SplatterDash's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Chosen One]

This is a (really late, but still deserved) judge review from the NGADM Round 2.

The composition on here is really good! A lot of it felt really fresh and didn't linger on any particular part for too long. The sound choices you made here were pretty good, especially with the synth-like sounds you brought in for your chords and leads. The beginning section until 0:42 was also a really good feel-y section that introduced the song relatively well, too. Nothing felt really weak on the production side of things, and the song as a whole felt pretty solid.
My only main complaint that I had is that I think the song could've been built up a bit more. I think it would've been pretty cool for that intro section to be brought up again later on and built up further from there to help it expand and also provide a bit of a cooldown for the next big moment in the song or the return to form. But that's just my thoughts, of course.
Overall, really solid song! It's pretty good and definitely deserves love from this round.

ZaneLittle responds:

I appreciate you! I think that is very helpful feedback~ The NGADM is always such a blast!

[Chasin' The Jester]

This is an official NGADM 2021 Final judge review.

One thing that strikes me is how fresh and different every single section is, alongside how smoothly it transitions into most of them. It of course still has a really good feeling to it and feels original - while it's labelled as heavy metal, I could definitely see this playing at a surf bar or something like that in some sections. In others, like at 1:54, it definitely sounds like something from an 80s cartoon - and I mean that in the best ways. No matter what, though, it feels really good, feels very fresh and sounds amazing with its instruments.
I think the only thing that I feel is off about this is the drums. While they definitely do have the feeling of a heavy metal song, they also feel like they're extremely muted and cold. This is especially true with the toms that are used beginning at 3:59, which I think sound too close to the kick drum to be considered toms. I think bringing both of their pitches up would help, but also finding a way to make them less... for lack of a better term, heavy would allow it to really shine out.
Overall, though, this really provides some good competition! It's interesting to see your change in style from your previous rounds, but I'm all for it. I wish you the best of luck against the three other competitors this round :D

MaldivirDragonwitch responds:

Thank you so much for the extensive review!
Firstly, I am very happy you liked the parts you did like!
And secondly, I have to agree with all of the constructive criticism you provided. Once the deadline was finished and I had some time to rest my ears, I noticed so many wrong choices that were made hastily that I will definitely not be making again. This was a serious learning experience, as was my plan all along. ^^
Thank you once again!

[Boom Slayer (feat. Scott Foster Harris)]

I'm going to be insanely honest, I'm not a huge fan of metal but this SLAPS. I love the atmosphere and the setting up at the beginning, and then it leads to this amazing buildup to the main song. Tell Scott he did a really good job at those vocals too - they absolutely enhance the song tenfold. And those drums - the way you mixed EDM drumming with rock drumming amazes me. It works so well and makes the song so energetic and hyped. I would prefer this over some of the DOOM tracks, but that's more of a personal preference lol.
It's hard to really think of anything that you didn't do well. The only thing I can figure that can improve the song is if you layered on a few different vocal takes at some parts, like at "live another day" at 1:15 or "tear it down" at 2:42. It could help bring even more hype to the upcoming bass/metal breaks and add to the metal part of this track. Again, though, those parts aren't bad as is at all.

I absolutely love this, and I think it may be one of my - if not my absolute - personal favorite of yours. I look forward to the other tracks you're working on in this style :)

BoomKitty responds:

Thank you so much! I agree with your critiques. Working with vocals is hard and I'm still new to it. 1:15 actually has like 4 vocal layers but it's just really hard to make them cut through the mix without really reducing the impact of the instrumentals. Mixing and working with vocals is something I'm going to keep working on!

[Do Not Disturb - NGADM 2020 - R3]

Official NGADM Review for Round 3.

That intro is honestly soooo good! It gets the listener in the mood, and then BAM! HERE TIMMY CHECK OUT THIS ROCK BALLAD! It's just so good in terms of its composition, keeping itself fresh and even working well with a change of tone in the middle. The sound design here is really good, and the production value is also a knock out of the park.
My critiques? I think that while the sound design is really good, there can definitely be some improvements made to it, mainly coming from the lullaby portion. I thought the music box and flute were a little too bright, but that might be just what I've gotten used to in terms of how music boxes and flutes sound lol. To me, it just distracted me only a little bit, and they are smaller problems that really don't overshadow the entire piece. One other thing that I will mention, and this isn't really affecting your score, is that I felt the delay rate could be slower - rather than being closer to a quarter note value, it might be worth experimenting bringing them to the value of a dotted eighth instead. Again, though, that's just a personal preference that isn't going to affect your score.
Overall, this is suuper good! The two different tones achieved in one piece with similar melodies is hard to pull off well, but I think you did it wonderfully! Great job!

Mackievellian responds:

Amazing, thank you. I actually had it set to a dotted value before but changed it due to it sounding like a three over four polyrhythm, lol. Thank you very much for this feedback, and the kind words, man.

[-Arcade Prix-]

Official NGADM Review for Round 3

This honestly kinda reminds me of Waterflame mixed with some meganeko - it's so fun and bouncy, while still keeping a modern retro feel throughout. The composition is really good at keeping the song generally fresh throughout, especially in that half time at 1:27. It's also got some really good production, especially with panning (which I notice is hardly used). The quality of sound here is also super good, mixing in the retro with modern.
It's actually kinda hard to critique this, but I think if I had to nitpick, I think that the general structure of the piece could use a bit more of a flexible feel. I felt that some sections lingered for a bit, and there wasn't too many changes from the main feel, but honestly the changes done here were pretty good enough.
Overall, I love this! I think this is definitely a really good modern-retro piece that is definitely able to take the lead. Great job!

Preds responds:

Thank youuuu! I love this constructive criticism, I'll work on my song arrangements and structures more :D

[Wiccan Heart]

Official NGADM Review for Round 3

This is honestly really good, and it does remind me of those older rock styled songs that show up in movies from time to time. The song does really good in terms of keeping itself compositionally fresh, and it tends to play it safe in that regard. It has a good melody and the vocals are really good!
My main critique is as follows: the production of this piece is a general mixed bag. While I can hear the bass guitar in here (which is good), this is actually a rare instance that I felt some of your drums/percussion were up too high. Listening from one ear alone (left), I thought the kick was clipping at times, and the crash amplifies that up. This isn't too big of a problem (in fact the problem that usually happens with musicians is that the kick is turned too low), but it does hurt the production aspect. I also agree with Neko in that the vocals are a bit quiet, so it would definitely help to make sure they can be heard better in the mix.
Overall, pretty good! It's a nice nostalgic trip, and I think despite the few critiques it's a solid piece. Great job!

ConnorDeVaux responds:

Thanks a lot, I agree with all of that really. I pulled the 57 a little low as to pick up the kick more and hopefully keep the sound of the crash from clipping too much and yeah the vocals I wish I could've completely re-recorded and just overall did a better job but it is what it is and I'm just really glad someone enjoyed it if anyone. Thanks a lot for the in-depth review and kind words :)

[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.

[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!

[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!!!