DjAbbic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Atlantis Remix Hardstyle]

I feel like your lead synth is not loud enough, or perhaps I'm too used to the huge soulful square synths that I like in some hardstyle. I also think this is lacking a bit on the low end.

Everything else seems to be in good shape though. Keep it up.

[Scorcher]

I feel like the fade-in at 0:14 became a bit too loud for my liking. I also think the saw chords at 1:16 could use some sidechaining.

I like what you did at 2:20, I'm a sucker for those pitch changes. The synths overall sound pretty good (which I think is the largest factor when it comes do electronic music).

Overall quite well done, keep it up.

[Sundans - Total Hedonsim]

I know I reviewed this previously, but I can tell you it sounds far better now that you've cleaned up the reverb. Now that I can hear the synths clearly, I must say that these are some juicy synths. There probably isn't a single synth in here that I don't like.

There really isn't much else to say, I think you've got this nailed other than the mixing/mastering (which can never be perfect). Good job and keep it up.

[Kart Racing]

This is pretty good! I suggest reducing the delay on the piano and making it louder to make it stand out more. Very cool synth at 2:07, but I think it comes in a bit too suddenly. Perhaps fade it in or something.

The bass throughout the song is cool as well, but I think it is present for too long (pretty much the entire song).

Other than that, this was a pretty good song! Keep it up :)

Cacola responds:

I should have thought about making that synth fade in, probably would've sounded good.
Good point about the bass, I'll take that into consideration in the future.
Thanks for the constructive review!

[Starjacks]

Like Cacola stated, loops and to a lesser extent, presets should be avoided. I did use loops when I first started as well, but I didn't like the fact that I had no control over certain elements of the loop and it just felt like putting a jigsaw together with pieces that didn't match (wow dat analogy).

I'm not sure what program you're using, but I suggest using a widely used program such as FL Studio or Ableton as there are plenty of tutorials for those programs (they are also great for electronic genres) and they will allow you to create your own drum loops and sounds rather than using premade loops.

As for the song itself, it sounds just like the first things I ever made (in terms of loop usage). The non-loop elements (the synth at 2:52 according to Cacola) were pretty good though, definitely something I didn't try when I first started.

As has been stated, keep making music and you'll get better. The largest factor when it comes to improvement is time, so the more time you spend the better you'll get. Good luck!

P.S It's great to see that you will take constructive criticism as it will also play a large role in your improvement and learning :)

BurningBinary responds:

I have zero problem taking constructive criticism. Can't learn without it!

As far as equipment goes, I'm running garageband on a macbook air, and I have a usb mic that came with my kids xbox for his rockstar game. That's it. I don't have a keyboard yet, but it's coming.

I do have a question about loops. What exactly is meant by loop? Does that mean recording something and looping it to run over and over (which is what I'm assuming,) or is a loop a pre made sound that came with the software?

I ask this because I did use two pre made drumbeats that are in garageband, but everything else I built up one beat at a time. I set them to replay themselves, but I built them myself.

[LL (Old) - The Artificial Demise]

Great intro. Creepy but it got my attention. I know you said there are some rendering issues, but I'll still point that the kick seems to fade out at 0:14 (possibly getting drowned out by the atmospheric pad). I can usually pass this off, but I feel like the kick is vital to this track and you should avoid drowning it out if possible.

1:16 sounds super cool. I really love what you did to the vocals, matches the characters they portray in this song/story perfectly. Unfortunately I can't make out the words being said without the author's comments, but maybe it's just me.

The synths sounded good, and compliment the vocals very well. That square/saw lead you have during the evil voice really makes it that much better.

Keep it up, this is great stuff that I've never heard before, but I like it :D.

Lich responds:

Thank you for the review, glad you like the track and I have taken note of what you have said! :)

[Gory Glory Epic Music]

Nice stuff, just scouted you. Although I don't listen to this genre very often, I think I should point out that a good percussion library will go a long way in giving your future tracks an "epic" mood to it, unless you prefer calm as opposed to energetic and exciting (which is odd for trailer-style imo).

Either way, you're off to a fantastic start. Keep it up!

SteveSyz responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I actually made this with garageband haha as it is the only program I can afford right now. I'm saving money for logic pro with is roughly 300 dollars so once I get there the percussion packs should start drumming into my music :P

[Into the Spin (Medic Remix)]

0:14 volume difference between the piano and the vocals was quite noticeable for me, perhaps you might want to even that out a bit. Very cool glitch effects on the vocals throughout the song though - well timed and appropriate.

And I totally didn't see the drop coming, that was huge! Very good synthwork going on here. I feel like it would've been enhanced by the detuned saw thing I heard in the transition at 1:36 though, unless it was the bass played on a higher octave, then I could see some issues with that.

Either way, you did a great job with this, keep it up! I'll be keeping my eye on you :)

MedicTheSpaceCat responds:

Im going in on the final mix today, and I came back to read this because I remembered I had a very constructive review. Thanks!! (And you nailed it, the detuned saw is the bass on a higher octave, and yup, definitey somr issues there.)