JonathanKonopka's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Dried Ocean]

forboding, cinematic, deep, vast, the higher strings and piano induce hope and worry, contrasting the doomy sensation of the lower strings. very nicely done, thanks for sharing!

Solacitude responds:

It's very pleasing when my artistic decisions have the intended repercussion on the listeners.
Thank you very much for the good words and review!

[Dreams]

I should probably post the review here, not in the forum XD

your Dreams is very bright yet also a bit nostalgic, feels like a child's imagination expanding into new adventures...

I really like ambient music. I also mix orchestra with electronic elements, so I was drawn to this.

Overall, I feel the song is very decent. the risers, development and strings blend well. I'd suggest adding a bit more reverb. I also feel choir and strings could be emotionalized better with the Haas effect (delay set to 25-40 milliseconds). don't forget you can pan instruments / samples to the left or right, which helps widen the soundfield, inducing even more cinematic value,

coincidentally, I recently wrote a guide on cinematic music XD It's below if you're interested.

https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1545661

thanks for sharing!

PotangNG responds:

I've heard about the Haas effect but have yet to try it out. I'll look into it, as well as the reverb you mentioned! I'll take a look at your guide as well, thanks so much!

[Heaven]

(I should probably post the review here, not in the forum)

your Heaven sounds very 90s! I feel like a kid again XD

the song's upbeat tempo and rhythm are nice, with risers and piano amid vocals. the ambiance flows nicely.

Depending on how many plugins you are capable of using, note you can make slight adjustments to each instrument / vocal segment by changing the EQ settings after each group. You can also use reverb. To make your segments sound thicker, wider, and deeper, try using the Haas effect. This is when you use your Delay with milliseconds set from ~25 to ~35, so it doesnt sound like a repeat, but instead induces spaciousness. you can also use a Haas effect from one side only (panned all the way left or right) to induce a certain kind of depth, then duplicate the track and give the other side a slightly different setting of EQ, reverb and Haas effect, ever half min or so.

I hope this helps! Thanks for sharing

Notmyfault09 responds:

Thx for your feedback!! :-)
I was thinking about applying the Haas efffect, but it didn't fit this song well...... perhaps I was using it wrong? Dunno.

[Apocalyptic]

your Apocalyptic blends a soothing rhythm with some suspense, with synths and bass and beat. it feels suitable for a moment in a retro environment, where the hero contemplates a situation...

your repetitive notes also induce motion, keeping the song going.

also, did you add enough compression and reverb? one way to add depth is to duplicate the tracks, lower their volume, and give them extra reverb, to make them like an underscore. slow synths and strings are also useful with the Haas effect (delay set to 25-40 milliseconds, inducing depth and width). you can also pan certain instruments to the left or right, to increase the soundfield.

another way to avoid repetition is to overlap segments with slightly different EQ and reverb settings.

I hope this helps! thank you for sharing!

TheBestMusicMakerEvr responds:

Thanks for the recommendations! I’m definitely using those in future songs for mixing.

[(Physical) Lack Of Control]

sounds like what you'd hear in a N64 game or something, but also the piano and rock gives it this unique touch. you also have some orchestral parts near the end, which was unexpected! the blend of retro, orchestra and rock are a peculiar mix, stands out energetically. are these samples mixed with MIDI?

the blend of multiple genres induce a polyphonic feel, fun and upbeat.

I noticed Newgrounds music tends to lack compression, generally at least 2:1 is necessary to give the audiowaves focus. However, less mixing also often maximizes clarity, so that's useful. Also, don't forget to pan an instrument / track to the left or right, each with different numbers, to help expand panorama--don't hesitate going beyond half to either side!

OK, that's all for tonight, thanks for sharing, and wishing you all the best vibes as you overcome personal issues!

DancarMar responds:

Thank you so much for giving me such detailed advice, and I'm sorry for responding so late.

[Transmission From The Planet Procrastinate]

I noticed your post in the audio forum so decided to hop by.

quite chill and easygoing, a smooth listen for sure! generally, bass is meant to support, not lead, but I can see why you'd experiment with it in this manner.

the song does sound rather flat, did you add enough compression? I think some saturation and EQing would help. you can get free plugins that are a tremendous help.

for starters, for bass, consider EQ settings at:
Ratio: 12:1 (if your EQ can't go that high, try around 6:1)
Attack: 1/32
Release: 1/16

remember: higher ratio + shorter attack + longer release increases aggression and power!

I'm not sure about San Andreas samples so any EQing or a mixing chain for them is adjusted to taste. OK, that's all for tonight! thanks for sharing

[Trust Issues]

*when Ashley Williams gets so mad she starts transforming into a Reaper*

Quarl responds:

She should be happy I didn't leave her ass on Virmire with Kaiden D:<

[Cosmonaut [Chillhop]]

feels like a morning cityscape right after coffee, the ambient noises and progrock feel gives it that dreamy-groovy feel. thanks for sharing!

DreamEater responds:

Thanks for your awesome feedback Jonathan, very much appreciated.

[Luminous Trails (ambient-techno)]

very smooth! kinda feels like going to AfterLife in MassEffect or something XD the fluting parts give it that extra charm, too!
Thanks for sharing

[Urban City]

so much retro and synth! feels like I'm a kid again! the guitar, flute and beat are also nicely done. Newgrounds loves their synth it seems! its quite an iconic style, one that'll never die it seems. the song feels like a racing game and we're all just vibing together. thanks for sharing!