mod15's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Wasted Spaces]

So, I've got no real complaints composition and structure wise. I liked the flow and pace of the song, everything in those regards checked in with my musical taste. So, good job there.

As far as the mixing goes, I think you did a great job, and I've only got my opinion on what I would've done. I think the lead guitar tone is a touch shrill, so I would've tossed a LPF on the channel, cutoff set to around 17,500hz, 12dB/oct. It might just be my ears, I'm not sure.
Otherwise, there was the ride/china cymbal near the end. I'm not sure if you did, but I would've spot-mic'd that cymbal, so you could sculpt its sound. I think that it sounds kinda distant. It might have to do with what I perceive as over-compression. I can noticeably hear the compression releasing between beats. That may be the sound that you intended as an artist, and if so good job.

All in all, I think this checked out to be a pretty flippin' good song. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

-mod15

MistyE responds:

I'm glad you liked the composition! I'll try to fix all of these problems in the final mix. Thanks for the review, I appreciate it a lot!

[Campfires]

I really like this one. I love the compositional choices you made here. I even enjoy the somewhat abrupt end, which is something that I usually nag about.

I'm going to repeat VicariousE here, though. Somewhat. If you can't afford a rather nice piano and recording set-up (few of us regular folk can,) then perhaps the significantly-less-expensive option is for you. Emulated piano has come quite far recently. My suggestion, rather than to buy a piano and find a good place acoustically for it, get a good piano VST. Something from East/West. And spend time with the track, adding human characteristics. Don't stick exactly to the grid other than downbeats. Shift the notes by a miniscule amount. Add expression via velocity and pedal triggers and the like. Humanize it.

Other than that, I liked pretty much everything about this track. I'm gonna give this a solid five, because the piano thing isn't really a deal breaker to me.

-mod15

MistyE responds:

Thanks for the review, I appreciate it a lot! I'll definitely be looking into piano VSTs, thank you for the recommendation. These are all virtual demos that I'll eventually get around to recording, so I think it'd sound more 'human' once it's all recorded. Thanks again!

[Wonder]

Compositionally, there isn't much for me to say here. Wonderful job, I believe, might fit the bill.

However, in the world of making things sound real, it needs a little polishing. Every single note from an instrument sounds identical, aside from pitch and length. The length of the notes are very quantized, as well. You've got to humanize it some. Throw off the timing of the notes a bit, don't have them all hitting at the exact same moment. Vary the intonation of the notes, use different settings for different notes. Think how someone would actually play an instrument. Think about bowing techniques in the string section, and see if your soft-synth has settings for that. Tonguing techniques in the wind instruments, legato, staccato, so on and so forth. Add variation in the velocities of the notes, and shape the dynamics of the piece.

I enjoyed the instrument choice as well. Everything went together very well. The panning kinda seemed to leave something lacking in the right half of the soundstage, in my opinion, but that could just be me.

Anywho, I really enjoyed this, it could just use a bit of humanizing touch, if you will.

{ Review Request Club }

DSykMusic responds:

Enjoyed your review, very detailed and helpful suggestions. Thanks!

[Dancing Sun]

I'm going to reiterate much of what Cabbster said, likely to your chagrin. I would like to inform you that I took a listen to your revised version, Shining Sun, and that this review is based on it, not the version here. I just need to get my RRC points.

Ahem, as we were.

Everything is clipping. It's kind of unsettling as a (self-proclaimed and amateur) sound engineer to hear what I, and many others, consider ugly distortion. It happens when your (digital) project is too loud on your master track, and your signal goes over 0 dB. The DAW just literally cuts all signal information above 0dB off. It causes unpleasant inharmonic content to occur. Bring back your faders pretty significantly. There's no need for every single track to be pushing red.

It also sounds like you're overcompressing the master channel. There isn't much difference at all between the loud parts and the not loud parts - i.e. where there are more/less instruments playing. In combination with a signal that's way too hot, you get a signal with bad distortion and no audible volume change?

I'm not saying it's bad, obviously. I gave you four stars. There's plenty of good. I love the melodies, though I would have used a different sound, personally. The piano is kinda shrill. It hurts my ears, maybe I'm just getting old.
I'd say open up the filters on the pad some more. It sounds nice, but I'd like to hear a bit more content from it. You could pull back all the other faders a touch and make it louder.
The transition into the middle part was kinda abrupt, and the middle part didn't really fit with the rest of the song. It used almost completely different instruments. I like the middle part the most, though, so you might try to expand on that idea and make a full song out of it.
The synth in the closing part was great, by the way. I wouldn't have minded hearing it in the tune to add some variation.

To sum it up, good job with what you did, and always look for ways to improve your sound. A bit of work on song organization and your transitions, variation in the melodic content, and some kind of instrumental continuity throughout the song, and you'll be on your way to being a damned fine producer.

{ Review Request Club }

Exilious responds:

WOW THANK YOU! God, I LOVE feedback like this!

Yes, everything is in fact clipping. I actually had a hard separating the harmonics and chords from the actual melody, when I listen to the song. I actually spent a lot of time trying to find different synths to fit, but the one I had was the closet I could get. I guess I wasn't to sure WHAT I wanted.

Also, I to agree that the transition to the middle part was abrupt. I wasn't sure what would be good way to introduce it. This was my first time doing a dance song, so I wan't very familiar on transitions within this particular "genre."

But the middle part is my favorite part as well to be honest. It was just so.....good. At least to me it was. I think I will make a song based off of that idea. Give the people something they want to hear. And that ending synth you heard was actually the piano in the background of the melody. I guess by itself, it sounds really good instead of me slapping a melody on top of it.

Thank so much for your kind words! I really appreciate the helpful review you gave here! It'll really help me to improve, just as every review does.

Cheers! :D

[Forest Leaves]

Wonderfully composed and mixed, interesting the whole time through. At right around 1:38, a sound starts up that I can only describe with the onomatopoeia "tok" really catches my interest. I'm wondering how you designed it. A hi-pass filtered snare with plenty of compression and slapback reverb?

Throughout, really, I love the sound design. Every sound here was precisely designed to fit in with the others and create a smooth texture. I love it, Bitfrost. Definitely keep this kind of production quality up.

{ Review Request Club }

[Rainbow Stream]

The only really meaningful comment I have here is that I would have liked it if the lead synth was a bit bigger. That's the only way I can describe it. Not really more reverb, I guess just a wider sound.
The frequency content leaves just a touch to be missing. The low-mids seem to be kinda withdrawn. I would've loved to have some kind of mid-range, distorted sound in there, possibly as accents of the chord progression.
Otherwise, I think it's pretty blasted good. Would be a wonderful opener for a rave set, to be sure.
{ Review Request Club }

EctiBot responds:

Really glad you liked it :D. I agree with what you said about the lead should be bigger. I'll probably try to work on that in my future tracks :). As for the lack of low mid range, that's because I suck at mixing So I pretty much just cut the 3 lowest frequency ranges and let the kick and bass dominate there. I'm still learning how to mix properly, so bear with me X3.
Thx for the review :D.
-Ectisity

[Kabalist - Entrapment]

I love the jazz and funk influence here. Sweet stuff, mate.
Once it gets to that dubby wubby shubby steppy part, it makes me think of drumstep a bit. Dubstep skeletal rhythm in the drums with great DnB-style rhythmic ornamentation.
I love the composition, it has many more "EDM Unorthadox" chords than, well, a lot of EDM. You got creative with some sus chords there, and I appreciate it.

{ Review Request Club}

[Driving Electro]

I really enjoy this. In my opinion, this feels more like a space exploration game song. Really chill space exploration. Kinda like a Spore of space exploration.

In the calmer parts, the clap is a bit more present than I really care, but that may just be me. It's already pretty prominent through the busier part of the track, and when it gets to the less busy part near the end, it's almost *too* there, if that makes any kind of sense.

Otherwise, I've got no complaints from this piece. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

{ Review Request Club }

VictorMih responds:

Your input is very appreciated! I do have a tendency for space music I just can't get rid of and you're right, the clap could have been tamed some more. Maybe this is one of the reasons the game devs didn't want to use this song. Again, thanks!

[Jesterous]

This really reminds me of some of The Devil Wears Prada's stuff, which is a pretty big compliment from me. And as far as the solo at about 1:14, if the whole thing had a melody similar to that, it would be very like Periphery or Animals as Leaders, two of my top 5 bands in the metal scene. I really dig the djenty sound.

I couldn't really imagine a clearer mix for this tune. I can pick out everything going on, nothing muddy or hard to follow. I can hear all the notes in harmonies. I love it.

{ Review Request Club}