Jacob's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Groove Grove]

Watch that bass and those low-mids, bruddah!
Sadly, I don't have time for a full NGUAC review right now, but I wanted to say how much I love the composition, here.
The production, however, needs work. Most of your levels are pretty good (although the lead is quiet, and the piano is buried), but the EQ is all outta wack.

I may come back with a more complete review later (or you can hit me up), but for now I recommend cutting the low end (below 80hz, maybe even higher) from everything but the bass and the kick. Then figure out where the kick needs to pop through (maybe 120hz or so? not sure), and give that a lil tiny boost, and carve the bass in the same spot. Then fix the levels so that the low end of the bass isn't so overpowering.
Lastly, find something like Bluecat Frequency Analyst, and take a look at how pumped the volume is 500hz and below, compared to the top half of the audible range. Figure out what to carve and turn down (or up) in order to give this track some breathing room, and you'll be on the right track.

Mad love for the funk here, man.

Desmae responds:

Thank you so much, this is really helpful.

[Fragmented Reality]

I can tell you like the bass! It sits a little hot in the mix, overpowering everything else by a small margin. It could also use some decay, as well as a few surprises like quick octave changes, a chop, a wobble; anything to break things up a bit.

I'm a sucker for crushed bits, so I love the sounds used, here. The main melody deserves a change up, though, and either 1:15 or 1:22 would be the perfect spot. Even some harmony on the same synth would do the trick. As things stand, the track feels a bit stagnated.

The stereo field is utilized nicely by sound effects and the counter melody - but I'd love to hear some percussion occupying the space as well, like some 32nd runs on a hat, traveling through from right to left. Or, in order to heighten the sound, the snare could be layered with a stereo clap or another sound later in the song.

Cool stuff, man! I feel transported into the scene, and I love the sound and vibe.

larrynachos responds:

Yeah, it's undeniably repetitive. That's something I really gotta work on ;-;

The percussion was definitely underutilized, but I was so in love with the impact the crushed synth had on the feel of the whole piece.

Thanks so much for stopping by Jacob! :)

[Smoking Flutes]

Excellent choice of sample! I would've chopped the sample differently at 00:18, so that it only changes to the higher pitch on the offbeat, rather than sliding up after an eighth note like it does the first time. I think it would help it groove.

The beat is very easy to listen to, as well! The hat is a little sharp on the ears, so I wouldn't mind adding a bit of lo-fi degradation to it. A ride cymbal could be added in for a little extra movement, too. But I like what you've got here.

This is a hip-hop/dance combo, by the way. Adult Swim vibes.

Nice work!

Williamarch responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I'll take your tips into consideration next time. I guess it's only natural for me to make a hip-hop/dance track. It's basically the two genres I usually make. Thanks again!

[F**k you]

Love the groove of the bass! The vocal samples are nicely chosen and verbed, as well. Would have liked more stereo quality in those placed in the center, though.
Percussion could have also been a little more active, and I wouldn't mind the hat swinging from right to left in the stereo field.

Second drop, same as the first.
Glitching the sound used at 2:37 would have been welcome, as a means of variation. Raising the octave of the "yo" sample at that point would also be an easy way of increasing the urgency of the track.

Excellent work here, loved listening.

JessRotela responds:

thank you very much for the tips, I like to see how people take time to analyze my songs, greetings

[T-Logic - Panko]

Always down for something weird.

Very interesting sonic layout in the intro! Warm and calm, but troubled and dissonant. Like a small toy robot, waking up in the night. Low on power, making its way back to its box. Could be a cool game, actually.

The harpsichord sample is a very nice addition, and the quick glitching was a great choice. The synth that occupied the center at the same time could have been a bit less dry, hot, and forward, but I liked what you did with it.

The guitar around 1:14 clashes with everything else, and I'm not sure what sort of image it conjured in my head. The bass and percussion were cool, though. I would have liked this part to be more mellifluous, setting up for the dissonance coming up at 2:05. It would have felt more like a journey, and less like constant struggle. Like things were going well, until another obstacle were encountered. But maybe the whole section being a bit off makes 2:35 more rewarding.

All in all, a very interesting experiment! I really enjoy the space you've set up here, and I would love to hear you create something more intentional with the elements you've discovered from this. If you ever decide to come back to it (or have interest passing it to me or another artist), I think this has a lot of potential, and I would not at all mind hearing more tracks in this vein.

TaintedLogic responds:

Thanks for the detailed review, Jacob! I really appreciate the imagery of the toy robot, and I'm glad you got enough out of it to form a vivid picture. I agree that I should've thought more about the structure and sound design in places. I'd be glad to share the FLP file with you. Feel free to PM me your email address. Thanks again for the review! ^_^

[Crisis Mental]

This is hecks weird, and I love it. I would have enjoyed something a bit less sharp for the kick and snare - maybe a scooping bass alongside the kick (which could be the same, but quieter), making a sound similar to a deep droplet of water. A bit more white noise, perhaps fading and being choked by a bitcrush, would have been cool for the snare. Some variation in the beat would have also been pleasant, as well as a bit of glitching in both rhythm and pan. Trip it up a bit more, you feel?

Production isn't half bad, aside from how much the kick hurts my ears. Although, messing with LPF and HPF as well as some sweeping peaks would have been cool.

Keep this up! You can get weirder, and I'm looking forward to hearing where that goes.

GeometryDashMau5Kids responds:

Well thank you :), the truth I try to improve in the music, including more in the experimentation and be a little more original (is what I try to do). :D
Thank you for supporting me and I will do what I like and not go for trends. :3

[Locked Up]

I dig the pizzicato violin at 0:25! Might like a lil reverb on that rim, to fit it into the space. Maybe add a cello to the left ear after this section, to accompany the violin.

Does this mean we should expect to escape another simulated situation?

PuffballsUnited responds:

That reverb was definitely needed!

[Koji Kondo - File Select (SM64) [∀malgamation Bootleg]]

Nice! A little more emphasis on the beat would've really brought this home, since we're going with something trappy. That way, you transform the melody from something saccharine to something peppy. It'll help alleviate the repetitive nature of a loop.
Taking the melody out for a spin, using sound effects from the game to pull us into something else for a second would have also been great.

Nice work!

Skiddle responds:

Heh, yeah you're right about the sound effects. I couldn't find any really (I made this mainly offline & i don't have data lmao), but thanks for your great review Jacob :D