TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Everlasting]

I like the distorted texture at the beginning with the pitch-bending and airy piano melodies. The atmosphere at :25 sounds really dreamy between the piano and pads, and the crisp beats at :45 are also a nice touch. The drop at 1:09 has a really warm tone, with the cutesy higher-end “woops” really selling the mood. The breakdown at 2:00 was a welcome dose of structural variety, but also a tad minimal. The high-end sub-bass was a cool idea, though, and I’m enjoying the lead-in to the second drop at 3:20. I like how you layered the more frantic synth line onto the drop the second time around. That riff really helps hit the piece home, while also solidifying this track’s blissful and triumphant mood. But I haven’t even talked about my favorite part of the piece yet: the production quality. The mix sounds so luscious and full, while also having a lot of interest in the high-end, which is in turn well-balanced with the bass and kick. All the instruments are crystal clear throughout. Overall, this is a really strong track, Pryce! Keep up the good work. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
9.25/10

[PEEL THE SCAB]

I like the ominous tone and glitchy effects at the beginning. The rhythmic content and sound design here are great, although the vocoder is a bit cheesy-sounding. I also think the some of the harmonic instruments sound a tad thin in the mix compared to the static-y effects. The vocals start to be a bit overused at 1:14, but the melodies thereafter are really enjoyable. The production quality is solid here as well, with crisp beats and clear instrumentals throughout. Overall, I really like the composition here, and you’re clearly talented at writing melodies and creating quirky atmospheres. You’ve earned a scout for sure! Just please lay off the text-to-speech plug-ins in the future. :) Keep at it, OneBigParadox.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

OneBigParadox responds:

Thank you very much for the feedback!

[Tavern Song]

I like the sound design at the beginning. There are a lot of evocative Nordic-sounding stringed instruments and crisp drums. The instruments sound pretty dry in the mix until the strings come in at :15, though. Perhaps some more reverb and other mixing effects would help fill out the atmosphere a little more. Also, I’d like to see you create variety in this piece in more advanced ways besides just adding and subtracting instruments over time - dynamic contrast, drum fills, automation, etc. Otherwise, some of the transitions here seem a bit abrupt (like at 1:34), although I really liked the one at 1:12. The melodic content here is good, but a little repetitive. Especially later on in the piece, I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodies and harmonic variety. The production quality holds up quite well, though, and as I mentioned the instrumentation here is fantastic. Keep at it, OliRO! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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

OliRO responds:

Thank you so much for this in-depth review! I'm super happy to be part of the Knock-out round and I'll make sure to do some ironing on the aspects you mentioned. I understand that I really need to trade some of the methodical ''square'' knowledge for more wild creativity. I'll push this hard on the second round.

Cheers!

[Fallen Down Nostalgic]

I like the quirky mood at the beginning and the static-y atmosphere. Sounds blissful and yet also circus-like in a way, like it’s portraying a clown slowly going insane. The bass at :48 sounds a bit muddy, although I like the pitch bending and rhythmic content. The piece felt like it needed a bit more energy and drive, though - some drums would’ve been nice. It also ends rather suddenly and doesn’t really feel structurally complete to me. I really like the atmosphere here, and the sound design - while a bit cheesy - grows on me a lot over the course of the piece. You have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression, but I’d like to see you do a bit more with this piece in the structuring and melodic departments - form a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time, stitch a story together, etc. Otherwise, you’ve set up the tension of the piece nicely without really resolving it anywhere. I’d suggest you keep working on this track, though - it has a lot of potential. Keep at it, Octusic! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[What's The Use]

I like the harmonies at the beginning. The vocals and real recorded instruments were a pleasant surprise - I don’t see a lot of tracks with vocals in this competition, but they really add a lot to the piece here. Don’t be afraid to use some more mixing effects here - you could really thicken up the atmosphere of the piece with some more reverb on that cello and make the vocals pop a little more with some compression. Still, I like how your voice is just slightly raspy, but also very clear in the mix. I also like how they’re almost spoken rather than sung, making it seem like you’re performing in a musical or something. The melancholy lyrics fit the instrumental tracks really well, although sometimes it sounds like the instrumentals are tripping over each other a bit, like at :57. The acoustic guitar solos were also a pleasant surprise, although the lead is a tad behind the beat in the recording for the first few bars. The ending is lovely, too. You’ve really sold me on the emotional content here. At times, I felt like you could’ve given the piece a stronger sense of drive with some drums or other rhythmic content, but I can also appreciate the on-theme lack of resolution in the melancholy aspects of the piece. Overall, really admirable work here, Nodle! You’ve earned a scout for sure. Keep it up. ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Dototototo (WIP)]

I like the glitchy mid-range bass at the beginning and the ominous atmosphere. The harmonies are a bit dissonant at times, but I like how the texture thickens up by :46. The crisp, organic-sounding drums were a nice touch, too. The melodies seem a bit meandering and directionless, and the climactic section in the middle drags on for quite a long time without much change in the energy level or instrumentation. The mellow breakdown at 2:12 was a good idea, and the quirky pads there sound warm and rich to contrast the punchy drums and melodies. You hit the piece home nicely at 1:43, although the mix sounds a tad strained there, with the drums not quite as up-front as I would’ve liked to hear. The tempo automations at the very end were really clever, though. Overall, I like the sound design, atmosphere, production quality, and rhythmic content of this one. The compositional details might need some work, though. In particular, I’d like to see a stronger sense of melodic progression earlier on and more variety in the harmonic content and texture. Still, the cute, triumphant mood of the piece seems perfect for a video game soundtrack. Keep at it, NicolasPL64! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

NicolasPL64 responds:

Thank you so much!
Yeah, I should've mastered the track. At least I know I'm in the good way in terms of composition, sadly I didn't have the time for mastering the track or improving the mixing.

[blank.set]

I like the nature sound effects and tranquil piano riffs at the beginning. The automations at :16 were nice, but then the pauses between there and :24 threw me off of the flow a bit. I like the crisp percussion and dreamy guitars at :30, and the quirky beats at :41 really round out the sound design nicely. Sometimes, the treble range sounds a bit harsh in my earbuds, especially at 1:18, but otherwise the production quality is quite strong here as well. Once again, the filtering work at 1:46 is impressive, but I can’t help but feel like the pauses thereafter make the composition feel a bit disjointed here. The distorted texture at the end sounds really neat, though, and overall the piece feels cohesive and light-hearted. The filters cut off a tad too early at the very end of the piece, but that’s a tiny detail. Overall, solid work, Nascent! :)

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Through Time]

I like the mysterious mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The bass at :21 is a little loud, and the chord progression is pretty cliche. The drums also could’ve been a bit sharper in the mix - some more compression couldn’t hurt. You clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression, though. I’m enjoying the sense of build into 1:14. The bass is a bit overpowering at the drop, and again I would’ve liked to see the drums be more up-front in the mix. In general, the loudest instrument at any given time should be the drums. I also would’ve liked to hear some more variation on some of the main riffs later in the piece, just to give it a sense of melodic development. The filtering at the end was a nice touch, though, and you know how to structure a piece pretty well. Overall, you have a good sense of melody, progression, and rhythm, but I would’ve liked to hear some tighter mastering and more variety later on in the piece. Keep at it, MrSpud8! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

MrSpud8 responds:

Thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated

[[Future House] Modern Landscape]

I like the rhythmic content and quirky pads at the beginning. The drum pattern sounds a tad generic, especially the snare, and overall the piece is a bit slow to progress. The synth riff at 1:00 is a lot of fun, though, with the pitch sliding effects and how it sits so up-front in the mix. The frantic melody at 1:31 was also nice, and the texture takes a bit of a darker turn at 1:45. I like how the mix becomes gradually more chaotic until 2:30. The production quality here is solid overall, although in the lead-up to 2:30 the drums get a tad overpowered. I like how the piece “resets” at 2:30 before working its way back up to the chaos of before. Clearly, you have a great sense of rhythm, harmony, and progression. One thing that bothers me about the piece is that most of the variety comes from adding and subtracting instruments over time, as opposed to more advanced methods like filtering, automation, and dynamic contrast. This piece is also a bit of a slow-burner, but you won me over in the end between the flashy synths, creative melodies, and refreshing atmosphere. Keep at it, MRLinkins! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

[Event Exodus: Slime boss]

I like the quirky percussion at the beginning and the cutesy harmonies. The sound design is really neat, but the mix also sounds a bit dry and unpolished. A little more atmosphere - pads, or maybe just reverb - would help fill out the texture a little more, especially later on in the piece. I also think the composition could use some fleshing out here. The piece sounds thinner and less energetic as it goes on, and in a pretty linear fashion too. Instead of throwing the listener directly into the busiest part of the piece, maybe it would help “sell the narrative” of the piece a little more to build up to it in some way. Otherwise, this piece seems to be missing that big climax or “point of arrival” that makes the story behind the track come alive. That said, the instrumentation, rhythmic content, and harmonies are all really impressive here. I hope you keep working on this; it has a lot of potential! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
6.5/10

Mooman380 responds:

Thanks man