TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Subliminal Connections]

I like the sub-bass and tranquil eastern-sounding instrument at the beginning. The panning on the instrument at :08 was a little strong for my tastes, especially since there’s relatively little else going on in the texture. I really like the atmosphere from around :45 on, though. The drums are strong, and the reverb, while a bit excessive, doesn’t appear to detract from the mix too much. The sound design and progression are a bit experimental at times, but I like the subtle elements of atonality you snuck in there at places, like 2:03. That said, there isn’t much melodic content here (until around 4:50), which is probably one of my big complaints. There are large sections of this piece that sound quite minimalistic, although there’s a great ebb and flow to the texture. The piece ends rather abruptly, but I really like the extended high-energy section during the last minute or so, lengthy though it was. Overall, I’d say that if this piece was mixed and mastered in mono (i.e., without so much heavy panning) and there was a tad more harmonic depth at times, it’d be a 5-star track. The sound design (while a bit generic at times) was really fun, and the atmosphere of the piece is just gorgeous. Keep up the good work, Primallightmusic!

8.25/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Bolero of the Hero]

I like the serene mood at the beginning. The instrumentation fits the thematic content very well, but sounds very inauthentic. The mixing is also pretty quiet. I’d suggest adding some compression and volume level adjustment to help create a thicker and fuller texture of sound. The melodic content here is really nice, and the harmonic progression of the piece is quite pleasing. The energy of the piece sounds pretty uniform throughout, though. I’d suggest adding some dynamic contrast, phrasing, and automation to give the composition a little more ebb and flow over time. That’ll help keep the piece more engaging for your listener. I also think you could’ve done a bit more with the percussion. Right now, it’s used very sparsely, but it has the potential to give the piece a lot more energy and drive where appropriate. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. That said, some of the compositional elements here could use a little more fleshing out to maximize the emotional qualities of the piece, and the mixing also needs work. Keep at it, PomicStone!

7/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

PomicStone responds:

Thank you for your review!

[Crystalia - Volkhiar's garden]

I like the somewhat dark mood at the beginning. The sound design is good overall, but that piano instrument sounds a lot like FL Keys, which is a pretty generic plugin. I like the harmonies at :19 a lot. I would’ve liked to see the drums come in earlier, though - I think they would’ve helped make that transition at :19 a little less abrupt. The mix was pretty loud and clear as well. The breakdown at 1:15 was nice, too. This piece is very melodic, which I think is one of its strongest attributes (besides the mood). I would’ve liked to see a bit more variation on the main theme the second time around (1:54). Otherwise, the directionality of the piece feels a bit limited. The composition could also use a little more shape and phrasing within sections. Overall, though, this is really strong work. It loops well, has fun instrumentation and good structuring, and I can clearly tell you have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. Keep it up, Palicraft!

8.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Humanity]

I like the arpeggiated synth at the beginning. The lead sounds a little harsh and unpolished, but I like the videogame-like character and the melodic content at :29. The progression was very slow after a while. I think introducing the drums earlier would’ve really helped drive the piece forward more. Harmonically speaking, however, this piece isn’t very well-varied, and the transition at 1:58 was really abrupt. Most of the variety in this piece comes from you adding and subtracting instruments over time. I’d encourage you to try more advanced ways of creating variety, like automation, dynamic contrast, and phrasing. That’ll help give your composition a little more ebb and flow over time. Right now, it has a drone-like quality because the underlying harmonic framework never changes. The mixing wasn’t bad, but I think the drums could be cleaned up a bit. You might want to eliminate some reverb and add more compression. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. The composition was just a bit weak here. Keep at it, Packtion!

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Replay]

I like the quirky, distorted instruments at the beginning and the energy. The drums don’t sit very well in the mix, though, and there’s a bit of atonality with the transition at :10 (and other places). I think you overused the reverb here, too. The vocal samples at :40 are fun, and the heavy breaks are pretty catchy. The drop really highlights the mixing problems, though. The drums get pretty distorted at around 1:05, and a lot of the other instruments could sound more distinct without all this reverb in the texture. The mix is loud, just not clear. The piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, though. I like all the risers and melodic transitions, and even the stop-start one at 2:17 works well. You overuse the transition at :10, though. I appreciated how the second drop was so dissimilar from the first. I think you needed more of a proper outro, though. Ending a piece right after the drop is a bit jarring. There also isn’t a ton of prominent melodic content in this piece. Fun riffs, sure. But a lot of the moving notes here are too transitory to function as proper melodies. Overall, I think my biggest concern is the sloppy mastering and maybe the lack of strong melodic content. I enjoyed the sound design, energy, and progression, though. Keep at it, Packman3!

7.75/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[The Chase]

I like the drama at the beginning and the instrumentation. This is just what I would’ve thought I piece called “The Chase” would sound like. :) The progression is a little slow at first, but I like the percussion and brass’s role in driving the piece forward. The piece has a pretty good sense of climax as the melodic content goes on until 1:45, but I think you could’ve done more to maximize the dynamic range of the piece. Despite the continuous sense of urgency the piece instills, there’s a fair amount of ebb and flow to the composition, which I like. I also like how you saved the most climactic part for last (2:31 on). That choice fits the thematic content well. The instruments sound rather authentic for the most part. I’m thoroughly enjoying the rich texture, and the mix is quite clear throughout (if not that loud). Overall, very strong work here. The flavor and passion of the piece are great. Keep up the good work, Omson!

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

[Niko - Devil]

I like the rhythmic texture and instruments at the beginning. The transition into :13 is solid, but that snare sounds really harsh. I’d suggest equalizing out some of the mid-high tones on it. That way, you can create a cool layering effect where it almost sounds like two snare, but simultaneously takes a bit of the edge off. The distorted vocals at :41, while also a little harsh-sounding and repetitive, fit into the texture well and add some fun thematic content. The drop at 1:22 was fun, if a little minimalistic. In general, the production quality here is really good. The mix is loud and clear, even if it needs a bit of polish on some of these harsh tones sometimes. The breakdown at 2:17 was good for some structural variety. I also appreciate how you cut the vocal section a bit short during the second build-up cycle, and transitioned into the drop with that maniacal laugh sample. While a bit cheesy sometimes, the synths here provide a cutesy innocence that contrasts the distorted breaks and dark vocals quite well. You did a good job of structuring this piece too. The ending was a tad abrupt, but I liked the idea of having a suddenly quiet last note like that. Overall, this is a fun piece with a good amount of variety and strong mastering. Keep at it, Nikolopoblete!

8/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Once and For All]

The build-up at the beginning is cool, but I don’t think the very beginning of a track is the best place for a build-up. The piece might need more of a proper intro. The airy synths at :16 were really cool, though. I love the atmosphere of the piece and the smooth bass. Given the build-up at :41, I don’t even think you need the build-up at the very beginning at all because it doesn’t lead anywhere. That said, the drop after the build-up at :41 was also a bit underwhelming - minimalistic, but also not very hard-hitting. There’s a lot of reverb to fill in the texture here, even if it doesn’t affect the mix too much. I also think the drums could’ve louder during the refrain there. There’s also not much prominent melodic content in this piece, and you overuse generic build-up patterns. The breakdown at 2:38 was a welcome moment of tranquility, and I also really liked the atmospheric texture at 3:35. That said, the composition isn’t very dynamic after that point, and the piece seemed to drag a bit towards the end. You never really offered the listener a final climax that resolved all of the themes of the piece. The atmosphere, instrumentation, and production in this piece are really good. Loud though the mix is, I think cutting out some reverb would really help it out, though. My main concerns here include the highly transitory nature of the composition (a lot of build-ups, but not a lot of cathartic/climactic moments) and the lack of melodic content. Overall, you’re clearly a talented producer with a good sense of harmony. Now you just need to consolidate some of your ideas a bit more effectively (i.e., fewer build-ups, but more real directionality to your piece). Keep at it, Naval76!

7.5/10

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Chicken Feather]

The arpeggios at the beginning are pretty cool. Instruments are clearly inauthentic, and are also a tad dry. The panning works pretty well for the most part, although the mix was also pretty quiet in general. The progression was very slow until 1:04. I enjoyed the melodic content at 1:04, short-lived though it was. I think the mix could be sharper. A lot of the drone-like elements begin to sound indistinct during the busy section (1:06-2:08 or so). I also think that the transition into 2:08 wasn’t super strong. For a solid 20 seconds, those string arpeggios are the sole element of the texture. Then, when a melody comes in at 2:28, it’s completely overshadowed by the arpeggios. I think you need to do a better job of prioritizing melodic content in the mix. The ending was a tad abrupt, but also sounded pleasing because it ends on the tonic. Overall, I think the composition could sound a bit more dynamic, especially during the second half, and I’d encourage you to use more phrasing, dynamic contrast, and automation. The mastering could use some stricter equalization, compression, and maybe more advanced techniques like stereo widening if some of your harmonies share too many frequencies. As it is, the panning is a bit heavy at times. I’d encourage you to keep a more mono-stereo approach to mixing as much as possible. Overall, though, this is a fun piece with a lot of melodic and emotional content. Keep at it, Mrcoolisimo!

6.75/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10