ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Getting Started]

Oh, so much good-natured fun going on here. Lots of spacy synths, cute bass, good structures and fun flourishes. Mix is a bit muddy though. Bass could use a little more presence. Reverb and those super long note tails on your pads are bleeding pretty hard. Percussion is sort of buried under the entire composition, especially your leads.

Good writing, so-so mixing and mastering. Enjoyed.

Noisysundae responds:

Short but very useful for me! I regret reading this so late. I should've paid more attention on whatever is going on in the background. Many thanks.

Although you didn't complain about the composition, most of the time, I can't point out the flaw in the mix by myself when I don't have the clear final image of the track in my head. Not sure if this can be called the writer's block, but I can only think about one really catchy melody and nothing else lately, hence the repetitive pad, arps, and lead synths after 0:42.

[Vaeltaja]

I was almost thrown off by the extremely audible attacks in the right ear, but once things get going, this is a very emotional, evocative atmosphere. Especially enjoying the suspended strings and gong, and then you've got your driving rhythm. Key change caught me off guard. The audible attacks in the right ear continue to confound me for the lengthy of the track, although I'm appreciating the horn rips traveling from left to right, as if given actual sonic space.

This is a very pensive piece which almost lacks direction, but it keeps the same theme throughout, so I can't really discount that. Using your competitors vocals? I'm not even sure if that should count as a disqualification or not! Lol. Although, that is quite kind of him.

Good piece.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hey, thanks for leaving a review! It's a shame that most judges this year lacked the time to do it, since it's one of the main points and benefits of the competition. With attacks in the right ear, I assume you're referring to the piano. The mix might be a bit odd, I suppose! We kinda liked it that way :)

As for horn rips, there is no brass in the piece.

Well, the piece may lack a conventional structure. The title means "wanderer", so it's supposed to feel more as an adventurous journey! The thematic elements indeed are the ones that are intended to keep the balance in the piece.

As for using our competitor's vocals, we also provided elements to his track. Outside performances are allowed in the rules . And we ended up losing anyway, so no harm done! Naturally, we're back in because of the high score and some dropouts though.

Once again, thanks for reviewing!

[Willow Wasteland: Fantasia]

A very thoughtful, inspired piece. You're quite talented at portraying emotions and textures. This is coming very near the ten mark for me, and I really have no useful critique to offer.

Phonometrologist responds:

Oh, it took me a while to figure out who you were due to the name change. I'm just glad people enjoy it, and thank you for letting me know.

[After the Rain]

Just doesn't get old. Although those vocal samples are so strange to me, really. As usual, solo sections are satisfying. Strange bits are the key changes, as they come when I'm never actually expecting them. This keeps me on my toes, and the scat singing is interesting, but quite hard to get into. This is an interesting style piece, but I think it speaks more to you and ethansight than it does me. Still a good listen.

johnfn responds:

A LIL LATE EDM lol jk yea tbh this is like my favorite track i've done =D

[Call of the Warrior]

Really interesting fusion of styles here. Choral, church organ, synth, metal styled drums. I can't really pick out any specific sins other than perhaps a very dry piano and somewhat of a bare melodic scape. Everything seems more rhythm and less melody.

Spadezer responds:

I appreciate the kind words. I'm curious what you mean by "bare melodic scape."

Thanks

[Invasion of the Court of Hearts]

These brass samples, choir, and etc. have attacks that are making my ears twist in agony. Also kind of sounds like some old disney movies I've listened to. I can't think of which. That chip synth run coming in confused me as well. I almost wish you'd come in with the metal bits first. Sounds more like punk than metal though. Once that's in, I'm enjoying myself. Unfortunately my PC shut off while I was writing this review so I forgot what else I wanted to say.

SourJovis responds:

The samples could be better. I'll see what I'll do about it. I was thinking about using snes soundfonds instead, to better match the 8-bit sytnth that comes in later. Maybe that way people will be less surprised about the style shifts, since snes soundfonds are already electronic sounding like orchestral, instead orchestral samples that just sound bad. I don't know though. I think it helps when the song is completed anyway, because then there will be more coherence. Maybe I'll make the introduction of the 8-bit part shorter. I've had at least two other people complain about it. Didn't listen to Disney movies for inspiration so I don't know what movies in particular this sounds like, but that is the kind of mood I was going for indeed. Now you mention it, I suppose it sounds more like punk indeed. I'm not good with genres. It reminded me of Aux Raus, who combine rave with punk and use lo-fi midi orchestral on later albums as well. Too bad your computer shut down. I'd wanted to hear the rest of what you had to say.

[Desistance (Original Mix)]

Danceable, but could use a little more compositional variety. I realize house is sometimes antithetical to that, but what makes a good song is not the genre – it's the defiance of that. I'd like to see some of the chordal tones you exemplified in that drop hinted out in the buildups rather than just a drone. Speaking of, your use of an otherwise tame sample is well mixed, and your treatment of the bass is well done. I do feel like the track as a whole is really overcompressed and fattened. The bass feels like it's clipping. Try to minimize the frequency conflict between your kick and other instruments. Side-chain can only do so much.

I also feel like it's side-chained a bit too hard. There seems to be a lot less flow than you intended with those nice pads. Kick is also very tame to be side-chaining as hard as you are. I'm hearing a thwip rather than a thoom or a thump, if you catch my drift. It doesn't really fill the room.

Good work, though. This is certainly within the realm of dance floor blow-out.

KaixoMusic responds:

Thanks for the great feedback!! I'll take everything into consideration in my next song, which will be a Future Bass I think :D

EDIT: Nope, no Future Bass... Complextro.

[Neurobop]

Right off the bat, I really don't like that piano hammering on the same note. It's obviously synthy. When it drops out, it's also a little excessive feeling. What follows is some pretty lit DnB. This is the style I prefer, honestly. Sax and piano could have gone far, far, away during that drop, and I would have been very happy.

The writing and FX on the piano after are not bad by any means other than a little bit of corny synth business. The piano and sax just feel like they should be much less present in the drop and a lot more ethereal, panned around, or w/e as an effect rather than a center piece.

The more subdued verse is not bad by any means, and they don't stick out here. I had hoped for a 3rd drop. That bass though – a marvel. Superb. Rest needs fine-tuning.

5TanLey responds:

dunno, in this type of music I don't even try to make real instruments sound "humany", it gets lost in the master compression anyway

and piano and sax are really part of the main drop groove, couldn't be very ethereal

thanks for your words :)

[Gravity Slam]

Sounds like there might be some tuning issues here and there. Also, drums sound very thin and synthy. They're panned well enough, but could use some more FX. Solid riffs, but it feels like it's really missing a solo laid overtop at some point. Mixing on the guitars is also really muddy. Also quite hard to hear the bass. At some point it starts to sound really garbled to me. Drums also seem to be hiding in the mix a bit. Compress them harder! The cymbals are only really audible because of the frequencies, I feel.

I can also hear where it sounds like the bass and guitar are mingling and clashing around the 200 Hz range. Need tighter mixing on the guitar.

The whole piece just feels like it's not tidied up. Sounds like a backing track. Ending was well executed though.

TSRBand responds:

Thanks for the tips! Will definitely have to keep them in mind for the future :D