ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[In a Dream]

You mentioned your difficulty mixing vocals, but I feel like you did so in a way that compliments the track. They could be a few dB louder, but that may just be my own preference -- and maybe a little bit more of the 8k range on the EQ. It sounds phenomenal otherwise.

Your synthwork is perfect, except for the obvious synth bass. Maybe work a little bit more on modulation so the attack doesn't seem so droll. Other than that, stunning work. I know it must have taken some time. Great tools help though, of course.

Stellar work as always, Step. Just don't be afraid to crank up those vocals a bit more, so the instrumental doesn't overshadow them. Background vocals were implemented perfectly, I must say.

Keep up the great work, and thanks for the request!

Step responds:

You are probably entirely correct on those vocals. They could've been louder, especially in certain sections like "there'll be no one else". When I listen back to this I always wish I'd pumped them up a bit more.

Synth bass could definitely use more modulation, if not attack then maybe some filter effect perhaps. It does get kinda monotonous. I was originally going for a more James-Bond-esque kind of bass, but I don't really have the right kind of VSTs for that, so I had to settle with a synth bass.

Super glad you like this. Thanks a lot for this review and for reviewing all the others I pointed you towards!

[Splash In Silence]

Sitting at the beginning, and the piano synth is grating on me. Your chord arrangements could be a little better spaced at first. They're clashing, which is probably not your point. By 1 minute, it's sounding a lot better, but this is a very, veeeery long intro. I'd shorten up that fade in after the silence and go straight into the business, personally.

Your melodies are not bad once the main hook comes in. Percussion is where it suffers. I'd try a harder snare. It's hiding in your mix. Also, as a whole, there could be a lot more play with reverb. Experiment and try to craft an atmosphere -- a soundscape. It should flow.

At around 2:30, your piano comes back in. Definitely try a different synth. This one doesn't have a bad sound, but it's very generic -- the same piano everyone's heard in a thousand other songs. Try to add more personality.

Your arranging and break are written well enough, and those arps sound hand-written as well. Very nice. Overall, needs a bit more bass, a little more variation other than your standard 4 or 8 bars until an added layer comes in, etc. It's catchy, but it's certainly a niche genre of DnB.

Overall, good piece. Don't take my criticism too harshly. It's good, but certainly could use some room to improve. Keep producing!

TonicTaste responds:

Nah, man trust me. It's all good. I need these types of reviews, haha. Thanks dude! Appreciated.

[Nymphetamine Overdose]

Sounds pretty great so far, except the drums definitely feel synthesized at points. It could just be my ears fooling me. It's mostly the crashes and kick. Bass also sounds like a synth to me. You mentioned having me go over the synth part and maybe replace it with a string midi or something. I can't quite figure out what chords we're going for though due to the tonal construction of the song itself. Nice work!

Ultramartyr responds:

both the drums and bass are synthesized, as i mentioned. not much i can do there as i don't have a drum kit or bass guitar. thanks for the review, sent you a message

[Bounty Hunter]

Pretty nice stuff here. Huge Star Wars fan too, so naturally, I had to favorite.

DJmadalrian responds:

Naturally :p

[Jet Stream]

Pretty decent little tune, catchy. Bass is out of the key in the third, final chord. Fix that. Also, the instruments don't have much personality. Try playing around with some VSTs and see what you like, rather than slapping on a preset and calling it a day.

Also, volume overall is lacking. You could try a master limiter. Trim that silence on the end, too!

Sylentium responds:

*puts hands up* Ya got me.

[Deep Serenity]

Your sub is distorting a bit in the trap half. Other than that, both styles are great for you. I suggest the techno style for "verses" and trap for "choruses" of your songs. This gives a sense of progression and depth. And if you were going to produce hip-hop, it'd be a great start. Great loop here. Very catchy.

DJmadalrian responds:

Thanks!

[Programming in Sound]

I like the arp in the beginning, as well as the slow kick coming in. However, the hats are a little grating at first. The bass takes some getting used to, as I generally listen to punchier synths. Overall, the song is catchy, but I can't identify a particular theme, so it would be difficult to dance to. I could, however, see it as maybe a level theme. Good work!

cadence1 responds:

Very informative comment. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate!

[Silence the lamb]

10/10 for Silence of the Lambs sample. Yes. It'd hit it.

EdKempeper responds:

Haha, thank you !!

[DavZ Razorblades The Only One Remake]

Hmm, I like how this sounds starting out. Though it's a remake, you seem to have your mind made up from the beginning where you're going with this. The synths are simple yet effective, and the melodies are set out clearly. Personally, I'd prefer more hat, but that's just me.

The main theme at 1:20-ish seems to be missing something, but I can't put my finger on what. It's catchy and enjoyable to listen to, but not sure if I'd categorize it as Dance. Distorted synth around 3:20 feels a little over done, and after that, the whole track is silence. 3+ minutes of nothing. Please tell me my ears are lying. Trim it if not!

DavZRazorblades responds:

The silence is not intentional, it must be an error. Thanks for the contribution though! Now I know what to work on!

[Chompy]

Ooh, this is very nice. Kudos for getting orchestral brass/string synths to cooperate for a jazz piece. Your percussion writing is very strong and drives the piece well. High end on the strings sticks out a tad bit when things get heavy, but that's to be expected. Bass sounds a tad out of tune on the high end, but that could be because of volume. It's only in certain spots. Doesn't really detract from the song.

Loop is a bit jagged, but barely. Excellent work, especially mixing on the live instruments!

Step responds:

Gonna have to agree with you on the high-end complaints. I abuse high-end haha. And there is definitely something wonky with that bass. My bass samples suck :(.

Thanks for the review, man!