Ragekaje's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Kingdom Come - Vocals]

Dang! Vocals are tight! The vocal tone is really good! It really sounds like its in your sweet spot; I don't hear very much strain at all. The vocal layering is really good, too! My ears aren't adjusted to picking the words out of guttural vocals as well as other metal-heads, but I think you did pretty good. I guess my only advice would be to focus on the first syllable sound in each word. Every word that was done with a clear first syllable, my ear could figure out the rest of the word super easy. But the words were the first syllable was kind of fading in or smoothed out was much harder to interpret. I can only imagine how hard it is to get the right tone, breath control, mouth shape, etc., and get the words right, and make sure they're in time, and make sure each syllable is pronounced. So, great job overall!
Really wishing for a guitar solo after the breakdown... lol
I think the music and the vocals really match the theming in the lyrics! Very cool!
Can't wait to hear more stuff!

FarFromSundown responds:

Thank you so much! This is probably (in my opinion) the best vocal take I've done for any of my songs. I've grown more confident in my screaming abilities though I still suck at clean vocals, try as I might lol

[Kingdom Come]

Great riffs, my dude!
Guitars sound awesome! Great tone with keeping the clarity in the chords. I would throw a gate on the input of the guitar. (or if you have one on there, I would tighten it up so it acts faster or at a higher threshold) The section at 0:45 has some brief rests, and the gate will help clean up the leftover string vibration when you palm mute. (or left hand mute, but it sounds like a palm mute to my ear) This will make that next chord sound a little more punchy when you slam it. I recommend a gate on the bass guitar, too, so that it works in tandem with the guitars.
I would use less reverb on the drums, but that's just personal preference. They sound like live drums from an arena show, kind of like they are behind everything else. Drums sound good, nonetheless. They fit right in the mix and have beef but clarity, too!
In terms of composition, the sections are all interesting and have good transitions! My only complaint is that they are all at the same dynamic level. Everything is slamming the whole time, so it kind of takes away from how slamming it is. There's nothing to contrast the slamming. Even just a short quiet section, or a quiet measure to transition into a section would help accentuate the intensity of the whole song.
Overall, great job! Can't wait to hear the vocal version! Sounds pretty kickass already!

FarFromSundown responds:

This might be the most well thought out, helpful review I've ever gotten! Thank you so much. I thought about adding a quieter clean guitar part that would build back up, but honestly nothing I wrote at the time seemed to fit properly. I really appreciate you listening and taking the time to review everything! Means alot! \m/

[Dire]

This is very cool! I really like the sound of the piano and the kick! Very juicy!
Your mastering definitely paid off; it sounds phenomenal! Everything sounds very clear and balanced. It doesn't seem like any instruments are fighting for the same frequencies. The mix is good, too, but I think the hi hats are a little loud. I think they work in this song, but they are a bit much. Volume of drum cymbals is something I struggle with, too, so take my opinion with some salt. xD
I really like the chords, and the building of the progression. However, I really do think you need a melody to come in somewhere in the first couple sections. Even if the melodic content is hidden in some pads playing in the background, I think having some sort of melodic structure will really elevate the piece to the next level and hold the listener's attention longer.
As for the sound production, I give an A+. I'm very unfamiliar with creating the sounds of dubstep, so I cannot judge. But, I've listened to the genre on-and-off, so I think it sounds good!
Overall, awesome job! Can't wait to hear more!

SamuraiOwl responds:

Thank you so much, @Ragekaje! I appreciate the detailed review.

[Madness Rework (work in progress)]

Very Rockin'!
That's a pretty awesome track! It definitely needs a lead melody playing over some of the parts, though. The guitar riffs were really catching and transitioned nicely without being redundant or samey. Great job!

I understand that its still a work in progress, but there's a couple mix items that stood out to me:
The cymbals sounded like they were on a compressor linked to the snare and/or kick drum, because the cymbals kept fading in and out when the snare/kick played, so much that it was noticeable. Dial that back a bit if you can. If you don't have a compressor that's doing that sidechain action, try giving the mix some headroom by dialing the volume down on all the tracks, and then bring the volume up at the end of your master with limiter.
There was some frequency that I think either the bass guitar or the toms were giving off that sounded like a distant rumbling. I'm not sure if you have a lot of reverb on those instruments, but I would dial those back a tad, too; it will make them sound tighter and more punchy.

Definitely a killer track though! I look forward to hearing the final product!

FarFromSundown responds:

Thanks for the awesome review! I really appreciate it! I don’t have any compression on the crash but now that you point it out I can hear what you mean. As for the distant rumbling, that was my failed attempt at ‘bass booms’ lol. I’ll have to lower the bass and kick and gain stage em a lil better. Thanks again for listening!

[Sky World]

Nostalgic and fun!

This is a cool blend between EDM and chiptunes, and I like it!

In terms of composition, all of the sections are well established. I like that you change up the instrumentation a little bit (leaving the bass out for a little bit, changing up the rhythm of the kick, bringing in the side-chained synth, etc.) to help signal the shift in song sections. The simple melodies help lay the foundation for that peppy and upbeat tone with a dash of jazzy dissonance. I especially like the part at 2:27 with a melody that keeps trying to climb up but keeps descending, very cool. It gives a certain happy, but unsteady feeling. My only complaint with the composition is that I struggle to find the story the song is telling. The whole track would work great in a MegaMan game as the theme for a sky level, but the layout of the sections makes it feel more like a song that I should find on an album rather than a game. That said, the composition is still well done!

Talking mix, there is a nice blend of a lot of instruments going on. On my little laptop speakers (which I love because they truly show if I've mixed something well since they're so limited) the song felt a little empty. Once I plugged my headphones in, I found that you have a lot of bass riffs going on both with the sawtooth (if I'm correct) wave and a bass guitar. I'm curious to hear what you mixed the track with in terms of speakers. Did you use headphones or monitors or something else? The sawtooth bass was giving me some high frequency issues on my headphones, but overall, I was able to hear everything clearly on headphones and studio monitors.

Loving the instrumentation, by the way. It's really cool how you change up what kind of bass is playing in the different sections. I love that electric piano sound that comes in at 0:44; it gives it a classic sound that quickly develops into something a little more modern. My only complaint is the drums. There's something that just sounds a little one dimensional to me. I'm not sure if it sounds like the drums are playing in the same space as everything else, or (and this is my personal opinion) the drums just don't match the genre that's going on in some of the song. The snare (which actually sounds a little more like a clap) may not be meshing with the chiptune stuff going on in the forefront of the song. Just something to consider, the drums match that EDM style well, but the song may benefit from switching up the drum kit throughout the song as well, touching on the more modern EDM side and the retro chiptune side.

All in all, the song is really cool! I really like your stuff and want to keep hearing more! Keep up the great work! :)

Poosac responds:

awesome review! thank you so much!

[Tanekoshima - Mic Locker Reel]

Hey man! I just have to say that you have an awesome voice! I listened to a couple of the other voice recordings you have; you are super talented!

In terms of mic choice, I find that this is our job as the performer/sound engineer to choose the mic that best fits the project. It is cool that you have a display that showcases several different options at your disposal, but only another person who uses mics in a studio all the time could truly hear a difference, and would be able to make a suggestion. This is just something I noticed because my non-musician friends can't even hear the difference in my guitars.

Anyways, you have a real talent! I hope you get some opportunities to work in some projects soon! If you do, let me know, I would be excited to check them out! :) Keep up the awesome!

Tanekoshima responds:

Aw, shucks, thanks Ragekaje!

I do have that mentality, I just thought it'd be nice to showcase how my mics sound to allow people with a broader understand of audio to directly choose which one they think would suit their project better, but, of course, I'll make that choice in case they don't bahahah

Either way, thanks for the kind words! I hope you find success too!

[Bright and Powerful]

Heck Yeah!

This had my head bumpin' and my body shakin' right away! Awesome job!
I think this would fall under EDM. But it doesn't matter, you don't need genres to make great music!

For the composition, it's very well put together. Every instrument entrance and exit is well arranged. Each instrument knows when to come in to keep things interesting and when to stop playing to create breathing room before coming back in. I love those backing synths at 0:18, by the way. The melody is simple, but hummable and catchy. My only suggestion on that melody is to put some flair on it later in the song. The melody sticks to a small range of notes, which is very good for the majority of a song; listeners have a much easier time comprehending and anticipating a melody that has a small range. BUT, for the later portions of the song, put a little twist on the melody. Either have the melody jump an octave, or just alter part of the melody to extend into some higher registers. Other side notes real quick, drums could use a little flair as well, maybe some quick 16ths on the high hat for later song sections. I'm not sure if there is a bass playing, but a tight bassline could really turn the groove up to eleven on this one. All of these things will help it feel like the song is going somewhere, which is usually our goal with music: grab the listener, and take them somewhere. (i.e. tell them a story with or without words)

In terms of mix, I think you nailed it! The drums are punchy and tight, but leave room for the other instruments. That ride sounds so good! Those synths are quiet, but perfectly mixed so that they're not reaching for spotlight, but they support the song and I can hear them with clarity when I listen for them. The piano sits right in that mid range where its clearly audible, but its not trying to take spotlight away from the drums, which I think are the focal point of the song.

Overall, kickass tune, my dude! Just work on adding a little flair to later song sections and be cognizant of where the song is going.

I think you're doing a flippin' awesome job! Keep up the great work! :D

ofekdr85 responds:

Thank you so much for the response dude :D
About the quick 16th hats, it does add a bit of flavor to the song that's barely noticeable, but supports the music (I hope I understood what "quick 16ths" means...) Also, the backing synths are "Airwave Trance saws" from the "Nexus" plugin that got tweaked a bit :)

[21 Days of VGM - Day 1: Give It Everything You've Got (Final Boss Theme)]

Woah! Totally rocks!

Those guitars have such a strong progressive rhythm and they work really well with the leads playing those arpeggios! The drums compliment nicely, but could use some fills to liven it up here and there.

The composition is good, but it feels like just a start. You've got a nice progression of chords being arpeggiated and you transition them very smoothly into the whole metal band instrumentation. However, I feel like the whole song is just an A section. You have a great start to a song, but my ears were hungry for it to go somewhere. If its a song, have the lead guitars switch to playing a melody that is singable/hummable. Something that contrasts nicely will really help differentiate the section from the first. For example, maybe the rhythms are doing something similar to the part at 1:01, but you have a guitar playing a melody that consists of longer, more drawn out notes. (and maybe a lick of two or three quick notes in between the longer notes) If you lean towards more of a backing track for a game, I would lean more towards giving the composition some space in terms of melody. Have the leads drop what they're doing and just let the rhythm instruments drive the song for a few measures. Going down to just the rhythm guitars, bass, and drums can really push that intense feeling of motion and urgency while leaving room for the lead guitars to come back in later with a hummable/singable melody.

In terms of mix, the guitars are blended fairly nicely. I can hear what both the rhythms and leads are doing pretty clearly, but they both overpower the drums and bass a bit. I can hardly hear a kick drum at all (and I'm playing the music on a set of Harbinger PA speakers) and the snare is only a little louder than that. I recommend searching through the audio spectrum on your guitars to find a little more breathing room for the drums. (solo your guitar and turn it way down, go into your EQ plugin and make a strong boost in a small but not tiny frequency range, and slowly slide it back and forth while listening to the guitar to find where you can cut the guitar to make room in the mix) Primarily, I think the kick needs a boost in the high range so we can really hear the attack.

I like the tone of all the instruments you have! Lead guitars are nice and juicy, rhythms are thick and clear, synths are smooth! Again, the drums are lacking in this department too, but I understand the difficulty of using midi drums from a VST. It's difficult, but doable. I have a track that I'm fairly proud of titled "Okay" that used a VST kit if you want an example.

In short, I think you're onto something totally freaking awesome! Write some more sections, beef up those drums, and put together a badass track and send it to me so I can listen! :D Keep up the awesome work!

JoobieDoobieDoo responds:

That's a lot of feedback. It's great the song inspired so many words from you. I can 100% see your perspective, in how the composition seems a little bit samey. Keep in mind, this whole project was done in one day, in one single sitting for the 21 Days Of VGM challenge. Cramming this much in one day, you're bound to have some things that could maybe be improved. There is actually a B-Section though. The section that comes out from the drop out to just portamento lead and pads, is an entirely different set of chords and arpeggios. Though, your perspective that it is also samey is one I can understand, it IS similar in tone. The Groove drives more of an 8th note feel though. Where as the rest of the loop is more syncopation around the quarter note pulse.

The mix, I'm there with ya. This was forced to be done in a day. What are ya gonna do haha I could've sidechained the R Guitars to the kick too. I could've dealt with some of the harshness of the leads. I could've sidechained R Guitars to snare. I could've added some subs to the kick. I could've saturated the master more and compressed the mix more, than added some of the transients back with a some high mids-highs eq. Time was unfortunately not a privilege I had with this one. So a lot got left behind. It was all just "GO GO GO". That being said, I stand by the loop. I think with the two quieter sections and B-Section, there is enough movement in the piece to function without compositional changes.

Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you. And I'm glad you care enough to try and assist fellow musicians and offer your opinion and tips. You rock!

[Avizura - Break The Silence]

Dang! Very awesome!

Piano hook is great, mix is in great balance, and the song overall is pretty freakin' cool!

I like the melody that plays throughout the majority of the song, it is relatively simple, but each repetition changes a little bit. I wish it was a little bit more hummable/singable because as I walked away from my computer after a listen, the rhythm was stuck in my head more than the melody. The guitar voicing is sooooo cool! I need to know what you used. It's very reminiscent of the Megaman X instrumentation, especially when it plays the melody at the end.

However, I think the song could benefit from changing up the B section a bit more. The melody is too close to the A section that I couldn't hear much a difference my first few listens through. The guitar stuff is freaking awesome, but my ears were itching for a different melody. The problem with the melodies being so similar is that it made the loud parts feel like they were just one big section, rather than several different sections that were all loud. My ears felt like the quiet parts were just as long as the loud parts (even though they weren't) just because the amount of melodic content was the same.

Mix is great! I think the piano is at a perfect volume because it is almost as loud as the rest of the song, but it doesn't FEEL like it is just as loud. The drums and bass are strong, but leave plenty of space for the melodies to shine through.

I like the section with the swing, but it feels abrupt getting there and doesn't hold a lot of story implication to me. I found myself wondering why the swing was there except just to vary up the song. To me, a swing makes the song feel more loose and makes me want to dance. So, be aware of the "story" being told with your songs as you're writing them. (or arranging them)

All in all, fantastic work! I've listened to it probably ten times by now because it gets me pumped! Keep up the great work! :D

AvizuraNG responds:

Thanks for the long and well worded review!

The guitar is just 1 sample, which I think came from an old AMG sample CD or maybe it was the Universe Of Sounds library from the E-MU Emulator 2 (idk, I have a bunch of sample CDs ripped to my HDD). And then I just fed it through an amp simulator. The mutes are created using the filter on the NN-XT. I've used an envelope to shape the filter's movement and the velocity controls how much the filter opens up.

I think you're right about the B section, I still use a lot of the standard DnB conventions when creating tracks (very often it's just the exact same piece of music after the breakdown with an added outro for djs).

[In The Future]

Wow! Definitely and awesome tune!

It sounds like a throwback to some of the early Sonic games; very reminiscent of the Sega Genesis.

I'm loving the funky rhythms and the cool melodies. Right off the bat, you introduce the catchy melody, show off that funky baseline, and keep the percussion pumping! I was hooked as soon as the song kicked in! My only complaint about the melodies is that I have a hard time predicting where they're going. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but melodies that are hard to predict often aren't as catchy as predictable ones, even though they have more for repeat listeners to discover. Its a delicate balance that I struggle with as well.

The shift at 1:11 is really cool! I love how that tempo changes so naturally and the tone shifts to a more serious and intense feeling. Having that same melody play slightly different really spices up the song! Are you playing in a different scale at that point? I don't have a great ear, but it sounds like there are some more accidentals in that section that make it more serious, almost like going from a major scale to a minor.

The end is cool and flows nicely, but it confuses me a little bit. It doesn't match up too well with the song as a whole. However, it may lead very nicely into whatever track comes next if it were played in an album. It just kind of sounds like we're moving into another section that is very different, and then the song ends. It kind of jumped out at me.

Overall, I am VERY impressed that you made this all with one plugin! (I'm not familiar with that plugin. Is it a synthesizer plugin, or an mix-based plugin, or something else entirely?) Keep up the awesome work! I love challenges like that where we limit our available tools and then have to compensate with extra creativity! :D
'Tis Awesome!

AvizuraNG responds:

Hey thanks a lot Ragekaje! That kind of vibe was exactly what I was going for. I'm glad you liked it.

And yes, I agree. Some of the melodies (at the beginning) were literally shoehorned in at the last minute, I should have fixed that before uploading it, but I didn't bother ^^; - I think it's easy to hear which ones were rushed and which ones were not.

I also had a kind of personal goal to go crazy and put as many different styles and time signatures .. etc (just basically all we had learned at that point) in a 2-minute track (the track was only allowed to be around 2 minutes).

TAL Noisemaker is a great plugin, it's free and very easy to use. I think I'll upload the soundbanks I've made some time, so people can use them in their own projects.

Thanks for the review! I will keep the criticism in mind for future projects.