NicholasCabraja's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Forever Ago (chillstep)]

Above all the "steps" Chill Step is my favorite.

Your Sub and basslines are on point. Especially when you do those Sub pitchbends very nice.

Intro was nice, but the piano is too loud, turn that down a couple Db.

Also listener tip: Because your piano is playing the same melody over and over. When you get to the chorus, turn it down more (volume or velocity, whatever sounds good.) because I already have the piano stuck in my head because of your intro. Thus allowing your other elements to breathe. Don't get rid of the piano completely, make it still audible but not so front stage.

When you enter your break/2nd build up. make the piano full volume again (at a comfortable level)

With all your elements combined. Everything sounds like its competing for the front. I would turn down some and decide which sounds you want to be your focus. Your Sweeping synth sounds like your selling point for this song.

Overall, it's pretty good. The mix just sounds a bit too bright with your synth and piano fighting each other and possibly both of them need to be volume adjusted to the other elements (Drums vocal etc)
Also a tad too compressed, back off the limiter maybe? Sacrifice loudness for a bit more dynamics? I know electronic gets heavily compressed, but just a thought.

Awesome job!

Nick

5TanLey responds:

ad compression I believe this is kinda personal taste, feels ok to my ears

thanks for all tips, a great detailed review :)

[Carmine]

Feeling the vibes man. Love that Bass

frootza responds:

Thanks bro! More to come!

[forever]

ahhhh...classic Trance.

Listened on Yamaha HS Speakers

Mixing: Smooth as a baby's butt. That Kick… God like...I kneel before you.

Arrangement / Music Production:
Very well done. Your transitions are smooth and your sections are pumping all the way through. The Bass, Fx, cymbals / hi hat.
Your middle section was a nice contrast. And I love the robotic ping pong delay sound. Added a nice flavour as it was being filtered out.

Your leads are very well crafted. And you constantly add little gestures whether its delays or arpeggiated sounds being filtered. Are you using a Comb filter by chance? At the end I could hear synthetic voices. At least that’s what it sounds like.

Your melody lines are fantastic, but again, what keeps interested is all the other shit happening around it & how they all feel side chained together, like the whole track is a wave.

Your Kick sounds like it has RR or are you just altering the pitch of it.? regardless, nice variety.

I would mention all the things I noticed, but you have too many gestures to count. One of them I love is that robotic Pulse that comes in on the 2nd beat & the noisy syncopated sound that comes on the “and” beats. It’s being filtered as it comes and goes - heard at 1:58.

Nice track dude. I feel like I’m at an 80’s club on LCD.

10/10
Fav'd

Sequenced responds:

thx bruh

this is my favorite stile of trance lol

[Your Essence]

Listened on Sub-par studio headphones

MIxing: Very well done. Nothing is too upfront or pushed back. You can clearly hear all elements and there is great spacing.

Your pad brings a nice warmth and your drums complement that very well with a nice solid beat.

Arrangement / Music production:
Your melody line. Easy to follow and so fucking catchy. When we go to the chorus, its full, lush and tickles the ear.

When we go into the second verse (12 bars) & bridge & build up. I felt like it was a little long for my taste, considering how much I love that lead in the chorus. However Your rhythm, 2nd melody, and again... OVERALL great mixing. Kept me captivated.

Other things:
I love the nice sliced notes you leave in some parts (just before the build up)
Your sound design is superb
This track is unique then typical Techno I've heard
Into the 2nd chorus where the lead plays ahead before it drops. Is a nice addition compared to the 1st chorus.
After the 2nd chorus I can hear a delay of what sounds like bells or a synth ping ponging from right to left. Is that serving as the back beat? it sounds a bit odd... time wise

10/10, Fav. Followed.
Great stuff dude. This is a wonderful track.

If you could do me a solid and answer a question.
When your mixing your drums do you apply reverb? I had to do a similar track - vibe wise - and I used a basic garage drum kit.

Demonic-Overmind responds:

wow! Thanks a lot. actually the ping-pong bells sound starts after the drop during the chorus, and I thought it would give the song a little bit of swing so added it.

Yes, EQ and Reverb are like salt in your food. I apply it to every drum I mix, just don't add reverb to kick(unless you need a cinematic feel, try it). I usually throw a EQ, then compressor(High compression) over a clubby kick from vengeance packs vol 1-3. for snares, hats and claps I throw EQ then reverb then stereo enhancer to give them their space. For crashes and reverse crashes, I apply everything mentioned earlier except stereo enhancer as I love them centered. Almost all of my samples come from vengeance.
Feel free to pm me if you're having more questions.

thanks again. :)

[The Heart Asks Pleasure First - Piano Cover]

Awesome Cover man. The mix sounds great!!!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks dude! Great to hear that you think it sounds nice and balanced :D

[Revolution]

Ok first, This song jumps all over the place. You introduce multiple elements like your bored of your ideas. I can't tell where the verse or chorus is because there's no structure.
I get the synth ostinato is setting the rhythm (which was hard to count the beat to in the intro. I was always off until the kick came in.

You need to create a rhythm and a melody to go with it. Even when you go to your bass drop. It has to be kick ass and have a unique melody, then when thats done you go back to a verse or maybe a bridge section, (if you think the song deserves it at that point.)

By constantly adding synth sounds, a piano, and that subby kick at the end - Which I don't know why that wasn't there when you did your 1st drop at 1:04? - Your just making me lose my mind, because I don't know where this song is taking me.

Also your 1st drop took way to long to build up. Your drop happens a minute into the song. For the past 60 seconds i'm waiting, and if your going to make your audience listen for a minute before the drop...it better be the best drop on earth..

Things I think you need to improve on:
Staying true to your idea(s) - Create a interesting melody and write chords to it. Build off of that to create your chorus.

Create a structure. Make sure you can identify, but more importantly your audience can identify, "This is a intro, verse and Chorus etc."

Keep it short. Once you've established your idea..let it explode and bring in that nice drop.

Sound design also needs a bit of work, although they did fit the song very nicely.

Keep up the good work. You'll get there and with enough practice and listening to other producers of music that you're trying to create, you'll copy them and it will in turn...make you better.

Fav part: 1:32 - 1:39. That section was really dope and I wish it went on for longer. It felt sluggish yet so solid. The strings were a really nice touch to add warmth.

All the best,
Nick

TerrorizeOffical responds:

Thanks for nice tips!

[Watching the Stars]

That was really beautiful, you really captured an emotion with this peice. The clarinet brings a nice touch and the warm sustained tones really bring the calmness and allow the other instruments to add their parts. Awesome job.

LawnReality responds:

Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

[Trine - Main Theme (Piano Cover)]

Your piano skills always amaze me. Love those trills!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the nice words, as always :)

[[Tsets] - Skipping Rocks]

R4R

I think you did too. (bio) haha

Not much going on in this track in terms of arrangement. However I do like the gestures you throw in quite often. The kick sits really nice, not too loud that it would pound my ears. But for such a chill vibe and simple - yet interesting - melody. You really should make this 4-5 min long haha. I know thats quite the time (both mixing and producing) but easily evolving and adding new sounds is something this track would do well at. Thats what ambient is, evolving over time.

Regardless, its very good and something I got down to quickly. Congrats on the Front page :)

Fav sound: The portamento synth.

TsetsukenMusic responds:

Thank you for the lovely review!

A few others have commented on this song wishing it was longer as well, so a 4-5 minute extended version sounds like something I just might have to :). Time is definitely something I wish I had more of though (as do we all). I'm so amazed this has made it to front page - that would make it my first!! :D

[DJ Neat! & Kaixo - Atmosphere]

R4R

The drop. You guys nailed it. The build up wasn't too long and when the drop hit it was glorious.

Your lead synth which just sounds like a shit ton of saw waves, sounds a bit to bright. especially after your chorus. my volume was up when the drop came but I had to turn it down as my ears were getting fatigued from the lead. However it could be my rooms reflections.

Your push and pull effect with the lead is nice, though at times it almost sounds out of time.

Overall mix is very well done. nothing to loud or quiet, you got the punch where it mattered and the sound design is good too. (kinda generic, but thats just my taste. I probably couldn't re-create that lead even if i tried.) ;)
Awesome job to you both!

GGMiXsiMusic responds:

Thanks, dude! We're making a trailer for this whole album, make sure to check it out when it comes!
(DJN)