TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sunset]

I like the refreshing chords at the beginning and the sense of atmosphere and build. The vocal samples at :15 are cute, although I think there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture at this point. The blissful mood is fun, and the melodic content at :45 is strong. That said, the sound design, arrangement, and chord progression are pretty generic. I think the vocals at 1:16 get a little lost in the mix, and removing some of the reverb here and doing more with panning, stereo widening, and the like should help alleviate that problem. I like the bridge section at 1:37, and the vocal sample at 2:05 made me smile. I wish you would’ve varied the cutesy vocals and melodies towards the end a little more, but overall the piece comes together pretty well, and the filters at 3:05 are a nice touch. Throughout the piece, I think you could’ve done some more creative work with the drums, and some sort of outro might’ve been nice to wind down the energy and drive of the last refrain. Overall, this is solid work. Despite my issues with the mixing and lack of originality, you clearly have a good sense of melody and harmony, sound design, and atmosphere. Keep at it, Semicedevine! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Semicedevine responds:

Got it, next song will have more unique sound design and variation on drums

ty for write-up! xD

[Goodbye]

I like the cute synths at the beginning and the relaxing pads. I think the piece could’ve sounded a lot more flowing if you had extended the note length through the end of each measure. I’m also a little confused about the rhythm/meter of the piece. It almost sounds like the bells and pads at :20 are playing at a different tempo, which makes the texture feel really arrhythmic overall. Did you record them separately? If so, I’d looking into a) a metronome app on your phone that you can listen to on headphones as you record and b) some way of quantizing your recordings in your DAW so that they match up with the beat better. I like the progression into 1:00, though. There’s a bit too much reverb on the drums there, and I think the mix still sounds pretty thin overall. The production quality also suffers a bit during this section. There’s some clipping (i.e., stereo distortion) caused mainly by the kick, and it’s especially noticeable from around 1:20 onwards. You can fix that by lowering the volume levels or turning down the gain knob on the compressor until the distortion dissipates. The guitar sample sounds pretty fake, but I also enjoyed the harmonies between the solo and the other instruments later on. Overall, I would’ve liked to hear a more fleshed-out composition, cleaner mixing, more authentic/original sound design, and a less choppy arrangement. I think this piece has a cute mood, and some harmonic ideas that are good in isolation, but you needed a bit more depth in the texture to really keep me engaged for the entire piece. Sorry if this review sounds discouraging, but given the production issues a large part of fixing these issues is simply that it takes time to get a good feel for the mixing tools available in your DAW. Keep at it, Sedram! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
4/10

[Runa - Galaxy]

I like the groovy synth bass at the beginning and the bouncy synth arpeggios that come in shortly thereafter. This piece has a really catchy and fun vibe about it, and a good sense of climax starting at around :33. The melodic content at :45 is nice, and the frantic harmonies at 1:01 help fill in the texture quite well. The post-chorus at 1:15 was nice in its own way, with quite a different “center of gravity” in terms of pitch. The piano at 1:30 sounded a tad generic (FL Keys, right?), but that section was still good for some structural contrast. The rhythmic pacing changes pretty suddenly at around 2:01, and the high-pitched synth at around 2:07 sounds pretty harsh, but I love the melodies at 2:15. The filtering at 2:30 is nice, but so far the arrangement of the second half of the piece seems pretty choppy, and by the time the final refrain rolls around at 3:04, I’m glad to finally be at a stable place harmonically that offers the listener a sense of finality and catharsis. Right on cue, those cute, energetic harmonies are back at 3:48, and I like the beat-heavy outro as well. I think you could’ve done a bit more with the drums in this piece, but my main complaint is probably the heavily transitory nature of the middle section (1:30 - 3:04). It’s just a few too many melodies, build-ups, and stop-start transitions to keep me well-grounded in the structure. Still, there are a lot of strong elements of this piece, from the melodic content to the instrumentation to the production quality. Keep up the good work, Runanova! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Cobblestone Dreams]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the celtic vibe. It sounds very peaceful, and the flute and (lute?) blend very well together. The progression is a little slow, though, and the instrument that comes in at :43 is playing a melody that doesn’t fit very well into the existing harmonic and rhythmic framework. Still, the melody in isolation sounds nice. There’s quite a bit of reverb in the texture, and the percussion and harmonies tend to get a little drowned out by the melodic instrument. The excessive reverb is perhaps even more noticeable on the bass drum at 1:40. The texture sounds rather muddy, despite the majesty of the horn solos. The piece still has a soothing sense of continuity, although at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more structural contrast and ebb and flow to the composition. The current collage of solos as a paradigm for arrangement for a while, but this piece is long enough that I think you need to have more shape and complexity in the way it’s structured. Clearly, you have a good sense of melody and sound design, though. I also like how the instruments besides the serene flute riff gradually fall away towards the end. Overall, the composition is pretty strong here, along with the mood and atmosphere, but elements of the arrangement and, especially, the production quality need work. Keep at it, Rosemthornz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Dj Roberto - Hypercharged]

I like the cute synths at the beginning. There’s a lot of reverb in the mix, but it helps fill in the otherwise minimal texture. The strings and bass blend well with the pizzicato-y synths, although I think some of the percussion samples at :38 sounded a bit too in-your-face for the otherwise relaxed mood of the track. The “hey”s at :53 were pretty cheesy, and were also a bit over-saturated in the mix. The piano at 1:05 has way too much reverb, to the extent that it buries the synths below it in the mix. The progression in this piece is pretty slow-paced, and the texture remains relatively thin throughout. You introduce a lot of different instruments and riffs throughout this 9+ minutes, but there’s rarely a strong sense of direction and cohesion among the different sections. Some of the same chord progressions, sure, but I’m not sure that all of the different sections are a part of the same story when they’re joined by sudden transitions like at 2:38. Stop-start transitions are pretty hard to pull off in my experience, and there are a lot of extended pauses in this piece. When there’s repetition involved in the piece (which is more than often enough), it’s not really varied or expanded upon in a meaningful harmonic way so as to further the development of the storyline of the piece. The vocal samples from your friends seemed goofy and out-of-place. The minimal composition and lack of melodic content make it hard to stay engaged, and the drum rolls at 7:21 were quite a bit overdone. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good ideas in here, between the catchy riffs and cute instruments, but the arrangement feels really disjointed, the vocals frankly lack seriousness, and the composition is bland at best. I’m glad you’re having fun with your friends, though. Good luck with your future projects, man.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
0/1
Composite score
2/10

[New Life]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The piece has a good sense of atmosphere and direction. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, although that doesn’t seem to negatively affect the mix as far as I can tell. I like the cute VGM-ish synth that accompanies the build-up into 1:06. The drop was enjoyable, although I think I would’ve liked to hear a more legato synth replace the VGM synth at that point. It would’ve given the refrain a more cathartic, rich feel that way. The breakdown at 2:00 is nice, and I enjoy the twittering synth and brass as valuable additions to the texture. The variations on the melody at 2:28 are nice, and the production holds up quite well throughout these busy drops. The rich strings during the outro fit the thematic content well, too. Usually, I think adding several new instruments to the texture during the second half of the piece is a bit risky, but you pull this off pretty well given the repetition of the melodic themes and the smooth-flowing structure. Overall, this is really strong work. The mix is a bit bottom-heavy, and I’m still not sure about some of the sound design decisions, but you’re clearly a very talented producer with a good sense of melody and atmosphere. Keep up the good work, RedMike7! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Step n' Drive]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The piece sounds a tad ominous, even apprehensive even. The texture is well-balanced, and I like the melodic content at :21. The drums weren’t always as strong in the mix as I wanted them to be. Perhaps some more compression or reverb removal from the synths could help there. Amidst the rather steadfast instrumental palette of this piece, I really enjoyed the cute melodic flair at 1:12. That said, I think the main compositional component this piece is missing is some sort of breakdown or bridge for the purpose of adding shape and structural contrast to the texture. Right now, the drum fills and instrumental hierarchy both get old, and this piece is long enough that it needs some sort of re-introduction or solo to refocus the major motifs of this piece and allow more opportunities for melodic development. A one-directional piece like this makes it a lot harder to accomplish that. Still, that may seem a bit nit-picky. The production, sound design, melodic content, and atmosphere are all excellent here. Keep up the good work, Rebricked! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Neon Void]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the instrumentation. The smooth pads, synth bass, and cheesy drum samples at :16 combine well. That said, the panning on the drums was a bit excessive imo. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the mastering quality is solid. The synth at :52 struck me as a tad cheesy, but it fits along well with the 80s vibe of the rest of the track. This piece is missing some prominent melodic content for the first half or so, but there’s still a nice, gradual sense of progression. I like the breakdown at 2:04, although at some point I would’ve liked to see you change up the chord progression and really aim for some structural contrast here. The synth lead that fades in at around 2:20 has a lot of melodic motion about it, but it’s still very in-the-chords and doesn’t provide the kind of catharsis I crave in the midst of all the escalating tension throughout most of the piece. This tension is even exacerbated by the lead synth as it gradually gets louder. The various elements of the piece come together well at 3:20, and, despite my typical branding of fade-out endings as lazy and overused, the abbreviated one here actually works quite well. The presence of the pads at the end in isolation feels like the only point of resolve this track is willing to provide, which in a way fits the way the tension in the piece never quite boils over. Overall, solid work! Despite my criticism, this piece has strong production, a really solemn moodiness, a pleasant atmosphere and texture, and a cool progression. Keep at it, RealGamja! ^_^

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.75/10

RealGamja responds:

Wow, this is a really detailed review, thanks for going into so much depth!

[Tease]

I like the percussion at the beginning, although the high-pitched clicks might’ve been a little loud. The guitars at :08 have a nice sense of atmosphere about them, but I would’ve liked the flutes to be a bit more legato and reverberated in order to blend in with the guitars a bit more. The melodic content at 1:20 is really refreshing, although I think the solo is a tad too loud relative to the harmonies sometimes. There’s a very slight odd pause at 2:29, perhaps because of a misplaced track or re-recording? That just struck me as a bit of a mistake. Admittedly, I often find the one-climax model for the structure of a song hard to pull off, but you do a good job of making it effective here with the drawn-out solo and rich mood and atmosphere. The production quality is really good overall, and the sub-bass is a great touch for balancing out the texture. Nice work overall, Rainwaters! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.75/10