TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[By Day, By Night (VIP)]

I like the arpeggios at the beginning and the nature sound effects. The dreamy atmosphere at :14 is great, and there’s a nice sense of climax into :41. I love the melodic content at :41, although I thought the bass was a tad too loud. The texture sounds a bit over-compressed at 1:40, but otherwise the slow pulsing vibe that section gave off is great. I also really liked the chill breakdown at 2:48. The jazzy piano at 3:06 came as a bit of a surprise, and I think you could’ve done a better job integrating it with the synths once they came back in at 3:30-ish. This is a tiny detail, but I wish the muted ambiance at 4:10 had more of a sense of shape as a lead in to the melody at 4:21, instead of the simple pick-up note. A simple volume or filtering automation would probably do the trick there. :) My biggest complaint is that the piece feels pretty drawn-out - in part because of some well-used dramatic phrasing and stuff, however. Still, I enjoyed the influx of energy at 4:46. The melodies could’ve used a tad more variation towards the end, but I enjoyed faster rhythmic pace of the harmonies at 5:10. The post-chorus at 5:38 is also a valuable addition to the composition. Overall, this is a really provocative piece between the sound design, melodies, production quality, and use of structural contrast. This track is living, breathing proof that simple melodies are often better, and the dreamy, atmospheric outro was a great way of concluding the piece, too. Keep up the great work, guys! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

stardew responds:

tysm for the review! this is super useful feedback :)

[Oceanic]

I like the jazzy chords and unconventional meter at the beginning. The sound design is really neat, too, and when the bass and beat come in at :24 the texture really starts coming together nicely. The piece could use some more dynamic melodic content, though, as that breathy synth at 1:35 has a pretty square rhythm. The composition gets pretty repetitive after a while, although I like how you switch up the instrumentation with the flute at 2:24. The arrangement of the piece also feels pretty formulaic, with a very regular phrase structure and not a lot of variety in the harmonic content. Some more gradual transitions might also help give the composition a stronger sense of shape and contrast over time. Still, I’m a big fan of the mood, atmosphere, and sound design of this one. Keep at it, Hedrix! :)

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
8/10

[Alexantoro49-DMS]

I like the cute synth riffs at the beginning, but some of the instruments themselves sound a bit unpolished and/or generic. There’s also a lot of white noise in the background in places, like around :10. Production-wise, the mix is pretty quiet, and the arrangement of the piece is very choppy. There are a lot of sudden changes where almost every element of the texture is changed out for something else, like at :52 and 1:56. You clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and melody, but I think you need to give the composition of the track a lot more cohesiveness. It sounds like an entire album full of tracks in one. I want you to work on creating gradual and smooth transitions, ideally with multiple common elements on either side of the transition. Don’t get me wrong - there are a lot of good ideas here, and I can tell you’re a talented composer. It’s just that all the different elements of the piece don’t feel like they’re a part of the same story right now, and the piece as a whole doesn’t have an overarching sense of direction or ambition. I think you need to seriously consolidate some of your ideas here, but regardless I enjoyed the mood, instruments, full texture, and rhythmic content. Keep at it, Alexantoro49! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
0/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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
6/10

Force64 responds:

Thanks for the review, I know that I have to improve so many things :p

[Return]

I like the airy piano riff at the beginning and the sassy strings and dramatic percussion at :06. There’s a great anticipatory vibe about this piece, and the mix is rather well-balanced and clean. Nice job offering some dynamic contrast to the listener at :37. There could’ve been a stronger sense of progression through the breakdown at :37, but I’m enjoying the furtive tension and emotional appeal of that section. I think you could’ve used a stronger transition into 1:25, but I’m liking how the texture comes together a bit more by 1:40. The melodies at 2:05 hit the piece home well. My main complaint here is probably regarding the abrupt transitions. It also couldn’t hurt to flesh out the composition a little more. If you didn’t usurp the texture every 15 seconds, it would help the arrangement feel less choppy. Still, top-notch work with the production quality, sound design, and atmosphere. Keep at it, LunyAlex! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

LunyAlex responds:

Hey, thanks alot for the detailed review!
Very constructive and encouraging simultanously!
Still working on them transitions. I'm happy my mixes seem to be improving slightly.

Thanks again!

[Current]

I like the blissful synth patterns at the beginning and the crisp hi-hats. The piece is a little slow to progress, but there’s a good sense of climax into :41. The melodic content at :41 is a little hard to discern in the mix. It’s pretty quiet relative to the bass and harmonies, and there may be some odd filtering, volume automations, or distortions that are keeping it from cutting through the mix like I wanted it to. After that point, the composition is pretty repetitive, and I wanted to see you flesh out the structure a bit more here. An atmospheric bridge or breakdown would really help add some more shape to this piece. Still, the mood and instruments are cute, and (despite the mixing issues) I enjoyed the melodies. Keep at it, Citriclight! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
7.25/10

[Your World Is Unraveling]

I like the dramatic swell at the beginning. The swell, ticking in the background, and synth on the off-beats combined to give the atmosphere a bit of an ominous feel, so I was surprised when the descending arpeggios at :05 sounded so blissful and cathartic. There’s a good sense of climax into :51, although I think you could’ve used more treble tones in the texture there. The percussion was creative, although I wish the snare was a bit louder and punchier in the mix. In fact, the mix as a whole is pretty quiet, despite the unique sound design and flowing composition. Later in the piece, the strings add a new dimension of wonder, and also lead the climax into 2:09. I think the piece could’ve had some more dynamic melodic content, and the structure could’ve been fleshed out more, but overall you nailed the atmosphere, mood, sound design, and progression. Keep at it, Vocaloutburst! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks a ton for the feedback! This track was made before I got mixing and mastering tools and I also got a better laptop as well, probably gonna remix the whole thing soon. Really glad you enjoyed it!

[Unmotavation]

I like the drums at the beginning and the groovy bass guitar riff that comes in shortly thereafter. The drums sound nice and crisp, and the recording quality is pretty good, although the texture isn’t as full and rich as I would’ve liked. You have a good sense of harmony and progression, but I wanted to see you take some more risks with the composition and flesh out the structure more. The mix is a little quiet, but other than that I don’t have any complaints about the production. This piece just needs a little more harmonic variety, melodic content, and flavor. Keep at it, Jfloyd! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.75/10

Jfloyd responds:

Thanks I really apreciate the time you guys took and the feedback. Just getting into serious recording and the review really helps me to progress. Thanks again

[XenoXenon - Beneath The Sunset]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning and the tasteful use of reverb. The strings at :24 sounded lovely, and the pizzicatos at :37 add a cutesy element to the texture. The piece is a little slow to progress at times, and I would’ve liked to hear some stronger melodic content earlier in the piece, but I appreciated the dynamic contrast you offered at 1:15 and the atmosphere provided by the piano arpeggios. The horn melodies that start fading in at around 1:42 are a valuable addition to the texture, and the percussion helps give the piece some energy and drive during the final section. I think you could’ve gone for a bigger climax towards the end to maximize the emotional qualities here, but I like the cute piano melody at the very end. Production-wise, the texture is pretty well-balanced and clear, although the mix is very quiet throughout. Overall, I think you could’ve taken some more risks here with the composition, but you nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and melodies. Keep at it, XenoXenon! :)

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
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
8.5/10

XenoXenon responds:

Thank you so much for feedback :)

[Neon]

I like the smooth synths and atmosphere at :11, but the vocal sample at the beginning sounds a tad generic and unnecessary. The piece is pretty slow to progress, but the texture is well-balanced and the ascending synth arpeggios in the background add a lot to the piece. I wasn’t a huge fan of your drum samples at :51. The kick has a bit too much treble for my tastes, and the snare is pretty cliche and thin-sounding. The production quality is indeed good, although I think the composition is a bit underwhelming, especially during the first half. I liked the more prominent bass line at 2:18, and the bright stabs at 2:38. That said, the piece is missing some dynamic melodic content and harmonic variety. Despite the lovely atmosphere and fun sound design, I think the composition is pretty bland and flat overall. I’d suggest you keep working on this piece, though. It would change a lot if you simply added a more engaging melody towards the end. Keep at it, quantumdylan! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

quantumdylan responds:

Thank you so much for such a well thought out critique, it means a lot to me. I'm definitely going to take this to heart when I come back to the mix post NGADM.

And yeah, I think this was one of the weakest of the three synthwavey tracks I'd been experimenting with, but it seemed to be the safer option for auditioning and the like. I'm still learning how to make these sort of tracks and good critique is incredibly helpful!

Thanks again, you rock!

[Vivendi Somnium]

I like the soothing atmosphere at the beginning and the crisp drums that come in shortly thereafter. The piece is a little slow to progress, though, and the mix is very quiet. Nice job with the sound design and ambiance, and you had me intrigued regarding the direction of the piece after the quiet section at :56. The piece has a great sense of fluidity, but it also could use a little more structural contrast, especially towards the end. I would’ve loved to hear the atmospheric coalesce into some kind of climactic melodic section, but instead the texture just gradually fades away without any sense of conclusion and resolve. Overall, the sound design, texture, and emotional qualities of the piece are beautiful, and you could really have a top-notch piece here if you flesh out the composition a bit more. Keep at it, SentientZero! :)

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10