TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Summer Days]

Very luscious sound at the beginning with the warm synths and reverb. The progression is a little slow-paced until :50 or so. Nice melodies there, though. The breakdown section at 2:10 was probably my favorite part of the piece. If I had to criticize one thing, it might be that the drums were pretty bland throughout. I also thought the bridge section was a little dragged out (1:52 - 2:40), and that the ending could've been more creative. Still, nice work here! The production quality is strong, and the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. :) Keep it up, John!

[The Tomb]

I love the ghosty pads and the echo-y bass. The piece could use a bit more melodic content and textural fill, but everything sits nicely in the mix, and I love the sound design and atmosphere. The structure could stand to be fleshed out a little more, too. At 1:15, it seemed like the piece was growing towards a climax, but then you scaled back the pacing a bit. It's a really well-produced track, but I think you also could've done a lot more with it. Either way, congrats on the first-place Spooktacular finish. ;)

AntonM responds:

Thanks for the feedback + giving me some good stuff to work on :)

[-=Death of the sun=-]

Sorry for the slow response! I like the gritty synth at the beginning, but it sounds a tad harsh at the treble end. At :19, the kick is very heavy on the sub-bass, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it probably contributes to the peaking problems you have at :38. Newgrounds' new visualizer system actually makes it a lot easier to tell when your project is too loud. From :38 to 1:16 and again from 1:55 to 2:14, there are distinct flat lines at the height of the audio waveform, which is a sign that you need to eliminate some tones in those instruments, or simply lower the master channel volume. Otherwise, your track will sound really distorted, and could also damage the sound systems of people who listen to it. I think this piece is really well-structured, and I like the phasing synths you have sprinkled throughout. That said, I would've liked to hear some smoother transitions, especially at :38, 1:17, and 1:36. Adding some drums could help smooth over some of these transitions. The part at 2:16 is fun - that instrument that kind of sounds like an electric guitar adds a lot to the character of the piece. Overall, I think my biggest complaint here is still the clipping. I can tell that you're getting better, though. Keep it up, man! ;)

Beluga-of-time responds:

Thanks for the review, I turned down the volume a little bit ;)

[Youtube Intro]

The build-up is pretty cool, and the vocal sample fits in well. The synths and drums are both rather generic. If you're going to use presets, I'd suggest at least modifying them. Production-wise, the drums are really quiet. Usually you want to have the snare be louder than your synths, even during the drop. Besides that, it's just too short! I'd love to see you expand on this, maybe with some more treble-range instruments. Keep at it, man. ;)

[-Meltdown-]

Very smooth-flowing yet energetic track. The atmosphere is great, and I love the seamless transitions between more melodic and rhythmic content. The vocal samples at around 3 minutes in were a nice touch, and the texture is nice and full throughout. The creepy popping sounds at the very end are also amusing. I can certainly see the resemblance to Radioactive, but at the same time you've progressed so much stylistically since then, which also shows. I think the piece is a little long, but at the same time is very catchy and engaging throughout. Keep up the good work, Waterflame! ^^

Waterflame responds:

Thank you for the input as always! :D Taking it with me. Thank you so much!

[C'mon, Girl]

Really catchy piece, guys. The sample at the very beginning wasn’t my favorite. It just sounded a tad unpolished and didn’t fit the context of the next section very well. The drop is probably my favorite part of the song. You really display your rhythmic talents, and Jordi’s vocals are a huge addition to the texture. That said, I think the lyrics are pretty cliche. The solo during the breakdown was great. Obviously, your melodies have remained fantastic for the duration of the competition. You also didn’t add a ton of novel content to the piece during the second half. I noticed you incorporated some of the vocals from “After the Rain” at the very end to try to take it in a more interesting direction, but it seemed a little forced to me. Overall, the production quality is rather strong as usual, and the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. As usual, there’s a cool sound design here too. Guys, you’ve accomplished an amazing amount of great work over the course of this competition. Congratulations and keep it up! :D

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.75/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

johnfn responds:

<3　

[We Are Heroes]

I really like the relaxed guitars at the beginning and how the intensity builds over the course of the intro. The drums are really loud and crisp, and the vocals are strong as always, although it seemed like you were a bit too forceful/breathless at the “I’ve got a special kind of way” line. I love the thematic elements of the piece - the tie-ins to superhero lore, the narrative implied by the lyrics, etc. It also connects with relatable, real-life scenarios very well. Finding out that the “arch nemesis” was really just your girlfriend’s boss was very amusing. I also couldn’t help but think that some of the lyrics really spoke to the NGADM: “this is the final fight,” etc. The production quality is great. The instrumentation is also strong here, but not quite as well-varied as in some of your other tracks. There also wasn’t a ton of variety in the structure of the song. The bridge was a little short-lived, and I would’ve loved to see you go for something a bit riskier, like a passionate guitar solo or the addition of a new element to the texture. Still, this piece is really strong overall. I like the relatively abrupt ending, too, as if the fantasy of being a hero was suddenly interrupted. Finn, you’ve put an amazing amount of effort into this competition. Congratulations on your hard work and achievement! :’D

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.75/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

FinnMK responds:

Thanks a bunch! All good comments and feedback.

[EDM Samurai - Broken Mirror [Nirimi Remix]]

Sounds like house all right. ;) It's a catchy and fun piece, and the risers are cool. I think some of the synths are a little generic, especially the lead, but you're right about one thing: your mixing has improved a lot. The only thing that stuck out to me is you might want to take a tad bit of treble off of the lead - it was just a little grating in the higher register. Besides that, I think you could've used some more creative transitions and variety in the composition. The entire piece is essentially a series of variations on the same riff, and the second half of the piece doesn't really add much more new content. I'd encourage you to try to mimic the structure of your favorite tracks to see if you can give the piece a little more shape (calm moments with less texture, dramatic emotional heights, and everything in between). Overall, though, you're definitely on the right track. Keep at it, man! ^^

RobinvanDommelen responds:

Thank you so much man! I will definitely try my best to keep getting better :D

[Chapter II: Believe]

I like the soothing atmospheric vibes at the beginning, the pulsing strings that come in shortly after, and the soulful vocals. The pacing is a little slow, but the first section with the lyrics has a great emotional appeal. The instrumental is pretty light, and perhaps could’ve used some more fill in the higher frequencies, but the production quality is very strong. The vocals make the piece sound very intimate and personal, which is a huge plus. I really feel like you’re speaking directly to me throughout the piece. The vocal harmonies are beautiful, and you do a fantastic job of using your voice to channel the emotion of the piece. I like how the piece comes full-circle with the piano at the end. Structurally, I feel like the piece completely took me on a journey without sacrificing much in the way of coherence. Overall, this is an enormously strong piece that’ll be hard to beat. Downloaded and fave’d. Keep up the great work, Jordi! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.75/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

[Oh Mama Hey!]

I like the fun, organic feel. The piano that comes in at around :10 is very bright and upbeat, yet seemed to be slightly out-of-tune, unfortunately, unless my ears betray me. That said, it almost fit with the down-to-earth, campfire sing-a-long vibe of the piece. The lyrics are amusing and light-hearted, and the production quality is really strong. It was absolutely fantastic to see you express so much of your upbringing and heritage in the song, too. If I had to complain about one thing, it was that you didn’t do anything particularly interesting with the piece after the bridge. It still comes together pretty nicely, but at this stage of the competition the last refrain sounding exactly the same as the others seems a tad underwhelming. But allow me to put that last comment into perspective: this piece is still a wonderful achievement that makes me want to call my mother right away. Keep up the good work, Finn!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.75/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

FinnMK responds:

I detuned the piano on purpose! I liked the feel of it.
That's a good point about the last refrain. I'll make sure to keep things fresh for the grand finale...