TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[00FF 1a]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. They sound a bit thin, but they also mesh well with the percussion and bass. The drums don’t sit very well in the mix, though, and also sound a tad indistinct. At :13, you can tell there’s a lot of reverb on the kick, which is a bit dangerous - putting reverb on instruments with that many bass frequencies can make the texture sound really muddy. The texture remains very minimal throughout, though, and there’s little sense of progression or narrative drive to the piece. Harmonically, you could’ve put a lot more creative energy into the piece. There are long stretches (2:20-3:00, for example) where there are very few moving notes at all. Some of the rhythmic components and drum riffs are cool, like at 1:50, but overall it’s not a very well-rounded composition. The production does feel more well-balanced later on, and is also mastered pretty loud, but there’s also not a lot of “troublesome” instruments mixing-wise (pads, consistent bass lines, etc.). The energy picks up a tad at around 4:30, and I’m enjoying the mysterious mood and sound design, but the lack of harmonic variety and the dragged-out and incremental progression don’t really help the piece keep my interest over these 8 minutes. I understand this is an ambient track, but honestly for this competition you need to demonstrate a broader array of compositional skills to earn a higher score from me. Still, you clearly have a good sense of atmosphere, rhythm, and flow, and the production grows on me the more I listen. The moody, stripped-down outro was a nice touch, too. Keep at it, Geonb! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.75/10

[Sunrise]

I like the nature sound effects and tranquil piano chords at the beginning. The kick drum that fades in at around :20 is pretty generic, and the crash at :32 is a little loud. I like the upbeat mood and synth arpeggios, but I’m pretty sure a lot of those drum samples are FL Studio’s default ones...worth modifying or replacing with something more befitting of the piece. There’s a nice sense of climax into 1:32, and I like the more legato sound of the texture there, as helped by the string pads. I also thought it was a clever choice to filter out the drums at 2:08 momentarily instead of offering a full-length bridge/breakdown. The guitar solo at 2:17 was a nice way of capping off the piece, too. At some point, some more structural or harmonic variety would’ve been appreciated - switching up the chord progression or otherwise changing the tone of the piece. Still, I’m really enjoying the rich texture, upbeat harmonies, and solid production quality of this piece. Keep at it, Fiona! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Snowfall]

I like the mysterious mood at the beginning and the echo-y stringed instruments. The melodies at :38 are really nice. Your sound design choices are great, and there’s a strong sense of progression for most of the piece. It sounds like there are some faint vocals at 1:10, and I wish they came through the mix better because they’re the most dynamic element of the texture at that point in the piece. It also might be that the recording quality isn’t great. My main complaint here is probably with the mixing - it’s pretty quiet, and not always well-balanced as I alluded to earlier. The main melodies might also get a tad repetitive towards the end. The celtic flutes and the melodies themselves are really nice, though. The phrasing choices and sense of ebb-and-flow over the course of the piece make it really stand out in this competition IMO. This is a piece that tells a story, and perfectly captures the sense of wonder at seeing snow, even if you live in a place where it snows all the time. Keep up the good work, Fiddeou! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[The Light]

I like the cool fade-in at the beginning and the echo-y synths toward the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche, and the drum patterns and samples could’ve been more creative. The build-up into 1:02 is also a bit generic. That said, I enjoyed the energy at 1:02 and the element of structural contrast during the comparatively mellow breakdown. The second climactic section at 2:41 could’ve used some more variation compared with the first melody. The sound design is befitting of the piece, but still pretty generic. The production quality, by contrast, is quite exceptionally good, with a loud mix, well-balanced frequencies, and clear and distinct instruments throughout. The composition is effective - you channel the energy well with the build-ups and sweeps, but it’s also lacking in originality. In fact, that’s probably my main complaint with this piece: everything from the arrangement to the sound design to the transitions to the harmonic structure is super cliche here. Some bolder instrumentation choices and quirkier elements of the structuring, build-ups, or melodies would go a long way towards improving this piece IMO. Until then, you’ve got some strong production skills and a good sense of harmony to build off of. Keep at it, Farmobus! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
0/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[Choking Evil Seeds ~ Waterfall Encounter]

I like the frantic, cutesy piano and string riff at the beginning. The choir sample is a bit cheesy, and I think the drums could’ve been more prominent in the mix at times, especially towards the end. The adventuresome mood and strong melodic content really won me over here, though. The mixing is pretty good overall, but I would’ve liked to see you give the bass a bit more room so that the notes could sound more distinct. The piano bridge at 1:38 was also a good idea, and the synth brass at 1:58 was a nice way of driving the piece home. The piece has a really engrossing mood and energy to it, and despite my quarrels with some of the sound design choices towards the beginning, the instrumentation works well at the end of the day. Really fun piece overall, Fantasyck! Keep it up. :D

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Embyeee - Semper Fortis]

I like the dark, echo-y synths at the beginning. The reverb is a tad excessive, but the sub-bass and synths mesh really well together. And those dark beats in turn contrast really nicely with the guitar at :37. The drums might be a tad over-compressed, but once the beat gets busier with the bass and brass stabs, they sit in the mix pretty well. Later on, I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies, and the minimal drop at 2:02 felt a bit anticlimatic. That said, you won me over with the rhythmic content, atmosphere, apprehensive mood, and sound design. Nice work, Embyeee! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Portfolio - Short Main Theme]

I like the graceful flute harmonies at the beginning and the more energetic string lines at :28. The piece has a great sense of gradual climax and a strong melodic flair. The adventurous tone at 1:00 really helped the piece develop further, and it’s around this time that I get a strong sense of just how strong the mixing and mastering of this piece are. Also, you nailed the sound design - the orchestration is very well thought out, and also full of variety. The transition at 2:07 may have been a bit rough, but the percussion helps smooth it over. The ending also sounds a tad inconclusive, but maybe that’s just because you’ve left me wanting a lot more. Overall, fantastic piece, my friend. From the production quality to the composition, sound design to the atmosphere, there’s really not a lot to complain about here. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

Santi-Montali responds:

Thanks! :)

[Taming A Thunderbird]

I like the mysterious mood at the beginning. The chord progression and synths are a bit generic, but the phasing effects on the pads are a nice touch. The melodies at :28 are nice, but the drums sound really constrained and flat. It might be good to give the drums more space in the EQ, and potentially add some more compression. The mixing could be a tad tighter at times - be careful to avoid reverb on the bass notes and be careful to tighten up the EQ on some of the ancillary instruments. I like the progression and melodies a lot, though. As for the sound design, some of the samples are worth polishing or replacing. The drums in particular strike me as pretty generic. Overall, your composition skills are well-developed, earning you a scout from yours truly. But making your own synths or modifying existing presets more carefully could give you a much more refined sound, and the texture could sound a lot more clean and distinct if you spend more time on mixing and mastering. Keep at it, ElektrikBard! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

ElektrikBard responds:

Thanks for your input! I will be performing this song live with 5 other songs by the end of the month :)

[Underworld Interference]

I like the pensive arpeggios at the beginning. The harmonies at :20 don’t come through the mix super well, but the heavy bass at :37 provides a nice injection of energy. I think the drums sound a bit flat - some more compression on them or more space in the EQ seems desirable. Otherwise, the mix stays pretty bottom-heavy for most of the track, even while the texture is pretty minimal for a while. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some melodic content or harmonic variety in this piece. That said, you keep things interesting with the filtering and distortion automations at 2:03. I really like the build-up into 2:40, but by 2:42 it felt a little anticlimactic with the repetition of the main bass riff. I think 2:42 would’ve been a great place to create a real “arrival point” for the track, with a more prominent melody or dramatic drop. That said, I’m enjoying the sound design, apprehensive mood, and progression of the piece overall. I also like how it comes full circle with the re-introduction of those pensive arpeggios towards the end. Overall solid work, Dysutopia12! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[FENGARI]

The saxophone riff at the beginning is really catchy, but the reverb on it is overwhelming, and seriously distorts the mix after a while. I suspect you have a lot of limiters and/or compressors holding this piece together, but the result still sounds pretty harsh at times. The saxophone melodies and heavy synth bass work really well together compositionally, though. It’s just the volume levels and some of the mixing effects that need to be reined in. It’s really hard to hear the harmonies at 1:15 and 3:10, for example. And the reverb “wash back” effect you can hear starting at the 3rd note of the piece is a little much. The rhythmic content of the piece is great, but the main saxophone riffs also get a tad repetitive after a while. There’s little overarching sense of direction to the piece - rather, it just oscillates between the energetic saxophone sections and the verses in between. This track is still really fun overall compositionally, but again, I’d suggest toning down the reverb at the sections where the saxophone is more exposed and giving the harmonies some more breathing room in the mix. All of that said, the sound design, energy, rhythmic content, and melodies in the piece are really enjoyable. Keep at it, DWAAAN! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10