TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Xtraktor - Shadows]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The texture sounds pretty murky and indistinct - maybe that was intentional, but it might help to get a little stricter with the equalizers, especially on the low end of the frequency range. The progression of this piece is nice, though. I like the energetic drop at 1:08, the full and rich texture, and the cinematic sound design. The part at 2:14 is another moment where the texture sounds seriously distorted by an overly-strained mix. The drums and guitars just don’t come through very well. There’s probably just too much going on below 1000 Hz or so. Cutting off some of the low end with some equalizers, transposing the guitar part up an octave, and dialing down any reverb that’s on the bass or guitar could all help. Also, aspects of the arrangement and sound design (especially the snare) are pretty generic, and later on the harmonic content gets a tad repetitive. That said, I really like how you switched up the final drop, and then turned up the emotional appeal during the piano outro. Overall, stellar compositional skills on display here. Clean up the mix a bit, and this would be a top-tier track. Keep at it, Auryle (you may have tried to trick me by changing your username midway through the competition, but I caught you lol)! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[A Rainbow Of Impossible Colors]

I like the eerie fade-in at the beginning. The glitchy breaks at :14 are a bit harsh-sounding, and the texture here could use more fill in general, but the reverb/filtering automations are pretty cool and help maintain a sense of direction. Some of the transitions are a bit abrupt, like at :53. The following 17 seconds, until 1:10, were a bit disorienting, with a hard-to-follow rhythm and a lot of different sound design elements thrown in there that didn’t blend very well together. The piece stabilizes a bit by 1:12, but I think both the snare and the pads have a bit too much treble. The faller at 1:41 is cool, although the glitchy tremolos at 1:52 were a bit overdone. The strongest aspect of the piece is the production quality - I can hear all the instruments clearly throughout, and the use of mixing effects and automations certainly helps maintain interest over time. In general, the grating and experimental nature of the sound design is pretty off-putting for me. The frequencies need more of a sense of balance, with more bass at times and more mid-range/atmosphere at others. The arrangement can also be pretty choppy here, with the structure of the piece often sounding just as experimental as the texture. Still, I admire the creative rhythmic content, production value, and unique compositional details of this one. The title seems fitting with the evocative, but sometimes overwhelming, attributes of this piece. Keep at it, Artackni! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

Artackni responds:

I guess I'm going with something more melodic and less experimental for following NGUAC rounds lol. That being said, the song really isn't the best.

Whatever. What matters is that I passed the tryouts, even if the score ended up being shitty.

[-Tropperslash-]

I like the gritty bass and atmosphere at the beginning, but the rhythm is a bit hard-to-follow until the beat comes in at :12. Love the organic-sounding snare, though. The texture is a tad minimal, and in particular is missing some upper-mid range frequencies. The filtering on the bass is good, and all the rhythmic effects help keep things somewhat interesting, but the piece could still use some more atmosphere - maybe some additional pads, or at least other mixing effects like reverb. I like the somber-sounding synth line at 2:30, but the texture for the next minute or so is really thin. I think layering on a new melody or at least some more harmonies would really help that section stand out more. I'll commend you on the vocals at around 4:00 and beyond, though - they sound really cool. I also like the dark-sounding chords at 4:46.

Overall, this is a catchy and well-produced track. The composition could use a bit more cohesion - right now it kinda sounds like 3 different tracks - and also more variation in the harmonies. Still, the sound design is neat, and you are clearly making strides on mixing and compositional details like vocal chops. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thank you, so the main problem here is the fact that some parts are too minimal and some what mixing problems
Thanks for the advice!

[water_town]

I'm seriously impressed you made this in 40 minutes. It actually has a decent amount of structuring, dynamic melodies, a pleasant harmonic framework, and some really cute sound design. It's also on theme - I can clearly picture this water town. Seriously, please get someone from the movies portal to make a claymation out of this. Meanwhile, it takes me 40 minutes just to select the instruments I want to use for a track lol. Keep it up, LordAndiso! ^_^

[-Challenger-]

The rhythm is a little hard to follow at the beginning, but it gets easier once the beat comes in at :07. Love the creative percussion and dense rhythmic content. I'm 1,000% sure I've heard that "listen" vocal sample at :35 before - where is it from? I also recognize some other vocal samples that Waterflame has used, haha. :D

Overall, the sound design choices here are pretty good. I like the guitar at :40 in particular. The synth at the very beginning sounds a bit unpolished, though.

I'd say my biggest problem with the piece is that it doesn't feel like it's going anywhere. You've pulled in a lot of different cool samples and beats, but you haven't really told a compelling overarching story. The transition at 1:29 was pretty jarring, too, and then by 1:41 the texture feels very similar to how it was before.

Overall, not your best, but still super catchy, with some solid mixing. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

I saw that one coming lol

Also, the sample listen thing is from songs from waterflame, such as slapstick and Train to nowhere @taintedlogic
Waterflame told me it was from a website called Breakbeat Paradise

[-Shine!-]

I like the drum beat and the cute sound design. The texture oscillates between being a bit too minimal and having some clashing harmonies, like at :54. Also, the rhythmic content of the piece is a bit square at some points. The dreamy atmosphere at 1:43 is nice, although there's still some dissonance in the harmonies there. I like the "let's go!" vocals at 2:43, and the final refrain ties the piece together nicely. Overall, solid production and instrumentation here, but the dissonance was bothering me after a while. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thanks for the critique! I’ll try to work on that!

[HOLDINGBACK]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The bass sits perfectly in the mix. There's a nice sense of build-up into :48. Really catchy beats. The drop at :49 might be a tad over-compressed relative to the rest of the song - it's just a really stark contrast in volume levels. Love the added hat and the more held-out pads during the second refrain, though. If I had to criticize one thing, it might be that the composition is a tad minimal, and that aspects of the arrangement are a bit generic, especially with all the stop-start transitions. Despite that, the production details really shine through, making this a really pleasant and well-balanced listen. Glad you're back, Crysstal! Be well. ^_^

Crysstal712 responds:

my phone's sound is basically none because of cable issues on it, probably gonna actually mix it when i can (not even an excuse there's just no way of mixing it right now lmao)

[-AnxiousBreaks-]

Pretty cool faller at the beginning, and I'm liking the bassy groove at :07 too. The chord at :30 is a bit dissonant, but the sound design is really cool. Almost sounds like a futuristic jungle, with robot animals and chrome-tipped plants. Love the vocal samples near the beginning as well. The piece sounds a bit minimal for most of the second minute, but the harmonies at 2:01 are cool. The intricate rhythms of this one are probably my favorite aspect. The production quality is also really strong. Compositionally, it runs out of steam a bit towards the end, when the harmonies don't get as dense and some of the riffs get a bit repetitive. That said, I really like the instrumentation and eerie, ambient mood. Strong work, dude! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thank you! I’ll let you know when I post another! You do the best at making me improve!

[-Zethrasphere-]

The melody at the beginning is really majestic-sounding, and I like the creative rhythm it has too. The filtering on the drums and the sweeps at around :20 really make for a nice and smooth transition, and then the gritty bass at :25 offers some nice contrast to the otherwise dreamy texture of the piece. The frantic variations in the synth lines at 1:15 are really neat, and they have a nice call-and-response sort of pattern with the lead synth. Later on, the piece switches back pretty rapidly among a lot of different solos, but the sound design and the compositional details (like the whirring effect at 2:12) are still pretty cool. I think this is one of your best songs so far. Really catchy beats with some quirky synths, and the mood is a pleasant blend of cutesy and mysterious. Keep it up, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

WHAT THE FUCK!?

4 and a half stars! IM NOT WATERFLAME BROOOOO