Ditchy's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Cristal Blues]

Sounds like you were having fun with this - not a bad thing, but I didnt feel there was a massive amount of structure. I liked the varied synths that were introduced throughout, but for a 4.15 song, it felt a bit long due to a lack of clear breakdowns - it all sort of felt like there was a constant loud reverb masking each element and every new sound introduced just built on the same melody throughout. Only when it hit 3.25 did I feel like there was some sort of actual change for a little bit. Would have been nice to have some sort of melodic interlude in the middle that introduces the new synths etc in a second half. The Piano could have had more built upon - like a solo piece, pads/arps (as an example) if you will; which would establish the core theme more until the build brings in a drop of sorts.

The mix itself was ok, but a lot of the it felt too centralized, not giving other elements their own breathing space (the piano for example was very quiet and overshadowed after the start, and just sounded like someone was just enthusiastically pressing keys with no reverb). It can be dull mastering, but practice more EQ on each instrument to make them standout more, try panning and compression...especially to make the drums a little punchier as they also felt like they were just there to keep the pace in the back, and were not varied or built upon.

I am not an expert critique and have done so from my point of view, so I hope I articulated myself well :) I absolutely get this was experimental, and I could hear a decent song that would suit a very progressive video/level design.

laserk responds:

Yeah i try my best for making mor variation and given every synth breath space sometimes are other synths just louder by defult but besides that i try to create some New things everyday so those sort of text really helped me to see what would others think so .Thank you i try to work on everything you said and working on new ways to make everything less Messy :)

Btw i am glad you liked it anyways:)

[PURSUIT]

Hey, this would make a great song for an old school inspired action game. I really digged the arps at the begging and reminded me of the Sega Genesis Yamaha YM2612 sound.

I cannot fault the song really as it delivers on an old school feel im having :D

VectX responds:

I'm certainly glad you enjoyed this! I really like old school video game music and have been playing some Streets of Rage 4 recently, so that certainly was where a good deal of inspiration came from.

Thanks for the review, and enjoy the rest of your day!

[Speed Demon]

This song felt like it was almost all made out of samples/VST loops and that you were just experimenting and having fun with it. There was next to no mixing etc, apart from on the samples themselves...which explains why everything was kind of all over. The kicks getting louder at the start felt unnecessary, and not organic...like you were just copying and pasting the same kick on top of each other to add a bit more bass, and again - to make them louder (I used to do this when I was very young in Ejay). Overall: 2/5 mainly because you can tell its something just quickly knocked up with little structure.

This is your first song on here, so my assumption is you are an aspiring producer. Do not be afraid to spend more time on your tracks, look up tutorials on youtube (there are loads of 'how to' videos that helped me learn). Think of the melody you want, play it in your chosen DAW and build up around it...humming the bits you want to add really helps as you go along. By all means, use loops (Drums, FX etc) - but do not rely on them...people will notice this and may think you a little lazy.

Learn how to master, which is the bit most people hate but is necessary in making your tracks stand out - eventually you will that you will have a process and everything will flow to the point the only thing you have to worry about is procrastination (well, I do anyway lol). If in doubt, ask for advice - Newgrounds is a great place to ask for it :)

Lachasauras responds:

Hi there, thanks for the feedback! I will be sure to improve next time

[I'm a Simp For You by The Simpletons]

This is so pure - hopefully tw@s like Belle acknowledge you for this (once uve give her money of course)!

VoicesByCorey responds:

Fun fact: @Fro actually turned down Belle because he, “Doesn’t date girls named after Disney princesses.” Fro plays hard to get, that’s for sure.

[Rawhide]

I appreciate the sort of retro video game sound, and for your first song - it wasn't terrible. The overall melody felt a little all over the place, like you were just smashing something quickly out.

Work on the structure more - if you were going for synthwave and not video game, pop on youtube and look at some tutorials/ideas. If it was video game (like Glitch), try and imagine the scene/level etc you are going for - hum it and try and play it out as you do....but make sure it fits with a beat. Ive never used BeepBox but as its an online thing, I can only imagine its a bit limited. It might take some work, but get your hand on a DAW like FL Studio (there is a demo version) and have play around with it.

This is your first song on here so please don't be disheartened by any potentially low scores or criticism, you will definitely get better over time if you stick to it! Everyone is friendly enough to offer advice and feedback, take advantage of it!

Geometzoo49 responds:

Thanks for the feedback! It was mostly just an experiment, though, so you review's ok! 😉
I looked at a picture of FL Studio, and it looks quite hard.
BTW BeepBox isn't very limited...

[Synthwave 1]

Hey, for a first track - this is pretty great! It definitely gives me a sci fi Synth wavey vibe!

Mastering side, things get a bit clunky when it hits 37seconds in - just need to do some EQing to give those lows and highs space...every track felt like they needed more breathing space. Practice more with stereo separation/panning, which can also help (maybe those arps could be made a little widerm with the lows taken down a bit?).

Again, great short song though - superior to my first track when I started out years ago.

Sprocket-Creations responds:

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it! :)

[Wistfulness]

I really liked it - really progressed well and I liked that distorted Pulsing (if thats the right word lol) Bassline. Personal preference was that the drums were not very punchy for me.

Can definitely see this as a track in a video game, like an action Platformer or something. Nice one!

lantaren responds:

Thanks for the kind words! You can call the bassline whatever you want lol, I can't say pulsing is the wrong word as it is a good descriptor. Be sure to check out my other music! I have an album out on pre-order for June 15th! https://lantaren.bandcamp.com/album/lantaren

[Ditchy - Then & Now (GTB Remix)]

Mate, im flattered. I love remixing tracks and it was nice seeing one of mine being done! We've all come along way, if I get the time - ill have a crack at one of yours! Much love.

Dj-Gonzo responds:

Thanks for checking this out man! Glad you liked the remix, it was a really fun experience trying to emulate your chords and melody and giving them a bit of my "uplifting touch". Thanks again for listening to it!

>GTB

[QUINTINO & NERVO - Lost In You (Elektrickz Rmx)]

Mate, I love it! I really need to do more vocal tracks. Good luck in N G U A C!

Aleksander91 responds:

Thank you :))

[Neuron (WiP)]

I love Trance and always glad to see fellow trance heads making music on here too. This is deffo solid, can envision a crowed jumping at the 1min mark.

The synth at 03.25 felt a bit lackluster for me..that could be a personal preference. Still, looking forward to the release!

D-Chain responds:

Thanks,
I agree on the synth lacking matter haha, i've been at it for a few days now but i havent gotten to a brilliant synth that will do justice, YET.