megakill's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[~SW~ Depth Charge]

Definitely A Favourite Of Mine

I'm glad that you went on to finish this track and touch everything up, because what you've produced is one of the best songs I've heard in the portal.

You ironed out all the issues with the synth levels, giving everything it's own place in the mix, the frequencies are all a lot cleaner and pretty much spot on.
I really don't have much to say in terms of constructive criticism, because there's very little left that would need to be improved. You've addressed pretty much everything I touched upon in my review of the unfinished version, and the ending fits extremely well.

I'd have still liked the kick to be slightly more prominent, but that's only really a minor edit.

All things considered, this is a great piece.

As promised, I've given 5/5, fav'd it, and downloaded it.

Great work!

*Review Request Club*

SkyeWint responds:

Glad you enjoy it! I hope that I can bring more music that you enjoy like this to the review request club for the awesome reviews. Too bad I can't review my own music. :P Anyway.

The kick isn't meant to be overpowering the other things in the piece, and I did amp it up a bit, but when I tried amping it more than how much it is, it caused mixing issues on other levels. :(

You had one of the most comprehensive reviews with the most advice on what to do for mixing, and since I haven't studied mixing, but instead composition... that was a HUGE help. I tried a lot to fix up what you pointed out, and apparently did well. Yay.

Thanks again for the review!

[Ilanté - I am here, brother]

Different, And Generally Pretty Good

This song isn't what I expected.
When I saw that it was ambient, the drums really threw me off, but it still works, and doesn't really suffer for it at all.
I saw that this is intended for a flash game, and I can easily see this being used in one, so you're on the right track.

The drums have a unique sound to them, and it works well, however, they need to be a little louder; especially the kick. Not too much, but sometimes I was struggling to hear it.
Also, the same goes for the bass synth. It works well, but it's just a little too quiet in places. just bring the lever up slightly and you'll be good to go.

The song changes up nicely and is varied enough that it doesn't get boring to listen to. Often you'll find ambient songs tend to just drone on, but you've managed to avoid that, so nice work.

The addition of string is a nice touch, and the melody works well throughout, so I really cant fault it there.

Nice work!

*Review Request Club*

[[dj-Jo] Life Line]

Very Nice Work

Firstly, lemme just say the idea of using an answering machine recording is genius.

Listening to this I found that all the sounds and synths you've used sound great. Everything's got a high standard of quality about it, and fits the genre like a shoe.
There's certain expectations about how things should sound in dubstep, and you've met them, so good job!

It's all arranged nicely, and progresses well. You don't repeat anything too much, or nothing really unexpected or out of place occurs. This is definitely a big plus, because I hate it when songs just go off on a tangent and jump all over the place, or just become too repetitive.

The mix is okay, but it clipped in places, and the sounds seem to clash too much and distort a little around the drop, so you may want to go back and have a go at tweaking that a little.

Otherwise, this is a good song, and you should be proud.

*Review Request Club*

[Idyllic Memories]

It Sounds Like It Could Be Great...

This is an example of a good song, ruined by it's mix.

I really would have liked this, except that the mix completely kills it.
It sounds like it could be really nice, and pleasing to the ears, and somewhat graceful, but the harp, clarinet and strings just clash together and distort throughout the song.
It may be because you've got the levels too high, it may be because of the EQ, it may just be because of your headphones/speakers, but whatever the case is, it's ruined the song for me.

On the plus side, if it weren't for the mix, I'd really like it. The transitions work well, and the melodies are very satisfying.

Really though, if mixing isn't your strong point, you might want to consider sending it to a friend to mix for you, because it really is a shame that that's what's bringing the score down.

*Review Request Club*

WizMystery responds:

I'll try remastering it and sending it to you, nobody else has noticed but you might be right.

[Krowe - Differences]

Definitely Liking This Track

Man, you're definitely onto a winner here.

I think as far as dubstep goes, this is one of the best tunes I've heard on the audio portal.
The beat is spot on. Quite typical of dubstep, but that doesn't always have to be a bad thing; it definitely works well here.
The bass sounds you've used and all the synths are great. They sound just right for dubstep, and all work really well together.
The way you've aranged the track and some of the effects and techniques you've used all work really well together, and the whole thing just sounds great. I wish I could be more specific, but as a whole, I love it.

One, problem. The mix.
Theres a little too much high-end frequencies, and I found that it clipped slightly in various places. The clipping may be because of my soundcard, but I cant be certain, so I figured I'd tell you so you can double check.
But yeah, the songs got a great grove, it's just when the highs get a little too much, it's a bit of a distraction for me.

All in all though, I think this is great, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from you.

Fav'd ;)

*Review Request Club*

KroweMusic responds:

Hey thanks for the review man :)

My mixing skills have always suffered. I'm still trying to learn how to mix perfectly, so I'll eventually get it down.

Again, thanks for reviewing! Glad you enjoyed it!

[[Kieda] Yearning Hearts]

I'm So Torn Up About This...

And I actually feel really bad and kind of guilty about giving you a six, because I really wanna give you more, there's just one or two little things that are really bugging me about this.

First things first though, I think it's a good tune, and I agree about it telling a story. I can tell you've put a fair amount of effort into this. and I love how its generally a more laid back drum'n'bass track. I's got some great synths and the piano is definitely a nice touch.

The mix is general is fairly decent. Everything is clear and crisp, nothing distorts, so good job there, but there is one problem with it; the bass.

It just needs to be turned up and thickened. It's definitely there, especially after the drop, but its far too quiet for my liking. I appreciate that this isn't a song that needs a very heavy, dirty sounding bassline, but it still needs to be somewhat more prominent.
On top of that, I just felt like it was a little anticlimactic. When it drops after the build-up, I was really expecting it to just burst with a tasty breakbeat and sweet bassline, and although it was good, it just wasnt quite enough for me.3

I feel really harsh about it, because I do like this, and I'm actually going to favourite it, but I've got to be fair in my review, and award points accordingly.

Great job though, and I really hope you go on to upload more!

*Review Request Club*

Kieda responds:

Finally honest critic from RRC :O

Thanks for the long analysis (: I've always been crap at mixing and making good bass, but as it seems that the mixing problem is solved, I'll focus on the bass next. And I promise I'll add a breakbeat (or similar) section to my next song (:

Those 10/10 reviews might keep my motivation up, but reviews like yours actually help me to improve my skills [=

[[dj-Jo] Electric Cove]

Has A Lot Of Potential

This, isn't really what I'd call techno. I'd say this is gearing more towards hardcore, and maybe even gabba around 1:12. Not a problem, but, hey, thought I'd just get that in early so I can shut up about it and move on to the review.

So, this track certainly packs a punch, and delivers it from the very first bar. The lead synth sounds good, fits the whole track perfectly, and doesn't sound too cliché.
The drums are well done, with some sounds that I wouldn't have thought to use thrown in there, just to keep things interesting.
You've used automation well, and for the most part, the levels are pretty good.
I do have to say though, my biggest gripe with this track is the mix. It's okay, but not great, and I feel like it's holding it back.
The section starting at around 0:29 really needs to be mixed again. It just sounds like everything is struggling for position and all clashes together.
It's really just a case of playing with the levels a little and EQ'ing some of the tracks a little better.

I can tell you've tried though, which is the important thing, and hopefully there's enough time before the NAC deadline for you to go back and touch it up a little.

It's sounding good though, and i wish you the best of luck in the competition!

*review Request Club*

[[FR] Siege]

Not Entirely Sure What To Make Of This...

This review is going to be tricky. I can already tell.

You've listed the song as miscellaneous, which is fine, but it certainly doesn't help me to compare this to anything haha. Believe me, I wouldn't really know where to class this either.

It's strangely calming. I think it's something to do with the way it starts, but I really just cant put my finger on anything to do with this song. I know I really like it, but I cant quite explain why.
It's just a mellow track with a good beat and some nice sounds. There's not really much more you can ask for, unless you're looking for something specific.

I do however think that the bass sounds a little thin, and the drums that are playing around 1:48 could do with being somewhat louder, but I mean, really that's not too much to complain about.

This track just has a charm about it that I cant fully explain. It's somewhat mystifying, and just makes me feel peaceful and calm.

If you add vocals, I'd personally only add something minimal, like a woman's solo voice, with heavy reverb and slight delay, here and there throughout the track. No actual lyrics. Something reminiscent of early 90's trance.

Really though you've done a great job, and the more I listen, the more I like it.

Fav'd ;)

*Review Request Club*

Frazmaster responds:

I'd classify it under 'Downtempo' but obviously there was no downtempo label to give it.
thanks a lot for the review and the advice, means heaps.

[2011 Rabidsquirl Voice Demo]

You've Definitely Got Talent

I've never actually done a review solely for voice acting, so you'll have to forgive me if this is a little brief.

I think you've clearly got talent and can cover a wide assortment of characters very convincingly. You're good at portraying emotion, and you've put a decent amount of effort into making this voice demo more than just another monologue.

One thing that you might want to improve however is the sound quality and mix. The highs need to be brought down, and the lows could use a slight boost, just to thicken it up and take away some of the hissing.
I don't know if you mixed this yourself, but, there you go.

Really though, this is good stuff. Keep it up!

*Review Request Club*

Rabidssquirrel responds:

Thanks so much! It took me three years to finally write and produce a new demo, so there was indeed some work behind it. :)

And thankyou for the tip! No one has pointed that out to me, but since you've said it, I totally agree with you! It does have a bit of a crunch to it, doesn't it? Thanks so much! :)

[[FR] Void]

A Nice Start...

I wasn't too sure how to take this when it started, but I think you're taking it in the right direction.

The sounds you've used sound good and unique. The drums work especially well for me, and after all, they are one of the key components of DRUMnbass, so you're starting to check off all the right boxes.

The mix is a little touch and go for me. I feel like you need to either take away some of the mids, or lower the level of the droning synth that I believe only plays two notes (I think anyway, I hope you know which one I'm talking about).
It's not a huge issue, but it just sometimes feels a little overbearing when everything else is playing.

I really like the sound and style overall however. I definitely encourage you to finish this, and maybe then when you've got a full version I can award you a few more points.

Good Job though!

*Review Request Club*