Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Welcome In The Arena]

UPDATE: the mixing the 2nd time around is a big improvement over the previous mix. It no longer has that “external speaker recorded through a microphone” sound I stated in the original review.

The strings are too quiet, though. I can’t hear them well at all, the brass is too overpowering.

Original 3 1/2 star review:

“I think the vibe you appear to be going for is close to spot on. Normally I'm not one to gripe about the mix, but I think in this particular case there's something off about the mix that undercuts the otherwise epic feel of the piece.

I can't quite put my finger on why, but it almost sounds like a low-fi mix.

It almost sounds like you put a microphone up to a speaker and recorded what came out of that. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, but I'd like to hear from you what you did to make it sound this way, I might be able to provide better feedback if you provide that information.

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

Earel responds:

I have an orchestral template with the BBC Symphony Orchestra library and I figured out earlier that some of the bus in the mixer track were linked to the stereo track but not to the mono track. I think this is why it sounds weak, while all the epicness which should come from the brass and the percussion was lost due to a mistake I made.

I will update my upload soon.

Thank you for the review !

[FunKidline]

Reading your description, it's a bit unclear what you are trying to do with this piece. I think it would be a good idea to add to the description of this song what your thought process was going into it. That way, I can judge based on how clear I thought your song showed your intent, rather than simply by my own taste.

Out of curiosity, why did you pick the tite, "FunKidline"? It's an unusual title.

Technically speaking, the piece is quite well mixed.

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

LtFS responds:

Perhaps you are right in some ways. I called my tune 'FunKidline' because the name sounds cool and it's positive

[Battle Tower]

UPDATE: Glad to see you’ve fixed the title.

Original 4 Star Review

“One thing that strikes me about this is the title, Towe battle. What's the story behind that?

I think it would be a good thing to write in the description what your thought process and intent were when making this song. That way I can judge based on how well your intent came through vs. judging by my own taste.

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

Akuma34 responds:

Well, not all my songs have a story, but this one specifically has a short one, and it's supposed to try to make the style of colbreakz in my style, and as you already know, the music of colbreakz has videogame like titles, so while I did not do the song I could think of nothing more than a battle in a tower

[Eruption]

Woah, that's some really awesome synth work you've got going on there. :D

The low rumble of the synths in the buildups are really effective at conveying startling fear and the feeling of "I need to escape!". IMO you took the buildup-drop concept and used it in such a way that it actually enhances the vibe you are trying to convey. I can see this in a video game where you escape lava erupting from a volcano; halfway through, you think you're safe, but then the earth starts to rumble more, and the lava starts catching up with you. Then, at the end, you're safe from harm, sweating and thinking "That was a close one."

Awesome job, no notes. :)

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

TheMusicWarrior responds:

Thank you! I am very pleased to hear this from your lips.

[That's Right]

I'm wondering what your thought process was when you were making this piece. If you put that in your description, it would make it easier for me to provide constructive feedback, and I could give a more accurate rating.

The title raises more questions than it answers. Not that it's a knock against your piece, but out of curiosity, why did you pick that title?

One thing I will say is the primary genre pick doesn't match with Ambient. I'd say either chill or electronica works better as the primary genre.

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

OddaSykes responds:

Its bit far back to remember for me at this point (I started it in early-ish 2018 and 2018... wasn't exactly my best year), but I believe I was simply going for a nice, relaxing piece that also a nice beat to it, plus getting an idea or two out of my head. The name is because I can't think of song names worth a damn and end up going with the first or second thing that pops in.

The last part can be chalked up to Newgrounds' hilariously limited choices. :V I try to compensate with the tags.

[Ultimate]

UPDATE: Thank you for clarifying what your thought process was.

I should have mentioned this before, but I wasn't sure your reasoning behind the title. I was hoping you'd clarify why you chose that as well.

Mixing-wise, I think the song sounds a bit dull in the high frequencies, particularly with the cymbals. I don't know exactly what you did, but I recommend playing around with the EQ a bit or use some kind of multiband compression, something that adds more to grab on to.

I hope you find this helpful. :)

Original 3 1/2 star review:

"I think it would be a good idea for you to add in your description your thought process and intent going into creating this song. It would allow me to judge how well I thought your intent came across in the song rather than simply by my own taste and preference. This could affect my rating and the feedback I can give you.

As far as my opinion goes, I like the piece. I don't think it stands out very much, but I like it. As it is, that's about all I can say.

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

Naildown55 responds:

I guess my thought process was that I got some new synth and guitar amp plugins that I wanted to test out in a full mix. My intent was not to spend a whole lot of time trying to write the most complex groundbreaking riffs, but to just write in a way that I am familiar and comfortable with. Because if I did that then I would have spent way longer on the writing process itself and this time I was more focused on the mix itself, which I admit still needs a lot of work and I am always open to constructive criticism. I guess this was my way of trying to make something that sounds close to professional.

Update: The song originally didn't have a name, so I came up with it on the spot. I just beat Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc, and thats where the name Ultimate came from. If you played the game you would understand, but if you didn't. Its about an elite group of high schoolers who are the best at what they do (Ultimates) forced into a game where they have to kill their peers to survive. I.E. Ultimate Baseball Star, Ultimate Pop Sensation, Ultimate Swimmer, etc. It was the first thing that popped into my head, just wanted to get the song out there because there is no deeper meaning behind it.

I will cross reference high end and cymbals from other professional artists and see what I can learn. Thanks for pointing it out :)

[vacancy]

I suggest adding into your description what your thought process was in creating and releasing this piece. That way I can provide a more accurate rating and better feedback based more on how clear I thought your intent came through in this piece.

An example of what could be clarified: There's a disconnect between the piece and its title. Out of curiosity, why call the piece vacancy?

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

trevor8 responds:

haha, i frequently have trouble with naming my music. i called this "vacancy" because i made it during a sort of creative block over the last couple of days, as such it is the culmination of my aimless meandering around a bit. i honestly did not think anyone really bothered much to read into the descriptions, so this is a bit of relief for me and i will try to be better at my approach going forward. thanks for the stars and feedback!

[Goodbye Summer]

I can for sure see this as a genesis video game. Maybe a classic 2D Sonic The Hedgehog game where the background is a sunset and coastline.

That's my interpretation. Still, just to be on the safe side, I think you should put in your description what your thought process was going into creating this song. That way I can judge your piece more accurately according to my standards (see the link below), and I won't have to resort to judging by my tastes.

I like the piece, it's quite a charming retro aesthetic to it. :)

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

ItsBurner responds:

Hello, thanks for your thought out answer ;)

I usually don't post lengthy descriptions on here as Newgrounds is not my main "portfolio", but I definitely will next time !

And for the track, I would be lying if I said I wasn't inspired by the 2D Sonic games. Your description is spot on; I wrote this song after listening to some late 80s jazz fuzion with summer, palm tree and beaches in mind. It's about escapism, wanting to leave the urban center for a more relaxed life.

[Enter Mania]

I realize this is a work-in-progress, but so far I think the piece has some depictions of mania that are clear and some that are not. Speaking from my own experience, the dissonance and timbre of some of the instruments are overstimulating and some parts are disproportionately big and grand in atmosphere, much like mania. In that regard, It's quite accurate IMO.

I will say this: to me the tempo is a bit slow and even and the instrumentation is not chaotic enough for when I think of mania. I get that people have different experiences, so I'll give this piece the benefit of the doubt, but I think a bit more chaos and overall tension throughout the piece could really help make the concept you are trying to present show more clearly.

I hope you find this review helpful. :)

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

Celudoc responds:

Thanks for the insight and reccomendation, That gave me an idea that i could mess with percussion rolls while doing sharp tempo changes, ala Xploding Plastix style, if i get around to revisiting this one.

[Black Waltz]

Cool title, and a neat premise! :)

If I may add my two cents: I imagine the hallway is in a castle with a very long carpeted floor, stone walls, and armored mannequins. It's got that "old-world-haunted-castle" tinge to it, IMO. Think Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe. If you don't like his work, please take what I said as a complement, as I mean it as one. The imagery you create is very interesting.

The only flaw see with this is technical. The song ends quite suddenly for a song that doesn't loop. I recommend changing the ending or at least editing the submission info, changing it from "Song" to "Loop."

I hope this feedback is helpful. :)

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

Bansheebutt responds:

Hah, that's pretty much exactly what I was going for.
The character's I was associating this with are themed as chess Rooks and a Royal Guard, so I wanted something classy and sinister.

https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/bansheebot/rook