SkyeWint's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The bells won't stop]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- So, the first thing I would say is that the bell sample should probably stop at least for some time outside of just the drop's first half. The fact is, it sounds like a single sample that's been pitched up and down - when repeated notes play or it plays isolated, it sounds very harsh and the repetition can be unpleasant. This is a sample and mixing issue - the initial attack is very sharp, but it also doesn't seem to have any variance in velocity. Also related to this mixing, your bass is fantastic in the drops (albeit very repetitive), but seems to have variable volume which sounds due to similar frequencies in the kick drum.

- Every single drop in this song is almost exactly the same. Same chord progression, melody, volume, and instrumentation. This actually reduces the impact of each drop in the end, especially with the length of time they last for. What would help this is, at least, making the second drop a "B" section with a different chord progression and perhaps a different intensity. You certainly do keep the breakdowns different to a reasonable extent, even though the bells often stay the same, and the chord progression remains identical as it does through every section.

Compliments to the Composer:

- I really do like the bell melody even if the sample is a tad harsh, and the breakdown at 2:39 is excellent, it's the most unique of each of them. Very good as a breakdown to use that kind of filter. The glitch ending is also very excellent, and the bass distortion during your drops is quite nice, lending a lot of energy to those sections.

Final score: 6.8

[Shanlix - In between two worlds [House & Trance]]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- The biggest thing I'm really wondering here is where on earth the melody is for most of this track. Trance music is typically characterized by very strong melodies, and the entire midsection of this track seems to be begging for a second countermelody. The main melody that I can hear is fairly weak, and doesn't have much of a dynamic or intensity curve. For a point of comparison, try listening to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFNaR2Hx_sI While this is in a much more common trance style, you can hear the variation in chord progression as well as the sharp, dynamic melody creating emotional tension. The atmosphere is also incredibly intense in this track, which is often a good component of trance music as well.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Realistically, most of this is perfectly fine. What this really needs is some development of the chord progression and more melodies, because... you have some really neat filtering such as the sidechaining on the piano, solid supersaw pads, the the arpeggios at 1:15... etc. These are very good and tasteful sounds, and your general mix is quite solid as well for the instruments you have.

Final score: 7.2

Shanlix responds:

I kinda don't think it's trance either I just didn't know what other genre to put in there and like, I got inspired by really OOOOOLD trance music. Y'know but thanks.

[Them Horses Still Be Ridin Pt.2 Redux]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- This song is EXTREMELY flat. That's visible in the waveform of course, but it's also clearly the case in the sound. The track is essentially two loops repeated, with one coming in after one hypermeasure and stopping a hypermeasure before the audio ends. There's gotta be some variation here, man. At least in how the chords are played, maybe a melody, a B section entirely would be fantastic.

- Second point is to do with the mixing. It sounds like the signal is muffled. The actual guitar is pretty much nothing but mids, and there's a background noise that sounds almost like air being hollow inside whatever cabinet you're using. There isn't really anything to suggest for mixing specifically, but I would definitely recommend checking to make sure that your cables aren't loose and to twiddle with the settings to see if you can get a clearer sound.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Honestly, your playing sounds pretty nice. The tone is good outside of the mid focus and noise, and I could almost see this being part of a garage type band under the rhythm guitar section.

Final score: 2.5

[Dragon Master]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- This track has some variation in sound design, but the whole thing honestly feels very flat, due to the background arpeggios remaining the same volume, tone, and only changing in pattern at 1:00 before remaining identical for the rest of the track. Many of the background instruments and pads remain identical as well, such as the chords. I think this could be improved quite a bit by adding some more ideas and development in the sound design. Professional tracks frequently have at least minor variation in their background sounds as well as filter sweeps or velocity changes to adjust dynamic range without having such clear stratification of dynamics like in this track.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Realistically, variation is the primary issue with this track. The mixing is perfectly acceptable as it is - not too much reverb, decently solid balance of frequencies, nothing sticks out too much even though the first drop is sudden, and... honestly, it makes me think like it should be used in a scene of a flash game on here, more than anything due to its almost-looping nature.

Final score: 6.8

ScrewlooZe responds:

Thank you, it is a mystery to me so far how this song could get on the front page. with over 7k views but no comment :D Thank you for the review. There are now 4 years of experience in between. with mystical greetings

[Plants vs. Zombies: Ultimate Battle - Epic/Orchestral Remake]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- Hey, so - I think you might actually want to lighten up a bit on the reverb. As big of a sound as it makes, it also can reduce the impact of your instruments. In the original, there actually isn't very much reverb, likely for this reason. Part of what makes this type of video game music fitting and enjoyable is how snappy and clean the mixing is. Since your mix is really bright, this is particularly the case. For example, listen to the piano at the start of the track. This is actually a common pattern used, where the last note of the sequence is clipped in order to create a bit of extra drama. However, the reverb makes it so that doesn't come across even if your midi is including it. This can be the case for other instruments as well. It also makes your climaxes FAR muddier because of all the reverb creating "blurred sound" in the background. Reducing this reverb would make the second and third climaxes better especially. A touch of limiting would also help quite a bit, since then the volume wouldn't be quite as excessive when it peaks.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Quite honestly, the reverb and limiting are the only things I really take issue with. Maybe some sections could use a bit more bass for the climaxes, but the original tracks are bright so that fits anyway... and the overall experience of the track is EXCELLENT. You have a lot of good arrangement techniques that you use to add variation and interest to the original music. I look forward to seeing your original works in the next rounds!

Final score: 8.3

Runanova responds:

I did have some trouble with the mastering especially in the end climax which is still lacking bass. And I didn't think that the amount of reverb would be the problem, but now that you point it out, it's rather clear!
Thanks for your feedback, I'll make sure not to repeat the same mistakes next round!

[(Imbalance EP) RedWire ~ Dawn Breaker VIP (ORIGNAL MIX)]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- Please be careful with the amount of reverb you're using. Right now, this track has FAR too much, especially in the bass frequencies. There are a couple problematic effects with too much reverb which impact your mix. Firstly, notice how boomy the bass becomes with all that reverb. Reverb fills up a mix in general and reduces clarity of other instruments, but as you get into lower frequencies that effect gets MUCH stronger, as bass frequencies frequently overpower other ones. The other problematic effect of too much reverb, which this track suffers a lot from, is how it "flattens" frequencies. Think of it as comparable to blur on an image - sharp and precise lines turn into blobs of color and it's harder to distinguish individual elements. That is effectively what reverb does to sound, and why it needs careful application - just because it makes things sound 'bigger' doesn't mean it makes them sound 'better'.

- While it's hard to hear under all the reverb, I do want to make the point that with the exception of 0:57-2:14, you use the same melody the entire time. Further, this uses the same chord progression throughout the entire track, and the lack of much dynamic variation keeps the entire track sounding very flat. Try having a B section with a different chord progression and a countermelody based on the first one, especially as a breakdown. Breakdowns also work great to ADD reverb in, because reverb on lower volume instruments adds size and ambience to contrast with the denser, crispier atmosphere of a really good drop.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Okay, outside of my criticisms, the drumline punches through all this reverb pretty well, and especially given how well it contrasts the excess of reverb everywhere else... that drum groove BANGS. It's honestly the best part of the entire track. Groove and punch go together really well. I think without all the reverb and with a little more variety, this track would be a great listen. As-is, it's still pretty satisfying, just a bit fatiguing and hard to hear the detail.

Final score: 7.5

VioletWire responds:

Thanks! I'll definitely take this into consideration in future music.

[Reborn]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- This piece has two main issues here which feed in to the same result: It's good, but... not that memorable or engaging. First of all, one thing that would help quite a bit is having a clearer melody to fit your chord progression. At the moment, the only "melody" you have is the top note of each chord, which is voiced exactly the same way for the entire piece. At minimum, try throwing in some substitutions or inversions to the chord progression. At most, try developing a melody that can be used as a 'hook' for the listener to focus on. You can even develop it in the background of your drops.

- Secondly, the drops themselves... aren't actually that engaging. You have some lovely ways of concluding each hypermeasure in the drops, but the overall tone of these drops is very flat. As a comparison point for similar dubstep using chord progressions and no melody, have a listen to xKore's track, Eden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk8RGFN5txg Notice immediately how there are small bits of 'ear candy' and engaging background sound to lend it energy and a consistent textural tone. The drops have contrasting sections with a focus on bass and also, later, the chord progression returning to bring back the more melodic and harmonic feel.

Compliments to the Composer:

- So, while this track has some trouble remaining engaging and moving beyond flat textures, it's actually an incredibly solid foundation. You have a clear understanding of arrangement, the mixing is solid and clean, those small breaks with filtered phaser chords during the first drop are SUPER tasteful (the most memorable part of the entire track, in my opinion!), and you have a ton of room to add more texture and variety to maintain engagement. Really good and solid work here, regardless of my criticisms!

Final score: 8.7

[QWAZDYN - Promise]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- I think there are two main problems with this track. The first is in the chord progression and problems resulting from it. Right now, it doesn't sound like you have a solid picture of what you're doing here and are mainly experimenting with throwing in chords that fit "enough". I think you would greatly benefit with looking up classical chord progressions and voicing to use as a basis for the sake of building your chord progressions with more functional tension and release that fits together with the rest of the music. Alternatively, something that could help is trying to recreate chord progressions from the music that most inspires you, writing them down by ear. This would also help for melodic content, as it would help you not just with a technical knowledge but also a practical feel for how chord progressions, melodies, and even rhythms work together effectively.

- Secondly, let's look at the mixing. You use a lot of bass and distortion to make the track more intense and dramatic, but I don't think this is necessarily the right approach. The distortion you're using can make it quite difficult to mix the other aspects of the music as well, and the bass isn't quite fulfilling the role you might want. See, the human ear is tuned to hear mids the most, as that's roughly the frequency range of our voices. Using them more strongly, especially in your drops, will give you more 'loudness' while keeping the volume (dB) roughly the same by exchanging all your bass for mids (especially low mids if you want a heavy sound). The channel this playlist comes from is a goldmine of producing tips, and this playlist would likely do you a lot of good for polishing up your mix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP1dSPX8doc&list=PLzfWWpa5SR8FIVhU5UJ7jcUmD5dRI_0MC

Compliments to the Composer:

- You have some really neat ideas here, and a lot of your specific sounds are really lovely. Quite honestly, they feel very tuned towards some kind of chillout music, especially your almost bell-like synth used right at the beginning. That said, you can definitely bring this more into the Dance or Dubstep genres by working on your bass design, because at 1:22, you show some pretty tasteful growls that could be developed into much more variable and interesting bass modulation.

Final score: 5.5

[Stars]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- Be careful with your mix, especially the bass! When that came in at 0:17, I could feel it quite hard, and would definitely anticipate it being a potential problem on output devices which have resonant frequencies around that range. That type of steady bass at this volume can be painful or extremely overpowering when it's already louder than the other instruments on flat monitors. Remember that in the bass, a lot of the real meat of it is in the lower mids, even in chilled out music like this.

- So this music clearly wants to establish a vibe and just... vibe to it. Chill. Minimal variation. This is fine, it works well and does that really effectively. That said, you have so much room in the higher frequencies for some quiet ambient melodies to zero in on that chill vibe while also giving something memorable for listeners to hum along with and stick in their mind after they finish it. I would say you even have the perfect instrument - the high synth first coming in at 1:45 would work wonderfully for a melody if it had a quicker attack. It could even bring in the melody during the earlier section starting at 0:17 in the background, becoming more prominent at 1:45. Similarly, with all this high frequency space available for reverb, why not add some more delayed reverb to the clap after 1:45, or even a couple other panned claps for a bit of 'ear candy'? This would, again, pull in listeners and give them more hooks to remember the piece.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Honestly, my critique is mainly because I want to enhance the chill vibe atmosphere, because it's extremely relaxing. The sound palette is gorgeous in all its gentle synth glory, and the simple chord progression lends itself to so many laid-back melodic themes that it just seems a shame to not take the existing efforts you've made and bring out their potential fully. You have a *perfect* foundation for future tracks as well, a full album in this style almost seems like it could estabish a new subgenre combining future bass and ambient chillout.

Final score: 9.2

[For You]

Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.

I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!

Constructive Criticism:

- Tasteful. Let's look at your mix, since that's what could use the most work. Your intro and the majority of this track are fairly overcompressed, but it's actually really easy to resolve that. You can master your track with a threshold at -1.1dB instead of where it is now, and keep your makeup gain where it is to make it so you have a broader dynamic range available. This would help you resolve the issue of your vocals being buried during the bulk of the track, while also still giving space for your breakdowns and keeping the sound from feeling quite as squished. Otherwise though, the mix is actually very satisfying.

- Aside from the mix, my critique is relatively much smaller, so I'll just note a couple more things here. For example, the initial atmosphere in the introduction is... quite different from the rest of the track, being almost creepy and also dissonant compared to the rest of the music's tonality. It isn't to a huge extent, but this could definitely be improved and perhaps made thinner to transition in from the prior 'silence' more effectively. That said, if this is meant to transition seamlessly from a previous track, this is functional. Also, at 2:26 and 3:56, you use TRIPLET rhythms. These are fantastic, and I will forever be disappointed that there wasn't at least one hypermeasure of triplet-focused dnb rhythms for variation after 2:26. I am similarly a little disappointed by the lack of impact in the first drop - it might have been better to make that more intense and reduce the intensity of the second drop for contrast in the middle instead.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Wow. I'm actually super impressed by this. You have a solid intro, good development into the first real drop, multiple breakdowns, variation in rhythm through the chords, solid mixing, and lovely bits of 'ear candy' dropped in throughout the whole track. I really dig it, and would gladly listen to it in a mix of my other medium bpm DnB tracks. This doesn't sound like "noob music" at all, my dude!

Final score: 9.4

ProjectSoary responds:

This is the kind of review I've been waiting for my entire time on NG! This right here is what I wish every review could be like. The good/bad/ugly raw review. No bullshit, no sugar coating, just straight up red pill. Thank you very, VERY much! I'll take time to try and implement these tips and solutions in my future mixes. Still getting the hang of mixing and mastering, but I feel like I'm slowly getting there. I'll end the conversation here, since you've had to write all of these long ass detailed reviews. If you dig it don't be afraid to like it, add it, share it. Thanks again!