TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Broken Souls Re-Master]

Alright! You’re getting a fresh review on this after the re-master. :) I like the cute piano riff at the beginning. The rimshot at :07 hits a bit too hard imo, especially with the reverb. I think you may have overcorrected a bit for the quiet vocals last time, because now they’re a bit too loud for me. Percussive elements of the mix should almost always come out over the melodic notes, and the bass also sounds a bit too loud here. The louder vocals do help the listener make out the lyrics a bit better, but the blending issues at :50 are still present, and part of the problem may be that the intonation isn’t always perfect. The instrumental track also sounds a bit distorted and over-compressed at times. I do like the structuring in the piece, including the spacey breakdown at 2:18, but I also feel like the mixing effects at 2:32 were a bit overdone. I’m sorry, man. I know you’ve done a lot more work on this since I last reviewed it, but I’m starting to think that the vocal recording might need some more work to get this piece where it needs to be. Still, I like the dark tone of the lyrics and the complementary atmosphere in the instrumental tracks. It’s been a pleasure to listen to your tracks over the course of this competition, and best of luck with your future tracks (and also college!). ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

Quebi responds:

Oh wow, thank you for giving this one a review too! Yeah, I definitely have a lot to learn about vocal processing, it's something I haven't had to do a ton of for sure. The best thing would be to re-record and fix a lot of the problems with the breaths, but that will likely never be possible unfortunately.

[A Long Way Back]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the quirky sound design. The texture seems well-balanced, and I like the phasing/filtered synths. The mix is pretty quiet, though, and I think the kick is a little too prominent in the texture at times. Despite the enjoyable atmosphere, sometimes your instruments don’t blend well together, especially the punchy clap at :30 with the other, more mellow aspects of the texture. There also isn’t a very strong sense of structural variety over time. The new section at 1:14 offers some textural changes, but the piece still has a pretty consistent energy level and thickness of texture. I like the sound design, mood, atmosphere, and harmonic content overall, but I think the composition could be more dynamic. The choir sample at 2:01 sounds pretty inauthentic, and the chord progression at that part is a bit cliche. The piece comes together well by the end with a notable escalation of intensity, and despite the lack of prominent melodic content and my issues with the mixing, there’s a lot to like in the quirky textures and flow here. Keep at it, Shadow-ghost! :)

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

[Saruz - Death of the Pharaoh]

I like the ominous mood and atmosphere at the beginning, but the lead synth there sounds a bit cheesy. The mixing is pretty tight overall, but there’s a tad too much reverb in the texture at some places, especially the busier sections like :26. The lead synth could sound more distinct there, and the call-and-response pattern between the lead and gritty bass at :53 felt a little formulaic and stagnant as a point of arrival/drop. I like the atmospheric bridge in the middle, and the woodwind solo at 1:47 is pretty. I think you could’ve used a smoother transition into 2:13, and I also think that the piece is missing some higher-range frequencies throughout, which turns out to be a missed opportunity later on. The second refrain is very similar to the first, although I liked the outro. Overall, I think the production quality is what I’m most concerned about here, although the composition could use a bit more creativity and variety at the drops. Still, nice job with the mood, atmosphere, sound design, and flow of this one. Keep at it, Saruz! :)

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

[Runa - Higher]

I like the airy synths at the beginning and the crisp and creative percussion at :13. The mix is a tad over-compressed at times (most notably the drums), and some of the synths (especially at :27) were a tad cheesy. The flow is nice, but the piece takes a long time to develop, and doesn’t have a ton of dynamic melodic content. The refrain/drop at 1:10 sounds very chordal and even a bit formulaic. I like the re-intro at 1:38, and the cute riff at 1:52 was nice. I like the variations at the second drop at 2:33, and the piece certainly comes together well by the end. My favorite elements of the piece are the mixing, atmosphere, and flow. I think there are aspects of the piece that could use more originality, especially the drum samples and the chord progression, and also that the rhythm can be quite square sometimes. Overall, though, this is a strong piece with some cool sound design and melodies, and I’ve definitely enjoyed listening to your work over the course of the competition. Keep at it, Runanova! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Runanova responds:

This was the first time I participated to a music contest and I never thought I could go so far!
Thanks a lot to you and all the staff of the contest! <3

[Amplify!]

I like the rhythmic content at the beginning and the sense of climax into :18. The piece has a lot of quirky sound design and a fun, blissful vibe. The mixing is really good, if a tad over-compressed at times. The drop at 1:12 is really groovy, and I like the fun, melodic components at the ends of phrases. I love the cute, mini-melodic phrases at 1:57 too. The breakdown melody is excellent - it sounds so dynamic and refreshing. I love the energy and musical diversity you have packed into this song. Even the drops are varied slightly the second time around. Really smooth track overall, MrKoolTrix. If I had to complain about something, it might be that the arrangement is a bit generic or that you overuse the stop-start transitions after a while. Still, fantastic track overall! Congratulations on your hard work in this competition. ^_^

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

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the review, TaintedLogic! :)

[Requiem]

I like the spacey vibe at the beginning and the phasing synths (at least I’m pretty sure it’s a phasing effect). There’s a nice sense of climax into :36, and the burst of intensity at :57 has a really cathartic vibe. I think the mix could be a bit cleaner at :57, though - the reverb was a tad excessive and the kick didn’t come through as prominently as I wanted it to. I like the vocals there, even if the lyrics were a little cliche. The delay effects starting at 1:37 were a bit overdone, and I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition of the piece a bit more. The one-climax model is hard to pull off, and this is no exception. You’ve done a great job of constructing the atmosphere and flow of this piece, but I think you need some more structuring to maximize the impact of the emotional qualities here. Overall, this piece shows a lot of potential given the rich atmosphere and sound design, but I’m left feeling a little underwhelmed by the composition. Regardless, it’s been a pleasure to listen to your tracks over the course of these last couple months, and best of luck with your future projects, JRTH! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Fire Gold - F*ck Em]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the atmosphere. The percussion is nice and crisp, and the sub-bass and other hiphop influences are incorporated well. The harmonic content is a bit thin, but I like the climax into :58 and the rhythmic content at the drop. The texture is missing some higher-range frequencies, and the minimalism is a bit excessive at times. I like the relaxed bridge with the orchestral instruments at 1:53, and the texture is very well-balanced and clean during this section. The production quality in this piece is strong, but I think there’s room in the mix for some more harmonic content and more compositional risks. Overall, this is a catchy piece with some cool sound design and rhythmic content, but the composition could be a bit more creative and dynamic. Keep at it, Fire-Gold! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
7.75/10

[Hina Harap]

I like the rich chords and fun, danceable vibes at the beginning. Those hi-hat patterns are really cool, although I think the kick sounded a bit thin and high-pitched for my tastes. Some of the other drum samples also sounded pretty generic, but everything was mixed well. There was a nice sense of climax into 1:00, and I like the more melodic flair of that section. I like the filtering at 1:47 and the chaotic, jazzy feel of the section thereafter, although at times the texture seemed like it was bordering on dissonance, especially around 1:51. At 2:32, the claps are rather quiet, but I like the thick, synth-heavy texture throughout that section. I think this piece is missing some higher-range frequencies at times, and also may need more structural variety, as the arrangement feels a bit cyclical after a while here. I liked the thinner, more minimal outro at 3:48. I wonder if it would help the piece to have similar content at a bridge or breakdown, just to break up the intensity of these heavy pads a bit. Overall, though, this is a fun piece with some cool rhythmic content and a great club-ish style. Keep at it, EmoshiLorenzo! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Guilt]

I like the smooth guitar strumming at the beginning and the dark vocals. The mix is really clean and sharp, and the vocals are quite well-balanced with the instrumental tracks. The lyrics have a great conversational tone that make their content feel really personal for me, and the overall tone of the piece is really haunting and ballad-like. You do a great job of gradually leading into the refrain at 1:18. I like the flowy and more mellow vibe of the section at 1:40 too, as well as the more melodic flair of the texture at around 2:06. The transition at 2:22 was a bit sudden, but the burst of intensity there was a great way of providing contrast with the dark, soft-spoken vocals thereafter. You hit the piece home with the second refrain quite well. I liked the dissonant guitar screech at the very end, too. I think your production really has improved a lot in the last year or two, man. This piece is awesome. My only real complaints here - a couple of sudden transitions, some missed opportunities for more variety, some cliche elements of the arrangement - are pretty small details at the end of the day. It’s been a pleasure following your work throughout this competition, and I look forward to keeping up with your upcoming projects as well. Congratulations on your hard work over the past couple months! ^_^ Also, is there anywhere I can download/buy this?

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

dude2312 responds:

I'll send you a copy of the wav file. Let me know what your email is! It is an honor to receive such comments from you, TaintedLogic. Let me know what your email is and I'll send it right away!

Thank you for checking my stuff out.

[Macrocosm [NGUAC Final Submission]]

I like the warm feel of the synths at the beginning and the crisp drums. The mix is well-balanced and clear, but not particularly loud here. I’d suggest exploring some more compression techniques. The piece is a little slow to progress, but I like the emotional appeal of the section at 1:04 and the atmosphere/build-up leading into 2:03. The harmonic content is pretty minimal for a lot of this piece, and I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition here overall. You’ve definitely done a good job of sculpting these phrases, especially the drawn-out risers and snare rolls, even if they were a bit cliche. The section at 3:04 feels like the main arrival point of the entire piece, and I also like the rhythmic variations at 3:34. I also thought it was a smart choice to return to the more airy piano line at the end. Overall, nice job with the production, mixing effects, atmosphere, and flow of this one. I think you played it a bit safe with the composition, though. Regardless, it’s been a pleasure to listen to your tracks over the course of the competition, and best of luck with your future projects! ^_^

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
.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