TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Beat Down]

I like the groovy bass riff at the beginning. The drums are a little quiet, and could probably use more compression. The melodic synths are also really enjoyable. You have a good sense of harmony and progression. The rhythm at 1:04 is a little bit dense - I might suggest simplifying it to enhance the flow of the piece. My main problem with the piece is that it has a uniform continuity after a while without many changes in energy or dynamics. During the second half, there isn’t really a specific moment where you strip away the drums or synths to give this piece some shape and contrast. Overall, though, the cute mood and rich melodic content really make this piece what it is. Solid work!

8/10

[-Samurai Avengence-]

The drum samples at the beginning are a little generic, and the guitar sample sounds really inauthentic. FL Slayer isn’t a very high quality plug-in. Also, once the guitars come in they completely take over the mix. I can barely hear the harmonies or drums when the guitar is also playing. This piece has no melodic content, and very little structuring and variety. It’s minimalistic and doesn’t do much with changes in energy or dynamics at all. I’d suggest structuring your piece around some melodic content in the future. When you feel like you’ve accomplished this, send me a PM and I’ll leave you another review. Don’t be discouraged. You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony, but you just needed to put more effort into the composition. Keep at it, Simplecubic1497. :)

2/10

SimpleCubic1497 responds:

thanks, i will do so.

[Sw~ Ecilam]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. It’s a little slow to progress, and I think the kick has a bit too much treble. The drop at :42 had a really minimalistic texture, with somewhat arbitrary sounding changes in instrumentation every few seconds. I also think you went a little overboard on the reverb in the percussion. The minimalism really wore on me after a while. I think it’s a good idea for you to structure your piece around more melodic content. There’s just not a lot of memorable or creative riffs or harmonies in this piece. The structure of the piece isn’t bad, and the piece is pretty catchy overall. The composition just needs a lot more creativity and variety. When you feel like you’ve written a piece that has a strong melody or other engaging harmonic aspects, PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Keep at it, Sidewindergd! :)

4/10

Sidewindergd responds:

Thanks so much! I get a lot of comments about the reverb tbh
And not to worry! I have some brand new tracks coming! Thanks again, TL

[Go Ahead]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning. The synths blend well together, and enhance the mood of the piece well despite being a bit generic. The mix is pretty clean, although I think the snare could use a little more compression - I just wanted it to some more crisp and distinct. The piece is missing some strong melodic content, although you clearly have a good sense of harmony. It also gets a little repetitive after a while, and could use a little more shape and contrast, especially with regards to the main riffs. The loop is smooth, though, and the piece is quite catchy. Solid work!

7.75/10

Shadowaves responds:

Thanks a lot for your analysis ! I'll take notes ;)

[Save me]

I like the cute mood at the beginning. The chord progression is a little cliche, and I think you went a little overboard on the reverb on a couple of the synths here. The melodic content in the piano is enjoyable, and you have a good sense of harmony. The drums come through the mix pretty clearly, but I think the excessive reverb detracts from the distinctness of the synths. The piece has a cool atmosphere and mood, although the piece gets pretty repetitive towards the end. The fade-out ending struck me as a bit lazy, and I think you could do more to offer some shape and variety in the piece (a breakdown or bridge, some more dynamic contrast and phrasing, etc.). Overall, it’s pretty good. A little more effort into the composition, and this would be a really solid piece. Keep at it, Shabbyjazz. :)

7.25/10

CielOuvert responds:

Much appreciated, a very thorough and precise review. I will take this into consideration :)

[Nirimi - At dark times]

The descending line at the beginning had a really somber vibe, and I like how each note bleeds into the next. The progression is really slow, and there’s a bit of dissonance in the harmonies at around :40. I think you could’ve done a lot more to use the entire frequency range to your advantage here. The entire piece is very minimalistic, and I would’ve liked to see you use some more creative transitions besides the crash at some point. The piece is lacking strong melodic content and occasionally even tonality. At best, the composition is really underwhelming. I’d strongly suggest that you structure your piece around some sort of melodic riff or emotional height. When you feel like you’ve done so, PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Don’t be discouraged. The mood and instruments are pretty cool - you just needed to put more effort into the composition. Keep at it, RobinvanDommelen. :)

4.75/10

RobinvanDommelen responds:

Thanks. I will definitely try to improve :)

[Mechanical Breakdown]

The ascending line at the very beginning is pretty interesting, but I really don’t understand the role of that harsh, blaring synth at :02 in the texture. It doesn’t complement the mood of the piece at all, and ends up detracting from my enjoyment of the piece considerably. It completely takes over the mix when it comes in. If you want to keep that harmony line in there, I’d suggest replacing it with a smooth bass or something. At 1:08, the texture is a bit too busy, with a lot of dissonances between the various moving lines going on. I’m just confused which melody to listen to. I also thought a lot of your instruments were pretty generic. The riser that starts at around 2:05 also sounds thin, harsh, and obnoxious. Overall, the composition of this piece just didn’t come together for me at all. I know I’ve been really tough on you in this review, but I think you have a good sense of structure and flow. Also, the mastering is pretty good - I can hear all the instruments clearly throughout. The main thing that bothers me about this piece is the sound design, but I’d also suggest you think a little more about how your harmonies relate musically. Keep at it, man! :)

5.5/10

redflaresountracks responds:

there are trills there for a reason. its about a old machine breaking down. Thanks anyway!

[Forest Spirits]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The chord progression is really interesting, and the busy drum beat that comes in at around :25 adds a lot of drive and energy to the piece. It’s a little slow to progress, and has a somewhat experimental vibe by around 1:30. I love the sound design and mood, and you clearly have a good sense of rhythm. I think my main issue with the piece is that it needs a little more melodic content and shape. It’s also quite repetitive. You do a good job of channeling the energy, but without many riffs with singular moving notes, it’s hard to hear any moments of climax or development in the piece. The guitar sample at around the 3-minute mark was a welcome addition, though. I also didn’t hear any problems with the mixing and mastering throughout the piece. You also manage to keep me engaged pretty well for the whole 8 minutes, which is impressive. Despite my complaints about the composition, this is a very strong piece overall. Keep up the good work, Pusga, and consider yourself scouted! :)

9/10

[[PT] - Solace]

The sweep at the beginning was a good idea, but it sounds a little harsh in my headphones. I’d suggest using an equalizer to take some of the treble tones off of it. A couple of the samples sound pretty generic, notably the piano, and the frantic harmonies at :31 make the texture seem a bit too busy. It might help to replace that harmonic instrument with a different one that doesn’t have as much sustain, just to keep it out of the way of the melody a bit more. Speaking of the melody, it seemed very distorted in the mix at several points. Do you hear how it sounds quieter all of a sudden when the harmony part comes in at :33? That means that both instruments use similar frequencies, so they’re distorting each other. You can fix that by eliminating some of the interfering frequencies with a mixing tool called an equalizer. I suggest you do some research on how to find an equalizer in whatever DAW you use. Also, the melodies themselves are very square rhythmically and heavily grounded in the chords (basically arpeggios) giving them a stagnant feel. You also don’t vary the melodies or harmonies much over the course of the piece, and even if it’s short it feels pretty repetitive by the end. The fade-out ending also struck me as a bit lazy. I’ve been really tough on you in this review, though. You have a good sense of harmony, structure, and flow. The main culprit here is the mixing. Equalizers and compressors will be your best friends from now on! :)  But seriously, they’ll totally help you make your production quality sound more professional. Keep at it, Passarrinotrain. ;)

5.5/10

Passarino responds:

Hi and thank you for responding! :)
First off, I agree. The sweep had a bit too much treble, and yes the melody was a bit frantic, though honestly I wasn't even really aiming for a melody there haha. And with the 'distortion', that was intentional, I used a controller so when the melody came in the legato-sounding bass would fade a bit, before it drowned out the vocals. I will try some alteration in the EQing though! And I would agree with the ending haha. I need to work on that. Many thanks and harsh is good in critique! I will always take into account this review when I work on new stuff! Many thanks,
-PassarinoT

[Highway 963]

I like the suspenseful mood at the beginning. Some of the instruments seemed a little generic, but everything still blends well together. You have a good sense of harmony and progression, and the mixing is also pretty strong. By around the 2-minute mark, I really would’ve liked to see some more structural variety here. The main riffs and melodies get really repetitive, and after a while it has a dull sense of continuity. I think you needed a bridge or breakdown or something to give this piece some more shape and contrast. The fade-out ending also came across as pretty lazy. Overall, it’s a catchy piece with some cool melodies and harmonies. Solid work!

8.25/10