TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Dreadful Tempest]

I like the dramatic organ chords and thunder claps at the beginning. It’s pretty difficult to make out the string lines starting at :23 because the mix is so muddy. I know MuseScore doesn’t give you too many options for post-processing, but if you export each instrumental track into Soundtrap separately, you should be able to mix each instrument properly. Specifically, I would say you should use some equalizers to remove some of the lower frequencies in the melodic instruments, leaving more room for the low strings to shine through. In general, until you have access to more advanced mixing tools, it might help to give each instrument a “slot” in the frequency range that other instruments don’t impede on.

Compositionally, the piece is better. The somber woodwind line at :55 is nice, as is the string melody at 1:30. The texture might be a tad too busy by around 1:35 or so, though - I’m detecting some dissonances. I’d also recommend you create a bit more structural variety at some point by stripping away the frantic organ riffs and aim for contrast in the energy level and thickness of the texture over time. Right now, the piece has a near-constant level of intensity over the course of several minutes, which makes it hard to focus after a while. That said, the slow build-up in the organ and string riffs during the last 30 seconds or so was a great way of hitting the piece home.

I can tell you’re a talented composer. I just think you tried to do a bit too much with the harmonic layering here, and it’s also hard to make each instrumental part sound distinct and well-blended in MuseScore alone. Once you feel like you’ve got your arms around the mixing stuff, or if you have more questions, send me a PM and I’ll give you some more feedback. Keep at it, NinjaKing58! ^_^

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

NinjaKing58 responds:

Thanks a ton for your feedback, it definitely helps with showing me where exactly I should focus on as I continue composing in the future! I'll focus hard on getting a handle on the mastering for my pieces as well as work shopping the balancing. I'll study this and someday try to fix the track as well. Thank you for reviewing my track as well as for hosting the competition, it's given me a ton to work with going forward!

[tens / ft. anri]

I like the airy synth riff at the beginning, but it doesn’t seem that well-connected with the cute groove at :11. I like the lyrics, but the vocaloid isn’t very realistic-sounding, and the vocals get very repetitive in the last third or so of the piece. The sound design is strong, but the mixing could be a bit sharper. Especially during the busier sections of this piece, the drums are struggling to pop through the texture. I’d double check to make sure the harmonic instruments don’t have any frequencies below around 200 Hz - if they do, you can remove them with an equalizer. Low frequencies like that are often the source of mud in the final sound output.

Composition-wise, the piece is much better. You clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, and as I mentioned before, the lyrics are quite clever. I think the favorite part is “Corporal like them all / You’ve lost your status as Great Protector! / Why’d you have to go / abandon me for the Outer Layer!?” Also, maybe you meant “corporeal”? Regardless, I also really like the big build-up into 3:05 with the reverb automations.

Overall, solid work on the sound design, atmosphere, and progression here. Polish up the mix a bit and find a vocaloid/vocalist with a bit more range of articulation, and this would easily get a point or two back from me. Keep at it, nighcetis! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

nighcetis responds:

Thank you for your feedback!!

[Mysterious marimbas at midnight]

I like the airy chords at the beginning. The vocals at :11 are a bit jarring at first - maybe some filtering or reverb would help integrate them better into the otherwise tranquil atmosphere of this piece. Otherwise, this piece has a nice mellow beat and some cute, catchy synth lines, but also feels rather minimal and repetitive after a while. The texture gets a little thicker at :46, but the harmonic instruments sound a bit too quiet relative to the percussion, and there isn’t really much in the way of prominent melodic content anywhere in the piece. I would rebalance the section at :46 in the mix so that the harmonies that move the most pitch-wise are the loudest. I’d also suggest adding more layers to the harmonies, especially in the bass and treble ranges. Overall, the sound design and atmosphere of this piece are really enjoyable, but the mixing needs a bit more polish and the composition could’ve been a lot bolder. Still, it’s a catchy beat with some cool instrumentation - I’d encourage you to work on this further, as it has a lot of potential. Keep at it, Nico! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
5.5/10

[Hypocrite]

I like the busy synth riff at the beginning and how you turned the coughing vocal sample into a pretty smooth transition into the section at :08. The drums are a bit overpowering at times - I don’t think you really need to kick drums per beat, nor do you need two snares per beat at :30. The blissful synth melodies are nice, and they really shine through once you strip the beat away at :52. The harmonic content is a bit repetitive after a while, and this piece also has a number of abrupt transitions, like 1:01 and 1:12. The section at 1:44 has a nice air of finality about it, so it was a bit disorienting when there was this long and gradual transition to what sounded like a completely different piece at 2:06. In isolation, the section at 2:06 is also enjoyable, though.

Overall, there are two main concerns I have with this piece: the choppy arrangement and the spammy drums. The harmonic content is a real highlight here, but it doesn’t always feel as prominent as it should because the mix is hijacked by a really busy drum pattern that doesn’t even add much rhythmic appeal. Also, some gradual transitions and a more careful interweaving of the motifs before and after 2:06 could help give this piece a stronger narrative appeal. Otherwise, I still really enjoy the sound design, melodies, and blissful mood of the piece. Keep at it, Newgruondsdsss! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[hibiscus]

I like the airy bell-like pads and crisp beats at the beginning. The quirky lead synth at :17 is also a nice sound design choice - almost sounds like a brass instrument that’s been autotuned. :D The part at 1:04 was good for some structural variety, and the extra layering of harmonies at 1:20 is also pretty cool. There’s a bit of dissonance in the texture at around 1:55. The crackling there sounds like clipping to me, which means you need to rein in your volume levels a bit more. The “peak flow meter” in your DAW mixer should never go into the red. PM me if you don’t know what I mean.

Otherwise, my main concern with the piece is that it doesn’t feel very dynamic. From :17 to 1:08, there isn’t a strong sense of direction in the texture, and the main melodic riff is very repetitive. At some point, it would’ve been nice to switch up that melody - send it into a new octave, or use a different rhythmic pattern, or layer on some added harmonies. You could also create more of a sense of ebb and flow in the texture with some more automations on the backing harmonies - filtering and phasing and such. You switch up the drums at :48, which helps, but the acoustic snare sounds really weak in the mix and probably needs some more compression, especially during the parts where it’s standing alone. Also, make sure the harmonic instruments don’t have any tones below around 200 Hz left in the equalizer after you’re done mixing - that’ll also help the rhythm section shine through the mix better.

Overall, solid effort with the sound design and progression here. The mix could use a bit of polishing, but my primary concern remains the lackluster composition. Still, really neat atmosphere and rhythmic content to this one. You’ve earned a scout. Keep at it, NeverLucid. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

NeverLucid responds:

Well damn didn't expect to get in! Thanks for the feedback on my track, I'll try incorporating it for the knockout rounds. Cheers, see you in the knockouts I guess :]

[/ Cyber Malware]

I like the gritty industrial beats at the beginning and the scream vocals at :11. Maybe a bit more reverb would help take them to the next level - the straight echo effects sound a bit cheesy after a while. The mix holds up really well considering how thick the texture is. I was itching for some more dynamic melodic content at some point, especially after the vocal phrases got a little repetitive. I also found the pseudo-fade out at 1:55 to be a bit disorienting. The switch-up in the instrumental track at 2:34 was good for some structural variety - you dialed back the intensity a bit, but still kept the sinister undertone that underpins the entire piece. Overall, the vocal delivery, sound design, and production quality are really impressive here. The mix is super loud and punchy. The sound design complements the lyrical content really well. The slowed-down vocals at the very end sound super cool. It’s really the lack of variety that bothers me the most here. A bit more structuring - maybe a bridge with a guitar solo or something - could totally send this into the 9-range for me. Rock on, NeuralDelverM! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

NeuralDelverM responds:

I 100% agree on all accounts and your critiques are always so helpful to me! I have had some similar suggestions to add a breakdown/melodic section and it was something I have put off doing. Thanks to TaintedLogic and all the other judges for taking the time to run this event! I look forward to the next round of judging!

[Siren - Namibia]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning, especially the high-pitched chromatic tone (at :07, :24, etc.). The vocal pads (at :11) sound a bit muddy in the mix. You might consider spacing the notes in the chords they’re playing further apart, and also just cutting out some of the lower frequencies in an equalizer.

The piece is pretty slow to develop, and by 2:00 or so I feel like the different synth lines are tripping over each other a bit. This piece definitely needs more contrast in the energy level - an almost-constant instrumental palette and volume for minutes on end is pretty inevitably going to tank listener engagement. The return to the “A” section at 3:29 doesn’t come with too much melodic development or variation on the main riffs either, other than the added rhythmic element of the quirky percussion at 4:13. I like the bouncy riff at 4:38 and the heavy snare at 5:02. Other compositional choices were less favorable for me - like the grating, high-pitched synth at 6:04.

The major problem with this piece is that, for long stretches of time, it just doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. Specifically, it lacks strong, dynamic melodic content. I’d encourage you to aim for loose melody writing that has an “end goal” in mind, whether that’s hitting a certain high note toward the end of the phrase, or quickening the density of the rhythm over time, or otherwise taking the piece in a new direction. Right now, the melodic riffs are very repetitive and cyclical. The result is that your piece sounds like it’s meant to be background music, not a stand-alone track. The very ending of the piece is abrupt, which bolsters my point: instead of a piece with a strong overarching narrative component and a concrete end, it seems like it’s meant to loop ad nauseum.

In terms of applying those principles to this piece, I would both cut out the repetition of the “A” section in the latter half and greatly quicken the pace of each section. This piece could be a compelling 4-minute track with a distinct chorus and bridge, and a more memorable melody that connects the two. Once you feel like you’ve done that (it doesn’t have to be exactly 4 minutes, but you get my point), feel free to PM me again and I’ll give you some more feedback.

Still, I like the sound design, rhythmic content, and eerie mood of the piece. You have a lot of solid compositional details to build on here. The piece just needs to do a better job of standing on its own as a compelling narrative. Keep at it, NamibiaTime! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Thunder]

I like the smooth guitar riff and crisp drums at the beginning. The gritty bass line at :17 is awesome, as is the heavy lead at :33. The production quality holds up really well, too. It might be nice to add a more dynamic melody (vocals would be great!) or at least an atmospheric element in the upper end of the frequency range - right now, the texture is a bit bottom-heavy. I also would’ve liked to see a big solo or bridge to break up the cyclical nature of the verse-chorus structure. I also like the mellow outro at 2:13, though. This piece really comes together well overall. It just needs a stronger sense of overarching development - again, vocals or a big solo towards the end would be a good way to accomplish that. Still, this is probably the best guitar work I’ve seen in the competition so far this year. Rock on, MuuSick! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Stellarity]

I like the quirky pads at the beginning and the filtering effects at :17 or so. The thin, crisp beats at :22 are a nice touch, and I also like the cute melodies at :40, although they don’t quite sit on top of the mix how I want them too. The rhythmic breakdown at 1:10 was good for some structural variety. The part at 1:22 sounds a bit over-compressed, with the piano and, later, the synths at 1:42, sounding really distorted in the mix. Having a sub-bass solo during the breakdown at 2:06 was a bit of a bizarre choice compositionally, but I like the melancholic melody at 2:22, especially when it kinda glitches into a higher register at 2:40. The transition back into the more upbeat pre-chorus at 3:04 was smooth, and the final refrain shortly thereafter hits the piece home nicely.

Overall, there’s a lot to like with this track. The sound design, rhythmic content, and progression are all great. The melodies are enjoyable, and the mix holds up well in most sections of the piece. The odd pacing the middle of the piece with the sub-bass and the distorted section at 1:22 are my biggest complaints here. Otherwise, it’s a really fun, upbeat, and catchy track. Keep it up, MSKID! ^_^

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Break the barrier]

I like the punchy beats at the beginning and the ominous synth line at :12. The call-and-response between the distorted pads and glittery synth at :36 is also nice. There are a lot of good compositional ideas in isolation, but the transitions between them can be a bit abrupt. The texture is very minimal for most of this piece, with the drums occupying most of my attention. Clearly, you have a great sense of rhythm and a strong background in production, but the composition is a bit bland and the mix could also be a tad better balanced between the rhythmic and harmonic elements. I’d focus on cleaning up the choppy arrangement by employing more gradual transitions and also adding harmonic depth and more dynamic melodic content. Your strong production background should help you incorporate additional layers to the texture well. Keep at it, Monkeydj! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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
6.5/10

Monkeydj responds:

Thank you for the feedback! I'll keep it all in mind and try to get better