This is great :)
Reviews for "AIM - Assault on the Bridge [Cinematic Cyberpunk]"
Holy fuck I have no idea you'd enter AIM. PETER IS OFFICIALLY BACK! :O It's a great honor to compete this contest with a trailer magnate. This track definitely need more views. OMG.
The review: The perc are legit badass, I guess they're HZ Percussion or some 8Dio perc lib. When the brass came it felt like so epic. The sound design is just ho-ly-shit. Interesting part is that your mixing still have your signature atmospheric massive feel (which I also noticed it is also in some of your demo tracks)
This work made my night whole. Thank you for this amazing track. :D You are so well deserved to win.
EvilRaccoon responds:
Hi Bonnot! Thanks for the love! I don't own HZ percussion, on the pick up list eventually! :D It's a combo of a lot of different percussion libraries, some that are bespoke which I created from very large ensembles made. EverErratic below asked what I used so I have listed it there too. :)
I think it's really fascinating when people say they hear my sorta sound. I have little idea of how I get it or how I keep it! XD As you say, it must be to do with what I choose, create and how I balance things! Thank you so much for listening, glad you enjoyed it! Keep well! <3
Wow, much of the sound design is sublime. The percussion is mixed perfectly and it's so satisfying to listen to. The synth leads sound very expressive. The song is loud yet smooth - I'm curious what you did to the master EQ, if anything. Would you mind posting a list of the libraries used?
I have a few trivial gripes:
- The kick in the section starting at 1:08 has too much high end imo. I would much rather feel it than hear it.
- I think the very-high-end of the mix could be reduced by a tiny amount because some elements sound slightly too sharp. When I say tiny amount, I'm thinking of such a small change that it would be difficult to notice.
- The piano notes at 3:47 sound misaligned with the strings because of the different attack times.
This is a fantastic entry and one of my favorites :D
EvilRaccoon responds:
Hi EverErratic. I'm glad you enjoyed this! The track is mixed with a combination of plugins. From SoundToys5, fabfilterProQ. waves, etc.
The mastering is just really a bit of balancing and some slight clarity in the sound, I've been learning to not colour it too much on the mastering. But I used Izotope Ozone 8 Advanced, Fabfilter Compressor, ProQ3 and Limiter on it too.
I agree with your comments and you are spot on about the kick in section 1:08. During composing it was more subtle on the high end, and most likely this has changed during the mix. I should have spotted that - I will most likely change this in the future.
The high end should be alright overall. I have checked it against Tonal Balance during the mix, although I'd be interested in what you are using to listen to this. I have uploaded an image of the balance within the acceptable spectrum, and if anything it tells me it's a little low on the high end. https://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/7ce83e73d81a23b7fb115adeb9fd7e63
You're right about the piano notes and CSS. I maybe should have considered aligning it, sometimes I leave the piano a little loose, a bit of instability within the scene I was thinking with a bit of realism. But you might be right, it could be too misaligned.
Thank you so much for your comments, this sort of focused feedback is absolutely appreciated, and very helpful for moving forward!!
Edit [Libraries used]
Per request, libraries used in this track:
Strings: Cinematic Studio Strings, Music Sampling Soaring Strings, Spitfire Hans Zimmer Strings, Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 1
Brass: Cinesamples CineBrass Pro, Cinesamples Cinebrass Sonore. Audio Imperia Talos Horns and Talos Low Brass. Orchestral Tools JunkieXL Brass. 8Dio Majestica Brass.
Choir: Ethera 1, Jaeger Merethe, 8Dio Lacrimosa, Performance Samples Oceania. Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 1.
Piano: Native Instruments Giant and KeepForest Evo Dragon.
Synth Libraries: Music Sampling Boutique Drums Medusa, 8Dio Phenex Bundle, KeepForest CyberPunk,
Drums Lib: Sentinel Titan (Custom Made drum from several libraries). Cinesamples Drums of War, Gravity, JXL Percussion (Custom made), Keep Forest Classic Trailer Toolkit, Action Strikes, KeepForest Cyber Punk,
Effects: Keep Forest CyberPunk, DosComp Whooshes, 8Dio Phenex Bundle, Keepforest Cinematic Downfalls, KeepForest Classic Trailer Toolkit, Zero-G Impact Designer, Keep Forest Devastator, Sentinel Risers (Custom Risers from recordings I made).
Synths: U-He Zebra, U-he Dark Zebra, U-he Diva and Native Instruments Massive.