TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Dusk]

I like the dreamy pads at the beginning. The drums sound a little generic, but a bigger problem here is the mixing. The pads at :36 are way too loud, and also distort the drums a lot. Notice how the drums sound a lot quieter at :36 than they did before those pads came in? That’s a sign that the texture is getting distorted because you have multiple instruments playing at the same frequency range. You can fix it by adding a compressor to the drums, and then using an equalizer to filter out the bass tones (less than 200 Hertz or so) in the harmonic instruments. I’m sure you can look up “how to use a compressor in LMMS” or “how to use an equalizer in LMMS” to help you navigate the technicalities of your DAW. You also might already be familiar with these mixing tools - you should use them way more often, is the point.

Production aside, I’m enjoying the re-introduction of the dreamy pads at 1:05 and the airy melodies at 1:10. The chord progression is a bit generic, and at some point I might’ve liked to see you shake up the harmonic framework here. Most of the variety in the piece comes from switching out the instruments over time, rather than the note patterns themselves. The result is that the piece sounds very repetitive after a while, and some of the instruments also sound rather unpolished, like the lead at 1:40. I like the arpeggios at 2:02 and the synth bass at 2:16, though.

Sorry if this isn’t a very positive review, but the production quality could be a lot tighter and the composition is a bit bland and repetitive. Overall, my favorite element of the piece is probably the rich atmosphere and upbeat mood. Switching out a few of the cheesier synths might help you double down on the dreamy quality of the piece, too. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece, though. It certainly has potential, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression. When you feel like you’ve implemented some of my feedback, feel free to PM me, and I’ll give you another review. Keep at it, Colin8tor! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6/10

Colin8tor responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback. I found it helpful and really appreciate it.

[ColBreakz - 100.000]

I like the spacey intro and the bouncy synths at :20. The mix is a tad over-compressed for my tastes, but all the instruments sound crisp and clear too. The vocal samples are well-used, and I’m enjoying the build-up into 1:13. The drop was catchy, if a tad minimal, and the filtering work at 2:05 is really nice. I like the mellow and dreamy breakdown, as well as the punchy bridge at 2:33. Aspects of the arrangement, drum samples, and chord progression are pretty generic here, but you’ve certainly kept me engaged with the high energy level and fun sound design. I really like how the tempo accelerates at 3:03, and also how the drop at 3:22 is so distinct from the one earlier. The outro with the cutesy arpeggios was also a nice touch. Overall, this is a really strong track - catchy, well-structured, and full of variety, with some memorable drops and a crisp mix. Keep it up, ColBreakz! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Scourge of the Seven Seas]

Really nice sound design and cinematic flair here. At first, I had a bit of trouble following the meter, but once it’s in 3/4 time at :24 with a strong downbeat, it gets easier. :) I love the majestic choir at :40 and the transition back into the brass melodies at :56. The fast pacing, dramatic tone, and variety in the sound design really make this piece what it is. I love the mood at 1:35 or so - it’s the perfect combination of adventuresome and apprehensive. Despite the slower pace, the part at 2:10 really feels like a grand arrival point for the piece. The melodies are so triumphant, and the choir is simply angelic. I feel like I’m face-to-face with Poseidon himself after weathering the superstorm of the century. Fantastic work, CloakedSoup! Wonderful to have you back in the NGADM. Remind me to catch up with some of your other work from the past couple of years at some point. ^_^

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

[Warpdrive 2]

I liked the fade-in at the beginning. The snare is a bit goofy here - very thin and high-pitched, but also kinda cutesy. There’s a great sense of build into :38, and I like the melodies during the refrain a lot. The mix is a tad over-compressed for my tastes, but otherwise very crisp, clean, and well-balanced. The second drop at 1:30 was also nice, although I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety relative to the first drop. The arrangement and chord progression are both pretty generic here, although the sound design and production quality help make up for that. Overall, kudos on a catchy, well-produced, and upbeat track, CC! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Ozymandias]

I like the echo-y beat and ominous harmonies at the beginning. The mixing could be a tad sharper, though - there might even be too much reverb in the texture here. I like the sound design of the instrumentals a lot, but the vocals sound very artificial and indistinct, and, honestly, seem to be from a pretty low-quality vocoder. Otherwise, the chord progression and other aspects of the arrangement are a tad generic. I really like the ghostly solo at 2:34, but it doesn’t come through in the mix very well due to all the reverb effects and louder harmonies. Overall, really nice work with the instrumentation, moodiness, and atmosphere of the piece. But the vocals don’t quite work for me, and the mix needed to be a lot tighter to emphasize all of the neat compositional details and crisp beats in this piece. Still, it’s a catchy track with a great Halloween-ish vibe. Keep at it, CielOuvert! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6/10

[A New Chapter In Life: 80s Version]

I like the fast-paced drums at the beginning and the synth bass that comes in shortly thereafter. The chords at :17 take up a bit too much space in the mix, though - it might help if you had compressed the drums a bit more. The floaty synths at :27 and :38 help round out the texture nicely, and the organ synth at 1:01 adds a brighter tone to the harmonies. The transition at 1:23 was a tad abrupt, and also rapidly changed the pacing of the piece to a more ambient, pensive, and downtempo track. I like the somewhat more dissonant texture at around 3:10, but otherwise the middle section is a bit bland and repetitive. The transition back to the more uptempo part at 5:02 was similarly abrupt, and this time the dissonance in the texture doesn’t quite work as well for me. The key change at 5:48 was a good idea, but you also tried to do a bit too much with the progression too fast starting at around 6:30. I enjoyed the added percussion at 6:54 and the dreamy outro, although the crash at 6:55 was a bit too drawn-out.

Overall, you have a lot of good ideas here between the atmospheric synth patterns and upbeat, energetic sections. The arrangement is just a tad disjointed, and the mixing could be tighter with some stricter equalizing and maybe slightly less reverb. Still, you’ve displayed a strong sense of storytelling through music here, which is an advanced skill to have. Keep it up, CIEIR! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

CIEIRMusic responds:

First and foremost, thank you for a very thorough review. While I've been given constructive criticism before, this is literally the first time someone has given me vivid detail. Now don't take this the wrong way, but while I do take criticism well, I often am one of the few that try to say things in my defense but that doesn't mean I haven't listened, more or less wanted to tell you my POV on those specific ones.

At 0:17, one of the overall motifs on my music is that I try to do a good build up and I do agree, sometimes yes they do take up too much space. That being said, much of why I didn't compress the drums is that with that specific VST I use for them I extract it separate so I could add reverb and give it that 80s sound. I'm still new to music editing, so up until you pointed it out, I honestly didn't see it as a problem, but you're right.

At 0:27 - 0:38 this is one of the reasons why I keep my music the way it is sometimes. Part of the fun is putting the stuff people would like together with stuff that needs improvement, so the liked stuff would take people more by surprise.

At 1:01 this one I'm both surprised at and proud of. Most of the time whenever I incorporate the organ in my work, I usually incorporate it into something scary. I know kinda cliche, but at the same time, the idea that I am capable of bright stuff with a usually dark instrument is a win all it's own for me.

At 1:23 I was afraid someone would notice that. The most difficult part of my newest works and you can see that in my earlier works, is that I often have difficulty transitioning it seamlessly. I use Audacity for the editing and they have a thing where if you're really good at timing, all you have to do is find the exact location on the audio's timeline by the microsecond and highlight the beginning and end of it before paulstretching it. However get one microsecond wrong and it goes from seamless to somewhat choppy. As seen when it begins at 1:23 and ends at 5:02. My whole thing was to go fast paced, slow, then fast paced again. But you're right that part could use more work. That being said, the original version of this song is much longer, more repetitive and like I said when I entered it, would have been overkill. That being said the overall motif of the middle was more or less what was going on in my head at the time I realized said chapter in my life was going. And while repetition in music, by my own admission can be annoying I believe in this case it's apt. When people think, thoughts are repetitive sometimes. And in that case it dawned on me how much things were beginning to change for me for the better. So I wanted to replicate that process in music. The idea being that I wanted to not just do storytelling, but convey thoughts and emotions through music and sound. To me music, regardless of preferred genre is an emotional medium on top of being an auditory medium. So my main motif of my overall work, tries to convey that even with said repetition. That being said I do agree with your points here with some exception.

At 5:48 with this and a lot of my music, I love doing a high key reprise, it's a bit cliche, but the way I see it if you can't have fun making this stuff, there's no point in making it even if the work is a Mozart level masterpiece or a Salieri.

At 6:30 with that it's another trademark, but essentially a lot of songs I make, I do what I like to call a "Wrap up." in which when I feel the song has played for too long, I give my listeners a break. My way of telling them. "Ok you listened this far, it's almost over." But ya, you're right it could use some work here too.

6:54 Percussion was never really my strong suit, because I'm still learning to get around using more stuff than just snare, bass and crash. So I'm glad this one is to your liking. Personally I like the crash mainly because while yes, it is drawn out, listening to it now, because I stretched it, it kinda (to me at least) gives it sort of a singing bowl feel to it.

In terms of the overall conclusion, I am glad storytelling is my strong suit on this one. I figured if all else, I could at least be able to tell the story of the song. You'd be surprised how many pieces of art have gotten famous and worth $ over the past centuries, over the story of the art rather than the art itself. For example, The Mona Lisa, one of Da Vinci's famous works, didn't get famous until some asshole broke into his house and stole it.


All and all, thanks for a very thorough and in depth look at my work and I suggest you check out my other stuff. I recommend Attack The Nightclub.

Update: I just read my overall judgement on the doc on the forum. I know it wasn't the judges intention, but two things. 1. The last scores including average inadvertently form a 666 pattern. Lol. So even the Devil judges my work. 2. Not sure if the last 2 judges were doing a bit or if that's how the scores work, but I got 2 6.9s which looks an awful like 69. Lol.

[All I Want]

I like the pulsating beats and chopped vocals at the beginning. The vocal samples at :15 are really smooth and well-blended into the rest of the texture, and the drop at :31 is super catchy too. The production quality here is truly impressive, and the chopped-up post-chorus at :48 has a nice punch to it. You might begin overusing the chopped-up vocals at 1:02, but having a more mellow breakdown section at 1:18 was a good idea. Some elements of the arrangement and harmonic framework are a bit generic here, but I’m glad you shook up the drop the second time around at 1:48. The house-inspired outro at 2:20 was a nice idea too, especially with the added percussion. Overall, this is a well-produced track with some flashy synths, catchy beats, and a good use of vocal samples. Keep it up, CHPSK8! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

CHPSK8 responds:

so surprised i made it! considering all of the other incredibly talented artists that I was up against.

[Sprint (loopable)]

I like the catchy synth riffs at the beginning and the crisp beats. The synth arpeggios and 90s-style orchestral hits on the downbeats are also nice additions to the texture. The piece starts getting a tad repetitive after a while, and the chord progression is pretty generic. That said, the sound design and production quality are both really solid. I might’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies at some point, but you still won me over with the full texture, well-balanced harmonies, and flashy synths. The smooth loop is a nice touch, too (I can tell it’s smooth even though you can’t really loop it smoothly on the Newgrounds player). Keep it up, ChordsInMotion! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Clashing Palletes]

The stringed instrument at the beginning is pretty catchy, and the staticky white noise at :07 is cool, even if the attack was a little strong on the latter. At :14, the harmonies work well, but the mix sounds a bit strained. I think there might be a bit too much reverb in the texture, and I’d also suggest looking into adding a compressor on the drums, if that’s an option in Jummbox. The string melodies at :58 are really nice, and the synth riff at 1:12 is really catchy as well. The whole call-and-response structure you have during the middle section of the piece is really fun and engaging. That said, I also enjoyed when you slowed down the pacing at 1:40 and got back to the more melodic content. The arrangement of this piece comes off as a tad disjointed at times, as there are a lot of different sections that play in quick succession. I think the one at 2:25 was a good one to end on, though - it’s energetic and climactic, and complements the outro at 2:39 well. Some of the sound design elements are a bit cheesy, including the sweeps and the (relatively inauthentic) stringed instruments.

I think the biggest problem with the piece is that the texture sounds a bit muddy. An important way I can tell that the mix is not as clean as it could be is that the drums are very hard to hear during the busier sections. There are a lot of ways to go about fixing this, but the most important is probably using what’s called an equalizer, or EQ. You might know this already, but if so I think you need to use them way more often. Basically, every single instrument in your song should use an EQ to filter out all the frequencies below around 200 Hertz, except for the bass and kick drum. You should also try to select and manipulate your instruments so that there aren’t more than 2-3 playing in the same frequency range at a given time, and the visualizer on your EQ is a good way of identifying which instruments are in which frequency ranges. Other mixing techniques you might employ to make the sound quality sharper include panning, compression (especially on the drums), and more advanced techniques like stereo widening.

I’m going over this in detail here because, frankly, I think that this track could be a top-notch piece in this competition if you had paid more attention to the mixing here. Mixing is probably the most technical of the skill sets you need to make electronic music well, but you clearly already have the other ones down. You have a great sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression already. Let me know if you have more questions about mixing. Again, I might not be able to answer Jummbox-specific questions, but you should be able to find YouTube tutorials about how to mix in Jummbox, or more specific things like how to add a compressor to your drums in Jummbox, etc. Best of luck! Keep at it, ButterBees. ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

ButterBees responds:

...thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. Ever since the start of the pandemic and even a little before, I've been trying my absolute hardest to learn all of this myself and to see that the only thing I'm really missing from my music is a better understanding of mixing (something I've never really delved into yet, but definitely will now), it's inspired confidence in me like never before.

This is the best feedback I've ever received from anyone, and it tells me that not only can I reasonably fix and improve my songs from the past, but I can further improve my own style going into the future. I'll look into tutorial videos and try experimenting to my fullest with this knowledge in tow.

I am overwhelmed with emotion right now. You don't know how much this means to me.

Thank you for holding this contest and for inspiring a guy like me to keep my head held high.

[~ DISABLEDspace vol. 1 ~ // 02 LATE NIGHT CITY ZONE ACT 2 //]

I like the eerie atmosphere and vocal samples at the beginning. Ditto for the crisp beats, brass stabs, and synth pads at :20. The mallets at :55 are really ominous, and you begin to overuse them a tad before the echo-y piano comes in at 1:30ish. The texture could’ve used a tad more variety overall - for example, a section where you stripped away the beat entirely and went in a different direction (more atmospheric, or a melodic solo, etc.), at least briefly. That said, I love the sound design and mood of the piece, and the production quality is solid as well. Keep it up, BottomKek! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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
8/10