TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - The Dragon War]

---Official AIM review---

Beautiful vocals at the beginning. I love the energy of the strings. Brass at :20 has a nice bite to it as well. The percussion was quite starkly in the background at around :25, which struck me as odd, but the choir at :39 is a really nice touch. I like the call-and-response action between the choir and the brass. Nice harmonic shift at 1:05. Good job with the build-up into 1:10. The underlying progression is quite repetitive for most of the piece, but you have so much variety along other parameters (volume, instrumentation, etc.) that it hardly bothers me. Also, the solo vocalist sounds a bit processed. I approve of the solo string at 2:16 - that frantic line really helps channel the energy going into the final section at 2:31. This piece has a constant sense of energy, but within that there’s still a lot of structural variety. Excellent job with the phrasing and dynamics. Your mixing and mastering has improved considerably since last year, and besides the rather subdued percussion early in the piece I couldn’t detect any balance issues. You’ve truly used the instrumentation and production to their fullest effect in support of your always-excellent composition skills. Excellent work, CloakedSoup!

9.5/10

CloakedSoup responds:

Thanks for the review! One of my goals when writing this was to see how long I could repeat a four chord progression before it got too boring. I hope that I accomplished that to some degree! It's nice to see my production skills slowly getting better and better, that has always been the thing I've struggled with the most, and hopefully I'm getting closer and closer to having a truly professional sound!

[AIM - Knighty Knight]

---Official AIM review---

I like the mood and melodic content at the beginning. The dark percussion at :23 is a nice touch. The instrumentation is not very authentic, which is especially obvious when the choir comes in. You have a great sense of harmony and progression, though. The call-and-response vibe between the bells/choir and the main theme (at the beginning and other places) has a really satisfying effect. I also appreciate when you break away from that framework at 1:24. The horns at 1:45 sound a bit harsh, and the piece does sound a tad repetitive by the end. Overall, my main complaints are with the production quality, not the composition. After a time, the percussion sounds really indistinct, and at various points the main theme and other elements also get a little buried in the mix. The mix is also pretty quiet as it is. Perhaps some more compression and equalization would help you clean up the mastering. It’s also possible you’re using an excess of reverb, especially on the percussion. Don’t be afraid to give the drums a little bit of gain in the compressor. Usually you want the drums to be the loudest instrument in the mix, even in an orchestral piece like this. You’re clearly a talented composer, but I think you should focus on using production tools to really bring out a clean, balanced, and full sound to your tracks. Overall strong work! Very catchy piece with a strong harmonic theme. Keep it up, Spcialist! :)

8.25/10

NativeNiles responds:

Thx for you review. Honestly, I've been only using Finale Print Music 2010, Roland Edirol Orchestra and a very old Wave Studio program, so, that explains why my production is poorly done. I never really looked in to production aspect of music creation, I really just make music for the fun of it. I completely agree on your assessment on the end part becoming a bit repetitive, I just ran out of time to come up with a better ending. Thx for your review.

[AIM - Junkyard Kidz]

---Official AIM review---

I like the filtering work with the drums at the beginning and the groovy, mid-range bass. The melody that comes in at :17 is really cute. I love the retro video game vibes I’m getting from this. I think the drums could’ve been a bit stronger, though, especially in the first 50 seconds or so. The mixing and mastering are really strong. Clean, loud, and distinct sound. The texture doesn’t have a lot of legato elements, which begins to wear on me after a while. You could get a fuller, richer sound out of the piece even by incorporating some sort of pad or drone. I also think you overuse the stop-start transitions a bit (1:20, :45, 1:55, etc.). The piece has several different moments of minimalism as a result, which is also something I don’t think you want to overuse. That said, the mood, instrumentation, melodies, and mixing are all really enjoyable in this piece. While the piece does have a lot of variety, I commend you for incorporating enough repetition towards the end to make the piece seem cohesive overall. Overall really strong work, despite my nitpicking. Keep up the good work, Blarrgensnorf!

9.25/10

[[AIM] Felix Zophar - Hold On Longer]

---Official AIM review---

Catchy piece. I think the rhythm is a bit hard to follow before the beat comes in, but despite still being a bit generic, I think you did a better job with the sound design here than in the last piece I reviewed. Those quirky pads are pretty cool, and I like the filtering work you did on them at around 1:09. Nice job leading into 1:21, although I thought the transition at :30 could’ve been a little smoother. The drums are stronger this time, too. The snare sounds fuller and better balanced. There were several parts of the piece that were pretty minimalistic, although I like the automations with the pads, and I thought it worked well when the build-up in the filtering effects “reset” itself, like at 2:38. The piece feels really repetitive by around 3:30, especially with the chord progression and the thin melody synth. I don’t think you added much new content during the second half at all. The texture might need more fill, and the drum pattern especially lacks creativity. Similar to your last piece, the track ends abruptly after the final refrain. I still admire your sense of melody and harmony, though, and I think the mixing and mastering were a fair bit stronger here. That may be partly due to the minimalism, but you also had a nice sub-bass to fill in the texture a bit for this piece. Overall solid work, but it didn’t need to be 5 minutes long and/or this structurally repetitive. Keep at it, Zophar!

7.5/10

P.S.: I made a mistake in scoring your first track. Should be an 8/10, not 7.5. :)

FelixZophar responds:

Again, thanks for the long review. I still use a mobile DAW. And it's a lot harder to make good stuff on! Yeah, I think it should have been shorter too! Thanks man!

[[AIM] Felix Zophar - You Can't Hide]

---Official AIM review---

I like the dark mood at the beginning. The snare sounded really thin, and I also thought the hats at :12 (and other places) sounded a tad harsh and unpolished. I like the build-up into :49. You have a good sense of harmony and rhythm. I think the ghostly melody sounded a bit too pizzicato-y. It would help create some contrast between the verse and chorus sections of the piece if you had a more imposing, full-sounding melody synth that complimented the angry bass that also plays during the chorus. I also think you might’ve needed a smoother transition at 1:17. You overuse the transition with the hats to the point that it sounds superficial. After that point, the piece is a bit repetitive, and the new content that does exist (2:06) seems a bit forced, probably because of its abrupt entry. You did a better job of leading into the final refrain at 2:27, but I think the mix is a bit strained at that point. The hi-hats don’t come through as clearly as before, for example. There also isn’t really a proper ending to the piece after the last refrain. Overall, I’ve nitpicked a lot here. I think you have a good sense of structure and harmony, but your piece needs a bit more shape and contrast at some important junctures. A lot of the transitions here are pretty rough, and could use things like subtle dynamic shifts, cross-fades, and automations to smooth them over. I also think the instrumentation is a bit generic and even unpolished in the drums, as I mentioned before. Some more careful equalization/filtering will simultaneously help clean up the sound design while also making sure the mix is as clear as possible. Those are my main complaints, but I want to reiterate that you’ve done a lot of good work with the mood, atmosphere, melodies, and structure. Keep at it, Zophar!

7.5/10

FelixZophar responds:

Thanks for taking your time to write this! I honestly wish I changed the build up a little. The drops took a little bit to write. I felt very pushed when making this. But I use a mobile DAW when I made this. But I use an older update of it since the new one isn't compatible with my iPad :( But the older one has fewer synths and only six effects! I really wish I had the newer version though. My friend @MutantNebula has it and it's awesome!!! But thank you. I some day hope I can get the newer version or FL Studio.

[AIM - Peacemaker]

---Official AIM review---

I like the retro vibe at the beginning. Feels really organic, too, like I’m listening to a live performance put on by a seasoned wild west jam band. The piece was catchy and had a refreshing mood. I think the intonation was a bit off at times, but perhaps you did that on purpose. The solo that starts at 2:07 was probably my favorite part of the song. The piece didn’t have much structural variety otherwise, so that part really stood out. As for the mixing, the drums are nice and crisp. I would’ve liked to hear a little more bass, though, and at transitory moments even a bit more of the strumming. The mid-high range guitars seriously dominate the texture for most of the piece, and altering the balance would be a good way of creating variety in a piece that has a pretty uniform sound design throughout. Overall, you nailed the mood and atmosphere. Composition could use a bit more shape and contrast (right now, it has a bit of a drone-like quality), but overall solid work. Keep at it, LexRodent!

8.25/10

LexRodent responds:

What a nice and detailed review :)
I get what you mean regarding the intonation ; I have to admit the background guitar was a bit off tune when I recorded it, but that dirty sound together with the sliding notes grew on me and I decided to leave it like that. Bass was indeed the part I had more doubts about.
I'll try to apply all this suggestions to improve the track once the AIM it's over.
Thanks for listening.

[AIM - Old Meadow Rain Dance]

---Official AIM review---

I like the dreamy pads and pensive mood at the beginning. The percussion sounds like it doesn’t have a lot of tension, but otherwise contributes to the texture pretty well. The piece is pretty slow to progress, and also can sound rather atonal at times, especially after that e-piano comes in at :57. There was a good sense of climax into 1:24, but I think after that point it was hard to distinguish the harmonic progression of the piece. It started to lack directionality, and it might’ve been nice to ground the piece in some more melodic content, even if it’s meant to have a drone-like quality. The jittery effects at around 2:24 are pretty cool. I definitely like the sound design and atmosphere of the piece. As for the mixing, you do a good job of having a variety of frequencies, although the reverb may have been a bit excessive at times. The drums could’ve also been more up-front in the mix. I think the abrupt transition at 3:17 actually works quite well to bridge the gap between the moods of the sections on either side. The variations in the bass line at 4:00 were also quite welcome. After that, the piece seems a little disjointed from the rest. I suppose I would’ve liked to see you offer some more conclusive content in the second half of the piece that expanded more on harmonic themes presented earlier. That said, you nailed the mood and atmosphere with this piece. I think the composition might need work, especially during the first 3 minutes, where you rely mostly on adding instruments at fairly regular intervals in order to form the progression of the piece. Also, the atonality started to bother me a bit after a while. Overall, soothing piece with some cool instrumentation. Keep at it, Primallightmusic!

7.5/10

primallightmusic responds:

Thank you for the awesome feedback, I will definitely put it to use.

[AIM - Quirky Little Circuit Girl]

---Official AIM review---

I like the suspenseful beginning. The mood is a little ominous at first, but eventually a more upbeat vibe takes over. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the instruments, including the kick, which was a little heavy on high-frequency tones. Overall, the sound design is quite refreshing, though. The smooth bass, cute staccato-y synths, and warm pads set the mood quite well. I think you could’ve foreshadowed the major structural change at 1:52 a bit better. That said, I like how that section functions structurally within the context of the rest of the piece. You do a great job of creating a huge variety of textures in this piece. If I had to criticize something about the composition, it’d probably be that the most memorable melodic content in the piece is a little back-loaded until 3:06, whereas the beginning ⅔ or so of the piece has a lot of downtempo sections. Still, I also commend you for making the ending seem really climactic by having the most prominent emotional height at the end. Overall, the composition here is really good. The mix is also pretty clean. There were a couple of moments when I wanted the kick to be a bit stronger (1:45, 3:30) but overall the drums were really crisp, strong, and well-varied. There aren’t a lot of things that jump out at me as being hugely problematic with this piece. It’s just a lot of little things. Keep up the good work, TheOneAfromaster!

9.25/10

TheOneAfromaster responds:

Wow, great review! I see where you're coming from in reference to the melody at 1:29, I guess I wanted it to be more of a sneak peak than the main idea (perhaps if I just made it repeat?). As for the section at 1:52, I did hide many segments of that new melody throughout (:25, :35, :58 in the harp) but I can see now that a subtle reference to a large mood change probably wasn't the best strategy, so I'll work on that. Thanks, TL!

[AIM - Ichor Valley]

---Official AIM review---

I like the ominous beginning and the sound design. The textures are somewhat indistinct, with few discernable notes besides the creepy violins in the first minute. There’s little in the way of progression besides a few swells until 1:15, in fact. I really like the vocals, even if they sound a tad robotic in their low register (probably because of the sample, I’m guessing). You certainly nailed the mood and atmosphere. This piece has a lot of suspense, but at some point I wanted to see that suspense released. The song doesn’t quite feel structurally complete otherwise. Similarly, the ending feels a bit sudden. It’s neither a dramatic flourish nor a gradual taming of the Wyverns. Instead, it’s quite ambiguous. Overall, though, this piece is truly captivating. Engrossing mood, haunting vocals, and easily vivid scenery. Piece really puts an image in my head. That’s a good sign. Keep up the good work, SmokeAvery!

8.75/10

SmokeAvery responds:

Hey thanks alot for the review, every year you guys help me improve and i'm thankful for that!