ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Fairytale Continues]

I'm not sure about the chord progression chosen for your intro. I noticed a lot of parallel 5th motion -- at least that's what I think I'm hearing. That perception could probably be reduced by using more chord inversions and not doubling the strings as piano stabs on the other side.

I feel lit a bit more when you introduce hiphop and glitch elements, however, there is a really loud sub bass that I can't quite make out and I think that somewhat detracts from this section. Maybe use a different bass for the same line.

At 2:18 the low chords are kind of chunky sounding and close together for me. General rule, when writing lower, make sure there is more space in the chord between notes. The approach of even half notes leaves me feeling like the composition is kind of lumbering. However I do like the chord choices you made at 3:34 was nice!

Maybe switch it up with the melody? I hear lots and lots of 8th notes and am not sure where we are resolving to. May see signals music studio on YouTube for some music theory ideas. There is nothing offensive about your mix that I hear. In fact, it sounds pretty good. I'm just not quite able to follow the melody and chord progressions as related to each other.

Overall though, nice pacing, piece is neither too long, nor too short, and I still enjoyed it. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

GeminiGemini responds:

Thanks for the review and good luck to the remaining.

[Plesiosaur to meet you]

Wild, weird, and just what I expected from the text art.

I would appreciate a bit less reverb across the board, a harder distorted kick sitting higher in the mix, and watching your levels throughout to ensure no clipping before hitting the mix.

One thing I find lacking into 1:27 is hihats and crashes to punctuate transitions between sections.

I think you could sub out that piano in places for some sort of saw instrument and maintain the drama while fitting in better with the mix.

I also have no idea how you managed to get that ascii to look so clean.

Before 2:50 there is one or two notes out of the key in that melody. Not a severe problem but did distract me.

3:15 I'm feeling we are building toward a climactic drop and wondering how long it will take. Turns out to be an outro. I think you could have swapped out a section here from earlier on, or repeated it prior to the fade out.

Overall, interesting piece. I enjoyed it. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

dogsinmrimachines responds:

Lots of notes are out of key intentionally. See: Anything else I've released during the same time period.

3:30+ is a repeat of the melody at 0:35 and 1:45, it's just hard to tell because it's thoroughly layered.

The rest of your comments seem to be reducible to "create a song in a different genre with different musical techniques".

[Dekiru - Shattered (NGUAC22)]

Great chord progressions and phrases here, sure to get stuck in my head. Mix sounds nice and balanced with the exception of the odd overly loud crash.

At 1:07 I find myself wanting some sort of percussion fill, snares, toms, something. It feels a bit empty until 1:32. Here the pads sound a bit overly loud.

At 1:48, drop the pianos down a bit. They are crowding out your melody until 2:08. I also think I hear some notes out of the key but who cares. It didn't really bother me there.

At 2:20 it also feels a bit naked. I think you might have been able to cut out some parts leading into your final drop for a more dramatic finish. Ah, key change, unexpected but appreciated. I probably would have had one drop and then that key change personally, rather than a build into the key change.

Nice work overall. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

dekiruGD responds:

Thanks for the feedback!

[Heuristic]

Absolutely trippy. I'd like a bit more volume on your bass, slightly less on pads.

That trumpet line is supreme. Didn't expect to hear growls. Now I need to know what trumpet that is haha. Can't tell what sax that is after 8 years out of band, but it sounds great.

Your progressions and pacing are great, as well as those wild pads. 2:11 came as a surprise to me. I typically am not one for so much reverb, but as simple and uncluttered as the piano is, you manage it very well.

Wonderful work. Almost makes you forget yourself.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

Cresince responds:

Thanks as always for the tips!

I used Session Horns Pro for the flugelhorn (sounds just like a trumpet except more, wide? lol) and baritone sax. It has a good amount of play options and some ensemble mixes as well.

Thank you again for all your hard work judging :3

[PROJECT - 20]

Wow, what an insane shift in tone once the dubstep begins. I'm not even sure what to think. Such shifts in mood.

I think your keys could stand to be lower in the mix. Impressed you did this on FL Studio mobile. I would ask for a bit less reverb on your pads. I think your writing is very nicely varied and keeps my attention throughout, as well as the screaming solos. Very interesting piece.

The outro leaves a little to be desired, and the piece is short, but I think it works. Great work!

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

AniGlebGD responds:

I really appreciate your attention to my works.
So, as I mentioned a completely s*ck at other genres except dubstep (future bass).
I put a lot of reverb cause I wanted to make transition between chords very smooth, but I think I overdid.
Sometimes badly - made piece of track sounds much better than well made one.(

[The Bell of Death - NGUAC]

Very interesting sounds going on here. It reminds me of the old days of listening to techno on Newgrounds.

One thing throughout, I enjoy your writing, but I think you could stand to shorten or drop the volume on your reverb wet signal. On big sections, it gets pretty muddy, in contrast to the overly crisp highs of your percussion.

I would like: more volume on the kick, less on the hihats and anything that sounds like tsssss, a bassline more clearly audible under your bass arps -- could even be on offbeats to contrast against the kick. This would make a huge difference in the DRAMA for drops.

As a whole, the piece holds together well and I really enjoyed it. Great work.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

amishpimp responds:

thanks for the feedback, i really appreciate it! drops have been very difficult for me in general so i will take this into account going forward.

[AlphezoPlay - Overcharged (Dubstep)]

Nice intro. I hear something going on in the intro on your bass. It sounds like clipping. I think a lot of the mix problems I hear early on could be solved with MUCH less reverb on all instruments, and where you MUST have it, a low cut on the wet to 250 hz. The whole track seems to suffer from this.

That said, I love your arranging and writing all the way to 1:20. Your drop is positively chaotic, in a good way, excepting the issues of mix, the growls being too loud, and a bit less bass than I prefer. Literally just taking the reverb down will fix the majority of these issues.

The choir at 2:40 sounds really familiar, and although it is very clearly a synth I think works pretty well. Very daring choices.

Wonderful guitar solo at 3:26. This is like dubstep meets videogame, blues, and jazz at the same time.

Transition at 4:26 is good, again excepting the reverb issue throughout.

4:44 the drop is really tinny at the top. I think part of this is trying to ensure that it is heard above the MASSIVE reverb on the percussion and your pads.

Very interesting outro at 5:40. Total change of mood.

Again, thanks for coming out to NGUAC! What a journey!

AlphezGD responds:

So i just have to lower the reverb right? noted 👍

And also thanks to you!!

[Dolph Infinity]

2 seconds in and I already know this is going to be a wild ass, tripping experience

Very interesting ideas throughout and feeling as if I'm trapped in a factory. That's also underwater.

I'd like to hear more of your kick and snare throughout -- less hi-hat volume. The detuned piano is ... detuned. I'm not sure what is happening, what is a drop, what is a verse. There is clipping or perceived clipping on louder sections. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it, just that it gives me anxiety in a kind of good way.

Some more differentiation between verses and drops in their density of instruments would help this track a lot. I also think you could stand do turn down reverb and delay wet signals. That would greatly help the clarity of the cacophony.

If it is indeed clipping I'm hearing, I recommend mixing at a quieter volume before anything hits the master channel and only then applying compression.

Nice work. Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

dogsinmrimachines responds:

Hi ADR3-N, thanks for the detailed critique! I have a few minor follow-up points to it:

* Mixing at a quieter volume and then applying compression and gain definitely makes sense, my issue with this in the past is that it either doesn't prevent volume spikes or it does but then the whole thing is entirely too quiet. Maybe some kind of targeted compression would work here?

* Turning down the reverb and delay wet signals is highly tricky because of the way the instruments are built. There's always been a balance between getting the sound I want and making that sound crisp. Adding the noisier effects to the effect chain (or even the master) doesn't work because the effects are actually working with the feedback directly to give a richer sound. Is there a way of reducing reverb on an already-reverbed track? I mean I guess that would depend on the DAW but do you know any of the theory behind it if it's a real thing?

Your other comments are on point and are things I've worked on with newer releases. Overall though, a very helpful review!

[A new Chapter]

Great utilization of music theory in your chord modulations. Superbly and thoughtfully written. By 1:50 I'm waiting for a bit more to be said, wondering if we will see the incorporation of different instruments or lead lines. I think the ideas sold here would be best brought out into a full orchestra or a classic rock ballad. For a solo instrument piece, great work!

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

GeminiGemini responds:

Thank you

[Electronic danger]

UwU that opening is noice. Please tell me what that creaking sound is. It's a little too loud but I like it.

39 seconds I'm starting to feel like the intro is going on just a bit too long. 50 seconds, I've accepted it

I like your arrangement but think there is WAY too much reverb and the drums are too far down in the mix.

VERY NICE drum fill writing

I want to hear more bass throughout. The lead at 1:27 is much too loud without it.

Splendid writing.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!

idimension responds:

Thanks !
In this mix, i use Hybrid synth to make the riffs, i find theses on the bells and leads presets.