IndustryStandard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Kirby Works a 9 to 5 job and lives in a 1 bedroom apartment theme]

Might just not be my kinda thing - I like the oldschool 8-bit sounds, but I like them alongside more modern sounds usually. Still, I think you've got the right idea. I think the main pieces of feedback I would give are these:

1) the leading melody just sounds random. Not bad, but it doesn't really hook in your mind, I couldn't see myself whistling any part of this because I couldn't really follow the melody at all. Using sounds this simple requires the melody to pull a lot of weight, and while i didn't hate it, it wasn't doing it for me.

2) The dynamics could use some work. You drop the higher frequency drums out at times, which is a good way to change up dynamics, but I never really felt like a different part of the song was taking lead. Try playing around with giving each instrument a little time to be the main instrument - even if that's just a single bar drum fill or a couple bars of letting the background instruments play with no leads on top of them.

3) The ending... was bad. That's subjective of course, but it felt to me like you didn't really know where you were going with it, so you kinda just stopped. The melody doesn't resolve, and whether intentional or not I don't think it fits. You should try making a loop - I honestly was expecting this to be one when I started listening to it.

SuitedBroccoli responds:

1) I totally agree, I think I thought too complex which makes it sound weird and not memorable.

2) I get where you're coming from, I should add like, a bit more variation with what's playing where.

3) Yeah you're correct, I didn't know how to end it, making a slightly shorter song that loops might've been a better way to go for this song.

[That Wasn't A Chicken]

I love the composition, excellent choice of instruments too. I think it would be nicer if you toned down the sort of ring mod on the initial lead synth for part of the song, i love the sound but it's a little too dissonant for the whole song i think.

LeonRiskin responds:

Thank you. I'll check into your EQ suggestion :)

[Breach]

Reminds me of Bastion, one of my top OSTs of all time. bass, drums, and synths are really well mixed, key changes keep if from feeling repetitive or empty. The synth that opens the track sounds a little goofy, especially right at the beginning before the song really gets going, but personally I love that. Fits perfectly with the rest of the sounds anyway. Great stuff.

Crashtroid responds:

Never listened to the Bastion ost before, but MAN is it really hitting for me, just pulled it up at your recommendation. Gonna go binge this!

I really, REALLY appreciate the specific feedback here, helps me a ton to figure out what I do that works and what doesn't. And yeah, the goofy little opening helps me maintain that feeling throughout the song of not taking itself too seriously and more just being a conveyor for the player to jam out a bit while playing a game jam title. I want them to feel the intensity but not feel too much is on the line, yknow?

Anyway thanks again for such in depth feedback bro, means the world!

[Cosmic Shift]

I love the synthwave vibe. Wish the drums were a little louder though, maybe throw some high hat in as well to change the energy dynamics.

Zunixx responds:

thanks man, i appreciate the comment. I will admit the drums are kinda iffy, i've never been great with drums, so i normally make them pretty basic.

[The Musical Imp - Ignis]

you should try adding some bells or xylophone just to accent the strings and low drums

TheMusicalImp responds:

Thank you for your feedback.

[Genre: Neurofunk - Title: Lightning Bug]

It sounds empty. You've got some good pieces in there (I particularly like the buzzing that comes in and out, that's a nice extra touch) and the sounds you've chosen fit well together, but it needs something else for how long it is. A couple more melodic riffs of the lead synth or another complimentary synth, more variation in the drums, or some kind of pad to fill in the empty space behind the music are the first suggestions that come to mind. I don't listen to much DnB and I've never heard of Neurofunk so maybe I'm just not the target audience, but my impression of this is an unfinished song.

PlasmaGlowMusic responds:

hey, I get where you're coming from. I know how it sounds very repetitive, and at times, bland... but it was only meant to display the sound and style I'm going for as an artist. I didn't want to make any abrupt switches to the overall sound because it is just a showcase of my way of making a beat. I know what you mean, I should turn this into a real song, but this upload was meant to get that initial sound out there, kind of like a beacon, or a lightning bug if you will.

[Next day]

This is excellent. by the time it gets going It's nothing like I was expecting from the intro, but it isn't jarring, it fits perfectly. I love the crunchy, almost dubstep sound you have for one of your riffs. The only thing i felt was off was the ending, specifically the note that you hold on. I would say just end it right before that note, don't let it the riff resolve, but that's it.

verjamon responds:

Thanks a lot!

[Gravity]

You had me immediately hooked at the intro, but lost me a bit when the rest of the instrumentation came in. It gets really busy and the instruments seem to be fighting through each other to be heard which can make the song seem to drag on a bit. My recommendation would be to mess with the levels and panning, maybe even the EQ, to create more of a room, maybe throw a little automation in there to let different instruments take a turn in the front of the soundscape.
Another note I have is on the bells that come in around 1:20 - i like the almost dissonant melody (although i am admittedly a fan of dissonance in general) and the instrument itself is cool but it's a bit muddy, either from the syths fighting it or by the instrument itself just being a bit muddy. You could try adding another instrument, like maybe a piano or something else with a short attack and quick release, playing the same melody layered over the bells. If you mix them right they'll sound like a single instrument but the melody will be a bit more clear without losing the resonance of the bells. Or simply panning the bells and the synths away from each other might help as well.
Finally, and this may just be subjective, but the voice playing the lead melody is a bit piercing. I'm not sure if it needs to be simply turned down a little, or maybe mess with the the audio itself to make it a little less recognizable as a voice. Pretty much everything i personally would want to change here is all mixing related though, your composition is solid.

verjamon responds:

Thanks a lot! I'm glad to have opinion's like this, that can help me in my composing.
I have to work at my layering and sometimes the audio is cutted with some voices, i just noticed that.
Thanks a lot!

[Setting Equipment - OST]

I love it! The sounds you use go great together, the changes and the way the song builds are smooth. The one thing i would say could be improved is where it loops. Don't get me wrong, it works fine, but the song builds up an energy, and you can kinda feel it drop when it goes back to the beginning. this is where i stop being helpful though, because I'm not sure what could be done to fix it haha, it's just what stuck out to me. Overall though, this is awesome, seriously, I know you said you were a beginner at this but you definitely have a knack for it.

ZepicZorua responds:

I'll keep that in mind lol. The hardest thing is coming up with something to make and finding the right tune.

[Dream]

Nice, I don't know why but this track gave me an odd nostalgic feeling. It's a little awkward when the drums go from halftime in the beginning to straight quarter note beats, if you had some kind of small drum fill to cue the change it might be a but smoother. My only other major complaint would be that the main chord progression doesn't change, and while all the riffs and instruments you've used go well together, it's a little lacking in variety. Good stuff though, keep at it!

Zekronz responds:

Thank you for the feedback!