ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[To Save You]

Official AIM Review!

Oh, trepid little violin -- perfect intro, fitting of such a broad and varied presentation. I found myself wanting a little more volume on the trumpet stabs at 00:36, maybe a bit more panning.

00:48 transition seemed just a little abrupt, as do some other transitions into other motifs and themes. At some points it seems almost as if two or three fantastical compositions are being spliced together! Of course, the artwork has several panels, and these must be conveyed, but at times I did find myself wanting a smoother transition.

Trumpet hard-panned right at 52 seconds enters a little over the top.

Loving the solo violin throughout. Just fantastically written, and fantastic synth.

01:21, not sure what oboe synth you're using there but you may try Synful Orchestra for a more natural sound. It's one of the few I've found to do any woodwinds convincingly.

2:13 choir synth stands out in a very positive way on those first 2 notes. Third could probably have used a bit more velocity play as it's a little more naked.

Fantastic dynamic range. 2:21 sub drop was perfectly executed. Felt like traversing a chasm.

This piece is an absolute journey. Really appreciated what sounds like an ocarina or irish tin whistle solo over the outro -- transitioning in to piano.

Overall, stunning piece. Great work you two!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks for the detailed review!

We still can't get over how nice that violin VST is. That said, the brass instruments we own, while decent, aren't the best out there. We tried to do what we could with the mix, and we can try some improvements after the competition. In the future, maybe Cinebrass or something like that could be a nice alternative (once our wallets makes that possible, haha)!

As for transitions, we don't particularly mind them being abrupt, as long as they tell the story. While we think our piece does work as one, it's not fully meant as a standalone work. Sometimes it's nice to hint transitions so the listener is prepared; at other times it's fun to surprise the listener! :D

Nice catch at 0:52. It's probably part of the articulation, but it can sound a bit thin, especially in the mp3.

The solo violin is Embertone's Joshua Bell Violin. It's a Stradivari played by a classical violinist, and it's fantastically programmed. Highly recommended (in fact, probably the best digital instrument on the market)!

At 1:21, we used Native Instruments' Woodwind Essentials. It's alright, but there are certainly better oboes out there.

Another nice catch at 2:13! Maybe the note could start a few milliseconds earlier, as there is the slightest amount of emptiness there.

As for the sub drop, it's one of maybe 2 or so electronic-ish elements we used in the piece. It works well, but we wanted to keep the electronic additions to a minimum. It's great that the drop seems to have done its job!

The wooden flute is indeed an old Irish instrument, from ERA Medieval Legends I (not sold under normal circumstances at this point). It has a nice sound! A bit different from the rest of the orchestra, but we didn't want to be sticklers for traditionality; we focused more on conveying the art.

Thanks again for taking the time to listen to all the parts so carefully!

[AIM - ICU (When Things Start To Get Melt)]

Official AIM Review!

Wow, super creative. There are a couple instances where the mix gets a little muddy, and at points the lyrics sound like word salad to a native English speaker -- but this is relatively common with vocaloid.

I would recommend perhaps dialing down the distortion just a bit on your guitars/bass -- maybe bring them and Gumi down a few dB so your drums can stand out a bit more.

For guitar and amp sims, I'm familiar with Shreddage and GuitarRig but prefer the more natural sound of RealEight (and its lovely keyswitches) and the ease of use of Grind Machine. It seems like you know the ins and outs of your programs fairly well, but distortion on your guitars was muddy, and tone was unclear, hence the recommendation.

Intonation on Shreddage sounds like it needs a lot more velocity applied. Some notes sound a bit machine gunny or intonation too surgical.

Drums sound solid, though they're hiding in the mix under those guitars.

Now, onto writing -- I'm blown away by how surreal these lyrics are and how well you've used Gumi to convey them. Melody is catchy as hell, and those portamentos will be stuck with me a while. I've gotta invest in installing her one of these days.

Great work. Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

biyaonibakasan responds:

Thank you so much, that some awesome advice, ill keep that in mind about mixing and some tips. it's Helpful to improve whats missing to my music! again Thanks!

[AIM - The Dragon War]

Official AIM Review

Gotta say, I find myself agreeing with Chrono's review on that initial vocal solo -- it's written well, but something in that vocal synth is ... either too thin, or too quick on that descending run. Literally my only critique other than perhaps a bit too much reverb here and there. I can't tell if that vocal synth is too dry or needs something like a tape saturator to give it the same lively tone as the rest of the track. Might even try a grittier library like Gaia Francesca. Very strong voice.

Gorgeous violin riff around 2:23... I do think there's a bit much reverb going on there when you have us dangling off the musical cliff.

But holy cow. Monster of a track. I'm almost lost for words! Very close to a 10.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

CloakedSoup responds:

Thanks a ton the review! Like I said with Chrono, I think MIDI programming and mixing for vocals is one of my bigger areas for improvement at the moment. It's nice to see people enjoying the track so much though! :D

[[AIM] Felix Zophar - Hold On Longer]

Official AIM Review!

Like that intro. Riff is catchy. Don't particularly like how the perc comes in, but it does settle in nicely once all is said and done. Perplexed at 0:33 when it seemingly vanishes without explanation.

I'm noticing a lot of 4 on the floor drums. Would like at least the typical big room convention of the snare on beat 4 of every 4th measure or so to keep things fresh.

Your chord progression is fairly safe but good. Not sure why you wouldn't like the piece. It's simple but fairly effective. Again, drop is stellar, and this time around much better mixed. Another one that will be stuck in my head. Still impressed you were able to accomplish this on a mobile DAW.

I agree that this track probably would have done better much shorter, about a full minute, and perhaps some of those cheesy transitions beefed up with more perc, not to mention some sort of riser.

We hear a lot of the same melodic content over. I'd have probably liked a second repeat of that chorus at the end, or maybe even a key change to keep things fresh. I'm also noticing your tracks seem absent of any crashes or wooshy reverse cymbals. Unsure if that may be a DAW limitation.

Overall, cohesive piece, impressive considering you made it in Auxy. Nice work. Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

FelixZophar responds:

Yeah, since I use the older update, I don't get things like sweepers. But I try to make my own. But a few days ago I got a new DAW on my computer called IMMS. If you listen to my new songs, they're made on IMMS (if you can, write a review on one!). But I like IMMS better. Not to say that I hate auxy, but I can't live with the older version. My friend @MutantNebula, I go over to his house every now and then, and he has the newer version of auxy. It's awesome! But I really like IMMS because I can organize it the way I want. I can get the sounds I want from a place called www.soundpacks.com but yeah. Thanks!

[[AIM] Felix Zophar - You Can't Hide]

I'm impressed you made this on a mobile DAW.

Wishing the texture at 0:17 went on longer... Second listen and I realize this is a snippet of the drop.

Mixing wise, this piece is fairly rough and cluttered, but my-my, that drop is catchy! It's clear you've got an ear for music. I'd have liked to hear that a few more times.

Most of what I have in mind has already been said -- transitions, transitions, transitions. 1:59 I was again moderately disappointed not to be greeted with the drop again. Seriously, love that drop. This piece may have benefited from a true bridge in a different key before returning to our chorus. By 1:39 I was feeling a little confusion -- and wondering when we were going to move on from that riff.

However, theme is strong and cohesive throughout. My only real complaint would be mixing, and I realize this is probably much harder to nail down on Auxy. You may want to look over some general mixing tutorials, as I notice the percussion is especially sibilant, and at some points, like the drop, we begin to see the limits of what the mix can sustain. Bass and lead kind of overwhelm the drums as well, yet mix as a whole is generally sitting about where I aim to have mine for premastering/mastering.

Overall, enjoyed the piece. Pleasantly surprised when I read the words harmonic minor that rather than the usual arab-esque treatise, I hear horror-themed EDM, haha. Nice work!

FelixZophar responds:

Yeah I was surprised at how it turned out. It was so scary to me. I like the drop as well. Auxy is great for a mobile DAW and I think everyone should get it if they can't afford a DAW like FL studio, or Ableton. But I just have one problem. I have an iPad 2, so the newer version isn't compatible with my iPad. So I have to use an OLDER update. In the older update, you don't get sound packs, you don't get all the effects. There are seven (well, there is an eighth, but It's only on two other instruments out of a hundred) effects in the version I use. Depending on the instrument, delay might be replaced with shape, but they sort of do the same thing, and then there is tone, reverb, filter, ducker, and volume. So yeah, only like seven effects. In the newer version you get like ten effects. But what I have I can work around. Thanks!

[AIM - Peacemaker]

Official AIM Review!

Oh, Lex does a western! This piece is fairly simple and straightforward with its writing but well done. I'd like to hear a little more of your rhythm guitar, perhaps a little crispier on the distortion.

Riffs are simple but effective. I particularly like your slide work. Would have appreciated a little more variation in your intonation, maybe harder, twangier picking on your accents, and some bends and a couple more flourishes/fills so that when repeating a verse, it doesn't feel like a literal copy paste of another section.

One complaint throughout -- drums sound relentlessly flat and one dimensional. Would have liked the occasional tom fill, maybe some ride cymbal here and there. You may also try a tape saturator on your snare.

I usually pan my drums fairly aggressively these days, excepting snare and kick, following as a general rule the orientation I'd hear them when playing. Kinda livens them up a bit.

I was about to complain bass wasn't standing out enough acoustically until I read you were using BooBass -- and then I was surprised. Sounds pretty good for a synth. It does seem to be covering up that kick a bit though frequency wise. Still would probably recommend something like AMR 2 for a grittier, more natural sound, not to mention support for string taps and extra pick noises. Bass is a percussion instrument. I'd have loved to hear a slap on between those mutes.

Overall, laid-back, jammin' tune. May have appreciated a little mastering compression, but enjoyed the listen, and fits the art you selected perfectly.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

LexRodent responds:

Another nice and detailed review :)

All fair observations, specially on the flatness of drums and lack of variation on the sliders.
Idk why time constraints are like neurotoxin to me ; I screw up way more than usual when time it's a factor to consider. I have already started to work on some tweaks to fix some of the biggest flaws and give this track a better polishing.

Thanks for listening.

[AIM - Old Meadow Rain Dance]

Official AIM Review!

Sparse intro with tribal drums was a good decision compositionally, though occasionally the drums do hide in the mix. Most notably on your big swells.

As noted, it is fairly slow to progress and does have a drone like quality.

I would probably recommend a different bass, even be it a ramp synth. The stringy one you have now sounds fairly inauthentic and occasionally distracts me on that basis. There are several free basses available like Ample Sounds' ABPL, which has reasonably good articulations. (I used it on one of my previous tracks, Old Wounds, which was frontpaged, if you'd like to hear it in action.)

Back to the track at hand, I'd probably have liked a transition into 3:17. It's a pretty abrupt change in our texture, from super spacious forest with swelling synths to what sounds like either a bassoon or oboe tuned down, drums holding down the beat.

This kinda reminds me of some older videogame music I used to dig. Great job maintaining atmosphere, conveying the plight of the last tree alongside the memories of a bygone time.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM!

primallightmusic responds:

Thank you very much! It was my pleasure to submit. I will look into that plugin you referenced and maybe integrate it into the final version of the song. Thanks for the great feedback!

[AIM - Quirky Little Circuit Girl]

Official AIM Review!

Very fresh sound-palette. Super smooth bass, which is so bouncy in and of itself, it almost sounds like the melody. Really, it's no secret what's driving this piece. A pleasure just to hear someone write bass well.

Piece as a whole seems quite crisply mixed, although I do notice the bass and kick seem to be just a bit loud throughout. Kick is probably not so much a problem and I may just be hearing the two of them together as quite loud. Might solve that problem with a little creative side-chain/hi-pass to get the bass out of the way of the kick in the sound-space.

Nice work maintaining a very quirky-girl theme. It's going to be stuck in my head.

I'm not noticing what TL said about too many high freqs on your kick. Sounded great to me on my monitor headphones, which have a very flat sound response.

I will add that I was initially dubious of what I was going to hear at 00:15 with that loud synth. Might have gone for a smoother sounding synth. That one's very sibilant. You really out-did yourself with the variety in this tune though. Keeps my ears fresh throughout.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM competition!

TheOneAfromaster responds:

Hey! I'm glad you liked the bass (I've been listening to 'Gaslighting Abbie' a lot lately). I definitely wanted to use high-frequency kick to enhance the bass part a little more so some of the low-end took a back seat, I will use your suggestion next time around. As per the sibilance you mentioned, I think the hi-hat + triangle roll combo may have contributed to that alongside the synth choice, so thanks for bringing that up. I appreciate the kind words, thanks for the review!

[AIM - Ichor Valley]

Official AIM Review!

Nice work crafting a desolate sounding 'scape. Reminds me of some of the more unsettling Dark Souls tracks, particularly of a scaly/scaleless nature. Texture at 1:15 is especially eargasmic. Would have been nice to have some lyrics to understand what is being said, and if it relates to our dragon story at all, or if you simply chose those phonemes because they sounded appropriate.

I appreciate the panning play after from the perspective that you're trying to draw out those choir lines without them getting stale. May have been panned a little too hard though. Those basses sound fantastic though. I'm actually curious as to your library/VST, as I have a few vocal Kontakt libraries.

I agree with TL that this piece feels somewhat incomplete, neither progressing, nor regressing. I will say, fantastic use of horns and atonal elements. Overall, kept my attention right on the razor edge. Though I probably ought to get my head checked. I found it (and all those queasy string textures) soothing, hahahaha.

Thanks for turning out to this year's competition!

SmokeAvery responds:

Hey thanks alot for the review! These contest are what makes me better each year

[AIM - out of order]

Strong use of SFX and ... what almost sounds like a computerized barbershop quartet. Compositionally, this piece is quite a journey -- from insular forcibly sanitary, possibly insane computer land to freedom in our dream and later escape into the outside world.

It's not often I hear such a diverse piece, 2:10 section rivaling what I've heard from major studios. I'd probably recommend a different clarinet synth such as Synful Orchestra. It handles runs and swift articulations much more naturally in my experience. You can also hand-tool jerkier, computery articulations out by hand if you prefer with key and breath samples.

2:38 transition was extremely abrupt. Would have liked some SFX leading up to that.

Jesus, though. You've crammed so many styles in here, with such quality, it almost reads to my ears like one of those promo/demo reels. For technical skill alone, this piece comes as close as any I think I've ever encountered to a perfect score. 9.9/10. Would be a perfect 10 for somewhat smoother transitions.

I would really appreciate a sort of walkthrough or howto video on your creative process, even if it's just a podcast with pictures. Lots of artists like myself on NG are curious creatures. Inspiring work.

Thanks for turning out to this year's AIM competition!

Miyolophone responds:

Thank you so much, ADR3-N! I'm really happy that the piece was such a success in your eyes.

Transitions were the hardest part and I know I didn't nail all of them so I appreciate the feedback on those. The solution is probably to not put every genre in one song (the prospect of using this as a demo reel did not escape me while I was making it haha). And thank you for the tips on the clarinet, I'll look into it!

I think a how-to/podcast on my creative process would be kind of a mess but I would certainly consider it if people were interested. Maybe on a less ridiculous and hard-to-explain track though :P