NicholasCabraja's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Get Ready to Fight!]

From R4R

The Goods: The mix and its transients are on point. Your bass is kicking and the overall vibe is is solid for a House mix. If anything I would boost a few sounds like the vocal chops at 5min (Love that sound btw)

Things I would improve: Overall arrangement. I would try in future projects to really explore where you could take your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc...ideas to create more variety and tone. We catch a bit of this
in the 2 min mark where you FINALLY introduce another sound to carry the arpeggio.
To keep listeners engaged you wanna take them on a "Journey."
Eg. would be your 3 min mark, I would have cut the highs on the arp to send it more in the back and bring up that new melody sound and then work on your build up again back into the chorus.
DEFINITELY PLAY WITH MORE AUTOMATION!!!

Also this songs reminds of this https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/37312
arps work in the same way despite the difference genres, but notice how his breaks don't have the main motif...he's building it up again or when he introduces new sounds he's automating the volume or filter of the arp in the background.

This is all I have to say, if you would like more tips, feel free to drop me a DM.
Great job!

[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 :)

[Frontier]

Interesting.

The beginning I found your kick had too much sub. I'd aim for either a volume change or make it tighter, but it already sounds compressed.

Your chorus was nice really, came together well.

B section was somewhat musically interesting. nevertheless you didn't go off the beaten track with a complete new idea. it was coherent.

2nd chorus was better then the first. The kick didn't seem too in my face and I ended up loving the drums more some reason.

What I want you to do in the future:
Give your sub some dynamics & and watch your levels.

add more some drum variations. Your 2nd chorus could have used something other then fills and kick snare repeats. try ghost notes. Make the kick have some rhythm to it (its already in your face and tight!)

For 8 months. Its great. But ya dude, finish it and move on. That lifestyle sounds stressful.

Awesome job!

- Nick

[Starsailer]

Good vibes, but there seems to be pops and clicks at some parts of the track. Is that intentional because it doesn't sound musical?

[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.