TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!

[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

[Omson's Epic Music: Legion Of The Fallen]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning. The crisp percussion and the pulse of the strings are great touches. The dissonance at :53 also works really well. Occasionally, I can tell the brass is inauthentic, probably because of the really slow attack. The dark mood here is gripping, although I do think you could’ve humanized some sections a bit more. From what I can tell, the mixing is also pretty strong. I like the climactic finish, but I don’t think the drum fade-out at the end was even remotely necessary. My biggest compositional complaint is that the piece has a constant sense of energy, and it could really use some more shape. Including some sort of breakdown or bridge could really help you out in that regard. That said, this is very impressive work overall. I’m excited to see what else you produce for the contest. Keep it up!

9.25/10

[Press On]

I like the bouncy chords and blissful mood at the beginning. The drums are nice and crisp, and give the piece a great sense of drive. I think you could’ve done more to foreshadow the transition at :34, but I like the melodic content there. I guess my main problem with the piece is that it has a sense of continuity throughout without much structural variety. You could’ve done a lot more with the composition here, and I think the texture could benefit from some more creative instrumentation. Overall, though, it’s hard not to like this piece. Good job with the atmosphere and mood, which the simplicity enhance. Keep at it, OForTheWin. ;)

8/10

OForTheWin responds:

Thank you very much for the feedback!

[Brink]

I think you have a good sense of harmony and progression. The instruments here sound really inauthentic, though. The mix also sounds strained at many points. For example, it’s hard to hear the woodwinds once the brass comes in at 1:16. I’m not sure Musescore has the capacity to fix that, but if you’re using a Mac I’d highly recommend exporting the piece to Garageband and using an equalizer to try to make each instrument come through clearer. I did enjoy the melodic content in this piece, though. The pacing of the piece is a little fast, although overall the structure and transitions are enjoyable as well. Overall, this is a strong composition, but the mixing and sound design need work. Keep at it, Novent-Music. ;)

7.25/10

Novent-Music responds:

Thank you for your input it is greatly appreciated. as far as mastering goes I'm experimenting with exporting the instruments to audacity and doing the equalization there.

[Proxima]

You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. The instruments here struck me as a little generic, though, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the panning in the drums - it was a very hard pan that didn’t add much to the piece IMO. Also, once the bass comes in at :16, the kick and drums get a little distorted. I think you need some more careful equalizing, and probably some compression too. As for the composition, I would’ve liked to see you vary that main lead riff (comes in at 2:22 and many other places) more. The piece gets quite repetitive after a while, and also doesn’t have much in the way of dynamic contrast or phrasing - just a near-constant energy level for over 4 minutes. The melodic content here is really enjoyable, though. I think my main problem with the piece is the mixing - it just sounds really strained during the busy sections. Excessive reverb might be part of the problem, but I think you really need to look into using an equalizer to limit the distortion here. As a priority, I’d suggest eliminating all of the low frequencies in every instrument except the bass and kick. Doing so will make the sound quality much clearer. Solid work on the composition, though. Keep at it, Nicfart646. ;)

6.75/10

[The Lingering - Main Theme]

I like the pensive mood and atmosphere at the beginning. Has a very spacious and intellectual quality. The bass that comes in at :28 doesn’t always sound very distinct. The mixing might need a bit of cleaning up there, and the reverb on the piano might be distorting it a bit too. I’d encourage you to be a little stricter with the equalization. The piece is a little slow to progress, and seems to be headed in a very different direction starting at around 1:25. I like the dark mood at around the 2-minute mark. I think you need to offer the listener some more melodic content early on, though. The repetitive piano riffs don’t quite cut it. This piece has a ton of potential, with a killer mood and atmosphere and some really neat sound design. I wanted to see you resolve some of the tension in the piece at some point, though. There needed to be some melody or emotional height to hit this piece home. It’s also rather long considering how little variety there is among the moving notes here, and it doesn’t feel very conclusive by the end. The composition really should be your main focus going forward. Other than that, cool piece. Keep at it, Nedwin04! :)

7/10

[Secrets]

I like the energy at the beginning. A couple of the instruments area a little generic, especially the drums, but I like the climax into :30. You do a good job for most of this piece of creating a full, rich texture. The climax that starts at 1:15 is also enjoyable, and I like the melody at 1:32. For big room house, it’s actually not that minimalistic, which is a good thing. I appreciated the structural relief you had at the 2-minute mark. The mixing and mastering are strong here as well. I wish you had varied the drop the second time around a little more. The second half of the piece doesn’t have much in the way of melodic development or a sense of progression or expansion from the first half. The ending also came about a bit suddenly. Overall, this is a really strong piece. The repetition and lack of originality are the only issues that stuck out to me. Keep it up, NebulaTrax. ;)

8.5/10

RiSUKU responds:

Thanks!