ADR3-N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Zero]

There is some clipping in the right channel on the low piano it sounds like

The ooh samples I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of the exact same articulation repeating. Is there not a way to change where succeeding notes start on the sample?

I feel like this piece gets pretty muddy in the low mids, and there is some clipping occasionally. Sounds as if mixed too loudly prior to export/mastering

Your vocal lines could use more breath support, as well as pitch control. If you struggle to sing but still want your melodic ideas represented, using autotune is not illegal. Better that than the sharp/flat on "die" at the very end. Without breath support, you can get that nasal kermit sound, as well. Recommend the singing course work of Ken Tamplin for getting started. It's great for beginners and professionals alike.

Nerostratos responds:

I appreciate all your feedback!
1. i'm not sure i hear this low piano clipping you are referring to, i've listened to the track with multiple headphones and can't seem to identify it. Only clipping i notice is in some of the vocal lines peaking
2. the ooh samples unfortunately only have one attack articulation I even softened them up quite significantly

Even though i have been making music for years i still am not as talented at mixing and mastering as others so i appreciate your comments and will pay more attention to reduce muddiness in future works. Same with the comments on my singing, i refuse to use autotune as I feel it makes the vocals sound honestly really gross, so I have some practice to do if i wish to keep incorporating them. so thank you for the criticism

[Heart Made of Gold]

Pretty much everything but the vocals is mixed really well. Vocals could use more makeup gain, dynamic compression essentially, de-essing, and I'm not in love with his performance, but it will only sound worse by hiding it down in the mix and cutting the high mids on it, which is what it sounds like is happening.

More dubs of the adlibs of that's what you're born with etc would have been great to add as shouts.

The vocals can either make or break a song, and in your case they are sitting in a middle ground where they are not quite able to shine. I feel they are pushed off to the right channel for some reason, don't have a lot of chorus/delays to give space, and if they were not in the right channel would sound quite centered.

Beyond that, great chords, great writing, and really catchy!

MYYA responds:

All appropriate commentary. Thanks for the review!

[Taste Again]

27 sec, wrong note that repeats when this section does. I can also hear when this section appears to be copy pasted.

Otherwise, love the performance and pretty good mix -- perhaps take down hihat and ride just a bit. Something is going on with the low end on the guitars on the chorus. Feels like my head is full listening to it, probably a lot of reverb and low mids ringing out. Maybe check the sub as well.

Great lyrics that are difficult to take apart, angsty and grungy. Good vocal performance. Overall, only thing that'd make a massive difference to me is applying some mastering compression so it is satisfactorily loud and angry as its peers on the radio. :)

Mischa-head responds:

Thanks for listening and commenting!
I think your feedback on my last track helped me mix this one a bit better.
Hopefully they just keep getting better and better!

[Max Rena - Give me hope]

I'm actually not a huge fan of the way this genre bend was handled, in terms of there is not a lot of open space for the male vocalist to shine -- the mix is loud, heavy, and has a lot of other instruments in the vocalist's range. The piece as a whole other than that is fully listenable and enjoyable. I actually think you've written a nice bassline, the kind I myself am inclined to write.

I think if there were more contrast in terms of volume between sections, as well as instrumentation and range of the vocalist (i.e. higher octave) this piece would come out so much the better for it.

[Naghihintay para sa Hanging Amihan]

Fantastic writing, and amazing to have been made in musescore, which I consider quite limiting for being able to make a professional sounding piece, in terms of poor ability to manage mix, articulations sticking out like sore thumbs on occasion, and rapid jumps in volume. Those actually sum up any problems I have with this piece. I think you would do well to take the midi data from muse score and adjust it in places to fix that.

[Star Way]

I'm a little confused as the why there is a dramatic crescendo and decrescendo of what appears to be already master compressed sound as opposed to doing it the other way around.

As a composition, sounds fine. There are some issues of mix beyond simply looking a bit strange and not having contrast in volume throughout sections but instead everything instead being more or less the same volume and just getting louder and then quieter.

As you fade, remember that high frequencies get more prominent, and bass tends to slip away into the realms of inaudibility. So as you fade, your tinny sounds get tinnier, and your bass loses its clarity. Chasing the fade is important. If you can't recall what this is or don't know, google is definitely worth it! It's an old and nearly forgotten technique from the 60s and 70s if not earlier.

Now the reverse applies as you get louder. Low mids and bass get too loud as you push up the volume in a fade. You may find your snare is harder to place due to losing some of that high end clarity in the middle of the verbs coming up, and then you feel the urge to push hihats to get more clarity, when taking down your side synths some is the right choice.

The key change at the last bit was abrupt and left some wrong notes hanging in the reverb to clash for the first beat, as well as in the side synths. Otherwise, not a bad choice though.

Beyond that, great work. I really enjoyed your melody writing!

[We're Stronger Together]

I agree with NahuPyrope on most accounts, including loving the song overwall, so I will just add where I differ below.

I think the snare could have saturation subtly added to it and increase the fizz of the bottom head sounding just a tad. Timpani hits on the start of bars could be slightly louder also. I'd prefer just a bit tinnier violins for lead lines, a bit more pronounced high mid for tenor brass on lead lines.

The low strings and tuba are sticking out just a bit in the mix in terms of verb -- having played live ensembles that is not typically how I expect them to sound in concert hall -- it really sounds as if the brasses are all in separate spaces if you want me to be real with you there -- but in a hybrid sense this is not so bad

Flute/mallet flourishes are not sticking out as I feel they should above the repeated stabs, just a bit more please

This sounds like changing your gear before setting out for an expedition! Nailing your stated theme.

Loop could be better executed perhaps due to coming down to just the snare. Perhaps would work better with a snare and crash??? Or tamb? Or simply a more accented snare hit with more room? The dryness of the snare is what is killing it to me. If you must do some audacity snipperoos to get it down, it works. IzotopeRX7 can trim the .mp3 auto encoded silence without having to render again, also, for perfect loops.

[Club Revolution]

Oh I miss this genre!

Some gripes right off, the hihats are very loud relative to even the drop bass.

1:07 the buildup snare is getting lost in the mix due to lots of instruments nailing the high mid freqs very loud, as well as overcompression -- the song is too loud prior to being master compressed. There is also a LOT of reverb going on and that needs to be handled more sensitively. I get the sense my head is very full listening to this song even on lower volumes, which speaks to me of overcompression, a lot of low mid hum on the reverbs that hasn't been tamed, and perhaps that that cello in the back also could be hipassed a bit to make room for bass.

Beyond that, very catchy and really suits the genre you were going for. Good work!

[Black Hole (NGUAC Entry)]

I think I would switch out your intro piano or perhaps not octave double it. But as far as your buildup, the superb production there makes that minor gripe very forgiveable.

Absolutely top drop. Additionally, excellent use of string ensembles and hidden what sounds to be choirs.

2:18, I think a different changeup rhythm for the kick and snare would be appropriate for that transition. Feel it was just a bit abrupt and roughly handled. Hihats at 2:55 can also safely come down a bit until 3:11. Perhaps even after that, by, say .2 to .4 dB. They are really screaming up there if they are loud on my monitor headphones, which typically under represent those frequencies.

3:54 also has a LOT of white noise frequencies, perhaps needing to be brought down.

But all this is just nitpicking. You've really brought a banger. Great job!

[Fight for the Future! - NGUAC Knockout 2023]

There is some unidentifiable noise clicking above the mix prior to 30 seconds. It could be some sort of reverb. Speaking of reverb, it is hard to hear anything going on due to lots of low end noise coming from reverb through this piece. Rolling off some of the low end i.e. 250 hz and below can help. Alternatively, manage reverb smartly by applying it where you want it to be heard -- think about how people don't leave the sustain pedal on a piano when they change chords, unless those chords go together -- it causes things to sound muddy.

The kick is very hard to hear throughout the song. Snare could come up throughout. Hihats potentially also. Levels are just in general all over the place. Perhaps not for a chip tune song, but this is not chip.

I am having trouble hearing the bass through the reverb shoegaze and over the amount of sustaining bells, as well as the quite loud leads.

Based on your panning, I think it is part of the reverb on the snare in your beginning I was hearing. Oh no, it was the instrument at 2:14. Rolling off the high end on that delay will help a bit. Due to muddy mix, it was sounding like clipping to me in your intro.

But I would like to say beyond all that that compositionally, this is a great piece, which I really enjoyed. All mix issues aside, it's lively, energetic, and driven. Kind of reminds me of mario kart, tbh. Good work!

CommanderJersey responds:

Thank you for the review, I have been working your feedback into the song to make it better!