WolfgangMiakoda's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Maximum Velocity (Neurofunk DnB)]

I like the idea you had here, but I think the execution could have used a bit more work. It kinda feels like the entire piece has been run through a negative bandpass filter, and only the lows and highs got through, leaving the mids in the dust.
The drums are also extremely quiet, especially for a drum and bass track; I can barely hear the kick, to be honest. This kind of music thrives off of the sense of fast paced rhythm the drums create; they should really be at the forefront of the mix. The snare is also lacking a bit in treble, and has a bit too much bass for my liking.
The piece doesn't have enough variation to warrant it being as long as it is, in my opinion. The instrumentation was cool and all, but I don't think it's enough to carry the piece.
I'd recommend listening to some of MUZZ's tracks (like New Age or his recent release Nemesis) for some examples of solid harder DnB done really well. I know they're not exactly neuro dnb, but I still think they'd offer some valuable insight.

All that said, I think you did a nice job of capturing that sense of speed you were going for, so I can't really critique you on that front. Nicely done.

PlasmaGlowMusic responds:

thank you for your feedback, I am happy to say that those audio choices were made on purpose and my sound is not restricted to this song's style. I know that it is common for DnB to be powerful with their drums and I wanted to sway a little for this one because it is more about feeling the rhythm of the sounds instead of just the drums. it is very kind of you to critique my work and am glad you enjoyed it regardless! I appreciate your opinions.

[AIM 2020 - For You, My Princess]

Neat piece! I can totally see the toad playing his violin there. There are a few points of criticism that I have:

The piano sounds pretty artificial, not so much in the timing, but in the velocity of the notes; it sounds like every note is hit with the exact same amount of power.
Other people have already mentioned this, but until 2:05, there isn't enough variation in the piece to warrant it being as long as it is.
Speaking of the finale, I think the instruments could have fitted together a bit better. The piano and the violin don't change (much) to accommodate the inclusion of the gritty bass and the beat. Some reverb to give the section some more space and grandeur would've served nicely to capitalize off of the tension. I also think something like a choir would've fit nicely here, though that may simply be personal preference.
Not a real big fan of how you handled the kick snare pattern. It's nice to different things, but this feels like it's being different for the sake of being different; it comes across as a bit chaotic, and, in my experience, makes the rhythm a bit more difficult to listen to.
My last piece of criticism is that the silence right after the drums cut out and the piano resumes, at 2:56, could have stood to be a bit longer, actually. That would've nicely drawn out some lasting tension, and given the closing piano a bit more depth and impact.

All in all, I think it's a nice rendition of the image as music, and I can see where the inspiration came from. It could use some work, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good piece. Well done!

TrandafirTeodora responds:

Thanks.

[Unbalance]

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuude, I cannot get over that fucking Drum & Bass switchup at 3:38! That blew my fucking mind. Really fucking cool man.

I do have a few teeny nitpicks in that certain sections, like at 1:10, the growls are just a bit too quick in succession, making it somewhat difficult to listen to. And at the aforementioned DnB section at 3:38, there's so much happening at once that it's kinda overwhelming.

All that said, fucking fantastic production, my man!

Spadezer responds:

I'm really glad you dug that part :3

Lol yeah 3:38. I'm always battling myself because I keep thinking "it's not full enough" and then I end up having to mix and EQ 25 different things it feels like lol. One of these days I'll get a real good grasp on how to be more minimalistic like what KOAN sound is like and it should help my climactic sections a bit more.

I can definitely hear what you're talking about at 1:10. That's a sound I designed from scratch and as much as I like the quick rhythmic styles, it doesn't compliment that bass. Or, conversely, that bass doesn't work with that quick rhythmic style.

As usual I very much appreciate comments on my songs :)

[Astral Garden]

I like what you've got going here, but a few tips from me (note that I write this without the context of the game you've written this for):

The composition, especially in terms of the chords, is pretty random. I don't know if that was the intention, or not, but I could;dn't find much direction in it. Maybe study some music theory to help yourself keep it a bit more cohesive. I'd be willing to help you out if you like.
It's also pretty empty. The piece lacks bass and sub bass frequencies, which kinda leave this piece without a foundation.
The periods of silence you have after the climaxes are pretty jarring, and don't really help the flow of the piece.

That said, I can tell that you've got ideas and potential. As I mentioned earlier, I'd be more than willing to help you out a bit, if you'd like. Fell free to just message me questions, and I'll do my best to answer! I look forward to what you'll be making in the future

Doppelbrando responds:

Thank you for de feedback. There's always things that i overlook of self compositions. And... well, i know this is a big journey so im open to critics to improve :)

[Lavander Town 2]

Really cool rendition of the lavender town theme! Really like the use of the riverbed pluck as a pad too, and I'm a big fan of the direction you took the piece in for the middle section.

I do have a few points of criticism, if you're willing to listen. ^w^

I get what you're trying to do with the beat drop at 0:39, but I don't think the section afterwards warrants a break like that. Such breaks in instrumentation are used to build further tension, tension which I don't think the following section properly utilizes, which causes it to come across as a bit anti-climatic. I would have personally left the break out and simply bridged the two sections with a sweep.
I can't say I'm a big fan of the snares you use at 1:30 and onwards. I get what you're trying to go for, but they don't really properly contribute to that pulsing sense of rhythm present.
I think the transition at 1:52 is a bit too sudden.
Further, the drums in that section really don't work in my opinion. The instrumentation there gives the impression of a huge orchestration, but the kick is really tiny and in front of the mix, whilst the snare has the exact opposite problem; it's too big and too far back. I think a more stomp-y kick would've fit the bill better, and I think a more Melodic Dubstep snare, i.e. almost any Trivecta Snare would've fit better too.

All that said, I do really like the ideas you had here, especially how you used the piano pedal to simulate a heartbeat. Felt very organic.

[Requiem]

Honestly, how did this not even get top three? This is so bloody good!

[loosends]

This is very interesting; you don't come across many examples of this kind of music where I'm from. Still, I think you might have gone a bit overboard with the distortion in some sections, in that there's a bit too much high end; I had the exact same problem when writing Alice.
If not for the lyrics, I would not have understood what the vocals were saying, as they're buried underneath a layer of other instruments; try to bring them more to the forefront.

[-Solis-]

Well, this is certainly better than what I made. Competition's gonna be tough. May the best producer win, eh?

Sylux03 responds:

Thanks bro. :>

[Universe]

Holy shit dide, this track is awesome! You're one hell of a musician.

A few things I would still like to note:
The verses sound somewhat empty, almost like they're waiting for vocals. Honestly, I think vocals would really bring this track together. Thing about it.
The drop is a bit too wide, I believe. There are very few elements mono, and it kinda takes the power from the drop away.
Lastly, I think the second buildup is a bit too loud in comparison to the drop that follows.

Even so, this is really damn good. Solid 4,5 from me, mate.

Sylux03 responds:

thanks! :>

[Infinity]

In the first verse, starting 0:14, there's a weird discrepancy between the vocal chops and the bass at 0:16. I don't know what's causing that, but it sounds unnatural. The first drop lacks mid range frequencies, and I think the bass might be a bit too quiet. The intersecting melodies in the second buildup don't really work. The second drop is a bit too wide for my taste. I also really dislike that snare.

Overall, not a bad track in the slightest, but it could have been better.