TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Entry]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the beat that comes in shortly after. I think the piano sample sounds pretty generic - I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s FL Keys. The progression of this piece isn’t bad, and you do a good job of using the entire frequency range throughout. I think it might need some more structural variety, because right now it has a bit of a dull sense of continuity. Stripping away the beat at some point could really help give this piece more shape, for example. I also think that the high-pitched synth at 1:06 doesn’t have a lot of clarity in the mix - the notes just sound a bit indistinct. It might be that you went a little overboard on the reverb, or that you should be more careful about how you equalize other instruments in the treble range. You have a good sense of harmony and flow, but there’s not a lot of strong melodic content here - most of it is fleeting and minimal. I do like the production quality overall, and the mood and atmosphere are both amusing. My main issue here is that the composition is pretty underwhelming. I’d encourage you to flesh out the structure and also provide some stronger melodies. Keep at it, KnockVoltage! :)

7/10

KnockVoltage responds:

Thanks a lot for all of the advice. You nailed the piano as being FL Keys. That's usually my go to when I get stuck on melodies/chords. I'll try to move away from that as I get better at composing. Melodic composition has always been one of my biggest issues, which is one of the reasons I ended up moving towards beats instead of songs. I'll go for stronger melodies and more structure in the next round. Thanks again

[[DJKB] Hiding In The Dark]

The chord progression is a little cliche, but I like the quirky lead. The progression is a little slow, and I don’t think the anti-climax at 1:04 helped give this piece a sense of direction very much. The minimalism was wearing on me after a while, and the vocals at 1:20 seemed a little monotonic and lacked passion. I like the drop at 2:01, but I also think the drums got really lost in the mix there. I think you need to do some more careful equalizing and compression to clean up the production quality. The new harmony line you introduce at 2:33 really overpowers the melody, and that same instrument sounds really harsh at 3:09, which you can also fix with more careful equalization. Toning down the reverb a tad might also help add clarity to the mix. I would’ve liked to hear you add some more variety later in the piece, whether in the vocals, melodies, or otherwise. This also doesn’t make a smooth loop. Still, my biggest problem with the piece is the mixing and mastering. Please look into using equalizers - you can use them to eliminate the frequencies that interfere with each other, like when a melody and chords (for example) both have similar frequency ranges. A lot of distortion comes from the lower range, so it’s really important to eliminate the tones below around 150 Hertz in everything except the bass and kick. You can also remove some of the treble tones on your melody synths to make them sound smoother and less in-your-face. Still, there are a lot of good things about this piece. I like the atmosphere and mood a lot - it has a spooky sense of apprehension throughout. Keep at it, Kbenitezlugo13. ;)

6.25/10

AlmightyDJKB responds:

Thanks a lot,

I know that I really suck at equallizing and volume which is my only weakness, that and lack of ideas.

Thanks for the advice and I'm very happy getting thourough critisism, which for me is hard to get.

I really hope you consider in having me for the next round. If not, then that's ok it was fun.

[JonOneMillion - Jon1000]

I like the tranquil vibe at the beginning. The pulsing synth didn’t quite mesh well with the atmosphere IMO, especially since it was so up-front in the mix. This has a really experimental sound design, and also a sense of urgency. I was really itching for some moving notes after a while, though. There are also quite a few moments that sound really harsh in the mix, like 1:48 - 1:55. I’d suggest carefully limiting the treble tones on some of these instruments. You took some huge risks with this track, compositionally and otherwise. It was actually working pretty well for me until around 4:20, when I think you lost me with the structure and coherence element. It’s a cool experimental piece, but I think in order to sell it as a stand-alone piece you need more melodic content, as well as a cleaner mix. It also has a certain comedic aspect (e.x., 6:14), which doesn’t really help your case of “this should be taken seriously as a musical composition.” I like the piece for what it is, but I don’t think this much experimental noise has a place in this contest. Thus I am torn - but I hope you understand why I’m giving you the score I am. Best of luck with your endeavors, my friend - this is strong audio engineering work. That much I know for sure. ;)

6.5/10

[XtraterRestriaL]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, and call-and-response piano/synth riffs at :05. Nice job with the acceleration effects at :25 or so, too. The piece has a nice sense of climax into :45, and subsequently 1:09, even if the build-up was a bit drawn-out. Unfortunately, the climax doesn’t really lead anywhere, and thus lies the downfall of this piece. The content here is solely transitional, and by 1:40 the texture changes jarringly. You really need to give this piece more coherence. Not only is it structurally incomplete, but there’s absolutely no melodic content, emotional height, or even many moving notes. It’s just a series of build-ups. The sound design and atmosphere here are really cool. I have no complaints about the mixing. But you needed to show me that you could make a well-structured composition here, and I don’t think you did. I’m really torn about this piece, because it clearly has a lot of potential. Please PM me if you ever get around to fleshing out the structure here. I want to hear it as a full-length track! Keep at it, K0TiC. ;)

6.5/10

[Our Silence]

I like the slow pace and ambience at the beginning. The distorted vocals are cool. I might’ve taken a bit more treble off of the guitar and vocals with an equalizer, just to keep it from sounding too harsh. The drums sound a bit generic, but the texture is really cool and unique. I guess my main problem with the piece is that it doesn’t have much structural variety - sounds almost uniformly energetic throughout. I think you mixed a big opportunity to maximize the emotion there. The ending is pretty abrupt, too, almost like you meant for it to loop. Still, killer atmosphere and sound design. Going forward, I just need to see you give your track a little more structuring. Keep at it, Joey! ;)

7.5/10

Joey4Track responds:

Thank you! Yes, this is actually a track from about 4 years ago, I entered it into the NGUAC as an afterthought really, as I never have done one of the contests before. But I do agree with your criticisms and the track I will do for the knock-out round is going to have a lot more energy put into it. Thanks again :)

[It's Not Easy]

I like the melodic content at :16 a lot. I think the percussion could use a bit more clarity - maybe some compression and more careful equalizing could help. I think you overuse the transition with the “crash” effect (like at :33), but you clearly have a good sense of harmony. There are a lot of staccato sounds in the mix, though - some pads might help smooth that out and add to the texture. You might also want to consider adding some more reverb to enhance the texture. I think the section at 1:35 was a cool idea, if a bit cheesy. The piece has a cutesy and fun vibe overall. Perhaps the composition is a bit underwhelming - it could certainly use some more shape (dynamic contrast, phrasing, filtering, etc.). The piece is also lacking on originality a bit, but overall you’ve demonstrated that you have pretty strong compositional skills, and I think all the frequencies are well-balanced in the mix here. Keep at it, JigglypuffClient. :)

7/10

JigglypuffClient responds:

Yeah, its difficult to make something that hits all points with such limited programs I use, but I can agree with almost all of things you said. Thank you

[Cheerful and Happy]

The beat at the beginning really establishes some energy and drive here. I think the hat has a bit too much sustain on it - feels like its bleeding into the next beat a bit too much for its own good. Many of the instruments, including the first synth bass that comes in at around :10 and the hats are a little generic. By :50 or so, the kick is getting really lost in the mix. I think you need to equalize those synths more carefully so they don’t have any interfering tones with the kick, especially with the low frequencies. Compressing the drums in general also would help. I liked the melodies at 1:46, but I think the transition into 1:46 is a bit sudden, especially since it seems to take the piece in a bit of a different direction. I liked your use of modulation at 2:38, but at the same time I think the piece drags on for a bit too long and the modulation exacerbated that idea. Those melodies definitely didn’t have to last for over 2 minute (from 1:46 to 4:00). You tried to create more variety later in the piece, but the transitions at 4:32 and 4:52 are just a little too sudden. Overall, though, I think my biggest problem with the piece is that it’s very cliche - whether you’re considering the chord progression, instruments, drum patterns, etc. I know that the best way to get comfortable making music when you’re first starting out is to imitate what works in other music. But I think you’re past that point now. I’d strongly advise that you try to use more nuanced and innovative approach to sound design, mood and atmosphere, as well as when creating the structure of a song. You’ve got a good start with some other elements, though - there are some strong melodies here, and overall it’s a catchy piece. Keep at it, Jeansowaty. :)

4.5/10  

Jeansowaty responds:

Thank you for the nice review, I'll think about it ;) Also, believe it or not, but it's always like that that I start off with a nice idea but then as I progress through it it just goes worse and worse, I start losing ideas, I get bored, distracted...

[[FGS] The journey]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning, and the foreboding percussion that comes in shortly thereafter. The strings at :49 were a nice touch, too. The piece is a little slow to progress, but I’m really enjoying the sound design and crisp beats at around 1:10. The melody at 1:55 is a little square rhythmically - I was itching for some stronger melodic content before the breakdown at 2:15. There is a lot of variety in the texture and instrumentation, which somewhat makes up for the slow pace of the piece. You’ve taken some big risks with the composition and sound design here, and I think they’ve largely paid off. I’ve rarely given competitors full credit for originality this year, but you nailed it. I also didn’t notice any glaring problems with the mixing, and the reverb is a nice touch during the more minimalistic parts of the piece. Perhaps my biggest problem with the piece was that I don’t think you ever quite capitalized on the emotional/dramatic potential of it. It needed an emotional height or climax at one point, and those climactic aspects largely only come in small, scattered bites throughout the piece. Overall, though, this is a momentous effort that sets you apart from your competitors significantly in my opinion. Keep up the good work! :)

9.25/10  

[Spoopy House]

The creepy mood is cool. I think a lot of the synths are a little generic, and the drums could’ve been stronger. For example, the snare that first comes in at :02 would aid a lot more to the creepiness here if it was a bit crisper and punchier, which you can accomplish with some more careful equalizing and compression. The drums sound very distorted throughout much of this piece. I also think that, for the first 1.5 minutes or so, the piece doesn’t have much of a strong sense of direction - little dynamics or phrasing, filtering, changes in texture, etc. Giving the piece some more shape and structure within phrases could really help you maximize the effect of the creepy mood here. I liked your idea for the drop at 1:36, but the product is very muddy and unpolished. Equalizers will be your best friend - stripping away low frequencies in everything except the bass and kick will give your mix some clarity, and taking away some of the treble tones in the white noise at 1:36 will prevent your piece from sounding overly harsh. I’d also suggest using some reverb to make your piece sound fuller and richer when you have fewer instruments playing. One thing I did appreciate with this piece is the subtle ways you varied both the verses and the drops. I think you could’ve had some smoother transitions, though, at 3:56 for example. The ending also cuts off a little suddenly. Still, I think my biggest problem with the piece is the production quality. Please do some research on equalizers and compressors in whatever DAW you use, and you’re well on your way to making more professional-sounding mixes. :)  Keep at it, HJFod!

5.25/10

HJfod responds:

Thank you for the review! Yeah, I really need to look into equalizers and stuff, it's just I'm fairly new to FL Studio and just actually making my music into reality overall. :DD

[Hidden | Surreal]

I like the ominous synths at the beginning. At :32, it seems like the kick is getting a little distorted by the sub-bass. You can fix that with sidechaining, or at least minimize the effect with some more careful equalizing if you don’t want the unnatural sound that comes with sidechaining. That said, I did enjoy the melodic content during the first minute and a half or so, although you did go quite a long time without varying the texture much at all. The transition at 1:32 didn’t quite work from me - that drum fill is not an effective way to move towards a complete change in the harmonic structure of the piece. Without much knowledge of music theory, it can be hard to make such transitions, but I’d encourage you to include some of the same instruments or harmonies on both sides of a transition in order to keep the listener grounded. The same goes for 2:22. Overall, there’s also quite a lot of minimalism in the piece, and I think you could’ve done more to use the entire frequency range as much as possible, especially the higher end. The melodies could also use some more variation, and the instruments are a little generic. I’ve been tough on you in this review, but I think the main thing you should focus on moving forward is drawing harmonic connections between distinct sections of your piece. The part at 1:34 and the rest of the piece could very well be two different pieces - smoothing over that transition and giving the piece some cohesion will gain you back a lot of points in the “structure and variety” category. Keep at it, Hidden-Hub. :)

6.25/10

Hidden-Hub responds:

Thanks for the review! I will consider this feedback when making my next piece. I haven't been in the music industry for a lot of time, and another important thing is that I don't have access to a lot of music creating software (I use GarageBand), so a couple of the points you mentioned will probably improve when I'll get something else like FL Studio. Once again, thanks for the review and I'll consider these points when making my next piece. :)