SkyeWint's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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.

[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.

[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!

[Over Nothing]

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:

- Let's look at the mix! To start with, this is actually a pretty full mix. ZacStriga is absolutely accurate with the drums, they could use a bit more presence and "punch" to their impacts. At the moment, they have a LOT of room reverb, and the dry sample should be brought out a bit more so they can fit in with the rest of the music. This would also let you enhance the kick and snare a bit more directly. Essentially, because they have reverb and the rest of the instruments are direct input, the drums sound disconnected from the rest of the music. This is actually why in the mastering process of music like rock, a touch of reverb is often added to the master channel so it sounds like every instrument is being played together live, regardless of whether they initially were. I also want to address that synth. It sounds like it's either set to randomly play at different octaves, or cycle through them steadily. Either way, the high end needs to be brought in a bit as it pierces a little too much and can be a painful listen, especially for people sensitive to higher frequency sound. Reigning in the trebles would also help it fit the rest of the music well. Try playing around with the preset too if you don't want to have it randomly jumping between octaves, there's a near 100% chance that it's a setting you can turn off.

- Let's look at the arrangement of this track too. As a short track, I wouldn't necessarily expect hugely developed ideas, but... this also only really has ONE idea that's cycled between instruments and octaves. I think it would do very well to have a B section with a different chord progression recontextualizing the melody, or a different melody developed for more than a single iteration before going back to the main theme. This would also be an opportune time to change up the feel of the track. I think a breakdown would work very well, even if it's just laying off the groove from the drum and bass, focusing on the chords and a single melody for a short period. This would also fit the genre quite well.

Compliments to the Composer:

- This is a really chill vibe, and my god I *love* the electric organ and cleanly amped guitar. Those are both some of my favorite instruments to have in acoustic rock tracks. Your main theme is actually really good too, and the bass groove feels very satisfying. You have a good foundation and some solid playing (or midi work, that guitar does sound quite sampled to me, albeit a good one). Definitely would enjoy hearing more work from you.

Final score: 8

Petrol4brains responds:

Thanks a ton for offering your unique perspective and advice!

[Monks at the Pillars of Creation]

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:

- You know, I can't say I expected to experience something I would describe as "progressive synthwave", but if anything, this would be it. In that light, however, I think we can actually take one of the conventions of progressive house and work with it. As a reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGdDpMYS7sA This piece is actually more repetitive than yours in a lot of ways. While synthwave doesn't really tend to have lyrics as a point of variation, you instead have multiple concepts that you introduce over time. However, the speed at which you introduce and vary these concepts is slow enough that progressive principles apply - that being development of the SOUND DESIGN. You have some filter sweeps, but they don't progress that steadily, and there isn't too much in the way of atmosphere surrounding your track. It might also help out to introduce some of your later piano concepts in the background earlier so that people will think back to the earlier portion of the piece and have that small dopamine hit from familiarity. That said, a lot of this ties into my second piece of criticism which is about...

- The mix. Your mix is pretty well-balanced (with the exception of the small spikes in your first 'climax' visible on the waveform, and those same drums hitting right at the end of the piece - they stick out a bit too far). However, it's a little quiet and not as full as it could be. Compare to this: https://soundcloud.com/pong-man/gravitation In contrast, this piece has a steady bass that's sidechained to the kick, and quite a bit of higher end reverb enveloping the piece but also sidechained to the kick to make sure it doesn't interrupt the mixing too much. Try exploring reverb and more sound effects in the higher end, and keeping a steadier bass. You can also limit your track to -1.0dB to make sure everything is consistent in volume compared to other music. Two last smaller mixing points: You don't have to sidechain your cymbals to your kicks, it actually reduces their impact quite a bit and makes them sound off. Additionally, the bass starting around 2:40 seems to be panned between the center and right? This is a really weird effect and feels off-putting. Bass tends to be best used in the center with minimal panning as it's somewhat the "foundation" for the track and makes the overall sound feel unbalanced when panned like this.

Compliments to the Composer:

- Hooo, I love those pads and vocals, your bassline is lovely, your piano melodies are lovely... I really really dig the feel of this track and would absolutely love to see its positive aspects brought out more and made into a more engaging and fulfilling work. I'd gladly listen to it on loop for a long time, because even now I was perfectly happy to leave your track on loop while writing all the content of this review!

Final score: 8.7

Pandaguru responds:

Thank you for the detailed review and constructive criticism! Will try to address those concerns in future songs.

[Deus Vult]

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:

- Quite honestly, there's only really one major issue with this track which I'd want to address, which is... the unrelenting repetition of it. Most of the instruments do maintain new and interesting things, but the chord progression remains exactly the same as a complete loop for each individual half of the music, and the basic string movement remains the same, leaving the overall intensity and dynamics extremely flat. Ultimately what this results in, along with the other instruments' lack of a substantial dynamic range, is a track that's pleasant but very forgettable.

Compliments to the Composer:

- There's not too much more to say. The melodies are nice enough, the mixing isn't bad, the chord swell in the middle is chill. It reminds me a bit of the Age of Empires soundtrack in the second half. Quite honestly, it sounds like a very pleasant background loop to a moderately tense section of a video game.

Final score: 7.8

Omson responds:

Hey thank you for your review! Funny that you mention Age of Empires since this track is part of my 20 track Fanmade Soundtrack for AOE 2 called The Forgotten Hero :D

[X3LL3N - Higher (Mestrix Remix)]

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:

- Alrighty, if I have one major criticism about this piece, it's to do with the arrangement. Every single section of this track is really well-done. They're professionally mixed, mastered, everything harmonizes well, the sound palettes fit, etc. However, this track feels like a loose collection of ideas (three different genre drops in a row) based on the same couple of melodies and an unchanging chord progression to tie it together, with excellent transitions between them. There's nothing WRONG with this, but there are a few things that would improve it. - - Let's look at a point of comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HXCM3mmgto Camellia's idea organization is top-notch, and even combining multiple genres you can learn a lot by analyzing it. First of all, both melodies used in this track are introduced one after another in the first two minutes as it prepares for the first drop. The drop itself is used to introduce multiple types of bass design using different types of syncopation, while continuing to build energy. In the break, you're reminded of the beginning and first build as it prepares to go into the second drop. That second drop uses arpeggios that were already developed in the background, before proceeding to bring back the main melody, transitioning using some earlier syncopation. After this, it drops into a short build before bringing back the same bass design as before but in a different context, finally concluding with a background melody used much of the time, and finishing with the initial piano. - - Your track has good ideas in terms of theme and variation - but what it lacks is something to REALLY tie everything together on a deeper arrangement level. For instance, you can weave the same melodies more clearly through your earlier and later drops, and perhaps even have a final drop that combines and recontextualizes the earlier ideas. You also have a lot of space in your breakdowns and builds to bring previous ideas and instrumentation back - use the same arpeggios, use the same melodies as transposed harmonic lines in the background, even conclude in your outro with the same type of sound as your introduction. There are plenty of ideas, and hopefully this gives you some for future works.

- Just as a small second thing, let's look at some small points of critique in the sound design and mixing. Most of it is fantastic, but for example, the three kicks at 0:43 have a very nasty bit of subs and odd resonance in their initial click. In comparison to the other kick sample used in the actual drop, they sound extremely out of place. Secondly, I'd recommend being a little more careful with sidechaining during your drops. It can cause some interruptions reducing the impact and clarity of chords like the end of each hypermeasure at 1:42 and 1:54, as well as several notes in the melody embellishments during the second drop such as 2:47, 2:54, 2:59, and 3:05. After those points, it might also be a good idea to make the attack of the arpeggios a bit sharper for some extra clarity and sparkle. Last of all, reigning in the high frequencies of the delay coming in at 3:41 would be excellent since they can get a bit painfully sharp. In the end though, obviously these are basically nitpicks. The track is REALLY well-produced. You clearly know what you're doing, haha!

Compliments to the Composer:

- Okay, realisticially, it's unambiguous that this is a fantastic piece of music. Like I said, it has great sound design, mixing, handles ideas well, varies things up to stay interesting throughout all of it, and nothing feels thoughtless or just thrown in "for the sake of it". I absolutely ADORE the little glitch sounds in your first drop, little bits of 'ear candy' like that are some of my favorite sounds in music tracks. You deserve a hell of a lot more attention as a musician.

Final score: 9.7 (Congrats, you're in my top three!)

MestrixMusic responds:

Really happy you enjoyed the track! Thank you so much for this opportunity, hopefully I won't let you down :)