TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Ásum - Black Dog [Dance/Dubstep]]

I like the catchy synths and rhythmic content at the beginning. The drums are pretty overpowering, especially early in the piece when there isn’t much else going on in the texture. The mix is overall pretty strong, but you may have used a tad too much reverb. The melodic content at :55 is cool, and I like the sound design in this piece a lot. I think it’s missing a climactic melodic section or drop, though. It has a strong sense of continuity and flow, but not a lot of shape in the composition. The breakdown at 1:53 was good for some structural contrast, but after that you don’t do a lot with the harmonic development in this piece. The section from 2:11 to the end feels relatively bland and thin-textured, which was a pretty big disappointment to be honest. The piece doesn’t really come together to resolve some of the underlying tension, or at least offer an emotional height and/or moment of catharsis. The riser at 3:38 was a little melodramatic, and didn’t really lead much of anywhere. The synth at 4:17 sounded both unnecessary and harsh in the mix. Overall, you nailed the production quality, mood, atmosphere, and sound design, but the composition was a bit lacking, especially towards the end. Keep at it, DarkInRed! :)

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

DarkInRed responds:

Thanks for review!

[Hide & Seek]

I like the beat at the beginning. The synth at :03 seems a little undecorated and simplistic, as if it’s made of only a couple of oscillators. The vocals are certainly interesting. Really quirky and experimental vibe here. I’m enjoying the atmosphere and the delay effects on the vocal samples, and the guitar riff that comes in intermittently starting at :42 fits the somewhat uncertain-sounding nature of the texture well. The texture feels somewhat minimal at times, lacking bass tones when the one lower-frequency riff cuts off. That said, I like the thicker feel of the mix by around 1:36, and the production quality is clean here throughout. The melodic content in the vocals is really cool, but I wish you hit the piece home a little more towards the end a little more with another emotional height. This one-climax model here seems a bit compositionally risky, although the quaint atmosphere does keep me engaged here until the end. This is by far the most unique-sounding piece I’ve reviewed so far for this composition. Rather haunting tune overall, my friend. Really sweet sound design, production value, and rich atmosphere. May I ask what the lyrics? The reverb makes them a little hard to make out. Either way, I sincerely hope the other judges will agree that you deserve a spot in the next round. Really provocative piece, man. Keep up the good work! ^_^

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

[Experimental Sound Test #26.3]

I like the pensive atmosphere at the beginning and the dreamy synths. The warm pads at :33 are a nice touch, too, but completely drown out the other instrument. Maybe you could try using some stereo widening to keep the lower-pitched rhythmic elements of the texture front-and-center here? Either way, the progression of this piece is very slow-paced. I like the synth at 1:50 too, but the entire track is very slow to build up to any sort of climax. The synth at 2:13 sounds a little harsh in my ears, and might benefit from a little more reverb to blend in with the rest of the sound design. The kick drum at 2:37 sounds really muted (or maybe just doesn’t have a lot of space in the mix to fully operate), but I’m loving the groovy vibe at around 2:46. The texture sounds a lot fuller all of a sudden, and the composition is coming together in a more well-balanced way than it had before. I think the beat could’ve been a tad more creative given the repetitive instrumental content, though. I like the quirky pads at 3:28 and the melody synth at 3:36, too, but I’m not sure you quite kept my attention for the 3.5 minutes it took you to arrive at some melodic content. You clearly have a good sense of harmony, progression, sound design, and rhythm, but the pacing of the piece is a bit off. I wanted to see you do more with the structuring here. A one-directional arrangement is a pretty risky move. If I can describe how the energy levels in your piece change over time with one word (in this case, it might be “ramp” or something), then it should probably be a little more complex than that. Even a simple breakdown in the middle would’ve helped to keep the listener engaged, but I think shortening the drawn-out buildup here and then doing more with fleshing out the composition later is an equally valid approach to improving the simplistic arrangement of this piece. The mix is also a bit quiet throughout here, although my main concern is still the structural details. That said, I think you’ve done a good job overall with the sound design, atmosphere, and harmonies here. Keep at it, IchigoChamploo! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Prismatic I (Intro)]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning and the creative rhythmic content. The piece was a little slow to progress for a while, but the somewhat dissonant ambiance really helped give the track a stronger sense of direction. By around the 1-minute mark, you went beyond the point of creating a meaningful progression and the piece started sounding a little anti-climactic as my sense of expectation waned. The production and sound design here are really cool, but by 1:40 or so the fading texture loses all sense of momentum and completely shifts moods into a tranquil, pensive haze. Both halves of this piece sound pretty and well-constructed, but there isn’t a strong sense of connectivity between them. I can tell you’re a talented producer, but the composition here just ends up sounding pretty underwhelming at the end of the day. I wanted to hear some more complex structuring to the piece and some dynamic melodic content. Still, you managed to pull off a pretty ambitious transformation of the piece that unites two very different characters in one track. It’s like the entire piece was reborn as I was listening to it. Unfortunately, the experience was still a little jarring for me as a listener, like my pre-teen daughter died in my arms and then got reincarnated as a 40-year-old man. This is one of those pieces that really tears me up, because I really love some aspects of it (the mixing and mastering, instrumentation, atmosphere) but others really rub me the wrong way (arrangement, lack of cohesion, lack of melodic content). Overall, I’m going to be pretty generous here because I’m still impressed that you managed to wed two very different harmonic ideas with such a sense of flow. Damn. It’s these kinds of pieces that make me really start to question the structural standards I use to judge this competition. Anyway, keep up the good work, man! :)

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

[Spherical Style (for NGADM 2019)]

I like the dark riser at the beginning. The heavy, industrial vibe it said up didn’t necessarily fit well with the quaint, mellow synths at :03, though, and I think the rhythm of the lead synth there was a little hard to follow, especially when the clap came in at :07.

I like the climactic part at :13, but I wish you had implemented a better sense of build into that section. The chords at :13 seem to have some automated filters on them, and since the filtering pattern is exactly the same for each note, I’m guessing it’s like that because it came with the sample. I’d strongly suggest seeing if you can edit those filters yourself. Giving those chords a humanized touch would make them sound much more original. I also think you could’ve had some more creative drums in this section.

The mood changes pretty dramatically at :26, driven by the frantic synths and slightly darker harmonic inflections. The drums at :51 are way too over-saturated in the mix, and the new harmonies underneath it once again seem like a bit of a jarring change from the section before. I’m starting to think that you need to consolidate some of your harmonic ideas here.

I liked the transition at 1:32 and the energy and drive the piece has during the last couple of sections, but I think there are a couple of mixing/balance mistakes later on. The bass line at 1:40 sounds way too loud, and the texture is a little harsh at 2:06, at which point the melodic content is almost completely drowned out. I think you need to rein in your volume levels a bit here. The texture sounds pretty overwhelming at times. Generally, the drums should be the loudest elements of the mix, but they also shouldn’t sound overly harsh. Try testing out your piece on a couple different sound systems before you upload it. Some more careful equalization and compression might also help you keep the melodic content from ducking under the mix at times during this piece.

The other big problem here is that the arrangement seems pretty haphazard and incoherent. You have a lot of cool harmonic riffs and sections, but from a listener’s standpoint it’s hard to stay grounded in any sort of structural regularity in real time. I’d recommend using a slower pace of progression, with more repetition, more gradual transitions, and more creative ways of connecting ideas rather than just adding and subtracting instruments (i.e., try using phrasing, dynamics, filtering, and automation more to signal the approach of mood and structural changes in advance).

Overall, you clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, and I like the full, rich textures this piece has to offer throughout. The arrangement is just a little choppy right now, and the production needs tightening so you can get the most impact out of your sound design. Keep at it, Cocoloco3412! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6/10

[-Waterfall-]

Cute synths at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress at first, but the atmospheric effects keep things engaging until around :30, when things really start to pick up. The mix is clear, and the sound design remains refreshing and well-varied. The bass at :53, while a little too loud, keeps up the energy and drive of the piece nicely. The chord progression of the piece is pretty generic, and despite the fun rhythmic riffs and smooth flow, this piece doesn’t have a lot of dynamic melodic content. I really like the sound design (especially the vocals and pads), atmosphere, and a lot of the compositional details too (that quirky chord at 2:00 sounds dope), but the structure of the piece is a little bizarre, and never really comes to a satisfying point of resolve imo. I would’ve liked to hear a melodic bridge or something to give this piece the structural variety it deserves. That said, the climactic section at the end was probably the next-best thing, despite the fact that it wasn’t varied much from the prior refrain. Overall, this is a solid piece. The production, sound design, and atmosphere are particularly good here. Most of my gripes here are pretty nit-picky, and often amount to missed opportunities more so than things that actively bother me. Keep up the good work, Pred! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Preds responds:

9/10 wow!! Thank you as always, its really a pleasure to have your constructive criticism, it is very useful. Like back at the day in the NGADM17, you helped me to improve a lot.

I really need to work on my melodies haha, thank you again man!

[Winter Wonderland (Future Bass-ish)]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the cute synths. The bass at :05 is a little heavy, and distorts the mix a bit. The vibe at :24 is pretty refreshing. I wasn’t a huge fan of the percussion sample you used as a snare. It has a bizarre pattern of decay and a bit too much reverb imo. I also thought the balance at :24 is a little off. The drums and pads are very loud, while the melodic instruments are more in the background. The breakdown at 1:11 was nice, and I liked the melodic content there too. After a while, I think you start to overuse the stop-start transitions (like at 1:35). There are a lot of more creative ways to give your piece a good sense of flow. The composition in this piece is pretty strong, though, and the sound design comes together well overall. I think the overall arrangement is a little repetitive, and I would’ve liked to hear some sort of atmospheric breakdown at some point, but otherwise my structural complaints are few and far in between too. Overall solid work! It was mostly some compositional details that made up the majority of my complaints here. Keep at it, Aydin-Jewelz123! :)

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Decisions]

I like the cute synths at the beginning, and the percussion at :07 is a nice touch. The texture is a tad thin and dry, and the bass at :15 is a little too loud and also sounds kinda dissonant and distorted. I think you need a more careful approach to mixing this piece, as the other instruments tend to duck under when the bass comes in. A lot of the effects are pretty cheesy, and there’s very little variety in the harmonic content or structure. I would’ve liked to see more dynamic melodic content here, along with some more phrasing and dynamic contrast. Right now, the structure of the piece is pretty flat, the energy level almost constant through the last ⅔ of the piece, and the sound design and production don’t do much to make up for that either. The fade-out ending is a further indication to me that you haven’t put much thought into the arrangement of your piece. I like the rhythmic content, cute mood, and drum beat here, but I think you needed to do a lot more with the composition to satisfy my standards. It’s a good start, though. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece. Keep at it, Reddyfu! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
4.75/10

reddyxu responds:

Thank you. I will keep going and will keep practicing!

[Granary]

I like the spacious atmosphere at the beginning and the ominous mood. This track has a lot of bass, and the creepy synth at :15 was a nice touch. The slight atonality helps enhance the mood too. At some point, I wanted the progression to pick up a bit more, though. At :46, the beat is a little dry and generic, and the samples are not of great quality, especially the hi-hat on the off beats. I think the mix could be tighter too. The texture is well-balanced, but some of the murky synth lines get a little lost once the beat comes in. The composition needed to be much more dynamic and variational to satisfy my standards. You have a good sense of flow and harmony, but there isn’t a strong sense of direction yet. This piece is a minimal beat with a lot of atmospheric filler, but not much prominent melodic content, emotion/drama, or storytelling. Overall, strong work with the mood, atmosphere, and harmonies, but next time I want to see you clean up the mix a tad and work on fleshing out the composition much more. Keep at it, CyroNG! :)

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

CyroNG responds:

Thanks for the review! I'll take most of your points into consideration to improve my future tracks.
-CyroNG/Cadmiae