TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Blackhole Symphony - The Singularity]

I like the foreboding mood at the beginning and the frantic synth line at :11. The mix is a bit muddy, especially at the low end of the frequency spectrum, and the drums are very quiet during the busier sections. You can fix that by adding an equalizer to each instrument in your DAW’s mixer, and then removing the frequencies below 200 Hz for every instrument except the bass and the kick. It might also help add clarity and sharpness to the mix if you put some compression on the drums. There also might be a tad too much reverb in the texture at times. You’ve definitely nailed Dimrain47’s style, though.

The breakdown at :54 was a good idea - certainly helps draw contrast from the more energetic sections of the piece. I also like your transitions throughout this piece, simplistic though they are. The ascending line at 2:00 was a good way of creating variety as well while maintaining the sense of pent-up tension pervading the first half of the piece. There are times when the harmonic framework here could use some more variety, as well as a stronger sense of motion. I’d suggest doing more with filtering and automation to add a sense of ebb and flow over the course of some of the longer, repetitive sections of this piece (like 1:15 to 1:59). The main refrain at 2:53 could also sound a tad more distinct compared to the first one, just to create a sense of overarching development.

Overall, I like the ominous mood, sound design, atmosphere, and rhythmic content here. As for items for improvement, the piece could use some more variety in the texture and a cleaner mix. Keep at it, VoltranixMusic! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Road to the Stars]

I like the relaxing mood at the beginning. It’s a tad difficult to follow the pattern of emphasis in the rhythm until the beat comes in at :40, and I wanted to hear more of the drums and bass during that section. The pads could also use a bit more atmosphere and automation to maintain interest over time. The piece is smooth-flowing, and overall I like the sound design and rhythmic content, but what’s really missing here is some more variety in the harmonies. Dynamic melodies, or at least variations in some of the lead riffs here, would really help jazz up the composition. After a while, it just doesn’t feel like it’s leading much of anywhere. The production quality holds up quite well, though - very clear mix, but also not over-compressed or otherwise distorted. Overall, the compositional details of this could be a bit bolder, but the mixing, sound design, rhythmic content, and progression are solid. Keep at it, V1XTEZz! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

V1XTEZz responds:

Thanks <3

[BLUEDAGGER]

I like the smooth synths and crisp beats at :10. The intro sounds a bit unpolished and out-of-place, though. The mix starts sounding a bit overwhelmed at :32, with the vocals at :56 taking up a bit too much space in particular, but I love the energy and rhythmic content here. There’s a good sense of build-up into 1:26, and the drop is catchy, although you overuse the samples and rhythmic effects a bit. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more variety in the harmonies and instruments. In the future, it would also be helpful if you indicated where some of these samples are from in the author’s description.

The breakdown at 2:32 was a nice touch - really helps draw contrast from the frantic energy of the rest of the piece. The part at 2:55 is another moment where the mix sounds a bit strained. I think you should take a look at the equalizers on the harmonic instruments there and make sure to cut out some of the lower frequencies if you can. Otherwise, the second half of this piece is pretty redundant with the first one. I would’ve liked to see you add variation to the main melodies, and maybe layer on some additional harmonies or a solo or something.

Overall, this track is catchy, smooth-flowing, and has a great, triumphant-sounding mood. The composition could use a bit more variety and depth, the mix needs some more polish in places, and the over-use of vocal samples gets pretty cheesy after a while. Still, you got my foot tapping with this one, and I like how full and rich the texture is throughout. Keep at it, TurboDrivee! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
6.75/10

TurboDrivee responds:

Thank you for this rating dude, I’ve needed an actual rating from an actual producer for a while. I’ll be sure to take these into consideration for my future songs!!!

[Rise]

I like the airy pads at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but the rhythmic content is cool, and I like the crisp beats at :27 too. The piece is a bit slow to progress, though, and I would’ve liked to hear more variety in the harmonies overall. The part at 1:10 with the rich bass and low-mid arpeggios was nice, and the punchier lead synth riff at 1:22 was a creative way of making the piece feel more conclusive towards the end. Overall, the mixing and compositional details here are solid, but at its core this piece could use some more fleshing out. Most of the song sounds pretty minimal and trite, and some bolder melodies and more variety could really take it up a point or two on my scoresheet. Still, I like the instruments and mood of the piece - sounds triumphant, but almost in a taunting kind of way. Keep at it, ttempaa! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
6.75/10

['16 Dopa-Rush]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning, although the delay effects are throwing me off the pattern of emphasis in the rhythm a bit. It would be nice to keep things grounded by introducing the drums earlier IMO. There’s also a lot of reverb and other effects in the texture, and the mix starts to sound a bit strained at around 1:00. I’d suggest using more equalizers, stereo widening, and other tools to help pull apart the different instruments in the track in terms of where they sit in the stereo space. The reverb will make sure they still blend well together, but the mix should sound a lot less distorted then.

That said, the beat at 1:25 does indeed help hold things together, and I like the sense of pent-up energy starting at 2:22 or so. That said, I’m not sure you do too much with that energy. Instead of a big build-up and climax (as I would expect from a song called “dopa rush”), the next major section is a stripped-down atmospheric breakdown at 2:50. The high-pitched synth pad at 3:20 sounds good, and I like how you switched up the drum pattern at 3:47. I like the synth lead at 4:01, but I’d like it to be more upfront in the mix - maybe some more compression and a little less wet reverb would help. That said, there really isn’t much in the way of dynamic melodic content in this piece, although the consistently full texture helps make up for that. The piece ends quite suddenly, though.

Overall, I like the rich atmosphere and sound design of this one a lot. The production quality could be a bit sharper, and the composition could use a bit more spicing up at times. Still, I applaud you for making a track that’s simultaneously evocative, catchy, and spacey. Keep at it, tnvc! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Τα ναυαγια της ψυχης(The Shipwrecks of the Soul)]

I like the crisp drums and soulful guitar riff at the beginning. The guitar isn’t always synced up to the beat perfectly, but maybe you could fix that with tempo automations on the drums. The vocals at :27 are a bit too far back in the mix at times, and also could use some more mixing effects to fill out the atmosphere. Based on the translation, the lyrics are really well-written, and I like the escalation in intensity in the vocals starting at around 1:30. At times, the delivery on the vocals is a bit thin, though, especially when you’re in the higher range. Singing with some taller vowels might help with that. There are also some times where you’re not really holding out the tonal center of the note very well, like at 3:26. That said, I especially like the solo at 4:00 - the subtle build-up to 4:20 is just really nice. The piece could also use some more fill in the texture at some point - most of the time, the mix is pretty minimal, especially for a relatively long track. The ending is also a bit sudden here. Overall, I really like the emotion in the vocals and the melodies of this track. The vocal delivery isn’t perfect, and the composition could use a bit more harmonic depth at times, but the organic sound design is a great treat. Keep at it, thetakis! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Catacombs]

I like the catchy bass riff and beat at the beginning. The filtering on the bass is particularly nice, and the quirky percussion at :11 helps set the scene nicely. I think you start going a tad overboard with the rhythmic effects starting around :30, especially since the piece doesn’t have much else going on harmonically. There are flashes of more tonal content, like the bass riff at 1:07, but overall the texture sounds a little too experimental, and more importantly like it’s not really going anywhere. I wanted to hear a stronger sense of narrative development, especially if you’re going to stick with very minimal and atonal content for the entire piece. The rhythmic content is enjoyable, though, and elements of the sound design sound pretty cool. The composition just needs a lot more depth and variety. Keep at it, TheRealMrPeoples! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
4/10

TheRealMrPeoples responds:

I agree with everything you wrote. I will keep at it. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to listen and give feedback. I so seldom get any that it actually means quite a bit to me. I expect that my making pieces in essentially a vacuum made me complacent. Expect to hear something more complete on my next offering.

Thank you,

Mr. Peoples

This piece was used for the introduction and outro music for this video. Huge thanks to Giant Freaking Robot!
https://youtu.be/48Rtrl6J3SY?si=V4j-GW_Cbi3eaiZ-

[Prowler's Polka]

I like the cute synth melody at the beginning. The mix is very quiet, though - you might need some more compression, or maybe just some volume level adjustments. The bass line at :11 is catchy, but the organ at :22 sounds a bit too harsh and loud relative to the other instruments. I’d suggest using an equalizer to scale back some of the treble tones in the organ. Also, you might want to reduce some of the really low frequencies (200 Hz or less) in the organ and piano as well - that might make it so that you can hear the drums more clearly. Right now, the drums get a little distorted at times, like when the organ is really loud at :43.

That said, I like the church bells at :57 and the quirky synths at 1:08. The transition at 1:08 was a bit rough, and the synth sounds pretty distorted at 1:25 when the bass comes in - that might also be because you left a few too many bass tones in the synth in the equalizer. That said, the structure where you return to the main melodies later on was very effective. It might be nice to vary the melodies more the second time around, but otherwise the composition is pretty enjoyable here. My main concern is the mixing and mastering - the texture of this piece could sound a lot clearer, louder, and more well-balanced. Idk what DAW you use, but please PM me if you want some tips that are particular to either FL Studio or Logic Pro.

Still, this is a catchy piece with some fun sound design and strong melodies. Keep at it, ThePhreshPhrog! You earned my scout. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

ThePhreshPhrog responds:

Thank you for the in depth breakdown, I really appreciate it. I’ll admit I knew the mix was lacking heavily going into it but I’m really new to FL Studio and was unsure how to fix the problems I heard. I’ve composed a few more tracks since then that are probably a step in the right direction. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll be more capable. Thanks for hosting this contest though, I was glad to be a part of it.

[Rainbow Nightsparks]

I like the bright, upbeat mood at the beginning and the cute synths. The chord progression, arrangement, and drums are a bit cliche, but there’s a good sense of build-up over the course of the first 40 seconds or so. The piece could use a bit more variety, especially in the harmonic content, although the breakdown/re-intro part at 1:36 was a good idea. The strongest element of this piece is probably the mixing - I can hear all of the instruments clearly throughout, and the frequencies are well-balanced between bass, mid-range, and treble. The melody at 2:31 is probably the most notable bit of variety in the piece, and putting it towards the end did help give the piece a sense of closure. I found the key change after that to be a bit cheesy, though - I don’t think it added much to the piece at that point. That said, you’ve made a catchy, well-produced, and smooth-flowing track here, Thelxinoe! You could take this track to the next level by using your good sense of harmony and progression to carve out a “B” melody or bridge with a different chord progression at some point. Keep at it! ^_^

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

[TheBroox2000 - SEIZURE (DIRTY Deathstep)]

I like the ominous synth riffs at the beginning. The mix sounds a bit distorted and over-compressed, though. I would’ve liked to hear more of the drums, especially. The build-up into 1:05 is pretty cool, but the drop at 1:06 doesn’t add much in the way of novel harmonic content, and, while elements of the sound design are enjoyable, a lot of it sounds way too loud and distorted in the mix. The bass re-intro at 2:15 was a good idea, and the higher-pitched wubs at 2:38 sound pretty cool. In general, this piece needs a lot more harmonic depth and variety, though - it’s really the same 2 or 3 main riffs for 4.5 minutes, which despite the decent amount of variation in the instrumental palette, is not quite enough. My main problem with the piece is the mixing, though - I seriously think you need to ease back on the compression and rely more on equalizers to help each instrument sound more distinct. Otherwise, the piece is catchy and has a nice, foreboding mood about it. Keep at it, TheBroox2000! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.25/10