. A high boost on the right side may give mroe texture, and can be added or taken away for sections.

Overall I feel the right channel is quieter on a lot of sections and fades in and out as other instruments come in. Not bad but something to watch for naked sections. I also feel some pans are just a little hard, maybe within 5% of the ideal range

I also just noticed this has been looping continuously lol. Great, because I enjoy it.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[JAMUARY2023 day 8]

Really enjoying the selection of strange sounds. Almost emulates wild animals and machinery at the same time. I think at 0:40 a bit less reverb on that sound and more clipping, as well as some stereo play or perhaps double tracking would help bring it to the front.

The mix is pretty clear, but your growls, if can be called that, are a bit out of place in that heavily reverbed empty space.

The glass taps in the left channel around 1:15 as percs should be down about 2 dB in the mix at least. Quite loud.

But overall I quite like the vibe of this piece. It manages to remind me of dark underground hiphop and industrial at the same time. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

[Contrasts. (AIM 2023)]

I must say I quite enjoy this piece and the inspiration thereof. I have zero complaints for melodic composition and transition, mostly for mix, for quite some time.

There is a boxy quality to the intro up through 2 minutes. I think I would do a bit of hi-passing instruments and reverb wet signals, or perhaps just cutting those ranges. When the bass comes in, it is not as impactful as it could be, due to the already heavy low mid range at play. I find with ambience, often times less is more, and less low end mud with clearer high end can achieve the illusion of wide open space.

2:45 I think I hear an obvious slow effect on those violins that to me that doesn't quite fit, and the transition to 3:05 is a bit jarring without any other sound. The breathing also I feel would sit better in the left channel at about 20 percent pan, perhaps gently rolling between. It sounds like a person sleeping. And suffering at that.

Great work. Thanks for taking me on a journey!