Onefin's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[NGADM'15: Limitless]

Did I leave a review on your previous submission? I don't remember. But if I didn't, I'll be sure this review makes up for it!

One of the tags for this track should be "hybrid", because this is very distinctly a hybrid track.Seriously, I hear electronic influences, rock influences, chiptune influences, orhcestral influences, etc. And it's awesome! Everything seems to compliment each other, even though the sound design clearly outlines multiple genres which usually conflict with each other. Nice mix!

Your melodies do a good job reinforcing this mix. They sound well-adjusted for all the genres you've meddled into this track. Plus they're catchy. Also btw this song gives me a very distinct Touhou vibe for some reason. Come on, that's a good thing! Smile! :D

At 1:57, I'm hearing something that I swear I've heard already during this competition. You have a little pre-drop section where you play 4 measure riff once and then do it again except with hi-hat drums and stuff which drop out on the last measure. Was it you that did that in the first round? I can't remember. But you used a tried and true tactic, I like it. Moving on.

Speaking of your drums, I really like them! The hi-hats feel really driving and on top of the beat, if you know what I mean. Although I do feel your kick could have a bit more, it's pretty solid!

That atmosphere at 1:22! Awesome!

Also I feel like your main melody square-saw sound could be a bit more on top of the mix at certain points, like 1:46.

But overall this is a REALLY solid entry! You impressed me last time, and you've impressed me again. 5/5, 9/10, AWESOMENESS Good luck beating SkyeWint, you've got a tough matchup! ;D

EliteFerrex responds:

Thank you so much for the fantastic review.

I'm humbled by your kind words, and very thankful to receive such a high rating.

I've always found that that's one thing about my original music I have a hard time doing, giving it a category. I understand that often times I mix many different elements together, and sometimes it's difficult to categorize. I usually pick "Video Game" because I know it's electronic music, but can't think of a specific genre under which to classify it, but feel like I'm VGM-inspired.

On my previous submission, I believe the only judge's review I received was from TaintedLogic, and another one from ChronoNomad. But, i'm glad to have one here; thank you.

I generally try go for melodies that suit the style I'm using, and for this track, it was difficult to peice together something that suited the instruments I selected. You'll notice that the style changes slightly based on which instruments are being used; that decision was made based on what I thought would best highlight for each group's overall sound, and overall I'm pleased.

As for the pickup with the hats before a single-measure drop out, that's a tactic I frequently use, so it's likely you heard it in my previous entry. I believe "Higher" does so right at the start, and likely at least once or twice more throughout. I'm impressed you noticed something like that, which I'd consider relatively subtle. Kudos to your abilities as a judge, I suppose!

Percussion is always a special challenge for me. Honestly, I spend more time choosing a kick drum and appropriate clap/snare/etc. for my tracks than I do any other component. It's hard to find one that will do everything I need: stand out from the bass and not be drowned by it, remain heard even when the leads and background melodies are at full power, and have a sufficient level of oomph to match the energy of the track. Obviously, a slower trance track calls for a different kick than, say, this track. But, I'm glad you thought I did well overall, and I'll give you the mild shortcoming on the kick, now that I think about it. I attempted to sidechain it more than once, but wasn't happy with the changes to the sound when it happened: too often I found that it would cut out the bass at a time when I felt it was pivotal to carrying on the energy of the track overall.

I like the drop for "atmosphere", as you said, too! It gives you a moment to breathe and let the energy that's been built sink in for a moment before greeting you with a more gentle melody, before a reminder that, no, this track isn't peaceful, it's powerful (where the guitars come back in) and slowly bring you back to the faster pace of the rest of the music. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Thank you very much for the depth of your review, and for your positive feedback. I look forward to SkyeWint's track for Round Two, and while I hope he does well, I can't say I hope he does better than me! xD

EF

[Elemelons]

My BIGGEST complaint about this is just how painfully repetitive it is. Come on, that can't be it.

But it's really good for what it is! Melody is catchy and sound design/mixing is great!

[The Journey Home]

I guess I'll leave an NGADM review here since you're on Review for Review also.

First off, since this is a classical entry, instrumentation. I like most of your choices here. The piano fits the beginning very well, as well as the strings that join in just afterward. Overall you've picked your instruments well. I especially love your choice of glockenspiel in the ending! There are some things I could complain about, though. I feel like the guitar introduced at 1:05 kinda breaks the atmosphere of what was happening thus far. A different instrument might have been better.

Melodies. Man, I have to say something about these melodies. They caught on the first time. Rarely ever do NGADM melodies catch on the first time for me. That's awesome. Also I swear in the section at 1:55 I know that tune! I don't know from where, though. It's familiar.

I can't talk about mixing since I don't know how to do it but I'm sure you're mixing is fantastic!

Atmosphere. I've already talked about how the guitar at 1:05 breaks it a little bit, but other than that you have a great atmosphere going on here. I didn't imagine a "journey home", though. I imagined the adventure after the adventure, that feeling you get after you've gone on an epic, successful journey and another one comes up. But regardless the emotion in this track is marvelous!

My only real other complaints other than the guitar at 1:05 which I have been stressing far too much (sorry) are 1, the guitar squeaks near 2:33 are too obnoxious IMO, and 2, I felt the piano riff at the beginning could have been more dynamic.

But other than that you have a REALLY solid entry! 5/5, 9/10, good luck! Now it's my turn to get on R4R...

bassfiddlejones responds:

Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the track. I think the guitar at 1:05 is quite possibly my favorite portion of the track. I get that everyone has different tastes though, to each his own.

This is definitely a melody driven piece, so I'm really glad they stuck out. You heard that part at 1:55 a few sections before! Haha, it's the running theme and gets introduced/reintroduced throughout. Thanks for taking the time to listen!

[Dive In (NGADM '15)]

I've delayed this review too long, it's about time.

Where do I start? Your track is very... interesting! Seriously, there's a lot of awesome stuff going on which you don't see every day. For instance, the panning, bandpass chiptune arpeggios at 0:35 and 0:48. How about the awesome tapestop transition at 2:20 into a super creepy and unsettling ending? AWESOME

Your sound design is nice! While I think that certain parts of the song could have benefited from a more modern sound (like the lead/pad thing at 0:30 and the organ at 1:52), overall your sounds aren't bad and create a nice atmosphere of "diving in".

You talk about how you think the low end is good in the description, and I can't say I disagree! Your low end is pretty nice! Then again, I'm not exactly a good judge of that.

One thing I complain about is melody. Your tracks doesn't exactly have a memorable melody in the first half to latch onto, and although your track isn't lacking in memorability, it makes it so that there's nothing to latch onto if you want to recall how the first half of the song goes, if you know what I mean.

But overall this is really solid and well done! I wouldn't complain too much because of the epic diversity this track brings. Great job, and good luck in NGADM! :D

Birdinator99 responds:

And I've delayed this response too long, so here we go...

It's cool that you mentioned the arpeggios -- I like 'em too! Tapestop -- yes please!

The pad at 0:30 isn't great, but I really liked the automation options I had. At 0:57 there's some wacky shit going on that's a result of that. I think the organ sounds "creepy", or at least that's how it initially hit me, which is the mood I was transitioning to at the end. I'm not totally sure if I would end up changing it if I went back.

Thought I would take out a bit more low mid and add a bit more sub to the bass than usual!

Melody is definitely the weak part of the song, as LunacyEcho also pointed out. There are definitely ways to make seemingly disjointed songs like this sound more continuous, and melodies would be a good area to accomplish that. Thanks for being honest about that part.

Thanks so much, man!

[Velcro]

It's about time I leave a review.

VGM. Well, you're definitely spot on with that genre. I like it. For me, VGM music is mostly about the melody. If the composer has done everything else perfectly, it's the melody that distinguishes the good from the great from the awesome. Yours... is kinda in-between great and awesome. Not quite awesome, because the melodies didn't strike home immediately, but better than great because regardless you're melodies are quite awesome!

Man, that transition at 1:30! You introduced that swing flawlessly and perfectly! Props to you for that! ;D (Haha, and below me LSD is confused as what happened in that transition XD)

"Does this count as a different rhythm or not? Or does it just count as a different way of playing in the same rhythm? AAAGHH!?!" - LSD

Gosh dang it, now I hope LSD doesn't see this XD I'm just kidding, man!

Anyway, going back to reviewing mode. Sound design / mixing. You heard me above. "If the composer has done everything else perfectly, it's the melody that distinguishes the good from the great from the awesome." Since I graded your melody as if this was true, that means I've already implied that your sound design and mixing is perfect. ;) Moving on.

Hooks and loops... because you got stuck... XD GOSH DANG IT STUPID PUNS

Welp, complaints. THE ENDING. IT'S CUT. FIX IT. NOW. Oh wait, you can't, NGADM R1 is over XD that's what I get for deciding to post this so late

Also why are all your tags about getting stuck?

I would have liked some other variations to your track besides the swing. Swing is cool, but it only happens once and isn't enough to give your track the lasting awesomeness I feel it needs. Hey, what if you changed back? That might have been cool. But small complaint, because your track is really swag regardless!

Anyway, great work, and good luck in NGADM! 5/5, 9/10, all that crud! :D

LunacyEcho responds:

It's about time I left a response!

=> melody =>

Thanks! There are definitely certain bits that I want to revisit the melody for (especially during the solos in the latter half), but I definitely do like the main melody and some of the solo sections. So yeah, I see what you mean! There's definitely room for improvement! :P

=> transition at 1:30 =>

Whoo! I had a feeling it would be kinda tough to execute, but it looks like it didn't actually go over too badly!

=> LSD =>

I'm sure he's got better things to do. ;)

=> sound design/mixing =>

Thanks! It means so much to hear someone say that, since those are the areas of music that I feel I'm historically the worst at. :D You're a lot kinder than johnfn when it comes to judging sound design, it seems. :P

=> stupid puns =>

Hopefully I'll get through to the next round of NGADM, and then I'll be able to release songs with stupid puns at an even fastener rate!

=> ENDING =>

You know, I actually don't see it. You and LSD both commented on it, but the only cut I can hear is like, a few milliseconds. In my audio player, you literally wouldn't notice it unless you had the volume up high and were specifically looking for it. Maybe it's something to do with the browser or something? :/

=> tags =>

I always have a connection in my tags! Sometimes the connection relates to the song in obvious ways, sometimes it doesn't. :P I just feel that having interesting tags is more fun than just the normal, banal stuff (username, song title, genre).

=> variations =>

Interesting point! I was originally going to add a section in the end where it went back to non-swing, but at a faster tempo, but I didn't add it, since I thought that might be overcomplicating it. I guess I still need to judge the audience better. :P

Thanks for your awesome review! And thanks for going around and reviewing so many NGADM pieces! If you're still thinking about competing in the NGADM next year, good luck! It'll be awesome to have such a positive force sticking around :P

[Anticipate]

It's about time I left a review on this track.

Your sound design rocks! The "funky bassline" is cool, the "destroyed piano sound" is cool (despite how terrible I would expect a "destroyed" piano to sound), the "crazy supersaw lead" is cool, the "arp thingy" is cool, IT'S ALL COOL

Your main melody is catchy! I love it! (Sorry for shortness, I can't think of anything to elaborate on)

One thing I'm noticing here that's really nice are your transitions. I say this because I really suck at transitions myself and here they're pretty well done! So good job!

Now for things I didn't like so much. Let's talk about repetition, shall we? I felt this track repeat the same thing many times over. Heck, even the second drop is the same as the first, just with the arp thingy added which you had already introduced anyway. And there's not much melodic variation or sound variation to make things interesting.

I would have liked the drops to have more of an impact. The drop sections are just kinda there, not really sticking out other than the fact that the lead is there. Not really what I would actually call a "drop". But you built up to it well! You just need the drop to be bigger overall, IMO.

Overall, this is a good track! Worthy of being in the NGADM, I'd say. 5/5, 9/10, good luck! :D

Voltus responds:

Thank you, well I mixed it up as well as i could, this whole track was produced in under 3 days, had I had more time I probably would have put a little more variation in there. Also the drop isn't really supposed to be a drop, like edm style. It's more like a refrain hence the repitition.

Anyways thanks again for your long review! I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can advance one round with this track ^^

[~Echo~ Redemption (NGADM R1)]

It's about time I leaved you a review.

This track is just brimming with you, right? Your name is written all over this track. But that's not a bad thing, as I'm a big fan of your style!

Once again you've pulled a track with an epic atmosphere, awesome melodies, and perfect mixing. I can't say anything more. It's all great!

The one thing I would complain about is memorability. Once again, this track has your style in it, and while I'm not against that, it does make it sound pretty much the same as your other tracks. There's nothing to cling onto with this one, to say that it's "different", in a way. Y'know?

But anyway, great work! And sorry for the late review, I've been very lazy recently. :/ 5/5, 9/10, good luck!

[Waves From The East [NGADM]]

After your epic, orchestral/electronic hybrid awesomeness of an audition track, I was excited to see what you would offer us in round 1. Seeing that your track's genre was "experimental", I got even more pumped up. Have you disappointed me? Not at all!

Your track starts with a chord progression that you don't hear every day. Props for originality! And at 0:51... is that a speedup? Or does it just go straight to double speed? I really can't tell, but it sounds really unorthodox, so more props for originality! Man, this whole thing is just brimming with originality!

I'm not exactly good with talking about the quality of instruments, but synths? You got it. While I would have liked your lead synth to have a bit more flavor, your sounds are really cool! The portamento synth introduced at 04:21 caught my ear, although that may just be because I have a soft spot for portamento synths. Come on, they sound pretty awesome! Your bass growl hits (such as the one at 02:54) are also really nice. Good job!

Now for composition. And I guess this is where the complaints start. Not that your composition is bad, no; it's just that I feel that certain things don't quite work well with the chords behind them. Like at 1:27. The pitch riser sounds okay with the chord until you start to change it. Then it starts to sound off. At 2:11, the arp doesn't fit with the flute, in my opinion. It's just for that one chord, though. But hey, there are many, many places where you have AWESOME composition going on. I've already mentioned the very beginning, for example.

The transition at 3:29 is pretty sudden. Could have used, say, a reverse to lead up to it. I don't know. Not good with transitions either!

In the end, though, I really love this track! Just as I did your audition piece. 5/5, 9/10, good luck in NGADM! :D

Tyven responds:

I just figured out how the NG notification system works and saw your (awesomely detailed) reviews. Thank you!
- I'm glad you liked the intro. Now in retrospect I'm hearing how much magic is in it and how it actually works, and to think I spent an entire day trying to scrap it and force something else to work there. The entire track is set at a constant bpm, but I guess I inadvertently wrote some time changes into it :)
- I appreciate your comments on my synthwork as that's a major area I have difficulty with. I guess it worked this time around pretty well!
- The transition at 3:29 is intentionally impactful, to create a moment of relaxation for the listener's ears right before it hits hard in the 2nd chorus...I guess I can claim artistic license there, haha.

I'm glad you liked it and thank you for the great review!

[Escape]

How did I miss your track, Solarex? Gosh dang it!

Well, I'm here now, so time for comments...

Once again your sound design is astonishing! The synths are well designed and well chosen. I wouldn't expect any less from you!

You have a very nice floaty feel in the beginning, which I adore. When the drop hits, the mix becomes more full, but it still works nicely in the context of the track. Below me Sequenced complained about no low frequencies, but in my eyes that's not a bad thing, since too much low end would give your track a completely different feel from what you may or may not have intended. Love it!

This sounds like it could work well in a Geometry Dash level! The drop hits at around 0:50, which isn't too far from the ideal point of 0:45. It would work well in an easy level since it sounds so floaty, and you know what that means: I'M GOING TO MAKE THAT LEVEL HAPPEN RIGHT NOW

I'm not sure what to complain about, to be honest! At this point I can only think of minor nitpicks not major enough to talk about. Good job! Good luck in NGADM! :D

KabukiTunes responds:

thanks for your feedback! I'm gonna actually revisit the low end before the deadline, I can never really tell with my monitor setup. I appreciate your support!

[A Droplet of Imagination (Original)]

Once again you NGADM guys put out a classical piece that I just can't overlook. How are you guys so amazing?

Right from the start, I could tell this would be a piano feature. And also it wasn't just the piano, I was right. Now, generally I find piano features to be relatively mediocre, at least, compared to bombastic electronic pieces and crud. But you've managed to make this a bit more interesting.

I highly appreciate your use of panning here, it gives the piece more depth, thus attracting more interest. Although I would say my right ear enjoyed it a bit more than my left.

Your piano sounds really good! Definitely better than what I have to work with. Not to mention all your other sounds as well. They combine together to form a perfect atmosphere.

What else can I say? The piece has great melodic content, but, for me, there's so much that it's hard to remember all of it. But it's a pleasure to listen to! Good job, and good luck in NGADM!

Jabicho responds:

Your words mean so much! I'm still learning how to find a good panning spot, I'll put it a little more to the left then, thanks for that XD
I'm happy you like it! thanks again for your praises and suggestions, it means a lot :D