TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Endeavor (old/bad production)]

I like the dark atmosphere at the beginning and the cute synth riff at :12. The heavy compression sounds a bit bizarre when paired with the authentic guitar, but the drop at :25 was catchy, if a bit minimal. The mixing is solid, with crisp and well-balanced frequencies throughout. The synth-heavy part at 1:21 has a much richer sound than :25, and also some more engaging rhythmic content. The entire piece could use more fill in the treble range of the frequency spectrum, though, and towards the end of the cutesy breakdown at 2:23 is one of the few places where the texture seems like it really bridges the frequency spectrum. I also would’ve liked to see a bit more harmonic complexity after a time, as the chord progression here was a tad cliche. I like the variations on the second drop, but the piece could do with more of a proper outro. Overall, the production and sound design are probably my favorite elements of the piece. Despite my complaints with some of the compositional details, the eerie mood and gritty synths really won me over here. Keep at it, Entropicvoxels! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
7.75/10

entropicvoxels responds:

thanks!

[Far - Progress]

I like the airy pads at the beginning and the cool chord progression. The arpeggios in the background are a nice touch, too. I like the sense of climax into 1:15 or so, but the drums get a little drowned out in the mix once the texture gets busier. I also think the synth bass at 1:17 is a bit too loud, although that’s more of a volume levels problem than a sound design problem. You’re right that it’s not structurally complete, but you’ve also done a good job of creating a sense of direction over the course of these 2 minutes. With a little more humanization, the pads at the beginning could really have a strong emotional quality. Sometimes, the pace of the chord progression is a tad fast, notably at :19, but by the time it repeats for the third time or so I’m used to it. Really strong work with the instrumentation and atmosphere here, though. Send me a PM if you ever get around to expanding on this one. Keep at it, Electronox! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
7.25/10

Electronox responds:

As always, thank you for your detailed response! A lot of what you have said I am already working on, especially the balancing and structure. I will definitely keep working on it, and I will send it your way when I have finished! Thank you again for your help and I look forward to attending next years music jam!

[Mi Sueño]

I like the cute riser at the beginning and the airy texture with the E-piano and guitar. The vocals are beautiful, and the lyrics have an empowering bent. I like how you mixed English and Spanish - it makes the piece sound more authentic in a way, as a lot of bilingual people I know go back and forth seamlessly. I also like the “phrase overlap” thing you did at 1:23 (and again at 2:42). The piece ends a tad suddenly, and there could’ve been a tad more variety in the instrumental hierarchy throughout. At some point, an instrumental solo or a more prominent return of the E-piano would’ve been a welcome change. Still, the production quality is professional-grade, and I really like seeing your softer side after being more familiar with works like “Guilt” and “You’ll Get Yours” from past years. Keep it up, Dude2312! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

dude2312 responds:

Thank you, TaintedLogic! I am right there with you when you say the song could've been a little bit longer. I was a bit hurried to write something good! But no excuses.

Thank you so much!

[Badge and Trenchcoat]

I like the dark mood and pulsing bass line at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the rhythmic content and atmosphere help keep things engaging. I like the furtive-sounding riff at :50 and the subsequent injection of energy at 1:07. The mixing effects are used really well in this piece, from the phasing and filtering to the rich reverb. The composition gets a little bland after a while, though, with not a lot of harmonic depth. The breakdown at 2:00 or so was a nice change-of-pace, but I think you went a tad overboard with the reverb during the final climactic section at 2:48. The mix is still pretty clean, though, and overall the sound design and atmosphere are some of the strongest elements of this piece. I think you could stand to have a little more ebb-and-flow over the course of some of these longer sections (like 2:48 to 3:55), although that last section did help hit the piece home after a rather mellow middle section. Solid work overall! Keep at it, Ditchy. :)

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Ditchy responds:

Im glad the atmosphere stuck throughout as I try my best to push that area in these sort of tracks! Mixing compliments mean a lot and is a big achievement for me (as you know its the hardest part).

As ever @TaintedLogic, thanks mate - as busy as you are, your feed back is really appreciated.

[Walking on Limestone Planet]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning, but I think it’s a little hard to follow the contour of the melodies. They have a lot of large jumps in terms of pitch. The production quality is pretty strong, with well-balanced harmonies and a clean sound overall. The riser that starts at :32 (and also appears in some other places) strikes me as a bit bland, but I like the rhythmic bridge at :45. The melodies at the 1-minute mark really helped give the piece a sense of direction and catharsis, but I think you also needed a more structurally complete piece to fully capitalize on that. Overall, the mood, sound design, and mixing are all solid, but the composition could use some more fleshing out and attention to detail. Keep at it, DawMii! :)

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Morning Breeze (NGUAC 2020 K-O)]

I like the bright piano chords at the beginning and the atmosphere. The pace of progression is a little slow at first, but the sound design and air of mystery work really well together. I’m enjoying the arpeggios at :48 and the build-up into 1:04. The section at 1:05 is a bit minimal and drawn-out, and I think the lack of fill in the texture made it feel a bit anticlimactic, especially with the call-and-response between the blissful melodies and the rhythmic percussion at 2:07. I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamism and continuity in the melodic content. The breakdown at 3:06 is nice, though, and I also thought the mixing was good here, despite the compression being a bit heavy at 1:05. There’s some nice variety in the instrumentation at 4:23, but I think the piece could also use some more harmonic depth at times. My favorite element of the piece was probably the mood/atmosphere, which often go hand-in-hand imo. Very dreamy and blissful quality that the piece has, and the sound design just reinforces that. Despite my complaints regarding the compositional details, you won me over here with the production quality and instrumentation. Keep at it, Crazy-Unicorn! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Crazy-Unicorn responds:

Thank you for the feedback dude! It'll help me a lot for sure :)

[NGUAC Submission- "That's Why I Stay With You"]

I like the relaxed guitars at the beginning and the vocals at :20. The chord progression is a little generic, but the production quality is really strong and I like how the texture gets richer as the piece goes on. The solos at 1:43 are nice, although during the following refrains there might’ve been a little more harmonic variety. On the other hand, the doubling of the vocals with the guitar at 2:05 did add a soulful bent to the tone of the piece, and I enjoyed the novel riffs at 2:50. I think the volume changes at 3:02 could’ve been a little more gradual - otherwise they come off as a bit unnatural. The slight ritardando and stand-alone vocals at the end work well, but also come off as a bit cliche. Still, the mixing and mastering sound professional, and you’re clearly a talented vocalist and guitarist too. Strong work overall - my main complaint is probably the lack of originality in the arrangement and harmonic structure. Keep at it, ConnorHeather! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

ConnorHeather responds:

Wow what an absolutely great and in depth review! Awesome thank you!

[Racer]

I like the catchy guitar riffs and crisp drums at the beginning. The synth melodies at :28 were a nice touch, too. I especially like the frantic guitar solo at 1:40. Overall, the arrangement gives the piece a constant sense of energy and drive. At some point, it would’ve been nice to have a little more shape and structural contrast with an atmospheric breakdown or mellow bridge or something. I also think there are a lot of long sections where the melodic riffs follow a really predictable on-and-off pattern (example, 2:55 to 3:24). I think it would be more engaging if there was a little more variation in this format within the phrase, and would also help you build up to the more intense sections. Still, the modulations help keep things interesting, and I enjoyed the drawn-out outro. Overall, this is a solid piece. Production quality is especially strong, and the solos really kept me into it despite the harmonic repetitions. Keep at it, Catpocalypse! :)

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Catpocalypse responds:

I appreciate you taking the time to write this review, and thanks for all this good and helpful feedback! Though, I'm not really understanding how this song is repetitive, as the guitar and synth leads are are scattered across all parts of the song for the sole purpose of keeping it interesting.
Also, the constant energy you described is designed to run through the entire song. If I were to relax in any part, the track overall would lose its momentum, and as this is a song about racing, it would ultimately make sense for there to be a constant drive and speed to it.

[Traction Beast]

I like the ominous drone at the beginning and the cutesy plucks that outline the harmonies around it. The progression is pretty slow-paced and the texture rather minimal for a while, but I like the more energetic vibe at around 1:20, and the blissful tone at around 1:50 is a nice mood shift. The tone at 2:02 is a little darker, which fits the lyrics at 2:16 well. The vocals themselves were a bit cheesy - the pitch shifting effect is cool in and of itself, but the vocals were also a bit dry, and could use some more mixing effects to add some intrigue and variety going into the instrumental section at 3:00, especially since the rest of the texture was so bare before that. The sound design and atmosphere are both cool here, but I would’ve liked to see some more harmonic depth at some point. After around 3:15, the snare doesn’t come through the mix very well, although generally the mixing is pretty good here, with mostly well-balanced and distinct frequencies throughout. The atmospheric bridge at 4:00 is another nice detail of the arrangement, and I like the darker tone it takes on by around 4:30. The minimal rhythmic riff at 4:47 seemed a little bland of a follow-up, though, and I would’ve liked to see a more climactic or melodic section later on to hit the piece home. Instead, there’s quite a bit of repetition of the main riffs from earlier, and with all the twists and turns of the arrangement I lose a sense of overarching direction a bit. Overall, the piece has some solid production quality, atmosphere, and a good sense of flow. I think the composition is a little underwhelming, repetitive, and drawn-out at times, but you’re really good at shifting between moods, which is a pretty advanced skill to have. Keep at it, BlighterProductions! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10