TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sytrus Session 2.0]

Cool rhythmic elements of the kick at the beginning. The fade-in at the beginning isn’t the most creative way of starting a piece, but I like the frantic arpeggios at :19 and the sense of climax into :30. The mix is very wet, which sometimes affects the quality. For example, the clap from around :38 onwards sounds very indistinct. The melodic content is nice, even if the synths were a bit cheesy at times. You have a good sense of progression, flow, and harmony, though, and overall the compositional elements of the piece are quite strong. I like the harmonies that come in at 2:24 a lot, and despite all the different melodies and variations this piece maintains its cohesion quite well with a pretty rigid harmonic structure. One thing I think the composition is missing, however, is a proper breakdown. There’s a pretty strong sense of energy and urgency throughout, which gets a little tiresome after a while without some structural contrast. The modulations towards the end were fun, even though the melodic part at 2:43 already sounded like the major climax of the piece. Overall strong work! I think I wanted to hear more drums in the mix, a little more effort on some of the harmonic details, and maybe some more creative instrumentation. Otherwise, great job with the melodic content, atmosphere, rhythmic components, and structuring. Keep it up, Feandesign! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

feandesign responds:

Thank you!! I'm really glad you enjoyed most of it. I usually don't make my tracks fade in out of nowhere, but that was kind of an exception since I used a synth preset that plays right after pressing a key (I'm wondering why didn't I think of using a pad instrument or at least making a simple automation thing instead haha!). You're definitely right about the indistinct clap. The reason is that I actually put a reverb on it and lowered some things in the EQ, so it would sound kinda like the clap sample from Kid2Will's Fire Aura, of which by the way I'm a real fan (and I bet you can even hear some similarities between these two). I used more cheesy sounding synths in there intentionally, to match the feel of NG Audio Portal's mid-late 2000s techno. I guess it would sound way better if I let myself have more VSTs than just Sytrus on this project. I surely agree that the song would be nicer with a deeper breakdown or something, I'd need to work on those in future projects. Absolute thanks for pointing it out! I also have just realized how tiring the drumline is, especially the kick sequence itself. I really should've improved it and maybe made it go faster at some point (I think that's what HJfod actually meant, not the beats per minute stuff because it's pretty rapid already). I believe that mixing/mastering is for now the worst part in most of my songs, especially these from 2018 - I still use headphones when composing new stuff and I know I shouldn't - maybe regular speakers with a subwoofer will do a better job, I'll need to try that. Thank you so much again, I was really pleased reading this review and hopefully I'll come up with something more awesome on NGUAC 2020 hehe :).

[EYW - Heavy Rain]

The rhythmic elements of the piece are pretty good, but overall the texture is very thin and poorly balanced. The piece almost entirely consists of jarring, loud, distorted, and percussive sounds with few moving notes or meaningful progressions. There are also a couple of sudden transitions, like at :48 and 1:29. Besides that, there just isn’t a lot of substantive material in this piece for me to critique. It has very few moving notes and scarce evidence of textural depth or mixing. Let me be frank: this piece sounds like you’re being heavily limited by the production tools you’re using. As @WolfgangMiakoda alluded to, there are plenty of free digital audio workstations that would easily allow you to do more with your talents. I’d recommend GarageBand or LMMS, depending on what type of computer you have. Good luck! :)

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

EverythingYouWish responds:

Not one of my good ones.

[Farewell to the past]

I like the emotional strings at the beginning, but the little bells/mallet instrument sound way too thin and also up out of their range. Part of that might be the way they’re mastered, but I suspect it’s just not a very high-quality sample. Many of the instruments in this piece are a little cheesy and generic, from the bass at :14 to the pads and drum samples at :46, especially the open hat. You clearly have a good sense of rhythm and harmony, and the progression is nice in that it builds up to a pretty intense moment at 1:10. The melodic content here is strong, but some of the melodic instruments can sound a little harsh in the mix, especially the one at 1:10. Speaking of the mix, I think it’s a little too quiet. I’d recommend you look into compression, equalization, and other mixing techniques. That’ll make your piece sound fuller, crisper, and louder in general. There might also be some balance issues in the mix. For example, the lead tends to overwhelm the harmonies at 1:10, while the kick and snare are very loud. Overall, the composition here is pretty solid. My main concerns are with the mixing and sound design. Keep at it, EternityBash! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6/10

[Masssiv]

The synth at that beginning has a decent atmospheric appeal, but sounded a bit unpolished and flat. The pause at :10 kinda threw me off the flow, and while I appreciate the addition of percussion at :11, the rhythm seemed pretty indistinct. The progression is very gradual and doesn’t take the piece in a clear compositional direction. The mix lacks clarity and balance. The result is that this sounds like a very experimental track with little harmonic depth or meaningful progression. The drum beat at 1:52 helps tie things together a little bit, but overall the reverb is still doing most of the work towards filling out the texture here. While I enjoy a lot of the rhythmic and atmospheric components of this piece, the composition is really underwhelming and thin. It’s certainly not all bad - you have a cool mood and sound design - but adding some depth and clarity to the mix and texture will go a long way towards keeping this piece engaging for these 6 minutes. The most prominent moving notes in the piece occur at 4:12 with that piano riff, in a section that still sounds like a breakdown more than anything else. For each section of your piece, try to ask yourself whether it is moving the piece towards an end goal (point of resolve, climax, escalation of tension, etc.). Right now, this piece is more of a collage ideas that, given the sudden ending and thin texture, sounds neither fully developed nor resolved. Sorry to be so harsh. Once again, you gave a strong sense of atmosphere, instrumentation, and an evocative mood. Fleshing out the harmonies more and consolidating your ideas where needed very well might’ve doubled your score, though. Keep at it, ErmDJVit! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
4/10

[StarBookz]

I like the spacey vibe at the beginning and the crisp drums. That said, the way the drums are mixed are a little bizarre. Sounds like there’s some sort of stereo widening effect on the main snare, which is pretty unconventional. Usually, it’s a good idea to keep core rhythmic components like drums and bass front-and-center in the mix. Still, I might be wrong about the stereo widening. It could just be over-compression. The minimal section at :36 serves as a good re-intro, and I like the percussion rolls at around the 1-minute mark. The section at 1:15 strikes me as a bit generic and thin for an apparent point of climax, and by around the 2-minute mark I’m not sure the piece is living up to the creative energy of the first 30 seconds or so. The texture gets fuller by 1:50, which I appreciated, but you quickly revert back to a minimal spaciousness at 2:10. Despite my complaints about the texture, I think the production quality is really strong here, and you have a great sense of both rhythm and atmosphere. Some of the best parts of this piece (the first 30 seconds especially) combine an atmospheric flair with some strong rhythmic components and a tasteful variety of instruments. There are parts of this piece that sound really creative and refreshing, and others that sound really generic and minimal. With almost 5 minutes of material to work with, I think you would be smart to consolidate some of your compositional ideas here and give this piece a more cohesive feel. Still, you’ve done a great job here of displaying a variety of compositional and production talents. Keep up the good work, EppuJoloZ! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Keanu Reeves Breathtaking Remix]

The power chords at the beginning are pretty cool, and the Keanu Reeves samples fit the mood well. The progression is limited to a one-climax model, which in my experience is hard to execute effectively, and this is no exception. The one chord progression that dominates most of the piece is not the most original, and the track is also lacking for strong melodic content and harmonic depth throughout. The mixing is strong - I can hear all the instruments clearly throughout, including in the bass-heavy “breathtaking” section. The transition at 1:24 is a tad sudden, but I like how you structured the piece around Reeves’ vocals, including with the contemplative final chord. While there are clearly a lot of strong elements of the piece - from the sound design to the atmosphere - I’m struggling to get past the underwhelming and abbreviated composition here. It just doesn’t feel like a structurally complete piece, which I think constitutes a missed opportunity to get the most out of the catchy chords and strong production quality. I’d totally encourage you to keep working on this - a melodic bridge, atmospheric breakdown, and second emotional height would all be welcome additions to this piece. Keep at it, EmoshiLorenzo! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[lotus noir]

I like the soulful saxophone solo at the beginning, but I think there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture. The mix, while loud and relatively clear, also feels a little too watery and bloated as a result. The texture is rather minimal, despite the quirky percussion and emotional appeal of the saxophone. The mixing effects on the sax are really cool, too. With such a limited instrumental palette, it’s hard to give the piece a strong sense of direction and compositional variety, and this piece is no exception. My main concerns here include the mixing, lack of textural fill, and weak sense of structuring. Still, it’s clear that you have a great sense of melody and atmosphere, and also a rather creative approach to sound design and production. Keep at it, Elisione!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Daft_Funk]

Catchy beat at the beginning. The little bass swell at the very start was a bit bizarre, but I like the relaxed vibe of the piece. Some of the panning is a bit extreme. Generally, it’s a good idea to keep rhythmic instruments (like the drums and bass) front and center. A lot of the compositional details here are really nice, though, like the funky riff at 1:48 and the occasional triangle hit and distorted guitar at 2:31 (and other places). While the piece is pretty engaging and fun, it also is missing some more advanced compositional elements, like dynamic melodies and structural variety. The fade-out ending is a testament to the fact that there isn’t a strong sense of direction in the piece. The mix, while clean, is also very quiet, which you can fix with some mastering tools like compression. Overall, there’s a lot to like here - the sound design, mood, rhythmic components, and texture - but the structure doesn’t quite have the ebb and flow that I want it to. It would help if you created a more distinct breakdown in the middle of your piece, or maybe a melodic bridge or something. Either way, it’s only a couple of my compositional parameters that are really holding your score underwater here. The rest - instrumentation, originality, atmosphere, etc. - work really hell in this piece. Keep at it, DjRemedy! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
6.25/10

djRemedy responds:

Thanks, TaintedLogic! Best of luck to everyone!

[Electrical Speed - DJ Frank]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the gradual build-up into the fun beat at :14. The harmonies are very much in the chords, which wouldn’t be a problem so much if the progression weren’t so cliche, but I enjoyed the melodic content at :44 and the supporting arpeggios. The mixing is also quite solid. The texture seems full, well-balanced, and clean. I liked the bridge at 1:15, but I think you missed a big opportunity to add a more climactic section towards the end of the piece. It never quite reaches the same emotional height of :44, despite the prominent lead playing a pleasant syncopation at 1:28. My main problem with the piece is probably the lack of originality, in the sound design, arrangement, and chord progression alike. Still, the production quality here is top-notch, and I really enjoyed the rich texture created by the arpeggios and the well-balanced frequencies. Keep up the good work, DJFrankMusic! ^_^

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
.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
8.25/10

DJFrankMusic responds:

The best advice I have done in life, I do not speak English, (at this moment I am using the translator), sorry if my words are not coherent. :) Thank you very much