TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Star Rush (Mario Starman Remix Mash-up)]

The synths at the beginning are a little generic, and I think you need a smoother transition into :26. I like the sense of climax into :39, and the section at :39 was cute and catchy. You seem inclined to shake up the texture of the piece at a pretty fast pace, which I think is dangerous because it allows a lot of your transitions to be jarring to the listener. The drums also get very distorted when the synths come in at 1:59 (this also happens in other places, though) which is a sign that you need to do some more work with compression and equalization. Compressors and equalizers are really useful tools for making all your instruments sound clear. I suppose my favorite element of the piece was the cute mood and catchy synth patterns. Improving the mixing and mastering (i.e., using compressors and equalizers) here is probably your most important next step. Keep at it, man. :)

6/10

mutty99 responds:

Actually this is my first track i've ever made with FL Studio, so i experimented a lot of things: some went good, others not. Thanks for the feedback ;)

[Nothin']

I like the smooth, relaxed guitar riff at the beginning. Your voice has a great throaty quality to it. The lyrics themselves are also rather enjoyable. The solo at 1:18 is great too. It might need some variety in the instrumentation after a while, but the solo at 2:31 kept it feeling fresh. Some drums might also give the piece a little more drive and punch. Still, this is just a really authentic and soulful piece with a lot of character to it. Keep up the great work! :D

9/10

frank-n-furter666 responds:

Thank you!

[Collapse]

The synth at the beginning is a little generic, and I’m not sure I liked the bell-sounding one at :18 either. Maybe it’d help if you equalized out some the of the treble tones in the bell-like one. The piece is a little slow to progress. I appreciated the melodic content at 1:12, but I think it needs more rhythmic variety. The drums are a little bland, and don’t come through the mix very well during the busier sections of the piece. The piece is fairly catchy, but overall the composition of the piece is a little underwhelming. Most of the instruments here are cliche, including the drums. I don’t think the sound design compliments the mood of your piece very well. I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the structure a little more, too. The composition just needs a lot more creativity IMO, but I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece. Keep at it, man! :)

5.5/10

[Kytoon - Stay in Kansas City]

The vocals are really smooth and catchy - also kinda creepy in a way given the lyrics. I think the instrumental is a little minimalistic, though, and perhaps the vocals are just a little too loud. The drums could also stand to be a little more upfront in the mix, mirroring the hard-hitting vibe of the lyrics. Overall, I really like it, though. Well-structured, smooth-flowing, cool atmosphere and synths. This is a piece that’s got a lot of character to it, and I think that’s my favorite element of it. Keep up the good work, GhostLawyer!

9.25/10

GhostLawyer responds:

Thank you!

[Turtle Dove]

Hmmm...really interesting piano riff at the beginning. Has a bit of an experimental vibe to it. The atmosphere that fades in at around :15 is beautiful, too. It’s a little slow to progress, but there’s a great mood and sound design here. The vocals at 1:40 are beautiful. I like the great sense of climax throughout the first half or so of the piece. The string solo at 2:28 is really powerful, and the subsequent atmospheric chords at 2:50 are engrossing in their own way. I think the guitar at 3:16 is a little loud. I would’ve liked to see yourself leave a little more room for contrast by starting off at a quieter volume there. I think this piece needs a bit more variety, as it’s hard to stay engaged for the full 7 minutes. I think one way you could do that is mixing up the rhythm and melody of the guitar riff a bit, or simply by increasing the pace at which the piece progresses. The distorted percussion at 5:40 or so is pretty amusing, btw. The long, slow ritardando at the end was a nice touch. Overall, I’m impressed with the atmosphere and mood here, which are very well-crafted. Elements of the composition were a bit underwhelming, but this is still solid work. Keep at it, man! ;)

8.25/10

[Iori Licea - Together]

I liked the chill atmosphere at the beginning, but I think you need to be careful with the equalization and volume levels. It sounded like it was peaking at :05-:06, and that’s without any other instruments in the texture. It also peaks at :33-:34 and other places. I like the progression, though, even if the chords are a little cliche. I like the melodic riff at 1:24, and the piano harmonies at 1:38. I would’ve liked to hear some stronger melodic content with more of a varied rhythm and direction to it, though. I think my favorite parts of the piece are the mood and atmosphere. The mixing and mastering themselves were fine, but the peaking really detracted from my enjoyment of the piece. Also, the composition was a bit underwhelming, but definitely fix the peaking - most DAWs have some kind of peak meter or clipping detector that should alert you as to when your piece is too loud. Keep at it, man. ;)

7/10

iorilicea responds:

Well, maybe this isn't my better piece, but I´ll take you advice!
Thanks for review!

[Juicy]

I like the crisp percussion at the beginning. The synth at :15 has a nice atmosphere to it. You have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, although I think the melody synths are a bit generic. Also, I think varying the rhythm in those synths would help build a stronger melody. I also think the piece needs way more variety and shape - I’d encourage you to try experimenting more with dynamics, phrasing, and more innovative transitions, as well as making the structure of your piece a little more complex, with elements like bridges, breakdowns, build-ups and solos. Some pads might also help thicken the texture at times. My main problem with the piece is that the composition is underwhelming. Keep at it, man. ;)

6.5/10

[Constellar]

Cool mood at the beginning. A couple of the synths here are a little generic, but I do like the drop at :28. The pulse the melody has (I’m assuming it’s because of a sidechain) really emphasizes the heavy contrast between the 1st and 3rd beats. The texture has a cool stop-start kind of flow. I think the kick was struggling to come through the mix during most of the piece. Don’t be afraid to leave some more mid-range frequencies in there. The chord progression is a little cliche, although I like the mood and atmosphere of the piece a lot, and I also think it’s well-structured and well-varied overall. Overall solid work! Keep it up. ;)

8.5/10

FrontBut responds:

Thank you so much! Any feedback is appreciated and I totally agree on the kick mastering. :)

[Abyssal Dance ~ Dragged Down By Her Charm]

The guitar at the beginning sounds pretty inauthentic. The progression is pretty good, although I think the piano melodies and guitars occasionally clash. The open hats are pretty cliche, and I think you really needed some structural relief in here after a while. In a way, this comes at 2:35, but I think it should’ve come sooner. Eight minutes is a LONG piece, and as I see it you have the melodies at 1:00 - 2:30 segmented into 3 or 4 parts with transitions, and you only really need 1 or 2 in there. The piece has a constant frantic energy until 4:25, and I think that energy needed to yield to some structural relief sooner. That said, 4:32 sounds like a very different piece, especially with the ocean wave samples. I would’ve liked to see you foreshadow that part by introducing those instruments or themes earlier in the piece. The panning at 5:15 is a neat idea, although I think you have overdone it a bit. That kind of extreme panning to one side should only really be used in transitional moments. Also, at 6:37, it sounds like the open hats are getting distorted by the other instruments in the mix, and I can barely hear the kick either. This piece really doesn’t have enough structural variety to justify its being this long, though. I think that’s my best problem with it, although I also think you could’ve made your melodies a lot more memorable by slowing down the pacing and varying the rhythm a bit more. On the other hand, my favorite elements of the piece were the rich texture and catchy riffs throughout the piece. Keep at it, man. ;)

6.25/10

[Dragon Prince]

I like the filtering work at the beginning. The melodic content is quite enjoyable, although I would’ve liked the drums to be more upfront in the mix. Usually, the snare should be the loudest instrument in the mix, and this is not exception. Also, I didn’t hear you use a kick at any point in the piece, but I think a kick could add a lot of drive and intensity to the piece. I think my favorite aspect of the piece was the instrumentation - the guitars and synths blended together really well. The loop is smooth, but the transition into the loop was a bit awkward. I’m not sure this is a structurally complete piece, and it doesn’t seem to have much coherence either. It was very smooth-flowing and full-textured throughout, which are big advantages. Overall solid work here. This song is fitting for a videogame indeed! ;)

8.25/10