WolfgangMiakoda's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Granary]

Not a real big fan of the clap and hat you used. They feel very outside the mix. Maybe turning them down and putting a bit of reverb on them can help with the mix. I would have also liked something of a melody to layer on top of the drums and pads, since now it feels like it's dragging on for a bit too long without any significant melodic changes. Still, It's not bad.

CyroNG responds:

Hmm.

Are you sure that putting a bit of reverb on the clap and hat is a good idea? I really like contrast in my tracks, to make it a bit more varied like the start of the track. For example, it turns from a moody atmosphere to a bit of mysterious sounding atmosphere at 15 seconds. I don't really think the clap and hat are that too out of the mix.

My goal for the track was atmosphere, which I think turned out pretty well for only 15 minutes of producing a full track.

Yeah, I agree that around 3 and a half minutes of music needs melodic changes. I didn't think of that while I was half-asleep making this. :P

Thanks for the suggestions!

[endK - Ruby Saloon]

I think the bass guitar might be a tad bit too loud, but that's just personal preference. I also think that the drums may be a tiny bit too quiet, but other than that, this track is bloody amazing!

endKmusic responds:

Since I was referencing another song, I guess it's just a personal preference, as you said. :)
Much thanks for the kind words! :)

[everything.]

I REALLY like that opening. It's so damn chill! I can just see the cup of coffee sitting in the windowsill with this song playing in the background.
I think the silence that follows at 0:33 has too little melodic elements to warrant it being as long as it is.
I'm personally not a fan of the snare you used in the drop, since its sound profile doesn't really with the kick and the chords. I also think the drop kinda lacks in bass frequencies. I think the break at 1:16 comes very sudden, and I think it may actually begin off beat, which is very jarring in terms of the groove. There's also a slight discrepancy between when the chords begin again, and when the impact is at 1:18; they're small details, but they mean a lot in terms of rhythmic unity.
I am a real big fan of the second verse, and here the snare does actually work. I think the section at 2:09 is a bit out of place, though that may simply be because the beat doesn't leave, but slows down.
I think the beat drop at 2:25 is a bit too long. Though I really love the extended chord that follows. The vocals in the breaks are really cool too. The second drop at 2:40 is bloody amazing!
The one part about this track that I cannot stand, however, is the sudden break at 3:55. I understand that some of the choices you made were out of emotional context, but I personally believe that the beauty of masterful production lies in the ability to convey such emotions without having to sacrifice solid song structure and composition. Making music is like telling a story; how do you tell that story if your listeners can't understand a word you're saying?

So, all in all, you're a phenomenal producer, there's no doubt about that. However, I think you went a bit overboard in trying to convey the "complexity of human thought and emotion." The idea and production are solid, but the frequent out of place sections of music and breaks do not allow me to justify my rating this song higher than a 3,5. I hope you understand.

BurneMusic responds:

yeah this track is trash,

Like I really hate this track a lot
And I hate how it got as big as it did
because it's terrible

The human emotion thing is basically just an excuse for shit arrangement but no one seems to care so yea

[Fractal Footsteps]

Ok, so there's a few things that bother me with this track.
First off are the drums; often times they sound random simply for the sake of randomness, which isn't really pleasant to listen to. I'd recommend at least keeping the kick and the snare relatively the same, since they're pretty much the anchor to your entire beat. The hats can be messed around with a lot more since they're less important to the rhythm of the track. Further, the drums take up a huge frequency space, causing the other instruments to take a back seat to them. Lastly, I think the drums have just a tad to much high end.
The second thing that bothers me are the melodies; they don't sound like they're staying in key (unless you're working with the chromatic scale, but that's rarely every used for melodic purposes). I'd suggest studying up on some music theory and trying to work with chords and the likes, as, just like the drums, the melodies sometimes seem to go random just for the sake of being random.
Lastly, I don't think the composition of the track justifies it being as long as it is, as there aren't a whole lot of new elements introduced throughout the track.

Overall, I can see the idea you were going for, but the execution lacks. Nothing a little practice can't fix though. Keep on trucking, and hit me up in a year or so to show me how you've improved!

BALDORF responds:

Thanks for the feedback.

Most of this seems to be highly subjective though.
I don't think you see the idea I'm going for. You think my kicks should be the anchor and the hats should be rhythm, yet that's not what I was going for... Everything is in the same key as everything else, so I don't know where you are getting that idea. Perhaps the tone of certain instruments I used? I don't know.
As for length? There are songs that are 10 minutes long that have virtually no change and people listen to it all day long...as I said, highly subjective feedback here.

I can agree my drums and mix are not the best, as drums are not my forte and I know basically nothing about mixing.

[Kameko Woods]

Gotta say, though I really like what you're going for, I can't get over how synthesized the guitar sounds. It's also a tad bit too loud in my opinion. Some humanization should help with the synthesized part of it, though. I also feel that you could have some other instruments join the violins and cellos that provide the founding of the track, just to spice things up a bit. I understand it's supposed to be a background track, but even now, I think that it'd be kinda forgettable as is. Still, I look forward to seeing what you're going to turn it into!

ARealGhost responds:

Thank you for the feedback <3

[Nightfall]

The intro is a bit devoid of interesting elements; I'd add some more instrumentation, some sound effects, etc. to keep listeners interested. The clap used sits a good bit too far stereo. Try making it more mono. The biggest problem I have with this track is its utter lack of bass. Any track, however made, should have a baseline, and this song doesn't. Add to that that the song is fairly repetitive, as you keep using the same melody over and over again, and this isn't the most interesting song.

I can tell you're still new to this (hell, the first track I ever made didn't have bass either). So here's a little tip to help you learn:
I'd recommend taking a few songs you really like, and listening to them analytically; how are they made, in what structure is it done, what instruments are used, etc. Try to learn through examples. This is a really good way to gain an understanding of how music is structured, and how it's made, which is knowledge you're going to need if you're going to make your own. Keep up the work, and I look forward to seeing how you've progressed in another year or so!

GavHern responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback! I will definitely keep this in mind in the future!

[Contrainte [Original Mix]]

Note that I'm giving feedback as I'm listening to this. This is actually pretty damn good! Drop sounds a bit messy, especially in the mid-high frequencies, mostly due to the lead you have. I think that if you shortened the notes there it'd fit together a lot nicer. Also think about lowering the volume of the bass in the verse, so that your drop sounds more impactful.
Not a real big fan of the snare you used for the buildup at 1:12, but that's personal taste. I should cut off a bit of its tail, just to be safe.
The drop at 1:21 lacks serious power, largely due to the lack of bass, and no, the growl you have doesn't count. At 1:41 you actually partially remedy this problem, though I still think the sub bass could be a bit louder.
The silence at 2:01 is a bit too long for my tastes, as it messes with the established flow of the song. The verse that follows is a bit empty, and I don't think that the stereo bass works.
The top at 2:51 again lacks bass like the drop at 1:21.

The idea is really cool, I'll give you that. You need to work a bit on the execution, but that can be learned with practice. All in all, this is still really good. Colour me impressed.

Dj-Troll responds:

Hello!

I am surprised by your feedback! And of course I want to say thank you for constructive criticism and useful advice.

In fact, I have little experience in creating music and your advice will be very helpful for my future projects.

[The Sassmaster]

The only reason I gave this one 4,5 instead of the full 5, is because the second verse is a bit empty for a large portion. I know that this is an OST track that's supposed to play in the background, but I'd still like it if there was something going on, instead of the music leaving a gap to be filled. Otherwise, this is a phenomenal orchestration

ARealGhost responds:

Thank you for the feedback!

[Perspective]

Question: why is the piano in the beginning so stereo? It's a bit off-throwing when it's solo, though it works fine when the pluck comes in. Said pluck is pretty dry though; perhaps think about adding some reverb or delay on that. The drop, as it is, lacks some impact, though I don't know if that's what you were going for.

All in all, quite a nice project, having made it in one stream (I assume).

icantpronouncethis responds:

I haven't thought about switching stereo to mono or vice versa in mid song. I should take a note of that. Thanks for that tip. That could really help me with the clarity. It's true, this was done in one stream, and it was also a challenge what I can come up with and if I can make it sound good. I might have forgotten about adding the reverb/delay on the pluck. Speaking of drop, I do have a problem approaching. I know I want to make a bigger impact, but I get to afraid it might get distorted or just blow out your ears. Any tips or examples how to approach drops with big impact?

Thank you again for the feedback.

[Triplets]

Not gonna lie, this is relaxing as shit. Personally would have added a few pads to give it a very cozy, floaty feeling, but that's just personal preference.
I would have liked a bit more variation in the melody structure, as it's a tad bit repetitive at the moment, but that's not a huge issue. Definitely fits the title of "lullaby" though.

ARealGhost responds:

These are some great notes! Originally, I wrote it short to actually be something that would fit in an actual music box, but I like the idea of making it something more.