TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Behind You]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the murky atmosphere. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, but given the lack of fill it doesn’t affect the mix too much. I think there’s a lot of nice pacing here, and I appreciate the elements of atonality. That said, I wanted to hear a stronger sense of structure after a while and a thicker texture. You know how to construct an atmosphere very well, but I wanted to see you take some more risks with the climactic elements of the piece. It doesn’t seem like the piece’s underlying tension is meaningfully escalated or resolved in any way. There’s a lot of potential for some great storytelling here, but I feel like you ended the piece after the first chapter. I’d encourage you to keep working on this one. Keep at it, Dantonsgo! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6/10

[Stellar Sea]

I like the cute melodies at the beginning, although the drums (especially the clap) sound a bit dry and generic. I like the thicker texture at :24, but I would’ve liked to hear a more gradual climax into :48. At the very least, I would’ve added some reverb automation towards the end of the filtering decay so that it’s not a complete stop-start transition. The cute melody instruments and full texture at :48 are really nice, although the chord progression is a bit cliche. I would’ve liked to see you do more with the drums during this section, but the blissful vibe and energy help keep things engaging. Later in the piece, I think you needed some more structuring, though. The energy level in the piece is pretty flat after the 1-minute mark, so you haven’t quite capitalized on the emotional potential of the piece yet. Still, I really like the melodies at 2:57 - they tie the piece together nicely. The outro was cute, despite the sudden cutoff once again. Overall, nice work with the melodies, texture, production, and atmosphere. Some more mixing effects and structural variety would be nice at times to enhance the flavor of the piece. Keep at it, Dag0!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

P.S.: This is my 3,000th review on the site, so that means you get 3 years of good luck! Congratulations! ^_^

[Hills Cube]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning, even if the texture is a bit muddy overall. I think there’s a tad too many high frequencies on the synth at :13 - it sounded a bit unpolished. I like the injection of energy at :40, although the harmonic content could use more variety during the first couple of minutes. The melodies at 1:21 are a bit meandering and lack a strong sense of direction. The rhythmic elements at 1:34 are fun, although I’m not sure the harmonies match up completely well. I also would’ve liked to hear some stronger drums during this section; I think the bass may be distorting them a bit in the mix. You could try compressing the drums a bit more, but you’ll also likely have to get stricter with the bass in the equalizer. I would’ve liked to hear a smoother transition at 2:00, but the return to the blissful melodies there was refreshing. The synth at 2:41 sounds particularly thin and clunky, although overall I like most of the instrumental palette in this piece, even if it was a bit cheesy. Overall, I like the melodies, mood, and rhythmic content of the piece, but I think the mixing could use a bit of tightening and the transitions could be smoother. Keep at it, ClitBait! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Intact - Nathán Dzul]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the blissful piano fills during the intro. The texture at :28 is cute and pizzicato-y, but also pretty full and well-balanced. The mix is a little wide for my tastes, with a lot of heavy panning between the pads and the guitar at :55. I’d recommend using stereo widening - not just panning - to clean up more mix; it’s more of an advanced tool. You also need to get your volume levels under control: there’s some clipping at 3:45 and 3:47. The chord progression and sound design can be a bit generic at times in this piece, although I like a lot of the drum samples, especially the sleigh bells at 1:50. The gritty bass at 1:50 was also a highlight of the instrumental palette. The structure of the piece seems a bit drawn-out sometimes, and there weren’t too many truly dynamic melodies in here either. The piece comes together better towards the end with the dreamy synth at 3:50, even if the melody is still very in-the-chords. The outro seemed a bit short-lived, although I liked the filtering work there.

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
.75/1
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

[Bio - Skyland]

I like the rich texture at the beginning, although the instruments are a bit cheesy and inauthentic. There’s a nice sense of climax into :20, but I think the gritty pads there are both dry and clunky. I think you use chords with the notes spaced too close together there - going for a more open sound, especially towards the beginning of the piece like that - probably would help you fill out the texture more. That said, I like the energetic drums and loud mix. The ghostly synth riff at 1:03 is fun, but I don’t think you took the piece in a very promising direction by 1:23 - it’s the same generic chord progression as the beginning. My main complaint here is the lack of harmonic variety, in fact. You do have some structural variety - like the breakdown at 2:24 - but besides that the melodies are very repetitive, and the chord progression is the same throughout as well. Despite the clear mix, the texture sounds pretty thin at times, although I liked the transition into 3:48. Overall, strong work with the production, sound design, and transitions. Elements of the harmonies and sound design could use some more innovation, though. Keep at it, BioHexagon! :)

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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[Beyond Gravity - Beyond the Horizon NGUAC Entry (Instrumental)]

I like the atmospheric effects at the beginning. The pads at :06 sound a bit cheesy, but once the texture fills out a little more the piece sounds really cool. I think the kick at :33 has a tad too much treble, and the drums could sound a bit wetter to fit with the atmosphere. The saxophone was a nice touch, but I think you could’ve foreshadowed its entry a bit better. The melodies it plays also seem a bit meandering at times. I see what you’re trying to do with the gradual escalation of the piece, but it might help keep the listener grounded a little more if the composition was a bit more drawn-out. I like the more legato melodic elements at 1:52. I think the piece could’ve benefitted from a bit more structuring - the instrumental hierarchy is pretty much the same from around :52 onwards, and the one-climax model is hard to pull off in my experience. I also think you could’ve had a bit more intensity at the emotional height at 1:52. Another layer of harmonies or something beyond the synth arpeggios would’ve really given the piece that extra “oomph”. Regardless, I admire your sense of harmony, progression, and sound design overall. Keep at it, BeyondGravity! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Soulfire]

I like the rich chords at the beginning and the blissful flute melodies at :07. The mix is a little muddy in the low end - there might be a bit too much reverb, or maybe just not enough equalization work. I think some of the instruments are a bit cheesy (especially the brass - you can tell it’s fake), and the piano at :21 strikes me as being a bit undecorated. There’s a great intensity in the texture by around :40, and the melodies at :52 are really cute. That said, the melodies also could’ve been a lot more prominent in the mix. I like the chill breakdown at 1:02, although I think the drums could’ve sounded a lot more distinct. Cutting back on the reverb and adding some more compression might help you there. I would’ve liked to hear more of a gradual transition into 1:45 (and also 1:56 for that matter), but overall the progression of the piece is really pleasant. Despite a lot of distinct sections, the percussion and atmospheric elements tie this piece together well. Towards the end, I think you overuse the crashes a bit, but the piece still feels really conclusive and climactic. The compositional elements of this piece are quite strong overall - the mixing and sound design are my main concerns. Keep at it, aRho! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[[NGUAC 2019] Reminisce]

I like the sharp synth bass at the beginning and the catchy melodies at :13. There’s a good sense of climax into :40, and the energy and drive of the piece really helps keep things engaging. The sound design is a little cliche, especially the drums and lead synth. I also think the strings at 1:10 sound pretty inauthentic, but that section was good for some structural contrast. The airy arpeggios at 1:47 are nice, although I would’ve liked the piano to be a bit more prominent there. The pause at 2:01 was just a tad too long, although I appreciated the variations and additional harmonies at 2:35. Overall, the piece comes together really well, and the blissful mood helps. The ending cuts off a tad suddenly (perhaps you meant to make it loop?), but my main complaint here is probably the lack of originality. Everything from the instruments to the arrangement to the chord progression is largely generic. Still, the emotional quality and danceability are definitely there! Keep at it, 4203. :)

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
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[The last airbender - Azula's Theme]

Nice! I like the choir and the murky bass at :43. The percussion here is rather foreboding, and the brass really adds some punch to the texture. The harmonies at around :25 are especially juicy. My only complaint is that the end seemed a bit rushed, but if it's a straight cover I suppose there's no helping that. Nice work, VociferousMusic! ^^

VociferousMusic responds:

I also think about it that way. But here I literally copied the original soundtrack and only re-built it with my own instruments. So I would say your 'complaint' about the ending would be criticism towards the original composer. :P