TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Electro Symphony]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the cute synths at :06. The mix is a little quiet, but otherwise well-balanced and clear. The piece is a little slow to progress, and the chord progression gets pretty repetitive after a while of being the main attraction in the texture. There’s a nice sense of climax into 1:23, but the drums sound a bit plain and dry. I like the filler riffs at the end of each mini-phrase of the drop, although you still missed out on incorporating some harmonic variety here. At 2:20, the balance is way off between the kick and the snare. The snare should almost always be louder than the kick. I also would’ve liked to see more variety at the second drop at 2:59. Still, you clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression. I think you just played the composition a little safe here. The sound design, arrangement, and chord progression could all be a bit more original, too. Sorry this isn’t a very positive review - this piece still has solid production quality and a thick, well-balanced texture throughout, and the drops are catchy and fun. Perhaps the details were missing some inspiration, but overall I still think the piece has a lot of potential, and I’d encourage you to keep working on it. Keep at it, TeqLonse! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

TeqLonse responds:

Again, thanks for your opinion. I will keep it in mind.

[My Nearing Dawn]

I like the piano riffs at the beginning, but the instrument itself sounds a bit dry. It could use some reverb or other mixing effects. The bass line is nice, and I like the minimal drums at :24 too, despite their also being dry. The transition at :40 was a little sudden, and the guitar at :43 definitely shifts the mood in a different direction. The frantic piano riff at 1:00 sounds a bit unnatural. Maybe it would help if you put a tad bit of space between the notes. The texture is also pretty thin for a lot of the piece. Some more compression or atmospheric elements might help fill it out. The flute melodies during the second minute are nice, and I like the breakdown at 2:17, despite the abrupt transition at 2:13. I really like the transition at 2:36 back into the main theme of the piece, and the filtering at around the 3-minute mark adds a bit of decoration to a piece whose texture remains pretty dry throughout. I think the transition at 3:48 was pretty rough, and I’m not sure the piece felt conclusive by the end. It does have a pretty experimental texture at times, and some of the quirky drum samples reinforce that idea. I’m not sure I like the rest of the sound design much, tbh. The orchestral/acoustic-sounding elements aren’t very authentic, and you didn’t do much to help the instruments blend well together (reverb, compression, etc.). You clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, but the arrangement of the piece can be choppy at times and the compositional details need a bit of polished. Still, I enjoyed the production quality, pleasant balance of frequencies, mood, and rhythmic content. Keep at it, Tebyricat! :)

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
.25/1
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

[Mystic]

I like the pensive, quirky synths at the beginning and the pads. The minimal percussion also fits the texture well. I think the strings at :24 could’ve sounded a bit more distinct in the texture. The drums are mixed quite well, so it threw me off a bit when a lot of the harmonic tracks could’ve sounded sharper. Excessive reverb might be part of the problem, but the more likely culprit is “loose” equalization. The mix is also a bit quiet overall. I love the sound design and atmosphere of the piece, but I think the composition sounds a bit cyclical and stagnant after a while. I think you needed a more climactic section or some stronger melodic content to hit this piece home at the end. I also didn’t like the ending very much. The instrumental tracks cut out very suddenly at 2:47, and then the fade-out of the drums thereafter came across as a bit lazy. Still, I’m pretty torn about this piece overall because, despite my criticisms, a lot of the instrumentation, rhythmic content, and synth riffs sound really funky and unique. Keep at it, StoneForged! :)

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

[For You]

I like the cute synths at the beginning and the somewhat melancholic nature of the harmonic content there. At :15, the claps are really quiet, and the synths from the beginning get very distorted in the mix. I think you need to get stricter with the equalization and also cut out some reverb on the claps. It might also be a good idea to compress the drums (especially the snare) more, and look into other mixing techniques like panning and stereo widening. I like the climax into :45, and the melodies are blissful and catchy. The chord progression is pretty cliche, but the energy and synths still keep me engaged. The breakdown at 1:24 has a nice emotional appeal to it, and I’m enjoying the additional harmonies at 1:53 as well. Still, 1:53 reveals how muddy the mix is. Please make sure that you don’t have any frequencies below around 200 Hertz in any instruments besides the bass and kick. Low frequencies create the muddiest sounds in your track. Still, I’m enjoying the 2nd refrain at 2:37, and the modulation at 3:07 helps increase the intensity towards the end. I think the modulation at 3:37 was a bit excessive, though - the piece started to sound a bit dragged-out at that point, and it probably would’ve been more effective to vary the melody itself rather than the key. I also think this piece is missing a proper outro - it ends pretty much right after the last refrain. Overall, solid work with the melodic content, progression, and harmonies. My main concerns here are the mixing and the lack of originality. Keep at it, Semicedevine! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Runa - Delta]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning and the distorted vocal samples. The melodic content here is really nice, and there’s a good sense of climax into :45. The section at :45 is pretty minimalistic and bottom-heavy frequency-wise, but I like the rhythmic content and high-pitched ornamentations. The transition into 1:23 was creative, and the thin, pizzicato-y synths there work well. The energetic bridge at 2:08 is a nice touch, too. Despite my complaints regarding the occasionally thin texture and generic compositional and sound design elements, the piece comes together really well with the intensity and melodic content. Overall, this is quite enjoyable piece, Runanova! Keep up the good work. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Let's Dance]

I like the bright pads and energy at the beginning, but I think there are a lot more creative ways of introducing a piece besides a gradual fade-in. There’s also a lot of reverb in the texture. At :31, there’s a bizarre buzzing sound layered under the snap, and I’m not sure if it’s there on purpose or not. It might be some sort of distortion, or it might be there on purpose, but either way I don’t think it fits the character of the piece very well. There’s a good sense of climax into :45, and I like the rhythmic breaks at :51. The drop at 1:16 was pretty nice, although I’m not sure the contrasting moods of the piece (cute, blissful vs. gritty, industrial) were integrated that well. The harmonic content of the piece is also very repetitive after a while, although the breakdown at 2:30 with the strings is refreshing. By around 3:20, the synth arpeggios in the background seem quite loud for an atmospheric effect. The piece comes together pretty well at 3:47 with the melodic variations and thick texture. I still think the chord progression could use some more variation later in the piece, but the harmonic content that’s here is good in and of itself. The composition might need a little more creative energy here, and there are a lot of elements of the sound design and arrangement that are pretty cliche, but overall I’m enjoying the production quality, energy, and full textures. Keep at it, RedMike7! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Stellar Highway]

I like the cute, pizzicato-y synths at the beginning and the sense of climax into :13. That low, phasing synth at :13 is a little cheesy, but there’s a nice sense of energy and balance in the texture, even if the bass is a tad loud. The drums at :38 are pretty over-compressed and also dry, with not a ton of reverb or other “decoration.” I also would’ve liked to see you use more creative ways of creating variety in the piece besides just adding new instruments at regular intervals. There are some more interesting ideas by 1:30 between the filtering and more subtle oscillations in energy level, but I think the kick drum during that section was far too sub-bassy for the relaxed atmosphere there. The spacey section at 1:30 also drags on for a bit too long imo. I like the shift in the emphasis pattern at 2:55 and the tempo automations leading back into 3:22. I think the transition at 3:48 could’ve channeled the energy a bit better - it almost sounded like a fade-out rather than a stop-start transition. I think the piece gets very repetitive by the end, and also has a lot of cliche harmonic themes. I think the drums could’ve been more creative throughout, and overall I think you failed to maximize the emotional potential of the piece. The structure is pretty flat for long sections of the piece, and at times the arrangement feels really formulaic. Still, I’m enjoying the clarity and loudness of the mix, as well as the atmosphere and rhythmic content here. Keep at it, RealGamja! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[Judicious]

I like the cute synths at the beginning and the organ synths on the downbeats. There’s a nice sense of climax into :51, but the progression is a bit gradual until then. I think the snare could be a bit louder, and in fact the mix as a whole is rather quiet. The melodies are nice, but I think the texture could use more legato and/or atmospheric elements so that it sounds richer. The chord progression and risers are a bit cliche, although the structuring is pretty good. I like the re-intro at 1:55. The variations at 2:47 give the piece a good sense of climax towards the end, and I’m also really enjoying the rhythmic attributes of the piece. Overall, this is a cute and uplifting piece with some solid melodies and a clear mix. I think my main complaint here is the lack of originality, as well as the need for more harmonic variety. Keep at it, Przekrosza! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Exuding Exodus]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. There’s also an air of mystery about the piece that I really like. The transition at :15 is a little bizarre - sounds like two separate phrases with very different patterns of emphasis just bled into each other. It’s a creative idea that probably would’ve worked a tad better if there was another prominent element to the texture that remained the same across both phrases. Still, that’s a tiny detail. I’m more concerned about the persistent minimalism in this piece. The composition doesn’t sound very dynamic, and gets rather stagnant after a while with the rather formulaic additions to the texture. I think you needed some more gradual transitions here, and also to remove the creepy bell-like pads at some point to give the piece a stronger sense of structuring. That said, the production quality here is solid (despite a lot of reverb in the texture), and I’m enjoying the harmonies and sound design here too. I still can’t decide if the piece sounds cute or creepy, and I like that ambiguity. Keep at it, Petrol4brains! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

Petrol4brains responds:

Thanks for this super insightful review!

[Dimensional Tunnel - The Passage of Hopes and Dreams (Temp. NGUAC 1-loop upload)]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning, but the choir sample sounds a bit cheesy and inauthentic. The rhythm of the beat at :09 is a little hard to follow, and the synth that comes in at :15 might sound a bit better with a more rounded, legato sound (as opposed to short and pizzicato-y). I think there are a number of sudden transitions in the piece, like at 1:03, and also that the syncopations are a bit overly complicated. Part of the problem could be that the mix is a bit too muddy to make the different instruments sound distinct. I’d suggest cutting back on the reverb at times and getting stricter with the equalizers. The panning you used for the string samples was a good idea, but equalization should usually be the main method for making sure each instrument comes through clearly in the texture. The piece might need a stronger sense of shape and structuring. Gradual transitions, more volume automations and phrasing, and other compositional techniques could help with that. I also think there are multiple melodies at the refrain (e.x., 1:18) that play over each other, which sounds a bit jarring. I was also a little thrown off by the eerie sound effects at 2:16 and 2:30. Still, I think you did a great job overall with the harmonic content and atmosphere here. I’m more concerned about the arrangement, mixing, and sound design, although the instruments do blend well together. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece. It sounds like a really cute VGM track in the making. :) Keep at it, OddaSykes!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
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