Saltbearer's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Rig - Stardust Crazy]

I've been coming back here for more than a decade. Through maturation of taste, my appreciation for a lot of the NGAP submissions I discovered and loved around the same time has sadly fizzled, but this has managed to endure it. It is simply a good song. The new picky producer part of my brain sees potential for embellishments and mixing improvements (I'd assume most artists would after a decade+ of familiarity with any work), but the returning music lover part is still jazzed about the beautiful tones and melodies, the quiet echoes coming through the layered soundscape, the high-band focus giving it a bright and airy feeling that always sat well with me...

Sooo, thanks for the high-mileage ear service! But find something to submit for 2019, why don'chee. 8)

[Chant Of The Lone Wolf]

Epic indeed! Tried-and-true palette of instruments, nothing out of place. Cool subtleties giving richness to the atmosphere. Great dynamics and beautiful tone to the lead... though a lot of that is probably baked into a sample pack, right? Regardless, it comes off very organic.

A few thoughts:
- First impression of 1:25's widening noise thing was that it could've been louder and sharper-sounding. Maybe sidechain the rest under it to some degree, too, with very fast attack/release? Very quiet, hissy, high-frequency additive synth band with reverb could also complement it.
- 3:13, those note volume shifts seem pretty wild against the quick attacks. Might go for a lazier volume response.
- The distorted notes have a fairly distinctive vibrato shape, if you'd want to obscure that. The distortion may be a bit loud for my taste as well, though the strength is fine.

Welcome to the site, looking forward to hearing more from you!

FBole responds:

Thank you !

I usually work this way : 50% Virtual instruments 50% organic instruments. It allows for a more "homemade tone" and avoids the sounds to be too perfect when coming out of a sound bank.

- I agree with you on the widening at 1:25, I wanted to use no synths in this track and tried to make a very powerful blow on this section using only cymbals & taikos but it turned out pretty weak compared to what is expected. I will try your recommendation on future tracks !
- Agreed, my mistake here was to accept the discontinuity in volume because of hearing the track to much, one of the reasons why mixing your own tracks can be hard at times.
- Noted, I'll be aware of that.

Thank you again for your feedback!

[Stasis]

Pleasant melodies, got a good classic chill vibe and warm synths. Do not like the percussion.

For how soft and flowy the general tone is, the drums come off very dry and static. (Stasis, though… hmm…) They sound like they're falling right on and staying inside their own grid cells, trailing off from sharp attacks, unchanging between instances. They come off more under-designed than stylistically rigid.

Suggestions for a dynamic sound:
• Reverb
• Reduced velocity and/or a lowpass on off-beat kicks
• Subliminally-subtle timing offsets
• Adjustments to individual hits' AHDSR
• Pitch/timbre variations

^ Manual tweaks or RNG, whatever works.

If the dry, mechanical sound is what you desire, I'd suggest emphasizing that by docking those tails to make them as square as the attacks.

~

The piano might benefit from the same sorts of tricks that would make the drums sound dynamic, though its bold electronic tone has a certain charm that harkens back to... well, the music of old Flash games on NG. :V

The tick with bitcrushed reverb is sharp, noisy, and attention-grabbing in a way that demands more reservation and regularity than layering it with other perc hits for several consecutive beats. Also sounds strange to me whenever it stands alone, seemingly interrupting the rest of the perc.

Impacts like the one at 1:05 feel rather average, lacking in statement. Power them up with more booming low end and longer, rumblier bodies, or give them distance with delays and filtering.

There's plenty of space in here for additional elements, be they small, one-off ornaments, or thicker padding. Though, while I personally like to hear a lot of embellishments, overcomplicated soundscapes aren't everyone's cup of tea.

Hope this is helpful! Keep practicing new techniques, you've got a decent foundation here.

[01a]

Cool glitches in the beginning, beautiful smooth lush pad, nice perc.

Don't like the synth at 0:28 - without the context of the game/rest of its OST, it strikes me as cheesy and out of place, but more than that, it's got some uncomfortably strong resonances around 670 Hz and it feels like it's buried/fighting with the mix. It's got a cool melody though. Seems like a clearer, thinner synth with its weight in the highs would suit it… in fact, why don't I just… *time passes…* oh oops I kinda got lost in sound land and overdesigned it and now it might not really be clear and thin and it's got some other sharpnesses that I don't like and I'm not sure that I'm happy with its weight placements in general or if it fits with the other instruments and it doesn't help that I'm working with a render and my ears hurt but I did a thing at all so here's that: https://instaud.io/3reL

0:46 transition seems a hair too sudden, due to cut tails or something. Feels like it could use a little: [instaud.io randomly dies for a few hours in-between these two uploads] … https://instaud.io/3rfA

and the ENTIRE SECOND HALF IS PURE HEAVEN okay SUBMIT

~ REPLY TO REPLY ~

DM? Eh, someone else might benefit.

Alt synth: Glad you liked it! It still sits oddly with me because I knew what I wanted it to be and failed to nail it, then realized that that wouldn't sit right anyway and failed in a different direction. The space it occupies is also different from yours, and I looped this enough while reviewing and editing that my brain recognizes yours as canon and rejects mine further.

… which means the resonance stopped hurting as much, the synth doesn't seem as unfitting/at odds with the mix, and it slid a little closer to "classic and groovy" from "cheesy". How's that for reliable criticism? 8) But to highlight what bothered me initially, here's 670 Hz spiked, then normal, then cut sharply: https://instaud.io/3rpf

The resonance shifts with the melody cuz harmonics 'n' stuff, and it would be a desirable element if controlled, so maybe separating and compressing a broader range around there would be a good idea.

Just making what you like: 👍 ← several of these. I don't care what the experienced people say, stumbling around in the dark and trying to tune in to your own frequency must leave you with some interesting signatures that others would guide you around. (So uh, want grains of salt to take with everything forever? I've got some.)

Crossfadey VGM: A thing which is cool and sense-makey.

Passive aggressive: ⁿᐧ

cthrn responds:

holy crap lmao
i dont even know what to say
i do agree with you though! that alt synth you made rocks hard
also just for context as to why the change is so sudden: in the game, this song is cut up into 3 parts, the part at the beginning thats like windy and glitchy, the part in the middle, and the "i gotta get up" part. they would loop in specific areas and fade into each other when you continue in the stage, i just put them all together in order for the sake of an album release.
i also literally know nothing about the science and shit behind music, i just make what i like to hear, so idk what the 670 Hz thing is about lmao
im super happy you enjoyed the song though! maybe some day, down the line, ill remake the song or something and keep all of your criticism in mind to make the song better!
also idk if that last sentence like, sounded passive aggressive or not, i feel like it can over text, but i actually genuinely mean it, im very happy you took the time to give constructive criticism!
edit: also, i cant remember if newgrounds lets you reply to replies, but if they dont, just dm me if you wanna reply with anything

---reply to your reply of my reply---
ahhh i get whatcha mean with the Hz thing now. idk, i kinda personally like it, ive always kinda dug crappy noise like that in music, but i can completely get where you're comin from
ill try messing with that later on

[WL - Delusive Bananas]

Nice textures to the pads here, *especially* the one in the beginning. Blending with the high-end reverb shine (and some bit reduction?) gives it a quality that reminds me of Oneohtrix Point Never's "Love in the Time of Lexapro" - go preview the beginning of that on Bleep, it's the title track of its release. The one for the loud parts is satisfyingly crisp, and sits well with that sharp, wibbly bass. Interesting choice of sample, proper utilization of "now it's time to get serious".

*Personally* wasn't really into the tone of the distorted lead here to begin with, or the strength of its sidechain response. Starting to feel like it fits into the arrangement now, but could still stand to be a bit richer.

Also think this could afford to be extended. The 1-2-1-2 structure leaves me wanting a more definite climax… something like 1-3-2-1-3-4 in terms of relative energy, with the current 2s as 3s, the new 2 being a transition section to ease back to 1, and the 4 building on its 3. I guess the distorted lead adds a small step up in energy, but the periods of its inclusion don't really constitute distinct new sections. Maybe the 4 would have flashes of some soft, wide pad on the 16ths, to fill out whatever space is available. Maybe some prominent high-end percussion.

One last suggestion: to give the final mix some really quick, easy polish at a low cost, just rub a banana peel on it.

SUNSCREECH responds:

ooh thanks for that longass and helpful review :)

[Crystal River]

Cool melodies, beat, and sound palette. Fine details and one-off modulations present. Getting a bit of a PS1-era vibe, which is a GREAT thing. Fan of the switch-up for the ending!

Love the chords and lush texture on them! Seems like some of the leading elements are competing for their space a bit though. Maybe just sidechain part of the chords under those leads a little bit, like for 1:25-1:57, maybe around (… download, convert, check…) … 350 Hz??? I think my ears are trying to tune out whatever it is they don't agree with now. dang ol' ears.

Yeah, good work though! Congrats on the feature!

[All I Wanted]

This is marvelous to have on in the background while listening to ambient music. It's just beautiful for that, really.

Sent from my neural interface.

[I Tried For Years]

Warm, pretty, depth to the field… certainly something you can get lost in! Bright synths sound magical. Wonderful harmonies all around. Like what's being cut from/emphasized in the guitar, though it may be a *tad* extreme toward the lows. The off-scale, birdlike creaks do a nice job enhancing the track's overall organic quality. On my first listen, I was kinda ready for just one more gentle element to be introduced around ⅔ of the way through, to *really* sell it. Doesn't seem quite so necessary now that I've given it several loops, though. (… and I could still stand a few more!)

Also gonna be checking out that EP. For now, I think this has eased me into the idea of sleeping at an appropriate hour. eeexcellent…

larrynachos responds:

I tried adding other elements, but tbh it oversaturates the sound.

I'm really glad you liked it! Thank you so much for the review!

[TYoT : Making Angels Cry]

Oh HELL yes, love this atmosphere, love that wide low-bit buzzing and the rest of the sound design. Everything here occupies a finely carved-out space, right where it belongs, where it can stretch and breathe. Interesting beatwork, scenery gets rearranged plenty without feeling like it's losing focus. YA DID US GOOD YA DID

Anchorwind responds:

:) Glad I could brighten your day.

[TYoT : Past, Present, Future]

Varied, original, fine production, mixture of harsh and chill textures, small details, widely-panned elements. All the markings of a me-likey. Nothing jumps out as something to criticize. Definitely following for this. 8)

Anchorwind responds:

Welcome Aboard. Brace yourself.