TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Apocalyptic themes]

Really interesting rhythmic pulse at the beginning - a little hard-to-follow, perhaps. That said, the sound design and composition here is fantastic overall. I especially like the "hoo hoo hah" chanting at around 1:05. The percussion could've been a tad sharper to add some punch in the mix, but otherwise I have no production-related complaints either. I also like how the final theme has a slightly longer fade-out at the end. Overall solid work yet again! Keep it up, Vocif. ^^

[NewGrounds : Demo]

I like the progression and dramatic percussion. Sound quality is a bit muddy - try to use less reverb on those low-end drums. That said, the composition is great. Really lively and climactic. Excellent use of sound design, especially with the subtle electronic elements at :36. Sounds like the end of a chase scene. Strong work!

Junebuggo responds:

Thanks for your criticism! Some of the muddy quality is due to Newground's bad MP3 compression. Also funny thing... those "electronic elements" at 0:36 are actually trumpets on a flutter and fast half step trill XD

[Stay With Me]

Nice use of mixing effects! Some of the drum samples weren't my cup of tea (kick is very treble-heavy, and the clap sounds pretty generic). Compression also might be a little heavy for my tastes. That said, you did a really great job with the vocals - they sound really airy and dynamic. The piece could use a bit more structuring at times, but as it is there's a nice sense of flow and atmosphere. Solid work! Keep it up, man. ^^

[You Are So Beautiful]

I like the rich atmosphere and retro 80s vibe. The pacing is a little slow, and the bass pretty noticeably distorts the beat in places, like at 1:25. While the second half is pretty repetitive and doesn't always have a strong sense of direction, the mood, atmosphere, and mixing details are really evocative and cool. The panning/distortion automation at 3:00 is rather neat, and the sound design here vaguely reminds me of some of Waterflame's old tracks (Hidden Path, for example). Overall, this piece comes off as pretty experimental, with quite a sharp contrast between the first couple of minutes and last 3. Sounds like spending a fun night with a lover - the thrill of the dancefloor, the rush of adrenaline from a party scene, and then later the intimate and introspective experience of falling asleep next to them. Solid stuff, LN! ^^

[No Chill]

Catchy and well-mastered. A little minimalistic for my tastes, but the rhythmic components and vocal samples help keep things engaging. That staggered laugh (2:06 and other places) is really cool. Sometimes, the texture is missing some tones near the top of the frequency range, and the "okay, let's go" vocal line was a bit overused by the end. That said, the flow here is really nice, and you even have some of your trademark distorted rhythmic synths at around 3:30. A little repetitive and generic at times, but it's still going to be stuck in my head for quite a while. Solid work, MegaSphere! ^^

[Lucid]

I love the tranquil atmosphere at the beginning and the swells (like at :33). The sound design and mixing are fantastic as usual with you, and I especially enjoy the mix of orchestral and more synthetic/ambient elements. There's a lot of musical variety here, and I especially like the contrast you draw between the brass solo at 3:40 and the preceding downtempo section. The coda was haunting, a fitting echo of the charisma and cinematic flair of the more energetic sections earlier. Well done, Step! The narrative form of this one is truly engrossing. ^^

Step responds:

I still love your reviews. Thanks so much for leaving a comment, Andrew!

The contrast at the end is something I'm very happy with too. In general, this piece is all about driving a narrative, and if someone were listening to it and couldn't form any kind of story in their head based on what they're hearing, then the song didn't do its job as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks again!

[Dreams]

Bit of a brighter tone to this one than usual for you. I like the creative hi-hat rolls in the background. The kick is pretty heavy, and the attack on those pads at 1:09 is a little too sharp for my tastes. The synths need a little more body here to feel well-balanced against the drums sometimes. Can you send me a screencap of the equalizers on your synths, too? Otherwise, I like the bouncy tone of this one. Attack on the pads is the only thing that actively bothers me.

djRemedy responds:

Thanks dude. Fixed the kick.. tweaked a few things.. still not perfect but I will keep on it. Lol sorry it took so long.

[demo wubs]

The wubs are certainly cool! Rhythmic aspects are nice too. Texture might need a little more fill in places, especially the top end. Some reverb might also help thicken the texture. Maybe the quiet mix in these tracks is more about compression, though. Try putting a screencap of your mixer inputs into the file dump on NG and PM'ing me a link. Pretty good start overall, though. Sound design has a nice and ominous flair. ^^

[demo loops]

I like the crisp percussion and the rhythmic elements. The bass is a little cheesy, but a bigger problem for me is the thin, quiet mix. Try turning the volume on the master down about 5 db when you start your project and then getting back up to par with compression/reverb/other effects during the mastering process. Still, the mix is clean, and I like the progression a lot. Sound design only gets better as the piece goes on - I think my favorite is the atmospheric synth at 1:20. The little risers (like at 1:27) and phasing effects (1:40) are also nice details. Overall, sounds like a solid start to a piece. Let me know when you finish this! ^^

[128-bit QUARANTINE Ft. Abigalia BEAT]

I like the frantic synth riffs at the beginning. The mix is very clean, but also a little dry and thin-sounding. I would try loosening up the Equalizer/filters a bit and try to do more with panning or stereo widening. A little more reverb on the more atmospheric elements would also probably be advisable. The frequency range is pretty well-balanced, but it may also help if there were some more high-pitched tones in the texture. The pauses at around :40 don't work great for me - some reverb would've at least helped maintain the flow. I like the rhythmic elements and the sound design. My biggest problem with the piece is probably the lack of harmonic variety, actually - it just doesn't sound very dynamic, despite being over 4 minutes long. Still, this is a solid foundation, and your mixing has definitely improved: there's no clipping this time, and the compression isn't too heavy. Keep it up, ChronicBurnR! ^^