TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[laying in the backseat, staring at the ever-shifting stars]

I like the chill mood at the beginning, but I think you didn’t execute it as well as you could’ve. The heavy panning sounds pretty harsh; I can barely hear anything in my right ear. I also think the instrument at the beginning is a little cheesy and generic. Then, the synth that comes in at :19 is completely in the right ear. It seems like you’ve prioritized mixing clarity over blending, and also that you’ve taken that approach a bit too far. I’d suggest looking into stereo widening techniques rather than panning both of these instruments to one extreme side of the spectrum, especially when they’re the only things going on. The mood of the piece is really calming, and as the texture thickens the blissful nature of the bell-like synths really comes through. The instrumentation is still a little cliche, though. Usually 3xOsc is a pretty unpolished plugin to use for harmonic content (great for sweeps and sub-basses, though). The mix remains loud and clear as the piece goes on, but the panning still bothers me. As for the composition, I’d like to see you use more advanced techniques of creating variety than just adding and subtracting instruments over time. I’d suggest trying to use more dynamic contrast, phrasing, and automation. Also, the piece doesn’t have much structuring. All it ever does is grow in intensity and, while it does have its cathartic moments, I think there needs to be more of an ebb and flow within this paradigm of “one big climax” in order for it to be most effective. Overall, learning to mix without relying too much on panning would be a worthwhile investment for you. You should probably spend the plurality of the time you spend mixing adjusting equalizers, not compressors or panning. Fleshing out the composition more is an important step, too. Still, the mood and atmosphere of the piece are really nice. Keep at it, Lofiskyline!

5.25/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.25/10

lofiskyline15 responds:

thank you! I definitely agree on the equalizer thing and I'm actually working more on ambient fade ins rather than straight-up instrument adding/subtracting. I actually never really rely on panning as much as I did in this song, and it's kind of more for a full sound (kind of like a Panic! At the Disco situation) haha so when the second synth with the different timing kicks in, the contrasting timing catches you off guard. it also is supposed to work as kind of something to catch you off guard so as to help you remember the song more. but it could definitely be frustrating.

in terms of catchiness and song structure, this is also kind of a weird one for me. I was trying to emulate M83 in a more D.I.Y. sense as the instruments pile on. regarding the synth choice, it is a little cheesy. I was kind of going to, through free synths, go for that D.I.Y feel without losing the emotional intensity. it could totally backfire though (haha)

a song I've uploaded recently, minor truce, is probably the craziest thing I've ever done and I feel like it responds to a lot of your criticisms in terms of generic build song structure and a lack of originality. there is panning but it's a lot less minor, and, while the beginning builds in dynamics through slowly adding drums, there's several switch ups that make it worth it.

these are fantastic criticisms, though. thank you very much!

[[Dubstep] Firewood VIP]

I like the ominous intro. The panning is a little strong for my tastes, especially at the beginning where it wasn’t entirely necessary for the clarity of the mix. I like the climax into :41. The drop at 1:10 is especially hard-hitting, and the production quality is pretty sharp. I think the drop lasts a little too long without much variation, though. You transitioned smoothly into the section at 2:04. Overall, there’s a lot of minimalism in this piece, and you overuse the transition with the snare rolls (2:29, for example). I also think you could’ve changed up the drop a lot more the second time around. There was a lot of copy and paste during the second half of the piece, and not a lot of overarching sense of direction in the composition as a result. Nice job with the atmosphere during the outro, though. Overall, solid production quality, instrumentation, and progression. More variety and melodic content would help out this track a lot, though. Keep at it, LaxLewis-579!

7.5/10

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
.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
7.5/10

[Kirefyx - Klassy]

I like the intense orchestral-sounding instrument at the beginning. The progression is a little slow for the first minute or so, but starts picking up just in time for the build-up at :52. I liked the drop at 1:02, even if it was a tad minimalistic. The production quality here is sharp. That snare has a lot of bite. That said, the mix isn’t all that loud. You transition pretty well back into the “verse” at 1:44. Perhaps the texture could use a tad more variety at times. You also overused the transitions with the crashes (and reverse-crashes). I think the piece gets very repetitive after a while, and has several sections that are pretty minimalic, regardless of the drop. I think you could stand to add a little more atmosphere to the piece and thicken the texture otherwise. You have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, and the thematic content and production are excellent. My main concern here is that the composition could be a lot more dynamic and varied. Otherwise, keep at it, Kirefyx!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

Kirefyx responds:

Thanks for the feedback! Will consider this for the future

[[DJKB] B4 I Leave]

Cool progression at the beginning. I liked the quirky synths and the downtempo beat at :11. The melody synth at :23 is pretty cool too, if a tad cheesy. There are multiple instances in this piece where you use sweeps as transitions without anything on the other side of the transition to cushion the change in instrumentation. For example, the sweep into :47 definitely sounds like you’re leading somewhere, but the minimalist texture on the other end doesn’t quite release that energy that you built up with the sweep. Sounds a bit like you’re patching up a bullet wound with a band-aid, to use a trite saying. That said, the progression is pretty good by the time the refrain rolls around at 1:11. Again, sound design could be a bit cheesy at times (like that high-frequency-range perc). I also think the mixing and mastering could be a bit tighter there. The kick doesn’t come through very well, and in general it sounded like the pads were taking up a bit too much space. Catchy content, though, and I like the call-and-response action you have going on in the post-chorus (like at 1:50). The melodic content at 2:05 is nice, too. I guess my main complaint (other than the abrupt transitions) is probably the lack of shape in the composition. I’d encourage you to do more with phrasing, dynamics, and automation to keep things interesting within individual sections of the piece, especially since this track is so harmonically similar throughout. I appreciated the variations on the final chorus at 2:53. I don’t think the piece loops well, although maybe you didn’t actually intend for it to loop when you wrote it. Overall, catchy and fun piece. My main concerns are the mixing and mastering quality, sudden transitions, and a couple other compositional details. Keep at it, Kbenitezlugo!

7/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[To The Moon!]

The frantic synth arpeggios at the beginning are cool. I wasn’t a huge fan of the vocals, though. They sounded really muddy and indistinct, and just didn’t add much to the texture imo. The piece cycles through a couple of mini-buildups before the texture changes much, though. Once the drop comes at around 1:06, there’s not much harmonic content. I’m also a little confused about the transition into the drop. There’s not really any distinct structuring there (drum fills, crashes, etc.), so I can’t tell when the drop starts. That’s an indication that you could do a better job of keeping the listener grounded. As the piece goes on, the progression still doesn’t have a strong directionality to it, and the abrupt transition at 1:41 was really jarring. There are a lot of moments of minimalism, sudden transitions (another huge offender at 2:29), and overall very little harmonic content of value (like melodies). The bass riffs are catchy, but not very memorable, and it seems like the only moving notes you have above 1,000 Hz for the entire piece are those synth arpeggios that keep coming back as filler content all over the place. The piece ends just as suddenly as I’d expect, too. It’s really a shame that the composition and arrangement of this track never come together because the production is fantastic. All the synths and drum patterns sound so clear and polished throughout. I can’t say that the frequencies are too well-balanced (mostly because there’s a lot of bass and not a lot of anything else), but I’m thoroughly convinced that you’re a talented producer by now. I think you should really focus on your composition skills from now on. For your next piece, try to structure it around a specific chord progression and melody. That way, your listener will have a more solid harmonic foundation to stand on when you change up the texture around the harmonic elements. Good luck (but don’t be discouraged! Developing strong composition skills is really hard). Keep at it, K0TiC!

5.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

K0TiC responds:

Thank you for the response, I’ll make sure to work on my transitions and structure. I do admit that I could have done a lot better with this track. Again, thank you, I’ll be sure to take your advice in to every other track / song I make.

[INSANE]

I like the intensity and the loud mix. I think the piece kinda throws the listener right into the middle of the action without much of a proper intro. I also think the counting, especially with the drums, is not where it could be. The tempo seems a little loose from beat to beat at times. That said, I enjoyed the fun melodic riffs, like at :15. The vocals are also fun. They almost sound sardonic, like you’re mocking a child who just said the same things to you in all sincerity. I was somewhat surprised by the entry of the smooth electric bass at 1:08. I’m not sure it added much to the intensity of the texture. Perhaps a different instrument would’ve complemented the mood of the piece better. You do a nice job of transitioning from the mocking intonation of the verses’ vocals to the more traditional, singing chorus. During the second chorus (1:44), I don’t think the upper line in the vocal layering came through the mix very well. I suspect it has something to do with the recording. Also, the ending fades out pretty suddenly. I would’ve liked to see either a more fleshed-out coda or at least you letting the amp fade by itself for a while. I think my biggest problem with the piece is that there’s not much variety in the instrumental, though. Overall, nice job with the passion, production, and sound design. The piece comes together really well as a coherent whole, especially thematically. Keep at it, Johnnyq1233!

8/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

johnnyq1233 responds:

Well, to be honest it's one of my older pieces....
The scoring is pretty accurate for this as I would have liked to do more with it, but, The original tracks were lost with that power outage that happened over a year ago!
You also fail to see and hear that it is 1 player that is doing all this and not a single computer drummer or fill machine!
Thanks for your judging and scoring!

Reviewing this after 7 years, i still stand behind the recording I made.... This song is a real song with real musicians and it has errors and that's what makes it real!!!!
I still come back here to listen to this as it is good and accurate!
Todays kids are medicated to allow acceptance of the programming of the elites!
LGBTQ++++ and a host of other alphabet characters that NO ONE CARES ABOUT!!!! Except the left!
Look, if you have to weaponize music in your political goals, then you should not consider politics as a career... Just sayin!
After seeing where your likes are ..... fuck! no wonder rock songs never win....! It's all you fuckin fag comp and 8-bit gaming fags that run this site!

[Vision]

The watery chords at the beginning sound pretty tranquil. I’d say you do a pretty good job of leading into the climactic section at :44. Some of the square-sounding synths sound a bit cheesy, and also lack complexity. Did you use 3xOsc? I like the full texture of the refrain, though. The mix is pretty clean and very loud. The breakdown at 2:13 was well-timed. I think the piece could use a bit more harmonic variety. The underlying chord progression appears to be the same throughout the piece, and I think that constitutes a missed opportunity to offer the listener a bit more to chew on compositionally. I’d also say that the second half of the piece is very similar to the first half, and the semi-fadeout at the end came across as a bit lazy. The production quality is good overall, but the drums sound a bit too wide in the mix, making them come across as harsh sometimes. Maybe the problem is that they’re over-compressed, though. It’s hard to tell, but regardless I’d encourage you to keep rhythm-section instruments (drums and bass, mostly) as front-and-center in the mix as possible. Overall, I like the cute mood, full texture, and progression. I think some more variety is in order, and I also think the instrumentation could be stronger. Keep at it, JAXXN!

6.75/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Sexy Ghost]

I like the quirky sound design and distorted texture at the beginning. The mix feels a little indistinct at times, with quite a lot of reverb. The progression is okay, but there are some sudden transitions (:40, :56, etc.). My main concern is that the composition is underwhelming at best and simply incomplete at worst. The creepy high-pitched melodies help, and the piece does appear to loop well. It’s just that the track isn’t very dynamic-sounding, especially with the minimalism and sense of continuity. I’d encourage you to work on shaping the piece a little more with automation, phrasing, and dynamic contrast. That will really help you get the most out of such a short piece. As it is, you’ve offered a solid harmonic framework and some really cool sound design. I just want to see you flesh out and/or smooth over the arrangement a little more. Keep at it, IndustryStandard!

7/10

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
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
7/10

[Listless Drive Home]

The instrument at the beginning sounds a little thin, but the atmosphere starts sounding really soothing and pensive once the texture thickens at :14. Some of these instruments, including the E-piano at the beginning, sound pretty dry, though. A little reverb might help them blend better and further establish the ambiance. The drums were nice, even if the snare sounded a bit sharp compared to the relaxing mood of the rest of the track. The part at 1:08 could’ve used a smoother transition, especially in such a drone-like track to begin with. That said, I thought the transition at 1:37, while also abrupt, worked better because you primed the listener with the same riff earlier. While the composition isn’t hugely dynamic here, I think it bothers me more that when the texture does change it’s abruptly. I think you should work on shaping the composition a little more with gradual changes in dynamics, phrasing, and automation. Not only are the abrupt transitions (like at 2:17) jarring, but they also don’t fit the tranquil character of the piece. That said, the quirky instrument at 2:45 was fittingly introduced in one of the minimalist asides scattered throughout this piece. I also like how you brought the piece full-circle with the outro, even if the fade-out ending came across as a tad lazy. Overall, I really liked the soothing ambient quality of the piece and the sound design. The composition and arrangement could use a tad more effort, but the production seemed pretty strong too (even if the texture was a bit bare at times). Keep at it, Icantpronouncethis!

7.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

icantpronouncethis responds:

Thank you for a thorough critique of the piece. I did spent a long time on this piece and I knew there was some areas that needed a push and changes. This helps a lot for my future pieces. Thank you once again.

[Suvi - I Need You]

The quirky synths at the beginning sound nice, and set the mood quite well. Nice job with the atmosphere and build-up into :24. I like the ping-pong echo effects and sound design. The drums could stand to be a tad stronger, and while I enjoyed the bass I think it also could’ve used a boost towards the front of the mix. The re-intro at 1:12 was pretty effective despite a pretty abrupt transition into it. The composition feels well-shaped and -structured, with some cool melodic content and instrumentation. The second half of the piece sounds very similar to the first half, though, which might be an indication that more variety is in order. Overall, the flow is very smooth and the mastering is solid despite an excess of reverb in places. Keep up the good work, IAmSuvi!

9.25/10

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

IAmSuvi responds:

Thank you for the awesome feedback <3