Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[untitled boss theme]

I love this! :D It has a Mario & Luigi feel to it.

The panning and the way it's mixed is cool too. Definitely a breath of fresh air compared to some of the other chiptune songs I've heard.

Not sure about the skeleton guitar. Are you talking about that melodic synth from about half-way through? It's cool sounding. I do think that as a song the ending is abrupt. I wish it was posted as a loop. I'm looping right now and it sounds great! Although, the aesthetic of the song gradually gets busier towards the end, so hearing it looped in its entirety is a bit jarring every time it restarts.

Still, nice work!

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

zami responds:

ah, thank u for your review! the skeleton guitar is just a joke, it's the overdriven guitar from earthbound's soundfont, and it was used in megalovania.

[SHAPE ZONE (Song #6)]

Nice work, although I'd say the ducking would be a distraction if I was wearing headphones while playing, though. My suggestion would be to make the song's mixing a bit less aggressive so I can focus on the game rather than the music.

Apart from that, the feel of a puzzle game background music is there, though. The writing fits, just not the mix.

I hope you find this helpful. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

DIMENSIONLORD responds:

Thanks for the review! You make it sound like you've already played the game! Well you will get your chance very very soon. There will be an option to mute the music -- if you feel like playing other music while playing the game.

*EDIT: I made adjustments to the mix and I think it sounds a LOT better now.

[Chrythm - Legends]

It sounds very pretty. What's the story behind the name?

I think it may help if you use compression/limiting plugins, or at least some volume normalization, to increase the volume. The reason behind this is so the listener doesn't have to change their volume to listen to this one track.

I kind of wish there was more to this piece it than what is here so far.

The song's general vibe comes across to me as serious, but not epic. It's certainly unique, though. Not sure what you are trying to convey, but again, it sounds nice overall.

I hope my feedback helps. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

Chrythm responds:

The name is mostly just a reference to epic storytelling, I felt it was appropriate for a song like this. The reason this might be quiet is my headset volume, I usually work with it really low. I will pay more attention to it from now on.
Thanks for the review!

[Zeptonix - Forgotten Memory]

I wish I knew more about why you named this song what you did. It sparks curiosity.

The song itself is well mixed, and I like the way it sounds. I just wish there was more information about it so I can better judge how effective I thought you were at expressing what you needed to express rather than just giving you my opinion of the song itself.

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

Hope this helps. :)

[Sky High Clouds]

That's pretty fun sounding. It feels like train travel in a hypothetical urban SNES Pokemon game.

That said, I don't think the name matches the vibe. You may want to consider changing the name to fit the feel of the song better.

I think the mixing is too quiet. If you have any, I think you should use compression/limiting plugins and/or normalize the track so it is as loud as other songs you may hear. It's inconvenient for the listener to have to raise the volume for this one song and lower it again when they go back to listening to other music.

If you are intending this piece as a song rather than a loop, I recommend resolving the song with an ending rather than an abrupt full stop, unless you were specifically going for that.

The only other thing is I wish there was more to it.

Other than that, you did a great job. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

gamerjaym responds:

thanks dunno how to change it so ill leave it as is

[Quarantine Blues]

As a song, it's not bad. I think there's room for the mix to be louder. IMO you should use some compression/limiting to increase the volume so the listener doesn't have to raise the volume just to hear this song and then turn it back down for the rest of their music.

Other than that, it's nice to listen to.

A side note: If you don't think the saxophone instrument you used sounds good and you don't want people to critique the sound of the saxophone, maybe don't put the word "Saxophone" in the title. As it is, you're drawing a lot of attention to it in the description.

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

MajorMusic responds:

Before I get into this reply I would like to say thank you for your honest review. However, there are a few points I'd like to make.

1) The DAW I use is extremely limited as it is actually meant for music notation rather than music production. It only has a very bare-bones mixer that allows me to add reverb and slightly alter the ADSR. I can't alter the compression or limiting. That said, I am trying to learn how to use FL Studio and am gradually getting better at it. I think I'll probably be able to properly use it in about a month.

2) The instrument I used was a saxophone. I intended it to be a saxophone and is written for alto sax.

Other than those two points I am very happy you left your review and will keep your words in mind for the future.

[The Worldfactory]

The synth melodies give a vague sense of dread, like a post-apocalypse world. It's almost like the game Portal 2.

The mixing is incredible. Really grabs and keeps my attention without being too overpowering.

If there were a game that featured robot zombies, this would be the theme for the ruined industrial city they dwell in.

Very well done!

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

Neboo responds:

Thanks so much man! I rarely get written reviews and it means so much to me! Much love <3

[Pound It]

Very fun track. It almost sounds whimsical, like Sega's Super Monkey Ball or Sonic Adventure but with synths instead of guitars, or something. It's mixed well, too.

I'm curious about the title, though. Not sure why it's called Pound It. What did you have in mind when you named it that?

The drums are cool and well programmed. The only thing I'd say is some of the drums, the cymbals in particular, could be improved. For example, the crash at the end sounds like a drum machine because it ends very quickly. It's as if the drums are not in a real room (or a fake one), rather they are generated.

The only other thing I can think of is I personally wish the piece was longer.

I hope this helps. :)

[FROLHAKKE]

How delightful! :) I can tell you had some fun with this one.

Some of the song has a "bright sunny day walking in the park" feel. I like how it's built like a scene with some progression. Here's how I saw it:

"For the townsfolk at the park, the day began like any other day...

Suddenly, a burning meteor shower comes!

There's a brief break, the citizens are looking at the burning surroundings wondering WTF just happened...

Before they put all the pieces together, another meteor shower comes, obliterating what wasn't destroyed before!" ;)

The only think I'd recommend is maybe changing up the intro instrumentation so it sounds more peaceful. Here, the first part comes across to me as serious, like there's work to be done, rather than leisurely.

Still, nice work.

Ruedefaux responds:

Haha i like this description!

[Obviously Yours]

I love this! :D I don't think it's really Synthwave though.

Technically speaking, the mixing is good, but it could be louder with some limiting/compression. Not so much so that it harms the dynamics between loud and soft, but enough so the listener doesn't have to change the volume to listen to this one song.

This may not be your intent, but I find the combination of your song, it's title, and description to be morbidly hilarious. TBH I clicked on the link to this song purely because of the description. My interpretation is that it means that on a chicken farm, despite hearing the screams of slaughtered chickens on a regular basis, you still love the taste of chicken nuggets and will continue to eat them. On its own, the description is funny, which is why when hearing the song, the title and writing being so straight and sincerely romantic, the result is downright comedic. Regardless, you get bonus points for that.

Thumbs Up! XD