TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Mystery Night In The City]

I like the rhythmic content at the beginning and the cutesy sound design. The bass line kinda reminds me of Oye Como Va. The melodic content is nice, but sometimes there’s a little dissonance in the texture between the bass line, the pads with the chromatic descending pattern, and melodies. This piece could also use more structural variety, as it has the same harmonic framework, instrumental hierarchy, and to a large extent energy level for the entire piece. I also thought the ending could’ve been a little more creative than a fade-out. Still, the sound design, mood, mixing, and melodies are strong here. The piece could just use a little more structuring, in addition to some clarity in the harmonic framework. Overall, it’s a groovy piece with a fun, mysterious mood. Keep at it, TimeTravelleR54! :)

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
.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
7.75/10

TimeTravelleR54 responds:

Very thanks for the honestly feedback. I will consider all of this for the near future :)

[Asteroid]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The piano is a little dry and generic, and I’m also not a huge fan of the clap at :16. There’s a good sense of climax into :30, although the mix sounds a bit strained there. I like the build-up into 1:15. There’s a bit of dissonance in the texture at 1:15 in the low-mid range, but I’m having trouble determining exactly which instrument it is. Bit of a bizarre choice to pan the open hat at 2:00 to the right - usually drums should be front-and-center in the mix, except as a transitional or momentary thing. I’m really enjoying the melodies at around 3:00, though. There’s a little more dissonance in the texture at 3:35 between the main melodies and the pads in the background. I might’ve liked to see more variation on the main melody towards the end, and also a proper outro, but overall this piece comes together well compositionally. My main concern remains the mixing - try getting stricter with how you use equalizers, filtering, and the like. Instead of panning the drums, try using stereo widening on the pads. It might also help to cut back on the reverb in places and filter out more of the lower-pitched tones in the pads and melodies. That said, the compositional elements of the piece are really strong, and I like the blissful mood and rich atmosphere of this one. Keep at it, TheTMusic! :)

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

TheTmusic responds:

Thank you for your feedback, I will try to keep it in mind while working on new songs

[Anthropomorphia (Crackerjack's Theme)]

I like the rich texture at the beginning and the quirky percussion at around :10. Some of the synths are a bit cheesy and generic, especially the pads, but I’m enjoying the melodies at :12, and the production quality is also pretty good. I was itching for a little more structural variety by around 1:30, so I enjoyed the groovy new pads at 1:45 and the subsequent modulation at 2:13. The piece still has a pretty consistent energy and dynamics level throughout, though, so it would be nice to see a bridge or breakdown at some point to give the composition a little more shape. Overall, my main concerns with this piece are the cliche synths and lack of variety, and also the mix could be a tad sharper in places if you cut back on the reverb. Still, I enjoyed the melodies, rhythmic content, and progression of this one. Keep at it, TheSentiment! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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
7.75/10

[Police State, Signed CDC]

I like the tranquil atmosphere at the beginning. The texture sounds a tad indistinct, though, and I wonder if it would help if the bass and the lead had more space between them (in terms of pitch, that is). Still, I like the moody vocals at :35 and the burst of intensity at 1:05. It sounds like the crashes there are getting either cut off or distorted somehow, however. The vocals at 1:38 are really well-done, and the return of the moody vocal riff at 2:15 alongside the distorted guitar is a really nice touch. I really like the melodies at 2:45 and the “aftershocks” at 3:15 after the rest of the instrumentals divert to a solemn plucking. The outro was especially captivating, and it also fits the thematic content well - literally sounds like defeat. Overall, I think the production is a tad rough around the edges, but you won me over with the soulful vocals and powerful guitar melodies. Full credit for sound design, structure/transitions, and emotional/atmosphere. Keep it up, TRF! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

TheRealFool responds:

Thank you for the detailed review! I certainly would've done some things about the mix differently, but the file's corrupted so this'll do for now. Glad to hear you appreciated the composition and performances!

[Enchanted (2020 Version)]

I like the blissful mood and the sound design at the beginning. The sudden drop in volume levels in the strings at :27 was a nice touch. I was a little thrown off, however, when the piano and strings tag-teamed it at :41. I guess I found it jarring that the piano didn’t also continue on as part of the texture. Still, that’s a pretty small detail. I like the cutesy instrument at :46 and the burst of energy at :55. The piece comes together well by the end. I wasn’t a huge fan of the thin, inauthentic-sounding snare at 1:09 - it just didn’t vibe well with the character of the piece. Overall, I really like the composition here, from the melodies to the progression to the rhythmic elements, and the production quality is good too. Most of my complaints here are nit-picks. Keep it up, TahtuhChips! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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
8.75/10

ArramEggleston responds:

I completely agree with the piano and the snare. Thanks for the review! :)

[Tony Igy & Vicetone - Astronomia (kallashi! Remix)]

I like the calming mood at the beginning and the sound design. The drums at :23 are really creative, even while the chord progression is pretty cliche. The texture sounds a tad distorted at :40 in the bass range - it might be that the spacing of the chords on those low pads could be wider to give the texture a richer, more open feel. The harmonic content is a little repetitive later in the piece, and the section at 1:33 has the same problem as :40. That said, the production quality is strong here, and the saxophone at 1:56 was a nice touch. Overall, this piece might need a bit more harmonic variety and structuring, but the sound design, atmosphere, and mixing are all strong. Keep at it, Sunglasses909! :)

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
.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
7.25/10

Sunglasses909 responds:

Thank you so much! =D

[Chilling Spot]

I like the energy at the beginning and the bouncy synth melodies at :07. The chord progression is a little cliche, but the rich, bass-heavy texture helps keep things interesting, and the strong melodic content continues in the post-chorus at :42. After a time, the piece might’ve needed a tad more variety in the harmonic framework and instrumental hierarchy, though. Otherwise, it risks bouncing around between a bunch of cool melodies without ever really leading anywhere as an overarching narrative. There were also times when I wanted the drums to be a little more prominent in the mix, and the ending could’ve been a little more creative than a fade-out. Still, I’m really enjoying the rich texture, sound design, and melodies here. Keep at it, Stouf7908! :)

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

stouf7908 responds:

Thanks !!

[Till the last (Remastered)]

I like the fade-in at the beginning with the piano chords, but the synth at :07 sounds a little dry and unpolished. The arpeggios at :21 are cute, but the drums at :35 are a bit generic, and the progression is pretty slow-paced overall here. There’s a good sense of climax into 1:18, and you did a good job of adding some depth to the harmonies in that section. The synths are still pretty cheesy, and the rhythmic framework could use a little more variety. I also think the transitions could’ve been smoother in this piece - 2:15 sticks out as a particularly sudden one. The production quality is pretty good here, and I like the atmosphere of the piece. The synth that comes in at 2:44 is one of the more interesting sound design choices of the piece - almost sounds like a harpsichord. There’s a good sense of climax into 3:14, but I don’t think you really delivered well in that section. I was looking for some prominent melody or rich harmonies that gave the piece a strong sense of conclusion and emotional release. A section like that never really came, and instead the piece feels pretty repetitive by the end. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and atmosphere, but the composition was a little underwhelming and the sound design didn’t quite work for me. Keep at it, StoneForged! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[SoFtBOILeD-Space Dust]

I like the groovy piano riff at the beginning. It has a nice, pensive mood and cool rhythmic emphasis. The synth at :13 is also a nice choice - cutesy, yet also complements the energetic vibe of the piano and drum beat that follows it. Good sense of climax into :40. The piano gets a little lost in the mix at :40, and I think you should use some more advanced mixing tools to make each instrument sound more distinct in the texture - filtering, stereo widening, panning, etc. The distorted mix is also evident at 1:34, and the gritty synths there are a pretty jarring contrast from the light-hearted content of earlier. That said, I really like the layered synth melodies at 2:40 and the following harmonies. I think the transition at 3:20 could’ve been a bit smoother - the sweep and crash combo there sounds like a “Band-Aid” way of bridging the gap between the different textures on either side of the transition. Still, I really like the spacey synth riff at 3:20 and the gradual fade-in of the pads behind it. The progression during this middle section is also pretty strong, although it loses its momentum a bit by around 4:40. The subtle tempo automations at 4:50 are really nice, though. I appreciate the variations on the drop the second time around, and the smooth harmonies at 5:33 are a strong addition to the texture. I would’ve liked to hear a proper outro here, but overall the piece comes together well by the end.

I’ve nitpicked a lot of structural details in this review, but I want to re-emphasize that my main concern here is the mixing. The busier parts of the piece sound pretty muddy and often don’t make enough space for the pads/harmonies in the background. I think you need to be stricter with how you use equalizers - please make sure you’re eliminating all of the frequencies below 200 Hertz or so in every instrument except the bass and kick. Pieces like this with full, rich textures can sound especially distorted in the bass range. If you find you still have multiple instruments playing at the same time at similar pitches, try using stereo widening on the less important instrument. Basically what stereo widening does is it pans the instrument with the mixing insert (ideally pads, arpeggios, or a similar ancillary sound) to the extremes of both ears while leaving the core instrument that’s distorting it (bass, drums, etc.) in the middle, making them both sound clearer in the final export. I guarantee you that whatever DAW you use has some mixing tool that does this. If you happen to use FL Studio, send me a PM and I’ll give you some even more specific tips on this.

Anyway, that’s a lot of words. Overall, strong work on the composition here! There are a lot of cool rhythmic and harmonic details in this piece. Keep at it, SoFtBOILeD! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
7.75/10

[Kavez - Moonlit]

I like the bright pads at the beginning. The rhythm is a little wonky, but it becomes easier to follow once the beat comes in at :12. The flashy synths and groovy rhythmic content at :21 are really nice, and the filtering at :38 was a nice touch. The quirky mood and sound design are definitely perks here, but I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more. There isn’t a ton of variety in the texture after the initial climax. The riff at :57 functions well as an outro, but ideally there would be some more melodic development and shape to the composition before the piece ends. Still, this piece is going to be stuck in my head for a while. You nailed the mixing, instrumentation, and atmosphere. Keep at it, SlyFrost! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10