TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Resurrection 2]

I like the creepy mood at the beginning. The synths sound a bit unpolished and muddy, though. I like the beat, although the reverb is a bit excessive and compromises the quality of the mix. The mix sounds especially distorted at around 1:13. I’d suggest toning down the compression a bit, and also making sure that bass instruments (kick drum, synth bass, etc.) have as little reverb on them as possible - reverb can make the entire mix sound really muddy when it’s applied to the bass frequency range.

Compositionally, the piece is a bit bland, with little in the way of harmonic variety or a sense of development over time. Some stronger melodic content, or at the very least some contrast in the texture (a section that’s more atmospheric, for example), would likely help you out here. The sound design is fittingly ominous and apprehensive-sounding, but nothing too unique or especially engaging. Overall, my favorite element of the piece is probably the mood and atmosphere.

Priority number one for you going forward should be reining in those volume levels at 1:13 - I’m hearing some clipping there, which means there are distortions in the audio signal because the piece is just too loud. Listen to how staticky the texture sounds there, especially when the kick plays on the downbeats. Dialing back the compression, or just the volume levels as a whole, can help limit that distortion. Most DAWs have some sort of bar or gauge in the built-in mixer that will light up in red during playback when your piece is clipping. Ideally, your piece would never go into the red. If you use FL Studio or Logic Pro, PM me and I can give you some more particular advice about dealing with clipping.

Sorry if this review sounds really negative - you have a solid start on the emotional appeal, catchiness, and progression of this piece. But more attention to detail on the mixing and mastering will make your piece sound a lot cleaner, clearer, and well-balanced while making those ominous synth riffs really pop. Keep at it, Harry107! :)

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

[Helios Rio]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the cute instruments. The piece is a tad slow to progress, but I like the crisp beats at :55. In fact, the drums might even be a bit too loud and sharp-sounding compared to the pads and ambiance, as is the bass at 1:21. At some point, some stronger melodic content would’ve been welcome. I also think it would’ve been nice to create some variety in this piece in more ways than just by adding and subtracting instruments over time - phrasing, dynamics, automation, filtering, etc. all pull more emotional weight than just creating a new instrument track after every 4 or 8 bars. In that way, the arrangement felt pretty generic and predictable. Still, the compositional details here - like the way the secondary snare echoes at 2:47 (and other places) and the slight pitch bend at the very end - do help keep me engaged. My favorite elements of the piece by far are the sound design and the mood, although the production quality is pretty clean at the end of the day, despite the balance issues I mentioned earlier. Overall, it’s a solid piece, but it could’ve been a lot more compositionally adventurous. Keep at it, GrahamFr! :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.5/10

GrahamFr responds:

Very thorough and helpful :)

[Creation of a Hexagon]

The progression at the beginning is pretty cool, but the synths sound a tad unpolished and dry. I would suggest reining in the volume levels on the pads a bit and adding some reverb to give it a smoother, atmospheric feel. Otherwise, they take away a bit too much attention from the melodies at :27. I like the quirky drums and the upbeat mood. The transition at :52 was a tad rough, and the contour of the main synth riff there is a bit hard-to-follow and chaotic. The harmonies get a little too busy at 1:06, especially with so many competing rhythmic themes, and overall the arrangement seems a bit thrown-together. The bass-heavy pad at 1:31 is another example of something that’s a little too up-front in the mix, although I like the moving synth line there. Overall, I think the composition is probably the strongest element of the piece, although you might want to consolidate your ideas some more and keep the listener grounded with some more repetition and smoother transitions. All of the mood changes and harmonic shifts of the piece are a little disorienting. Also, the sound design could be a lot cleaner and more varied. With so many similar-sounding 8-bit instruments playing at once, and sometimes in a similar pitch range (like at 1:40), the texture can sound pretty indistinct and bottom-heavy. The volume levels on the pads are a bit too high at some points - you might even be able to solve the balance issues and “indistinct texture” problem at the same time by transposing some of the melodic lines up an octave or two, especially towards the end. Otherwise, I really like the cute mood and percussive elements, and I can tell you have a good sense of harmony too. Better sound design and some more careful structuring will go a long way towards improving your score from me in the future. Keep at it, Glotchalotch! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.5/10

glotch responds:

thanks so much for this feedback! i agree that i tend to have problems with cohesiveness and transitions between ideas. it's definitely a challenge for me sometimes to make something that's more than the sum of its parts.

also about your comments about variation in the synths, i can certainly try to do that, but i can't really get a ton of variation in famitracker, because it emulates the real soundchip from an nes.

(for this reason i also can't add reverb to the drums/noise channel without post-processing in a different daw which i want to try to avoid with famitracker projects. although there is an option to import low fidelity samples that i should probably use next time for drums like a lot of famitracker artists do)

i think probably a better solution like you said would be to have less stuff going on at once. thank you so much for this rundown!! i'll carry this with me for future songs.

[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! :)