Suspended-3rd-Chord's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Bye]

yum yum

I love those Jurian distinguishable jazzy melodies! i could see it used as a jingle for a cellphone company or something haha! you could make some money odf those riffs.

basic chord progression in the background (eventually you could spice up the chords more tho, split a chord up into two different ones, add in some non-harmonic tones a little to make it more rhythmically interesting) , but it serves it purposes. I like the keyboard soloing on the front, beat starts up nice and steadily, and works into a nice simplistic groove and builds itself in a nice manner (I especially like the hi hat work). as much as I like the soloing ideas, they could just use a tad more variation. I just believe the themes could be expanded more, use a more drastic change. but they're still gold. it takes some practice to do with improvisation, but it wouldnt hurt to break it up into smaller sections if you're not already, and just experiment with melodies and have a general skeleton of what you're going to play before you improvise.

i also didnt hear a guitar in here :S ? I would have replaced the thin sound with a more juicy, chorusy rhodes :D I like the pads in the background tho.

its a bit repetive, but its very calm and easy to chill too. keep jamming jurian!

[The Floating Woods]

not exactly DnB...

still a pretty sweet track tho. Lots of nice ideas that you usually wouldnt see in a DnB track (from what I've heard atleast), and some of the stuff doesn't really belong in this type of style; but I always encourage experimentation, so good work on this one.

I liked the chord progression and melodical percussion that you use in the intro to create somewhat of a forest atmosphere. The reese riff possibly has to much action going on (usually a saw synth or something in the mid section would play a riff like this), instead of the long, impacting notes to fit in that section, but its not all that bad. I definetly don't really like the sound of it either to be honest- its sounds too much like a horn, you need some growling swelling texture. Try messing with filters and resonance to get a more interesting sound. some (more) distortion wouldnt be a bad idea, either. Also, you probably should throw some sub bass in here as well. I like the key melodies, it has a nice feel, but the keys are not the best instrument to carry these riffs- a darker sound probably would be more suitable just IMO. The other synths are pretty sweet tho, I like the string progressions and such, some interesting work in here and great sequencing. the melody that starts at 1:55 produces some overly high pitched notes that hurt my ears a bit, might want to lower the velocity or mess with some control to fix the problem. (I don't really know how to fix this)

I like the vocal samples in the end too, haha, as well as the fire effects. Good harmonization in the ending that ties in with the intro.

might as well critique the drums too- the patterns are nice and Dnbish. they changeup nicely throughout enough to keep my interest. Hi hat dynamics are cool, The only aspect that doesnt really work in here are the samples. The basskick is more of a dancekick than anything- it needs a lot more punch as it remains hidden in the mix, EQ more mids on that thing, snare/clap could be louder as well. Don't be afraid to layer your samples either.

keep up the good work! its always good to hear different ideas expressed into the DnB genre.

[Jazzy Loop =WB=]

yea its restaraunt-esque

nice jazz chords(I just don't like the one you end on but thats personal taste), the melody on the top sounds swift and slick, very nice jazz sensibility. and I like the triplet rhythms. i would probably put the middle tones on a different instrument but its fine. a nice chromatic riff on a plucked bass would be tight too, as well some percussion, even its only the light 'ti-ti, tiss" (1 & a & 3 e -if thats the correct way to count i cant remember) hi hats or a simple ride rhythm to add in the background. but really tho, duff little diddly right here, good job with the reverb on this one, and it loops seamlessly.

*puts shades on*

WritersBlock responds:

Thanks for the review. Yeah, I thought about getting a plucked bass, drums, maybe a saxophone for this, but for the restaraunt sound, I kind of pictured a solo pianist.
Cheers.

[(NUB)TiedTheRoomTogether]

can you say orgasmic drums?

awesome track here, just one main "flaw" which you know of that I don't need to point out (depth).

for just being an interlude though- it achieves its purpose. Piano is used very effectively, chords and melody are sequenced quite well and have a smooth flow. the drums are pretty crisp and clear EQ wise (which is improvement from some of your other tracks- or I might be thinking of someone else). anyway, the beat pretty much got me very excited once it came in. love the 3000 samples + fx used in here, i really like how the hi hats, snares, bass kicks have the sections were they play fills and change the pitches (would be tight to hear some sections were these notes pan from ear to ear, test it out :D). the reverb and filtered sustain on the snare sounds really nice, the main base of the beat works wonders, and just to sound repetitive-excellent variation- which would make it interesting to listen to over and over. great work once again, you should consider making a full track out of this, i really like the idea you got going with the pads in the end, maybe you should start a section with a minimalistic drumbeat, and then branch into a crazy section with a reese, those melancholy key melodies, and those awesome drums!

[(NUB)Time To Go Home]

I thought you said?

i thought you said you wished you had 1/10 the composition skill i did O_o? cuz this piano stuff is very damn great!

I like the opening notes and the long ring out on each note, making the piano sounds very genuine, its muffled sound makes it sound dark. sounds that are built around the piece are good, and I really like the creepy, echoing synth with nice ping pong delay FX. strings give this a nice touch as well, but they sound too quiet, also wouldnt hurt to have them play chords to make them have a more powerful effect (of course fill up the lower voices more, since there's not much going on in that spectrum, or it could be my headphones). I can hear the sub at the end, if I didn't know the length of this track, i would have expected to hear some blast beats while keeping the same melodical style. its all good tho- just a suggestion you might do (if you havent thought of it already) if you decided to make this track longer. one thing that doesnt fit well with me (you would only notice if you're trying to) is the chord you end on is a cliffhanger, you should probably stop on a more resolving chord, but really its a matter of taste.

as always, gotta love those constantly changing drums, some very nice work in this department. well, not so much in this one compared to your other tracks, but you wouldnt want to overdo the job for a calm piece like this. i like how you start with the underwater EQ, the sections where you slow down (extended triplets?) the pace are nice to. it also sounds as if you might have a subtle drumset playing in the background during some parts, and you throw in some extra lower snare sounds sporadically for good measures, which is quite cool. beat is pretty good in the end too, i like how you increase the industrial drum usage.

great work dude!

nubbinownz responds:

The reason it ends so cliffhangingly is that the inspiration to the song hinges on ending suddenly. as is the title "time to go home" it has to do with the several deep ideas.

[Last Days of Summer =WB]

Gronmon pretty much hit the nail on the head ;)

i didnt think this was that bad, but i dont have much more to say. well i just listen to this threw a couple times and see how it turns out :P

some interesting ideas both mixing wise and melody wise. Composition from you is solid as always.

I like the synths and that warm flanger effect on them. The light panning sparkly synths sounds really good, and the keys are nice and bright and cheery- perfect for the mood of the track. the main bass is a bit too overpowering, needs to lose less stereo panning on the flanger effect (it gets pretty distracting when not used subtley), or you might want to find a different texture. i really like the high pitched melody, it does kinda break the barrier and hurt my ears, you might want to put a high pass filter on it (not sure if that would solve the problem). some good interlude melodies, nice flow, and the beat is nice and catchy- doesnt sound too generic. I like how you pan the bass in the next section (its not so distracting when its not straight up in the front). i dig the ascending chords at 3:20ish. after around the 4:00 minute mark the ideas get kinda bland, i thought you could have introduced a new theme or just jumped straight to the ending. just a qualm on my part. the ending doesnt sound too abrupt, although i would have left the remainder and just the final energy give out for just a couple more bars.

so the bass does kinda kill it, but its only during certain parts. as far as mixing besides the bass, you've taken a great leap from your last tracks I've reviewed IMO- especially since techno/electronica styles generally take more time to get the levels and FX right. speaking from personal experience, atleast. as for the drums- i would make the kick more audible as its a major source of energy to the track, and possibly slap some reverb on the clap :D had to put something about reverb in hear, you know.

good work Writersblock!

WritersBlock responds:

Thanks, man. Very helpful review, I'll probably try and polish it up and have an update on this soon.
Cheers.

[Iconoclast (rough mix)]

mmm

i listened to this all the way through, really couldnt find much wrong with it. the last 20 or so tracks that I have reviewed have had exceptional quality making it hard for me to critique and leave more in depth reviews.

on a personal level i enjoy this very much- but most would recognize this as a very professional sounding piece. I pretty much like everything about this track, except the second half could a little more variancy, but its all good. this actually reminds me of one of those early 90s TV movies, with someone like Treat Williams going to a bad neighborhood to kick some thugs ass. its a perfect theme track right before entering battle. I really love the samples and synths utilized in here, they are real crisp and great sounding. the loose snare sounds great, I love the clicky hi-hats, the basskick seems bitcrushed which is always nice, I think it could be raised a bit, but it might be my headphones. all in all, very nice industrialized drums.

I love the lead melody, and the chord progression that lays in the background. the bassline interlude with short moments of silence sounds badass. the next phase sounds mint as well, this has got an excellent groove. I love everything about this track, not much more can be said.

:)

such an awesome industrial track!

LeftHandPunk responds:

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it a lot.

[Dirty Aerodynamics]

no super-short reviews here

great track- this definetly had my head bobbing, although i'm not a really a fan of this style.

Bass sounds very powerful in my headphones, yet doesn't clip or mud everything out, and it's at a good level with the kick. the acidish (?) synth you start with is nice, and the interlude is great (would that be well programmed FL slayer work?) love the drum work, good dynamic work on the hats, nice job with the toms, and that nicely sampled snare. excellent job with keeping the same theme, and gradually bringing in the more active beat, and adding the strings. the guitar melody could definetly use more variation as it pretty much stays the same.

one thing I think you did a superb job with is the mastering, everything has great clarity, and enough space never once competeting for attention. Tons of different FX devices make this sound of professional quality. I love the interlude with the EQ drops, and the slow, gradual rise. the phaser at 3:06, and the load of decay in combination with fading out the track. very interesting.

good work man! and give my shoutouts to the Swirl!

Anima-Theory responds:

I shall :D

Thanks for the review

Anima

[.:Descent Into Hell WIP:.]

very tight!

another good one. Piano sounds are okay, I thought it could use more thickness (maybe start off with the dark sounds, and when the double bass comes in put some more thicker reverb on and make the sound more stereo oriented, with a longer release on the notes) I do like the chords and upper melodies tho, and the delay effect you use. This track reminds me of some dark caped figure (not batman), standing atop a chapel beneath gray clouds, watching a city amidst chaos.

I like the drumbeats, double bass is good, texture is pretty decent so there is enough sculpture between each kick. if you could find a picolo snare for this it would fit great for the style. (should be one in the sample inks in my blog) also some tom rolls during transition would be great along with the blast beats. Guitar chords are good, maybe more variation could work in these bits by adding some triplet riffs every now and use more melodical changes, but it does its job for the rhythm. Guitar solo is well built up too, fits in well, and ends on a good note. I would love to see a duel between two guitars in here at one point maybe. as for the sounds- like your other track, they are good but they could be better even for FL slayer. (i wouldnt know how of the top of my head because I never use it- but look at Hating4AM, he uses FL slayer for a lot his stuff.) a more metallish tone (bass and treble raised, and mids cut) might sound better as a backing guitar, while there may actually be a bit of over compression on both tones. But really its all in taste- and my suggestions may be way off as I never use the plugin.

all in all man, another excellent composition. If you had better access to some more realistic sounds, this would be truly excellent, but as it is right now just keep up the good work and producing well rounded tracks.

GronmonSE responds:

Dark caped figure standing atop a chapel overseeing a city engulfed in chaos? It's a bit off fron the original intention, but similar imagery was intended, albeit it's a very different case.

I used Slayer 2 rather than Slayer 1 this time (default settings too, go lazyness). I checked out Hating4M's gallery and it screams heavy metal. I don't compose heavy metal, not digitally at least, so I'd rather not spend weeks working with complex layering and knob tweaking (like some artists do) because most of my future tracks won't include guitar. I've tried making realistic guitar sounds and the process is tedious.

Thanks for the review.

[.:LoZ: Dark World Remix:.]

great as your other tracks!

it indeed does sound like a track you would hear in zelda, with some nice rock touches.

preset or not- I like the bellsynth sounds you used in the track and I think they are perfect fit to retain an ambient naturesque sound. I like the organ chords you use in here but it could probably use a bass tone to fill up the lower spectrum just more. (and maybe just raise it 1DB, as it can kinda of get muddled behind the lead sounds and drums in the front, but it doesnt really matter much for just being a background sound) the guitar is good for what it is, much better than most FLslayer sounds, not overly loud or having that oh-so painfully sharp texture. the chords actually sound good too, and are not too overpowering. Plucked sounds are good, I think I nice thickness by a bigger chorus and reverb would be a nice fit too. Drums are good for what they are as well-they don't sound entirely FPCish tho here-did you do something to modify them?

the composition side of this is great- very enjoyable melodies, and the piece as a whole flows quite well, can't find any flaws in the section. I like how the bell and plucked sounds have euphoric melodies, while the organ gives off a more jazzyish/pop feel while the guitar is a mix of both.

so can't think of anything really wrong or anything to add with this one really, its a solid piece! good job dude!

GronmonSE responds:

I love the Sytrus bell (not actually called that, mind you) for two reasons, one being that not many people use it as much as they use other instruments (as far as I'm concerned), and the second being that it just sounds great considering it's a default instrument.

The bass was incredibly muddy in my first remix of the song 7 months ago, but I worked on fixing it for the most part. After a certain point, I just stopped caring :P The Slayer guitar (which indeed sounds better than most of the slayer crap you hear nowadays) has some effects to make it sound prettier. The default plucked sound....ugh...I didn't bother touching that up, it was a last minute thing. As for the drums, double layering for the snare, in additing to effects and I tweaked the waves a bit to make it sound more snare-ish. Triple layering on the bass drum and some compression. I implemented all I've learned on mastering in these past few weeks on this track, and I'm proud of it :P

Thanks for the review!