TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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. :)

[Faller]

The instrument at the beginning is a little generic, although the progression with the arpeggios at :09 was interesting. The distorted melodies at :25 are cool, and don’t sound overly harsh in the mix, which is a big plus. I think the progression is a little slow, although it does have a good sense of climax into the first minute or so. The melodic content at 1:54 was also strong. I suppose my main problem with the piece is that it doesn’t have a ton of structural variety or shape. Things like dynamics, phrasing, and filtering could really help enhance the emotional and/or dramatic quality of this piece, keeping your listener engaged. I also thought the percussion was a little dry, probably in need of some reverb. You have a couple of sudden transitions in this piece, but the one that bothers me the most is at 3:04. It seemed like you were taking the piece in a new direction, but then you abruptly move to this coda that has a bit of a bizarre progression and that doesn’t feel all that conclusive. One thing I think that’s pretty strong in the piece is the mixing. Despite being dry, the drums are crisp and clear, and the synths blend well together. Overall, this piece is catchy and clearly displays some strong melodic and harmonic content. If you just take a few more risks with the composition, this piece could be really strong! Keep at it, Googlebugger. :)

7.5/10

Googlebugger responds:

Once again thank you so much for taking the time to check my music out and letting me be a part of the competition! I will take all the advice I can get and improve for next year!

[Walking Home With You]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. A couple of the flute/other woodwind instruments sounded a bit too harsh in my headphones - I’d suggest taking away some of the treble there with an equalizer. The melodic content of this piece is really good, though - has a smooth, flowing, relaxed feel. The snare might’ve been a bit hard-hitting compared to the cutesy nature of the melodic content. Same thing with the dramatic crashes (like at 1:55 and other places). You clearly have a good sense of harmony, and I think you nailed the mood and atmosphere. My main problem with the piece is that the texture needs a lot more variety. The melodies play on a near-constant loop, and even the transitions are overused by the end. The texture has a lot of pizzicato-y sounds that could be smoothed over with some pads - maybe you could even introduce them in a breakdown or bridge, just to add more variety. Cute, blissful and melodic piece, though. Keep at it, GoldHeartSenpai. :)

8/10

Febbs responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic! I'll keep that in mind :)

[G4CE'sz - Winter Solstice]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. The chord progression is certainly interesting, although the pacing is a bit slow. It has a soothing, jazzy vibe. The beat at 1:02 is cool, but the texture needs some variation by around that point. The synth that comes in at 1:32 sounds pretty generic, and doesn’t add a lot to the sense of direction of the piece. I’d encourage you to give this piece some more shape with some phrasing, emotion, and dynamics. The spaciness at 2:03 helped, but the beat still gave it a bit of a dull sense of continuity. A lot of the melodic content you have here is only fleeting, and I also thought the transition at 3:20 was a bit awkward. The ending was a bit jarring and lazy. At the very least, I think you could smooth it out with some reverb and pads. Overall, you have a good sense of melody and harmony, and I like the mood and atmosphere of this piece. I think the composition is just a little underwhelming. The mixing is also pretty good, though - I can hear everything clearly throughout. The one issue on that front might be that the kick is a little sub-bassy for a piece like this. Still, this is a pretty cool piece. Keep at it, G4CEsz. ;)

7.5/10  

[Solitary]

The chord progression is cool. I wasn’t a huge fan of your instrument choices, though. The synth that plays on every downbeat sounds a little harsh, probably because it either has too much attack or too many treble tones. You can fix that with an equalizer and by adjusting some of the knobs on the plug-in window itself. I like the suspenseful tone, and the progression is pretty good. The drums that come in at around :30 sound a little generic, and could probably use some more reverb. I also wanted to hear some stronger melodic content early on, although 1:35 had some cool melodies. The mix seemed to be getting a bit strained at around the 2-minute mark, although I’m perhaps more concerned by the fact that 2:17 turned into a huge anti-climax. After that, the piece has a dull sense of continuity for a while. I would’ve liked to see you incorporate a bridge or breakdown or something that channeled the energy more effectively here. The piece did feel pretty climactic with the dense harmonies at around the 4-minute mark, but I think the part at 4:25 was a bit of a sudden and jarring development. At the very least, I’d suggest finding a smoother way to transition into the coda there. Overall, it’s a pretty cool track. Nice use of atmosphere and texture. Solid harmonic content and structure. I’d prioritize improving the sound design with some cleaner, more original instruments. Otherwise, keep at it, FyreDrakon. :)

7/10