TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Obsidian Knight]

I like the cutesy synths at the beginning and the bassy atmosphere at :05. The rhythmic content is good, although the mix is a bit bottom-heavy throughout. Sounds like there’s some reverb on the bass too (or maybe it’s just extra juicy?). Either way, I’m tempted to say the sub takes up a bit too much of the mix. Getting serious Halloween-ish vibes from this. I like the sassy main synth riff, but I would’ve liked to see it get a boost in the mix, and maybe transposed up an octave or two just as a counterweight to the rest of the texture. The piece also gets rather repetitive after a while. It would certainly make for a good video game soundtrack, though. Overall, maybe not your best work, but I appreciate the risk-taking with the experimental texture and lo-fi mix. Been an absolute pleasure having you in the contest this year, Sednova! Best of luck with your future projects. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6/10

[The Depths]

I like the eerie piano riff at the beginning. The texture sounds a bit minimal at first, and could at least use some more reverb or something to fill out the atmosphere. The snare sample is not my favorite, but the other sound design choices are nice. There’s a good sense of build-up into 1:03, but it ended up being a bit anticlimactic given the quirky synth riffs at 1:04. That said, I like the drop at 1:18 and the hip-hop-inspired drums at 1:50. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the piece is how often you switch up the drum pattern. That’s an underrated way of creating variety, and you do it a lot here. That said, the mix sounds a bit over-compressed at times, and I would’ve liked to hear a bit more variety in the harmonic content, especially later on in the piece. I like the rich pads and grouchy bass during the last refrain at 3:30, though - that was a good way of hitting the piece home. The powerful chords and tempo automation during the outro were nice touches as well. Overall, I enjoyed the sound design, progression, rhythmic content, and compositional details here, but the production could’ve been a bit tighter and more organic-sounding, and the harmonies needed a tad more variety. Still, this piece is seriously catchy and fun - thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Rici! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[DEMONIC SAVIOUR]

I like the quirky synths and pads at the beginning. There’s a lot of overlap in the frequencies between the two main riffs at the beginning - maybe some stereo widening would help keep them more distinct in the mix? You could also just transpose one of them up or down the octave, respectively. You also go in a very different direction with this piece with the heavy guitars at :21. I like the solo at :42, and the transition at 1:00 was really neat. The way the crash cuts off at 1:05 sounds a bit unnatural, and then you transition pretty abruptly into the more downtempo section at 1:06. Overall, I think the pacing of this piece is way too fast. It’s just very jarring when the texture shifts so dramatically every 10 seconds or so. I think this piece would make for a nice, longer piece with some more gradual transitions and a better integration of all of these thematic elements and motifs, but right now it sounds like you just tried to cram way too many ideas into 2 minutes. Other than the choppy arrangement, I like the sound design and a lot of the individual riffs, including the cutesy pad/arpeggio combo at 1:43. This piece has a lot of potential, and I hope you’ll keep working on it! In the meantime, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, recme! Been an absolute pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

recme responds:

thank you for the critiques!!

i agree, the pacing was probably too fast. lately, i've been trying to avoid repeating parts too much in my compositions, and its very noticeable in this track, which i think actually damages it a bit. had i repeat some parts more, things wouldve most likely felt more normal.

i'd like to come back to this in the future! probably for another album idk. for now though, time is better spent on newer projects... though this was a great learning experience! thanks for your review!

[A Fighter's Song]

I like the edgy guitar riff at the beginning - that glissando on the high note is especially nice. The vocals are soulful and powerful, but also a bit dry in the mix - some more reverb and other effects might help give them a bit more presence and help with the blending on the different vocal layers. I was a little thrown off that the vocals seem to be so much more up-front in the texture during some of the verses than they are at the chorus (compare :55 and 1:33, for example). The drums could also use more presence in the mix at times. The lyrics themselves are really good - love the dark and cryptic feel of the piece in general. The passion in the vocals at 1:33 was especially nice, though. Love the conversational tone they have too. The short-lived breakdown/hook combo at 2:07 was another highlight - that struck me as a really creative way of speeding up the pacing on an otherwise pretty traditional arrangement. The solo at 3:01 is awesome, as is the spacey riff at 3:36. Overall, there’s a lot to like here, Mischa. All of my complaints are minor, but as always you’re doing some major shredding on this track, with some heartfelt vocals and a nice progression to boot. It’s been a pleasure having you in the NGUAC this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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
9/10

Mischa-head responds:

Thanks for the feedback! And thanks for hosting the audio contests! I've had so much fun participating, definitely keen for next time!

[The Great Adventure]

I like the rich strings at the beginning. It’s a tad difficult to follow the rhythm until the big cadence at :09, but after that the piece is very smooth-flowing. Love the orchestral sound design and melodies, too. I wanted to hear more of the percussion in the mix, but otherwise the production is clean and well-balanced. The composition is full of variety, and has a lot of lovely twists and turns, like the woodwind flourish at 1:30 and the string solo at 1:50. If I had to complain about something composition-wise, it might be that you could’ve done more with dynamic contrast and phrasing - the energy level is fairly constant throughout. That said, you absolutely nailed the whimsical, upbeat mood, memorable and dynamic melodies, and well-varied instrumentation here. Thoroughly enjoyable track, Manvineo! And thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. It’s been an absolute pleasure having you. ^_^

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

[Run Away]

I like the apprehensive mood and gritty synths at the beginning. The way you integrated the vocal samples was neat - reminds me of Waterflame, actually. The drop at 1:00 is actually a nice break from the frantic, in-your-face synths, even if it’s a tad minimal. The production quality holds up well, although the drums could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix at times, and some more upper-mid range frequencies could’ve helped round out the texture a bit. The lo-fi bridge at 2:02 is probably my favorite part of the piece, and the melodies at 2:51 really help hit the piece home nicely - great moment of catharsis towards the end of the piece. Overall, I’m really impressed with this piece. It’s bouncy, fun, and the texture is very unique and experimental. Congratulations on your success in this competition, KayozKun! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Listen]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The dense percussion pattern is a nice touch too. Really lovely harmonies, and strong production quality here. I think the composition could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, though - I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodic content and some more “twists and turns” in the structure. Still, you nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and mood here. This is a really soothing piece, and I hope you’ll consider making a full-length version sometime! Also, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Kassich - it’s been a pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

Kassich responds:

Thank you for the review, and thank you for hosting/organizing the NGUAC. I love this competition, it gives me an opportunity to just write music for fun and listen to other fellow composers!

[The Sky (NG Exclusive)]

I like the slow ballad-like vibe at the beginning, although that piano sample isn’t my favorite. The piece is a bit slow to progress, but the atmosphere that starts bleeding in at around :45 helps. The part at 1:30 in particular has a nice emotional appeal to it, and the transition into the electronic section was smooth. The build-up into 2:53 was rather gradual, but I like the blissful and cathartic feel at 2:54 and the richer texture. The sound design is a bit generic, though, and I would’ve liked to hear more dynamic melodic content or at least some variety in the harmonic framework in these first couple of minutes of the electronic section. The mid-range bass at 3:51 is pretty cool, and the melody at 4:26 was a great callback to the piano solo part at the beginning of the piece. I think my favorite part of the piece overall is the mixing, though. Everything sounds super clear, loud, and well-balanced in the texture. Overall, this is a well-produced and catchy track that could use a “radio edit” with some more variety. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Jobrektho! Been a pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Dregs and Grounds of the Story]

I like the rhythmic content at the beginning and the distinct velocity changes in the piano and brass. The mixing is not great - it’s hard to make out the drums once the texture gets busier, and in general the instruments could use a little more atmosphere/reverb around them. I know the mixing capabilities of MuseScore are not extensive, but I would’ve at least tried doubling the drums. There’s also some dissonance in the texture at around :33. Otherwise, compositionally this piece is rather impressive. The melodies are dynamic and memorable, the piece is full of variety, and the orchestration is well done. Some more gradual transitions might’ve helped smooth over some abrupt changes to the texture, like at :58 and 2:36. From what I can tell, the second half of the piece is a direct copy-paste of the first half, so I think it’s actually especially important that the transition at 2:36 is smooth if this is supposed to be a loop. Overall, I’m really impressed you made this in MuseScore. The quality of the samples is better than I remember it from when I used MuseScore in college. Anyway, congrats on an energetic, dynamic, and melody-rich track, iWTBAT! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. ^_^

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
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
8.25/10

[Shiza]

I like the crisp drums and furtive atmosphere at the beginning. The plucked, staccato-y guitar riff at :09 is haunting, as are the vocals. The lyrics themselves really help play up the apprehensive mood. The pacing of the piece is a bit slow, and I also think the transition into the refrain at 1:25 was a bit abrupt. The mixing is also good, although at times I wanted the drums to be a bit punchier. I really like the heavy contrast between the verses and refrains here, but I also would’ve liked to see more variety in the instrumental tracks during the verses to help keep me engaged. The melancholy solo at 3:52 is really nice, although I also would’ve liked to see a section towards the end of the piece that releases some of the pent-up tension here a little more. Overall, though, this is an evocative, moody, and well-produced track with some excellent guitar work. It’s been a pleasure having you in the competition this year, Introverse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
8.5/10

Introverse responds:

Thank you. It was fun to be in this competition. See you next year!