ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[X3ll3n - Somnium (NGUAC 2023 Knockout Round)]

Oh geez "waiting on a certain someone to answer me" calls me out so hard even if it isn't me! My inbox regularly overflows with mod stuff, and I still am learning how to use discord. Email has 10k unreads at least. Texts and facebook has god knows how much. I can't keep track of it mentally. Wasn't ready for this techno world.

This track is a slowburning bop. Great chords. I might ask for a bit of moving back attacks for the strings so that they sound exactly in time with the piano. That's a pet peeve of mine, but they sound great. I might also reduce intensity of sidechain ever so slightly for your final drop.

This reminds me for some reason actually of Goldeneye OST. But obviously a lot more chill. Just classy work :)

X3LL3N responds:

I'm really glad you liked it, this is quite different from what I usually make :)

Lil' fact about the song: "Somnium" is kind of inspired by the Entropy remix in question in terms of sound design (and Entropy itself is inspired by a scrapped/on-hold remix of @Hookington 's and @HypeDragonMusic 's song called Nevermore, if you like Dubstep, you should check both of them out (though you probably already heard something from them)

As for the mod stuff, I can understand that. I help out people who want to post their songs on Newgrounds (when they get banned by the bot) and when they want their songs on GD for example.
I feel bad because it's often stuff that I can't resolve alone as I'm not a mod and I have to ping Lich all the time x)

Also, some explanation for the part about "waiting for someone" : Months ago, I found a song named Entropy by Tiramika on a Discord server. It was simple but and not very well produced, but it had potential, so I offered to remix it from scratch while keeping it faithful to the original.

I did so and the person loved it so much they wanted to make it an official reboot, and I was like "sure, lemme polish it a bit first though"
Since then, I tried contacting them multiple times but they have been ignoring me for some reason, which is why it's gonna be a Newgrounds-exclusive once I upload it.

By the way, thanks for the frontpage, I really didn't expect that so it was a neat surprise :)

[Heaven]

blown away this is fl 5
wow, so nostalgic, sounds a lot like the old techno i listened to ages ago!

I will say there is too much reverb it sounds like happening and hanging around the low mids and sub frequencies. Transition noises are also really loud relative to the rest of the track, as well as subs too -- quite loud and audible over the rest of the track

The track itself is mixed really quiet. Can you turn it up at least in audacity? Recommend mastering compression after cleaning up reverbs, as well as taking down the hihats and crashes some prior to doing so

You've got great writing and phrasing here. The whole song flows naturally. Beyond issues of mix and no doubt some software limitations, perfect trance

X-ManOfficial responds:

I'm not friends with mixing and mastering, it's hard for me and I don't understand much about it.

There are not so many reverberations here, I only put Fruity Reveerb on some channels in the mixer, and Fruity Delay on some. The track is quiet because it is quiet.

I don't have Audacity and my computer can hardly stand it. In the project itself, I set the volume as high as I could, at 120% with Fruity Balance at maximum.

I would really like to be helped with the mixing. And so thanks for the criticism!

[Kill It | SynnCloud (NGUAC)]

1:56 sounds like a famous song I can't recall. Maybe Unforgiven, or potentially a song of Rammstein's that I can't remember either.

Other than mix, this song is great. There is a bit of overuse of reverb, the amp noise is at times audible underneath the music. Some guitars sound louder than others. I think it will help you when you mix to listen to a reference song in between mixing your tracks and try to match the overall levels of where guitars are sitting in loud sections, where drums are sitting in others. No two songs are alike, but it will really help you get the sound you want. I'm jealous of your immense talent. Ten years ago, all my music was trash! This is actually pretty freaking great. Really nice work!

SynnCloud responds:

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! <333

1.- I THOUGHT THE SAME, i dont know if there was an already existing melody or progression in my head but i thought "This sounds quite familiar" But i didn't had a better idea so i recorded it for this

2.- its probably because my resources are quite low, i've been mixing with headphones and i just put the mixes through my father's car to listen how it sounds in other speakers hehe, but thank you so much for the tips <33

i will try to do it better next time, idk, maybe someday i can be as good as you O.O

[Zero]

There is some clipping in the right channel on the low piano it sounds like

The ooh samples I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of the exact same articulation repeating. Is there not a way to change where succeeding notes start on the sample?

I feel like this piece gets pretty muddy in the low mids, and there is some clipping occasionally. Sounds as if mixed too loudly prior to export/mastering

Your vocal lines could use more breath support, as well as pitch control. If you struggle to sing but still want your melodic ideas represented, using autotune is not illegal. Better that than the sharp/flat on "die" at the very end. Without breath support, you can get that nasal kermit sound, as well. Recommend the singing course work of Ken Tamplin for getting started. It's great for beginners and professionals alike.

Nerostratos responds:

I appreciate all your feedback!
1. i'm not sure i hear this low piano clipping you are referring to, i've listened to the track with multiple headphones and can't seem to identify it. Only clipping i notice is in some of the vocal lines peaking
2. the ooh samples unfortunately only have one attack articulation I even softened them up quite significantly

Even though i have been making music for years i still am not as talented at mixing and mastering as others so i appreciate your comments and will pay more attention to reduce muddiness in future works. Same with the comments on my singing, i refuse to use autotune as I feel it makes the vocals sound honestly really gross, so I have some practice to do if i wish to keep incorporating them. so thank you for the criticism

[Heart Made of Gold]

Pretty much everything but the vocals is mixed really well. Vocals could use more makeup gain, dynamic compression essentially, de-essing, and I'm not in love with his performance, but it will only sound worse by hiding it down in the mix and cutting the high mids on it, which is what it sounds like is happening.

More dubs of the adlibs of that's what you're born with etc would have been great to add as shouts.

The vocals can either make or break a song, and in your case they are sitting in a middle ground where they are not quite able to shine. I feel they are pushed off to the right channel for some reason, don't have a lot of chorus/delays to give space, and if they were not in the right channel would sound quite centered.

Beyond that, great chords, great writing, and really catchy!

MYYA responds:

All appropriate commentary. Thanks for the review!

[Taste Again]

27 sec, wrong note that repeats when this section does. I can also hear when this section appears to be copy pasted.

Otherwise, love the performance and pretty good mix -- perhaps take down hihat and ride just a bit. Something is going on with the low end on the guitars on the chorus. Feels like my head is full listening to it, probably a lot of reverb and low mids ringing out. Maybe check the sub as well.

Great lyrics that are difficult to take apart, angsty and grungy. Good vocal performance. Overall, only thing that'd make a massive difference to me is applying some mastering compression so it is satisfactorily loud and angry as its peers on the radio. :)

Mischa-head responds:

Thanks for listening and commenting!
I think your feedback on my last track helped me mix this one a bit better.
Hopefully they just keep getting better and better!

[Fight for the Future! - NGUAC Knockout 2023]

There is some unidentifiable noise clicking above the mix prior to 30 seconds. It could be some sort of reverb. Speaking of reverb, it is hard to hear anything going on due to lots of low end noise coming from reverb through this piece. Rolling off some of the low end i.e. 250 hz and below can help. Alternatively, manage reverb smartly by applying it where you want it to be heard -- think about how people don't leave the sustain pedal on a piano when they change chords, unless those chords go together -- it causes things to sound muddy.

The kick is very hard to hear throughout the song. Snare could come up throughout. Hihats potentially also. Levels are just in general all over the place. Perhaps not for a chip tune song, but this is not chip.

I am having trouble hearing the bass through the reverb shoegaze and over the amount of sustaining bells, as well as the quite loud leads.

Based on your panning, I think it is part of the reverb on the snare in your beginning I was hearing. Oh no, it was the instrument at 2:14. Rolling off the high end on that delay will help a bit. Due to muddy mix, it was sounding like clipping to me in your intro.

But I would like to say beyond all that that compositionally, this is a great piece, which I really enjoyed. All mix issues aside, it's lively, energetic, and driven. Kind of reminds me of mario kart, tbh. Good work!

CommanderJersey responds:

Thank you for the review, I have been working your feedback into the song to make it better!

[Crystal Zero (Lite)]

I think there is overuse of reverb throughout creating a low-mid hum throughout -- perhaps roll off some of that as you incorporate more instruments.

Mix at 1:17 is sounding great on your bass, but I think the cello could be thinned out a bit and made into an ensemble at the same volume. I think it actually needs a wetter, crispier sound.

Structure wise, going great into 2 min. Liking that drop. Wanting actually more low mid and high mid here, and a bit drier tint here, especially at 2:15.

At 2:35, I think the low piano chords could be thinned out note wise or replaced with saws. Also, the attacks on each note all sounding at the same time is a bit grating for that naked section. A natural hand roll as it would be played might sound better.

3:42 is way over compressed, more than 3:24 even. It is losing the natural character of the synths and the transition sweep is getting lost as soda fizz on top of any reverbs there. The side chain is also almost totally lost in terms of actual contrast it is providing.

At 3:59, same issue as 2:35. Changing the velocity to be softer here, as it's the outro, may help.

Otherwise, I think you've done a fabulous job at sound design and made a good composition. Great work!

Question, does Nexus 4 still have the keys from the original Nexus? That piano sounds so familiar!

CloudNinja responds:

Nexus 4 is the same, it just changes the UI and adds extra buttons. Thx for the feedback! I didn't have enough time to really make it as good as I want so hopefully the full version would be better (IE "Lite" in the name)

[Sadistic Blood]

chord progression in intro is fire, as is the fx used.

I think the synths at 30 sec could be a bit quieter, as well as drums

Overall the weak point of this piece is production and instruments used -- i.e. mix levels and particularly that soundfont piano. I think a synth would have been much better suited there.

At 1:34, the instrumentation is sounding thin and under developed, and there is not a lot of contrast between it and the intro beyond some percussion parts coming in and a synth violin, which I think also would be better replaced with a synth. Still the ideas presented here are fantastic.

I do praise that I can hear your sine bass!

I think if you were to take this piece exactly as is written and with the same instruments, I would roll some high end off of your drums as a whole, i.e. low pass, apply reverb to the snare and a subtle pingpong delay to hihats and cymbals, and apply dynamic compression to them. Hihats and cymbals should be lower in volume. Snare and kick should be the loudest element of a piece and be balanced sonically -- listen to some references as you mix, chosen from the genres you most want to emulate, and try to approximate the sounds

Compositionally, I think there are some weaknesses in structure, not in terms of actual melodies written, but layering and choice of instruments, such that drops don't quite feel like drops. More contrast needs to be apparent in terms of volume and individual parts entering and exiting the stage per new phrase.

I hope you keep going in this direction however and that you don't lose your writing as you improve aspects of mix and instruments available to you. This is great :)

ClitBait responds:

thx you for the review, i'll keep in mind!!!

[Half Sure]

Before I've even listened, I love your lyrics and lyrical theme. It's endemic to the human experience. Anyone who hasn't felt this, hasn't felt the feeling of being alive: loss, aimlessness, apathy, joy and its absence. I feel you, and I'm there with you now. Hang in there <3

In your intro, I would like more stereo width on your breaks and perhaps a more thinned out sound. They are having trouble cutting through the mix throughout.

Enjoy the vocals. Perhaps could thin out the low mid and bump the frequencies around your s's, in exchange for a manual de-ess. FX on them are pretty smooth, as well as transitions. They could potentially come down by .3 to .4 in the final mix/master.

Bass also could use a bit more high mid and presence in the center channel. It feels as if your sub has been stereo spread.

The guitars feel disjointed in the stereo space and a bit dry, as well as somewhat loud on clean lines. The rhythm/chords in the left are hard to make out due to fuzz. Perhaps a bit more careful eq before hitting the head will assist.

Otherwise, beautiful composition and flow. I found myself wanting one more chorus after the outro, honestly. I like it a lot!

SkankyMojo responds:

Thank you very much, I really appreciate the detailed feedback and kind words.