ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[malfunction]

This is pretty enjoyable, actually!

For the peaking issue, there are a number of ways to prevent digital distortion.
- The quick and dirty way is to chain a compressor or a limiter to the tracks you want to keep in check and set it to -0.1dB threshold. It's *just* enough to avoid clipping.
- The long and more satisfying route, IMHO, is to do some mixing work first, and then, after making sure the master track doesn't peak, compress/boost. I don't recommend normalizing your track soon after exporting it if it's already peaking, because that distortion carries to any volume level. Bass and drums tend to be the loudest elements in most mixes, so make sure to level-adjust and EQ them accordingly.

Hope this is helpful, and I think the track itself is pretty nice! It's melodic, laid-back, and quirky. Keep it up. 💪

xetto responds:

thanks a lot! :)

[What Am I? (NGAIC Layer 2)]

'Tis the Drum and Bass season~ Despite the fairly sizeable number of D&B entries this time around, you love to see the variety! Everyone just sounds so different. This is a hard-hitting track through and through. I imagine it would be perfect for a chase sequence. Really good stuff overall, spot on production and synth work.

[Dreaming Under Metallic Skies]

I was probably one of the first NGAIC peeps to fave this. I remember looping this track a bunch of times without even realizing it. What can I say, I really enjoyed this melodic, yet sparse piano-driven ambiance. Instead of simply focusing on the background synth layers, you decided to paint this vibrant soundscape full of colors and swashes with a spontaneous, almost impromptu quality akin to a live performance. I would almost say "maximalist" in the best sense of the term.

Cryo Chamber could take a few hints from your tracks... 🤭

LD-W responds:

Ayy thanks!
tbh it would be cool at some point to make up some project with more of an 'Aggressive Melodic Industrial' vibe to some ambient and try my luck with the label, as long as the contract isn't too restrictive of course ;)

[NGAIC 2022, Layer 1 - Pariahs & Peonies (INSTRUMENTAL)]

This sounds great! Twinkly, yet warm all-the-same. I'm a sucker for crisp, stabby percussion like that, I'd use it in almost every track. I'd say you've found a pretty good way of blending these closely-related genres together. Keep it up!

TheVodouQueen responds:

TYSM for your review! And glad you enjoyed it! :D

[three]

Short and sweet. I like those swells and bends. They give me a sense of uncertainty and wonder. It's very Berlin School, and the latter half reminds me of a spaceship. Pretty cool!

xetto responds:

Thank you! :)

[Victory of a Soldier]

Really nice, reflective piece. Love those big chords. Your track definitely has a storytelling quality that makes me want to revisit it at various points in my life and look back; see where I am right now, gain perspective, take it all in. Well done.

AceMantra responds:

Thanks for listening! Always happy to see you!

[Astral Awakening (NGAIC Layer 1)]

Holy reverb! Pretty violent Ambient piece you got there. I like the simplistic approach to this. You went with what felt most comfortable to you and drove it all the way home. It's an interesting attitude. Pretty cool!

[The House of Lithriel (COMPLETE)]

This is pretty rad. I've gotten Soul Calibur vibes from this and had a huge, stupid grin on my face the entire time. Good sense of dynamics and progression all-around. Wasn't expecting to hear such an epic piece in the first iceberg layer! Well done.

trunotfals responds:

Nothing makes me happy when I write something and I get the simple response of, "it made me happy."

This is a great compliment, thank you so much! I'm very glad to have shared some joy with you.

[Sunrays [16-bit] ★]

Such a fun track to listen to! Love the funky bassline and overall nostalgic vibes. One can never go wrong with Genesis sounds. Really swell work. Sonic approved.

[YOLO It Like It's 1985 (NGUAC)]

I intended to leave a comment here earlier, but was too tired to do so. This is such a fun piece to listen to! Other than showing you how powerful Omnisphere is as an all-around synth—granted you have plenty of RAM to spare—it's also the kind of track that is as long and as intense as it needs to be. There's no "extra", no frills—everything works as intended, by design. Good job on you for crunching to the very end and not letting this piece go to waste, as it would have indeed been a shame.