TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Wyrded Out]

I like the quirky synth riff at the beginning and the ghostly lead at :24. The melodic content is cool and dynamic, and overall the sound design and atmosphere are great. The one big problem here is definitely the mixing. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, which makes things sound a bit muddy, and during the busier sections it’s really hard to hear some of the instruments, especially the bassoon. It might help if you filter out some of the lower-pitched frequencies in the other harmonic instruments (<200 Hertz or so) with an EQ. Also, towards the end of the piece there could’ve been a little more structuring. A final climax or melodic section, perhaps? There’s just a lot of pent-up tension in this piece that I feel like you haven’t properly resolved. Regardless, the instrumentation, melodies, creepy mood, and compositional details are all really enjoyable here. Keep at it, Jokyles! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Sunset Dreams]

I like the upbeat synth riff at the beginning. The instruments are a bit cheesy, but I’m enjoying the cute mood and rhythmic content. The mix could be a bit sharper - over time, the main melody becomes less distinct, likely because other instruments are taking up the same frequency range. Especially during the busier sections, it might help to use equalizers more often. Also known as EQs, they’ll help you filter out the frequencies in the harmonic instruments (i.e., pretty much everything except the bass and drums) below about 200 Hertz. That’ll make all of the instruments sound much clearer because instruments with a similar frequency range tend to distort each other, especially on the low end of the spectrum. You may already know about equalizers, but you should use them way more often, is the point. Sometimes the excess of reverb in the texture also makes the piece sound muddy and distorted.

Anyway, the transition at 2:11 was a tad rough, despite your efforts to foreshadow that a transition was coming. It’s hard to do transitions with key changes without also changing the harmonies gradually to acclimate the listener to the new key. Then, when you add back the melody from the former key at 2:42, it sounds very dissonant - it seems to be a B flat major melody playing over C major chords. It might be better to transpose the old melody into the new key before adding it back. The outro is also pretty dissonant, especially after 4:02 or so.

Overall, I really like the blissful mood, cute synths, and catchy beats of the first half of the piece. I think you tried to get a bit too fancy with the second half of the piece, but it’s certainly not beyond repair. One good rule of thumb is that, usually, notes that are only 1-2 spaces apart on the piano roll (or can be transposed up or down by octaves so that they are) probably shouldn’t be playing at the same time. It also helps to highlight all of the tracks in your DAW at once so that you can see which notes are playing at the same time across all of the instruments.

Anyway, I hope you’ll keep working on this one. It has potential - you have a great sense of progression and rhythm. Really honing in on layering tonal harmonies over each other will be a great next step for you. Keep at it, Jok3004! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.25/10

Jok3004 responds:

Hey your probably not gonna read this, but i uploaded a song called Jupiter, i would like to see your opinion on it

Actual response:
Wow, thanks for writing all of this info! Just saying, i used to use a website called BeepBox, (i switched to something called BandLab) which is like 100x less advanced than stuff like FL studio. I dont know how to use EQ filters, so i just use the natural ones on there. Dissonance is my big issue currently, (i mostly fixed that) i hope i can fix that later. Also, the second half wasnt even a key change soooooooooooooooo yeah. The reason i put the first melody on the second one (if you know what i mean) is becuase i simply ran out of ideas.

I also have a youtube channel, that ill link for some reason idk https://www.youtube.com/@Jok3004/videos

Now that i look back on this song, its kinda terrible to be honest-

( yes, i did read all of that :o you wrote a lot )

[Guardian Of The Throne]

I like the church bells at the beginning. The fade-in of the synth melody at :03 was a bit cheesy, but by :14 the texture comes together really well. The panning is a bit strong for my tastes at first, but it also helps separate out some distinct melodic lines that are playing at a similar frequency range. The snare could’ve been a tad stronger in the mix, and overall the mix is pretty quiet, but otherwise all the instruments come through clearly. The melodies here are great, and the compositional details like the twittery descending line at 1:53 are super nice. Overall, despite my mixing complaints, this is a nice upbeat and well-structured composition with some cutesy sound design and strong rhythmic content. It also makes for a great loop! Keep at it, Interloping. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Interloping responds:

I like to make the lead and rhythm take turns taking the spotlight, which is my my mixing often end up sounding weird. Ill get it together one day, I swear

[Caught in a storm (NGAIC Layer 2)]

I like the high-pitched string drone at the beginning. Some of the other instrument choices were a bit cheesy, especially the inauthentic piano and thin kick drum. I also think the drums could’ve used some more compression, just to make them sound punchier. I like the flute melodies at :51 too, although the piano line gets a bit buried in the mix there. The transition back into the electronic melodies at 1:19 was really smooth, although it was a bit jarring when you went in a different direction again at 1:30.

Overall, though, I really like the composition here. You clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression. I think it would benefit you to get some higher-quality samples, though, especially for orchestral instruments. I’d suggest PM’ing @LD-W and joining the NG Audio Pub on Discord. The Resources tab there is full of great sample libraries and tips on where to find more.

As for the mixing, especially during the busier sections, it might help to use equalizers more often. Also known as EQs, they’ll help you filter out the frequencies in the harmonic instruments (i.e., pretty much everything except the bass and drums) below about 200 Hertz. That’ll make all of the instruments sound much clearer because instruments with a similar frequency range tend to distort each other, especially on the low end of the spectrum. You may already know about equalizers, but you should use them way more often, is the point. It also couldn’t hurt to dial back the reverb a tad, but I don’t think that’s the main problem here.

Anyway, I really like the melodies, variety, atmosphere, and progression of this one, and I hope you’ll keep working on it. Keep at it, INH0! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[0i00 - Crushed]

I like the eerie synth pattern at the beginning. The instrument itself sounds a bit grating, though. The texture is very distorted - it seems you’re using some sidechaining, but at the same time the drums are pretty weak and could use some more compression, reverb, and other mixing effects. There isn’t much variety in the harmonies here either, although overall the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. The occasional sudden transition (especially 1:43) actually fits the character of the piece really well. Overall, I enjoyed the composition, but the mixing and sound design could use some help here. I’d suggest doing more with filtering (equalizers or EQs, etc.), especially on the high end where the output can sound pretty harsh. The texture here is pretty minimal, so some more reverb could help fill out the atmosphere. Otherwise, this piece is super catchy and has a great, engrossing mood about it. Keep at it, 0i00! ^_^

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

zeroizerozero responds:

Thanks for such a detailed review. It will definitely help me get better. Next year, victory will be in my hands, haha

[SELECT YOUR MONKEE]

I like the quirky pads at the beginning. The vocals are a bit cheesy, and the mix sounds a bit muddy and indistinct. I wanted to see more variety in the harmonic content and a cleaner production. Did you make this for a game, or are you just mimicking the style? Either way, the texture is very minimal. Compression on the drums could help fill out the texture more, but you also may need a consistent bass line and some higher-pitched harmonies/melodies at some point. Another good way of creating variety could be to switch up when the vocals come in - i.e., make it a bit more irregular, not just every 4 measures like clockwork. Still, I’d encourage you to keep working on this. It has a lot of potential between the sound design, rhythmic content, and atmosphere. Keep at it, HumanCenterpiece! ^_^

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

[why do i still love you]

I like the vinyl scratch and the distorted vocals at the beginning. The heavy beats at :05 kinda hijack the mix, though, with the atmosphere and vocals not coming through very well for most of the piece. I would’ve liked to hear more harmonic content here, or at least some more variety in the heavy, distorted beats. Even a bridge with some bare-bones vocals and a stronger sense of atmosphere and balance in the mix would’ve helped break up the harsh, minimal beats that characterized most of the piece here. I admire your sense of rhythm, and the sound design itself is totally workable, but I certainly would suggest dialing back the distortion on the drums and adding some more harmonic depth and variety. Sorry if this isn’t a very positive review. I think you can just do a lot more to both rein in these volume levels and make the composition more dynamic. If you ever give a harmonic approach to this track a go, send me a PM and I’m happy to give you some more feedback. Otherwise, keep at it, Gwenny. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
3/10

[Geometrycal Fantasy]

I like the cutesy synths at the beginning and the filtering at :18. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, but there’s a good sense of build-up into :35, and I’m loving the upbeat mood and melodic content. Other elements of the sound design are a bit cheesy, including the pads that play during the refrain. The drums sound a bit dry in the mix - some more reverb and other mixing effects could help jazz them up. The minimal breakdown at 1:35 was good for some variety, and I like the added harmonies at 1:54. The lead gets a bit tiresome after a while, especially during the sections of constantly repeating 2-note patterns, like at 2:24 and 4:15. Switching it out for another instrument at those places might’ve helped keep me engaged here. That said, you transition well back into the main melodic section at 3:00, and the variations in the melodies during the last couple of minutes help hit the piece home nicely. Your melody writing could be a bit more dynamic and memorable at times - there are quite a few octave jumps, and stop-start mini-phrases that don’t add much to the overall contour of the line. That’s getting a bit nitpicky, though. Overall, I really like the composition of this piece and the blissful, triumphant mood. The production quality is also another highlight - I can hear all of the instruments loud and clear in the mix throughout. Solid work, GrenRach! ^_^ Keep it up.

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Goose721 - Банка Мёда]

I like the quirky synth line at the beginning and the 8-bit drums that come in shortly thereafter. The mix is a bit quiet, and could potentially benefit from some more compression. The piano line at :26 clashes a bit with the other harmonies, though - its line is very jumpy, with large skips in pitch in a short amount of time, and it also cuts out at :37 just as suddenly as it was added to the texture before. For most of the rest of the piece, you only have one harmonic instrument playing at a time, and each harmonic pattern doesn’t seem very well-integrated with the one before it. There’s some amount of repetition, which is good, overall the progression here doesn’t seem very coherent. You clearly have a good sense of rhythm, and a lot of the individual ideas you’ve presented here are good, from the catchy oft-repeated synth bass line to the acid synth at 1:56 that kind of pulsates in and out. But they just don’t sound like they’re from the same piece of music yet.

I’d suggest trying this: write a series of chords, notes that both sound good when played together. Then, put the chords in an order that sounds natural, maybe by only changing one or two of the notes of the chord at a time. When you write parts for the instruments of that song, use only the notes from the chord that’s playing at the same time as the instrument is. Obviously, this is a very limiting approach, but it’s a good way of teaching yourself about how to layer different harmonies together.

Once you’ve tried this out, send me another PM and I’ll leave you another review. In the meantime, I’d like to emphasize that you have a lot of good ideas to build on with this piece. The beat is really cool, and a lot of the filtering/phasing work on the synths here sounds really cool. Keep at it, Goose721! ^_^

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

[Damnation]

This piece has some really cool automations - I really like the phasing work at around :32, and again at :44. The synths do sound a bit harsh in the mix, though, and I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more. Right now, it’s very short, minimal, and also bottom-heavy. Certainly not a bad start, but in terms of the NGUAC I’m not sure you’re fulfilling some of the criteria on my rubric regarding melody and tonality, texture, phrasing and variety, etc. Adding some creepy pads, arpeggios, and/or a melodic lead could really take this piece to the next level. I’d encourage you to keep working on it - it has a lot of potential. In the meantime, you’ve already got the heavy bass line stuck in my head. Keep at it, GMDTurbo! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
4.5/10

GMDTurbo responds:

Hey man, I really appreciate the professional feedback. This was one of my very first FL Studio Mobile songs, so it has a special place in my heart. I'm obviously not very skilled at music creation, given that this song literally only had 3 tracks in it with minimal mixing, excluding the master track, but I will continue to improve and grow in my song composition. I'm still a little bummed that I couldn't make it into the Knock-Out rounds, but that simply means I need to keep working at it next time. Thanks for inviting me. :)