TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[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.

[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

[Cute things go on a quest for no reason]

Very glitchy intro. I like the frantic beats and cute sound design by around :17, though. The title is nice. :) The hurried melodic content at :29 also adds to the thematic content. For a piece with such a frantic tempo, the pacing is pretty good. I think there are some mixing/balance problems with the piece, though. The drums don’t come through the mix too well during the busier sections, especially the kick. Equalization and compression on the drums are probably your best tools here. Also, there isn’t much bass throughout the piece. Layering and careful equalization will help you incorporate more bass where appropriate. The return of the glitchy content at 1:13 is a bit undue, but it does aid in the transition at 1:15 well. Perhaps you could’ve just gone about incorporating it a little more gradually so as not to make it appear jarring to the listener. The melodies at 1:38 are really nice. You know how to structure a piece pretty well. The modulation at 2:13 was also well-done. I would’ve liked to see a tad more variation on the main theme at 2:28, especially since the harmonic content is so simple as it is. The ending of the piece is also pretty abrupt. Overall, fairly strong work on the composition, although some of the harmonies could use more depth. The mixing is probably my main concern at this point, as well as some generic elements of the progression and sound design. Overall, though, solid work, Hexsixth!

7.5/10

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Neon Dragons]

I like the hypnotizing arpeggios at the beginning and the thick texture. Good sense of climax into :26, too. I like the vocal samples, and nice job with the fake-out transition at :37. The breaks at :42 sounded a little harsh. I’d recommend double-checking the filtering on the high-end frequencies there. The harmonic depth is also not as full as it could be, despite the strong mastering quality. I’m also starting to think that you’re overusing the vocal samples by around 1:30. Nice job with the panning at the re-intro at 1:35. You’re really good at shaping build-ups and making your piece feel dynamic over time. However, there’s very little melodic content here, and the piece is actually quite harmonically bare for a significant duration of the track. There are slight variations, but overall the second half of the piece is very similar to the first half. I wanted to like this piece a lot more than I did, but overall the composition was pretty underwhelming, and elements of the sound design and arrangement (vocal interjections at the ends of phrases, for example) are pretty generic. The solid production quality, catchy breaks, and well-shaped transitions begin to make up for that, though. Keep at it, GrowlBittzOfficial!

7.5/10

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

GrowlbittzOfficial responds:

Well okay then. Gorden Ramsay! Haha. I completely understand and really appreciate the feedback. Great way of judging a pice without being rude and or demotivating the artist! I will definitely improve! However, I will say one thing though;

At the time, I lost the original file with the track. The drop that you hear WAS the original track. It was just a simple drop loop.. However, since that drop loop used 60+ tracks, my CPU couldn't handle it with an intro, build, etc. So I decided to export it and use the WAV file instead in a separate project to save CPU! However, I lost the original drop loop project, so I couldn't possibley add another drop. I could've added one in the current project, but the mastering was different, I didn't have the same drums, etc.

I will definitely improve and add more variation to my tracks! Thanks!