SynthGoddess's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[~Fore~ Anarchy (Beat #1)]

To be considered hip-hop, try putting the kick and snare at half-time. Once a beat gets too fast with a higher tempo, it can be hard to render it as hip-hop music. Music like this would be more dance/techno. Maybe you clicked the wrong genre when submitting the song?
All that aside, things in this song were nice. The panning was light, airy, and wonderfully coordinating with the instruments. Transitions into each part were extremely spot on.
1:29 onward is my favorite part of the song. I am a complete sucker for synths that blend well and melodies and chord progressions that sound beautiful. There was no instrument/synth choice that was inappropriate at all-- everything fit perfectly.

The only reason I gave a 4 for it is because, if your genre indication is what you meant to choose, it was totally off. This was a very nice song, but it just wasn't hip-hop or anything like that. It sounded more like a club dance song-- and a very beautiful one at that.

aliaspharow responds:

i agree that it sounds faster now but the tempo is still 110 bpm to be honest. thats why i set it in this genre but i agree that it does not fit... although i still am not sure where to put it. that being said im really glad you like! it seems you're still a sucker for my typical style which i am grateful for ;)

[A Shadow in Tokyo]

This is ridiculous. This is a major throwback to those 90s video game battles. This so pretty cool, I absolutely love the sound design and the main lead/square was executed so nicely.

DanJohansen responds:

Haha awesome that you liked it man, it was so fun to make, haven't made any tracks with these sounds until this one.

[Money- Preview]

This has a good vibe to it, I really really like it. I don't rap much, I sing a tad bit and i feel like I could do a bit to this

HowardWimshurst responds:

cheers dude. If you do fancy recording over it, be sure to share it with me

[-Consonance-]

At 1:00 i was in love with the song. I am a sucker for good lead synths and pads. You executed the melodies and pitch bending perfectly then. I like the structure of this song a lot. The rhythm is actually really good-- I just think it should be a lot stronger and louder. The loudness and strength of the drum patterns really make or break the song. Since you couldnt do much mastering though, I can see where it went wrong. I recommend coming back to this song once you are able to master it-- this could be a really nice song.

sYrge responds:

Thanks a ton :) I really appreciate you going out of your way to give me feedback. Just as with Sunlight, my computer is quite bad, so I might have to get a new computer first if I'm ever going back to this at all.
I had a lot of fun with the melody and the synths (considering I was using serum because serum is very fun) and I'm also getting the hang of basses too, which is a big step for me considering that was the main reason I got it.
But anyway, thanks so much for the feedback. It means a lot. :)

[Door Logic]

The reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because I am really in love with the synths you used and the composition. There are really nice effects here especially with that soft bell-type instrument. Like the guy below me said, though, that bass (which I know is a pad but assume acts as a bass because of its low octave) is really affecting the rest of the instruments. Especially during the chorus it's almost like you have a gater there that's fading the rest of the instruments in and out. It would actually be a really good effect if it was timed correctly. Also, by dynamics, AzureWorm means that the volumes of the instruments are kind of sloppy. The hi-hats are fine and fit well. I actually like them because if they were any softer it would kinda be unnerving. Dynamics include things like limiting, compression, mastering...things like that. All of that has to do with setting a volume for instruments so they don't overpower each other.

In all honesty, the dynamics are actually pretty good until you get to the chorus part. Throw a limiter on the pad/bass and compress that part a little bit and you should be good to go. :) I actually really like this song, the minor technical details aren't bad enough to distract from the entire song, like the guy below me said. I think it's actually really good. :D Keep it up. You have really nice composition skills that can only be enhanced with better technical skills. I can't wait till your next piece.

hex-hammer responds:

Thanks! :D

[~Witz~ Leap of Faith (Electro Mix)]

Here's the deal with this. I listened to some of the key parts that people said were weak, and here are my observations.
1. The kick doesn't need to be any louder. Don't touch that notch. Don't even think about it. You know why? Because this is not hip-hop, this is not drum n bass, this is not dubstep, and this is not techno or dance. In electro house, I've noticed that a kick that has a nicely tamed volume is better than a stronger, overpowering one. If not using fantastic equipment, the kick could easily overpower some of the other more important elements in the song. So with that being said, keep it as is.

2. I love how the synths work together and don't overpower each other. Everything has its place. I love that. You did a beautiful job. The lead synth is not too quiet. It wouldn't hurt to slightly turn it up, but make it any louder and it's gonna distract from the other instruments in the chorus. Since the chorus is gated heavily, making that lead louder is going to do more damage than good. Sure, turn it up a notch and see how it compares, but the way all the other instruments are leveled, it might make for disaster. I think the way you have it now is nearly perfect.

3. Now about that gate for the chorus. The hi-hats are not what is getting lost (because hi-hats that have atmosphere in an electro house song are key), it's the gate/kicks. Somewhere after the beginning, there is a slight tempo conflict with the gated and the kicks. It's very, very slight, but it's enough to raise an eyebrow and make someone question what's going on. The kick seems like it's coming in just milliseconds too late, or the gate is taking effect milliseconds too early. Depending on what program you are working on, you can easily zoom in and see about mistimed instrument loops/melodies that don't correspond with the other objects. That's an easy fix.

4. One quick thing is the glide the lead synth does between the two notes. It's a little too slow. Find a way to quicken the transition of that glide (which is a really nice touch!), and see how you like it. If you don't like it, revert back to hat you originally had here.

4. Overall, other than that thing I mentioned above, this song is gold. I can tell that you spent a lot of time doing this-- you didn't rush. That's always commendable. Details are key, and the mastering is spot on. In a song like this, nothing should overpower anything. Very nice work here.

aliaspharow responds:

lol with this feedback i really do think you do your name justice. I really appreciate all of it. the sidechaining is delayed because of the vst i use in FL (fruity peak controller)... i havnt quite figured out how to sidechain without it... my friend told me to try and use fruity limiter which i actually use in combination with peak controler in this.... didnt really fix the problem. Also I think I'm going to release another version of this song with an alternate chorus so I'll keep you updated :)

[-Starlight-]

How are you only 13 making these types of songs?? Wanna know what I made at 13? Garbage. You have some potential that I haven't seen in someone so young. Wow. Only thing in this song that needs work are the transitions between parts. This song is not redundant at all. You just earned yourself another follower.

sYrge responds:

Thanks :D

[-Sunlight-]

0:23, those stabs got me. Man I wish you didn't have trouble with those drums this would be SOOOO good. The instruments are amazing together. There is no flaw. I was about to comment on the drums but then I read the description. I can tell in the song where the volume can't really be handled by the processor.

THAT DROP AT 2:38!!!!!!!! I was literally looking off in the distance while I was listening to this song and when the drop came I looked at the computer and my mouth dropped. The stab to growl transitions were so good. Soooo good!!!! Those wobbles/growls were AMAZING. It almost makes me upset because it would be so flawless with the drum at proper levels. What program are you using? I might be able to help you. This is an amazing song that was so close to being perfect. But those drumssss!!!

WOW! Please let me know if I can help you at all because you have no idea how much I would love for your song to reach its full potential. Good work, good work!

sYrge responds:

Thank you so much :D I used Serum by xferrecords to make the lead synth and growls, and the DAW I use is Logic Pro 9.

I don't know if there is much you can do for me because Logic itself probably could handle all that stuff, but the computer I use is from 2006 so that's probably the real problem here. I'm also far too young to get a job so I won't be able to get a newer and better computer anytime soon :(

But thanks a lot for the feedback! :)

[Tobu - 7]

My first thought with this song was: What the hell is this person about to do with guitars on a house song. That's....uh....interesting.
When that synth faded in at 0:15, i was hooked. It was crisp, clear, and blended with the guitar sooo nicely. The synths had a nice house gate, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The chord progression is solid and goes throughout the song without being too redundant and boring. 1:45 is where I really start to love the song. The guitar coming in again was great.
You do a great job with the volumes of all the instruments, making sure nothing overpowered anything. I loved this song-- wonderful, wonderful job here, Cryptic.

CrypticSaao responds:

Thank you so much, I'm glad I can make everyone happy. If you want to check out the songs that I make myself go here http://crypt-gd.newgrounds.com/

[...And Then Calm(WIP)]

That synth in the beginning got me. It's so nice, the way it flows throughout the song is great-- keep it that way! The chord progression at 0:54 is great, and the piano coming in at 1:08 works perfectly with the synth!
1:20, great transition!!
I love the direction this song. The beat is perfect. You explicitly say this is a WIP, so I won't say much else. I enjoyed this, this is great! Can't wait for the full version!

SiegWin responds:

Thanks for your input it's much appreciated! I'm hoping to have it done soon so keep an eye out. :D