TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[NGADM 2017 Round of 64 Podcast]

Aww yeah! Just as well-produced as the first one. Not quite as concise, but that's understandable. :) I wish we could have an ongoing discussion podcast with at least a couple of the judges that breaks down all the match-ups. Maybe that's more realistic for future rounds.

I appreciate the advert for the NGUAC, as well as your acknowledgement of the good sportsmanship at around the 5-minute mark.

The music in the background is amazing, of course, but personally I think the guitar music toward the beginning and the uplifting VGM at around 4:00 work better than the light piano music at 3:00 or so. The vocals aren't particularly fast-paced, so when the music gives the podcast some drive and energy, I think it works best.

I'm looking forward to your future podcasts about the NGADM, though. The competitors also probably really appreciate the biweekly injection of positivity. :)

ChronoNomad responds:

Yeah, I think this is pretty good for just freewheeling without any kind of script or anything, and I don't want it to make it too dry by making it overly professional. I am seriously considering adding match-ups in later rounds to the podcast, but I don't want to butcher anyone's pseudonyms, so we'll have to see.

You are very welcome! Just trying to spread the word in my own little way. :D

Yeah, I totally know what you're saying, but then there are others who have mentioned how much they enjoy the softer, more Fantasy-inspired music. I knew pretty instinctively what I wanted to use for the intro and ending, but the centerpiece was a bit more of a question mark. Believe it or not, it's tough to find musical puzzle pieces that fit the overall length of the podcast well. In this one I ended up having a bit more silence, but that seems to work out okay.

Awesome! These do seem to be surprisingly well-received, so I might as well keep cranking them out. I think we can all use the infusion of positive vibes, no doubt. Thank you for the stellar review!

[This Stained Portrait]

I love the energy and intensity at the beginning. The part at :43 offered some nice structural relief. The mixing is quite good, too. I thought the transition at 1:39 was a bit sudden, as was that of 1:48. Still, I like how you made a story of this piece. It's a little hard to make out the floaty piano riff that comes in at 2:08, though. It's very powerful, and has a great sense of climax at the end. Overall really impressive work! Keep at it, man. ;)

MetalRenard responds:

Hey thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it, I haven't made anything new for a while so this was the first in a long time.
Thanks for the feedback on transitions and mixing, I'll have a look into it again. :)
FYI, 2:08 is guitar but with a lot of effects.

[Lost In A Far Away Place]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The cello sample at :15 sounds really fake, though. The uniform vibrato and timbre gave it away right off the bat. I like the guitar instrument at :40 a lot better, though - in a way, the guitar fits the character of the piece better anyway. The melodic content is beautiful here, but the progression is very slow. I was waiting for a big climax or injection of energy or something to disrupt the tranquility. Not that your piece can’t be tranquil, but it definitely needs more structural variety and shape than this. This piece has a sort of continuity that, if you’re not careful, will fail to keep your listener engaged after a while. You seem to be taking the piece in a very different direction at 2:06, but I think you needed a smoother transition there. Overall, the mixing and mastering were pretty good, but I think you could’ve made the kick a little clearer. The texture does thicken a little towards the end, giving the piece some degree of climax, although you also don’t really address the themes of the first couple of minutes very well during that climax, which gave this piece a bit of incoherence. Still, the atmosphere is killer, and you have a great sense of melody and harmony. Keep up the good work, man! ;)

7.75/10

[Hide no more]

The instruments at the beginning - from the synth bass to the phasing synths - seemed a little cliche. The piece is also pretty slow to progress, but I did like the pizzicato-y riff that comes in at :16. The kick at :47 helps to give the piece more drive and intensity, but the progression is still VERY gradual. I would’ve liked to see some more melodic content earlier in the piece. The transition at 2:07 was a bit awkward, and took the piece in a very different direction very suddenly. I like the vocals - they sound very upbeat and sit well in the mix. I think you could really cut the first 2 minutes of the piece down, though. Also, the piece doesn’t have a lot of structural variety or shape, and adding some more dynamics and phrasing could really help with that. My favorite element of the piece was actually the mixing - it’s pretty clean and clear, and the texture is full and rich throughout. My one complaint there is that the pizzicato-y synth melody gets a little lost at around 2:45. Overall, it’s a pretty cool piece. My biggest problems are the cliche instruments and the pacing issues during the first half. Keep at it, man. ;)

7/10

Mauxus responds:

Thank you for that review! The latest version (just uploaded now, don't forget to clear your cache to listen to it) should hopefully take care of most of your observations.

[Collision Course]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. Has a bit of an ominous mood. The pads in the background have a bit of a harsh edge - couldn’t hurt to take off a little treble in the equalizer. I like the bass and kick that come in at 1:05 - they add a lot of tension and drive to the piece. It’s very slow to progress, but has a good sense of climax over time. I think that bass is overwhelming the kick a little - I might suggest some sidechaining, or simply stricter equalizing and compression. After the bass and kick cut out at 2:09, the piece loses its sense of direction a bit. I think you need more melodic content - or even simply more moving notes - during the first few minutes of this piece. The pace at which it changes is typically very slow, and when it does change, the transition is very sudden (e.x., 3:28). I also think the mixing is a little strained at around 3:30 and beyond. It’s hard to hear the kick. You might want to scale back the reverb a bit - that could help clean things up. The clap at 4:33 sounds a bit weak - usually claps or snares that play on the off beat in 4/4 should be the loudest instruments of the mix, and this is no exception. The hats there also sounded a bit cliche. Overall, there isn’t a lot of rhythmic variety in this piece at all. There are a lot of straight ⅛ notes between the harmonies and melody lines. I think you need some stronger melodies with more rhythmic variety and directionality. I liked the melody at 6:15, even if it was a little simple and repetitive. Couldn’t hurt to bring it out more in the mix, either. I really don’t think there’s enough material and variety here to justify the piece being over 10 minutes long. At the very least, you should use more dynamics and phrasing to give this piece a little more shape. There was another awkward transition at 7:53, and some dynamics changes or filtering leading up to it could help foreshadow the section with increased energy that follows. Overall, I think your main areas of focus should be cleaning up the mix and consolidating your ideas in the composition to speed up the pace. Keep at it, man.

5/10

[Cameleon Arc-En-Ciel]

The distorted effects at the beginning were a little bizarre, yet at the same time had a very predictable phasing pattern. I think you needed a smoother transition into :08, and a couple of the instruments there sound really harsh - I’d suggest eliminating some of the treble frequencies with an equalizer. The drums were enjoyable, though, and you did a nice job of offering some structural contrast at 1:05. The piece doesn’t have a lot of melodic content at all, and the texture at 1:33 sounds very distorted and indistinct mixing-wise. The drums are really struggling to come through, and the instrumentals are a jarring wall of sound. Some more strict equalizing could really help maintain the gritty quality of the texture without the harsh mixing attributes. The vocals also get a little buried in the background of the unpolished synths. The fade-out ending came across as lazy. There are a lot of contrasting moods here, which I like, and you often have them playing simultaneously, which is cool. The piece has a decent amount of atmosphere, but I think the sound design needs to be shaped a little differently to make sure everything sits nicely in the mix. You definitely scored points for originality, and overall the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. Keep at it, man. :)

7/10

etK responds:

Yeah, I have to get better at mastering, and I agree with most of your criticism, thank you for that.
However about the vocals, they're left on the background on purpose, it's shoegaze-influenced, I don't consider the vocals to be a privileged instrument. But yeah again thanks a lot for the support ! :)

[Ayjin - Chillin]

The synths at the beginning sound really harsh and unpolished. I’d suggest removing some of the treble there. I like the atmosphere and most of the other instruments, though. The mix is indeed crisp and clear. The middle section of this piece is a little minimalistic, though, and I think my main problem with the piece is that it needs stronger melodic content. The repetitive riffs at the chorus don’t really satisfy that need, and you don’t vary a lot of the content during the second half of the piece anyway. Still, it’s a really catchy piece with a refreshing, relaxed mood. Keep at it, man. ;)

8.25/10

Armorstick responds:

Thank you for the comprehensive feedback!

[Supercharged]

Some of the synths - but certainly the drums - sound a little generic, but I like the mood and atmosphere at the beginning. The riser at :15 was a little overdone, and didn’t result in a huge climax like I expected it to given its grandeur. I like the melodic content and portamentos, though. The mix is also fairly clean and clear - I like the punchy, gritty synths at the drop. The melodic content at 2:18 is also rather enjoyable. The transition at 3:16 is very sudden, though. If anything, that’s where you need your huge riser thing to come in. Also, be careful not to overdo the panning at 3:35 - it sounds a little harsh in my headphones when it’s so far to one side. The ending was also very sudden and inconclusive. Overall, though, this is an enjoyable piece with some cool melodies. It’s very catchy and well-mastered. Keep at it, man! :)

8/10

[A Deep Sleep]

Interesting texture at the beginning - the synth seemed a little cliche, but at the same time it meshes well with the gritty guitar. There’s quite a bit of dissonance in here, especially at 1:20 or so. Perhaps I would’ve liked to hear a smoother transition into 1:44. The mood and atmosphere here are really cool. I think my main problem with the piece is that it doesn’t have a lot of structural variety. Dynamics, phrasing, and filtering would all help give this piece a little more shape and contrast. I liked the progression and harmony at 3:01, but I think that the entire last third or so of the piece needs a bit more texture - reintroducing the drums at some point might help, or even having the bass play a simple riff at a low volume would suffice. As it is now, the piece felt a little anticlimactic. Overall, the mix is very clean and clear, which is probably your biggest asset in this piece. Keep at it, man! ;)

7.25/10