SplatterDash's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Talurre - Sidereum Nox]

Official NGADM Review for Round 3

That intro is soo good! It's a great segue into the piece, cutting to the chase pretty quickly. As per usual, your composition does a really good job keeping your piece fresh, and the production is great here as well (especially in that intro). The way you manage your bass in the drops while also placing in some melodic moments throughout is really good. Though your style does tend to lean towards the Xtullor side of dub, I think that this song especially separates you from them in between drops.
My critiques are as follows: while there isn't much else to mention, I think the section at 2:52 could have been played up a little more, especially getting closer to the drop. By playing up, what I mean is adding more, especially in terms of a bass or sub. The section, as it is now, feels a little empty, and while the leadup to the first drop has a similar issue, I felt the second's leadup was emptier than the first in terms of emptiness.
Overall, I really enjoy this! I think that you're definitely embracing your style, and it shows very well in the music here. Great job!

[The Ballad of Creative Freedom]

Official NGADM Review for Round 3

Yeah this is definitely creative freedom lol. What I like about this is how "out-of-the-box" it is, taking all different directions throughout the course while still keeping around some melodic ideas. It's this really fun concoction that I honestly decided to play again shamelessly. Most of the sound designs can actually be almost indistinguishable from their realistic counterparts, and those vocals... boy do they help this piece so much.
It's hard to really come up with some good criticism with what to improve. The only thing I can think of is that the bass can come up a bit in terms of volume, since it is a tad bit low in my opinion. But honestly, that's about all I can think of in terms of what to improve.
Overall... I think you know already, I love this lol. It's absolutely creative, and it fits the name so well. Wonderful job on this!

[God's Sovereignty]

NGADM Official Review for Round 3

This piece is super simplistic, and yet it really does a good job conveying emotions throughout. I think it does a good job building and keeping itself pretty unique and fresh. That intro really does bring you in to the feeling from this piece, and the rhythmic ideas are also simple but pretty good. The atmospherics also play a good role in the beginning, and honestly I thought that it was just going to be piano and atmosphere at the beginning. I'm absolutely fine with what I got, though.
That being said, there were some moments that I want to mention as points to improve upon. While the sound quality overall was really good, there were a few points where I wasn't sold too much on the instruments sounding realistic. One example is the violin, which I felt had sounded... airy, hollow, something like that. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it separated itself from the realistic piano when it was brought in. In fact, at 1:24 I mistook it for a flute, and it took me reading the tags to figure out it was indeed a violin. The other thing I want to mention, while there is plenty of rhythmic interest within the piano, as the song goes on it feels like the rhythm becomes repetitive with little to no changes. While, again, it is meant to be simplistic, it would be of interest to look into varying that rhythm up there to maintain keeping the song fresher than it already is. Lastly, while this point does not affect your score, I would like to see the atmospherics brought through in some way past the intro, since it really is a good part of the music. Again, it's not affecting your score since it's more of a personal taste, but it's something I did want to suggest as a listener.
Overall, this is simplistic but yet charming. I understand the hesitance to share it to the world, but I think that it's a good thing to share, since it does a really good job at what a piece of music should do. Great job!

Phonometrologist responds:

Thank you for the review SplatterDash.
Just a couple points I want to respond to:
Simplicity is a discipline I'm working on lately as I tend to be all over the place naturally.
The violin part that sounds a bit like a woodwind was a certain dynamic that I can't remember the name on top of my head, but it's played with a light touch of the finger on the string to get a more harmonic, airy tone. That combined with the type of microphone will give it an interesting timbre.
Overall, I agree with your interpretation and analysis as it is intended.

[Agente.001 - Our Minds]

NGADM Official Review for Round 3

The intro is really well developed here! I like how the vocals you use lead right into the feel and texture of the rest of the song. All the different little things that you do to make this song fresh work absolutely well, and the sound quality here is really good. Those drops also kinda remind me of something from another competitor, TeslaX, or perhaps even Xtrullor. There also is a whole bunch of differences and techniques that make it your own, including that 4/3 pattern at 4:14.

My main complaints are as follows: firstly, with many of the samples that you place within the song (ex. at 1:45 & 1:56), there's this silence that follows right before they go. It's honestly an awkward silence, since it comes out of nowhere without any lead into it and lasts for a bit, but it can be filled up with an instrument that can perhaps be using an effect, like a filter or such. Secondly, I think the drops in the song, while they do sound really good, are a bit empty. Part of me thinks that it comes from a little lack of backing chords especially in the first drop, but considering the bass frequencies are there I know if it is then it's definitely in the mid range tonally. Either way, it's out there for consideration.

Overall, this is a really good track! While I know it isn't technically a dubstep track, this is definitely a really good track to listen to, with very few problems. Great work!

[Everlasting]

I really enjoyed this! There's so many things that are good about this piece, and one big thing coming to mind is the energy. Especially in sections like 3:24, there's so much that's going on that makes this an absolute jam to listen to. It even feels like this big journey, giving some relaxation before going right back into the swing of the piece. It has this heart that really makes it unique.
One thing I do want to mention is just to watch on some mastering aspects. Some of the sections with less going on have instruments that tend to clip (notably around areas like 2:57 and 4:47), so it's just important to give those a good eye when going through the overall mix.
Other than that, this is a wonderful piece of music. Welcome back, and great job on this!

Lockyn responds:

Thanks for the detailed feedback - glad you enjoyed!

[Last Light]

This is an official Judge Review for the Final Round of the NGADM.

This is a really nice piece. Even though it's your first time approaching lead vocals, you did a really nice job! The only thing I would watch for there is just to make sure you're not overdoing the delay - probably up until the end of the first chorus, if not before then, would have been a good point to turn it off.
In terms of the other musical aspects, this is mixed really well. I just feel like it could divert away from the more modern formula of Hollywood trailer music a bit - it sounds like something out of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is similar to what is being used in many Hollywood trailers.
There's only one thing otherwise that I have for a critique: don't be afraid! During the beginning you sounded so afraid while singing, but then got into it as the song went onwards. Try not to let that fear take hold of you; after all, I thought it was really good when you weren't nervous!
Overall, a really nice song that I feel had a few nitpicks, but still something I'll be potentially coming back to again. Good luck in this final round, and thank you for coming out to NGADM 2019!

[Wolfhome]

This is an official Judge Review for the Final Round of the NGADM.

I like the beginning of this piece. It sets up this really gentle atmosphere that I enjoy and want to invest in. Once it picks up speed, it's also so much more lively and worthwhile to listen to. The strings at 2:40 makes this better, kinda almost like it's the big moment in the love story you created (which, yes, I did see comes from the description). The last minute of this is so genuine, kinda like it's that one ocean world in Super Mario Galaxy 2 mixed with some really cool leisure guitar stuff - it really puts the bow on the piece.
There is, unfortunately, a big problem with the piece, and that is involving your main instrument, the flute. In terms of the overall mix, that thing is turned up waay too high. I almost had to turn down my volume a notch to hear it comfortably, so just watch how loud you make your instruments, especially your leading ones.
Overall, a really good piece with a lot of story behind it. Good luck in the final round, and thank you for coming out to NGADM 2019!

Baumarius responds:

Thanks! I think I succumbed to ear fatigue in the last leg of work on this for the competition, so I couldn't actually tell that the duduk was too loud. My partner tells me it's a problem I have with my other music as well, and it can probably be remedied by taking more frequent, longer breaks while composing, or revisiting the songs a day or two later before finishing them. Nonetheless, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Time To Recoup]

This is an official Judge Review for the Final Round of the NGADM 2019.

The start of this piece is something I absolutely adore. It mixes the style of someone like 1f1n1ty with some orchestral stuff and makes for a really great intro. During the actual track, the percussion is also really great, too. I can tell from listening it's meant to be mainly DnB. From 2:20 onwards is what i also really enjoy here.
My main bit of advice comes from around 1:10 to 1:58. I feel the section is a bit empty in terms of sound, other than the percussion. There's plenty of room here to add a few powerful chords and fill it up a bit. Originally, I thought similar of then up until 2:20, but after listening to it a few times that section grew on me as alright with the chords it has.
Overall, though, this is a solid piece. I wish you good luck on the final round, and thank you again for coming to NGADM 2019!

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks a ton for your review!!! I definitely feel what you mean about that 1:10 - 1:58 area. I think that was probably my most challenging part of making this song, how to lengthen certain sections without some parts sounding too out of place or empty. I'll continue polishing this up and keep your suggestions in mind when I do!!!

[Staying with You]

This is an official NGADM Judge Review for the Final Round.

As always, I tend to like to read song descriptions before listening to pieces that I need to judge. When I read the description here and saw that you were combining elements of your previous entries, the bar was set pretty high, and like always, you managed to knock it out and away. This piece sells emotion and really shows how flexible of an artist and player you are - the faster sections have energy, the slower ones have all sorts of smoother textures, it really works. It's a piece that leaves to the imagination a unique story. And I will even say the run at 2:22 is top notch - it must have been hard to perform that, considering that you have to keep the intervals while rapidly heading upwards. I've listened to this multiple times, and it's absolutely worth listening to plenty more
I just have a couple of complaints: firstly, the transitions between the faster, energized portion into the slower one (at 1:38) was a little bumpy for me, even after going back and listening a few times. It happens again at around 2:54, but it's a little smoother there. A little ritardando should help make the transition a bit easier to handle. Second, the sustain at the end of the piece, while a good idea, did include a rogue C6 from the repeat phrase that was in the beginning (I did like the callback, though), and it kinda left a sour taste because of it clashing with the B and C# from the phrase, so just make sure to be careful of that when doing something like this again.
Overall, though, this is a genuinely great piece. I love it a lot, and I know I will be coming back to it again and again. Good luck in the final phase of NGADM, and thank you for coming out this year!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

It's nice to see that someone reads the descriptions I write. They're not for everyone, but I feel like it's a chance to look just a little bit into the artist's thoughts behind a work, regardless of its format or presentation.

To me, this composition signifies a journey that's full of learning and interactions with all kinds of things and people. So to show my own growth as a pianist and composer throughout this NGADM, I felt it was only right to incorporate some of the element from my previous pieces. I'm glad that you felt that this piece succeeded in conveying many emotions, especially since it's filled with positive feelings, which can be difficult to convey believably with just a piano.

As for 2:22, it's a difficult run indeed. Thankfully, it goes straight into a short pause, which makes it easier to focus on it whilst playing; I don't need to think as far ahead.

I agree that 1:38 is a bit of a sudden transition. The way I imagined it, the person that's experiencing a rush all of a sudden gets struck by a thought/memories, and everything slows down for a moment while they reflect on it. As for 2:54 (2:57), I was trying to convey the feeling of determination. You're probably right in that it could've been a bit smoother.

And yeah, I should've been a with more careful with the sustain pedal and the reverb with the few end notes. I don't really mind it too much there, but I can see how the slight distortion that occurs because of it can leave a slightly sour taste, especially since it's the end of the piece.

Thank you for pointing out where I could improve the composition, and I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Thank you for the well-wishes, and for helping the competition along by judging.

[Fulcrum]

This is an official Semi-Final review for the NGADM.

I like the feel of this! The best way to describe it is kinda like jazz mixed with some modern music. It's so chilled out and relaxed, and I'm not afraid to admit that I listened a time or two over.

My general nitpick is that I feel that the brass at 1:07 doesn't really fit in with what's going on. I don't really know how to describe it other than it just feels... a little set back from the other instruments. Basically, feel free to bring out the brass instruments in the mix. (EDIT: during that section. I forgot to mention that 1:07 was the only part that didn't fit in; at 3:15 it fit well, so just bring it out only at the 1:07 section. Sorry about that confusion lol)

Otherwise, I like this a lot! It's funky and cool, and I think it's good enough to bring some competition on. Good luck in the final round of NGADM!

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks a bunch for the review!! Yeah, the mix was definitely barely touched on, my fault for not managing my time well, but I'm really glad you liked the vibe of it! I'll have to fix it up and reupload it sometime in the future for sure