TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Morality of a Crayfish]

I like the crisp beat at the beginning. The intro could’ve been a tad more creative than a fade-in, but the quirky synths and rhythmic content at :12 are neat. The piece is a bit slow to progress, and many of the harmonies sound a bit muddy in the mix. The texture is missing some higher-pitched tones for much of the track, which may be part of the problem. Moving one of two of the riffs up the octave, especially during the first half of the piece, might help separate out the frequencies that the different harmonic instruments are sharing, which will in turn limit distortion in the mix. The transition at 1:29 was a bit sudden, but I like the spidery stringed instrument and more melodic flair the piece develops after that. The piece really comes together once you combine the two themes at 2:10 or so, although some of the new instruments you introduce later on - including the vocal sample at 2:16, the crashes at 2:20, and the ghostly lead synth at 2:33 - take up a tad too much space in the mix IMO. Overall, the sound design and rhythmic content are probably my favorite elements of this piece, but the harmonic content could’ve used a bit more variety at times, and the mix could be tighter. Still, I love the eerie mood and the wonky meter of the piece. With a couple of different sound design choices and some more prominent vocals, I could see this making a really good hip-hop track. Keep at it, SirSandman0! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

SirSandman0 responds:

thanks for the feedback! audio mixing has never been my strong suit, but I've been working on it over the years. Hopefully, my future tracks won't have these issues

[RyuiY - Pianystem (feat.花隈千冬)]

Woah, the intro is really cool. The robotic voice fits so well with the “pianystem” theme, and the glitches are timed so well with the vocals. I also like the more humanoid vocals at :22, although the mix sounds a bit distorted there, with the drums a bit soft and the bass/pads ducking in and out with the beat. The chord progression is a bit cliche, although I really like the arrangement of this piece - the transition at :52 is so cool, and you do a good job of varying the energy level and texture. The glitchy, experimental bridge at 1:26 is pretty cool. Definitely has a great rhythmic appeal, but sometimes the low-pitched piano rolls are a bit loud, and overwhelm the drums and harmonic elements. The melodic section at 2:22 hits the piece home well, and the blissful piano solo at the outro was a nice touch. Overall, my biggest problem with the piece is probably the production quality. The mix feels very bottom-heavy and muddy at times, and also off-balance between the glitchy effects and harmonic content. Still, I really appreciate how ambitious the composition is and how religiously you stuck to the “pianystem” theme. Neat track overall. Keep at it, RyuiY! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

RyuiY responds:

Wow...
Thanks for amazing review! :D I learned many things from your review.
I'm not good at mixing so I'll learn about it more.
Actually, I was sick when the knockout round started, so I couldn't make music then.
When I feel better, There were only three days left until the deadline.
so I rushed to make this and I haven't time to check mixing.

I was satisfied with the result of contest. Thanks for invite me and give me amazing experience! :)
Making music is really fun for me. I will continue to make music to make myself and everyone else fun.
(sorry for weird English. I'm from Japan and sometimes I using Google/DeepL Translate)

Thanks for listening! :D
-RyuiY-

[QWAZDYN - That Night]

I like the gritty texture at the beginning and how it gradually smoothes out into a coherent beat. The texture remains quite minimal for most of the piece, but I like the vocals at :29 and the rhythmic content. The eerie mood and chant-like vocals at :50 are enjoyable too. I think the piece could use a richer atmosphere, harmonic variety, and/or melodic content to add interest and variety. The breakdown at 1:40 with the drone-like pads was good for some structural variety, though, and I appreciate that you shook up the pattern of emphasis for the second drop at 2:09. The sound design and mood are probably my favorite aspects of the piece, although you overuse the “that night” vocals by the end, and the composition could’ve been a lot bolder here. Still, this is a catchy piece with an engrossing, apprehensive vibe. Keep at it, QWAZDYN! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

QWAZDYN responds:

chur for the feedback

[there are voices in my head]

Review request accepted!

I like the airy pads and rich bass at the beginning. The lead sounds a bit thin in the mix, and could probably use a bit more compression (especially at the drop at :30), although otherwise the production quality here is solid. I also think the drop could’ve been a bit more dynamic and full-textured. The cutesy groove at :59 is nice, and the echo-y whispers at 1:12 help fill out the atmosphere nicely. I think the section at 2:07 is my favorite - tons of cool sound effects and rhythmic elements around a bassy atmosphere. I still think you could’ve done a bit more work on the production side to make the mix sound punchier, and the composition is a bit minimal and bland at times, but the creepy vocals and sound design here are awesome. Keep at it, OBP! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Like Wind to a Leaf]

Very majestic title! I like the ballad-like piano riff at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere. The piano could use a little more humanization and dynamism near the beginning, but I like the pensive higher-register riffs at :38. The percussion at 1:10 or so could’ve been a bit sharper in the mix, and after a while I think you start overusing the reverse crashes. The climax at 1:42 is really compelling as a “point of arrival” in the piece, although it’s clear that the mix could be tighter there as well. An excess of reverb might be part of the problem, but I’d also make sure you cut off the frequencies below around 250 Hertz in the melodic instruments with an equalizer. Still, I like the moody piano lines, majestic strings, and progression of this piece a lot. Keep at it, Omson! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[To The End (NGUAC 2023 KO Round)]

I like the crisp string riffs at the beginning. The percussion sounds a bit muddy in the mix - it might need a little less wet reverb and a bit more compression. Also, it’s a small detail, but the weak attack on the crashes throughout sounds really unnatural to me. The piece has a great sense of underlying tension and drive to it, but some more percussion and a richer texture overall might’ve helped play up that tension even more. The choir sample at 1:40 isn’t my favorite - it’s a bit inauthentic and unpolished-sounding - but that section served as some good variety from the high-octane string lines on either side of it. Some more variation on the main riffs towards the end (i.e., 2:08 onwards) would’ve been welcome, but I love the little flourish at 2:43 that hits the piece home.

Overall, the progression, mood, and cinematic flair of the piece are very enjoyable. My main concern is the muddy mix - the texture is a bit over-saturated with reverb throughout, and some of the instruments need a little more room to breathe in the EQ to really make this piece sound as epic as it could. Still, I like the composition here a lot. Sounds like something from a war-themed flash game soundtrack. :D Keep at it, NativeNiles! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

NativeNiles responds:

Thx for the review

[Odyssey of Echoes - MsFluent]

I like the cutesy mood at the beginning. The low string plucks sound very muddy in the mix, though. I would suggest dialing back the reverb at the very least, and maybe giving them a tad more room in the mid-range frequencies with an equalizer if possible, just to add back some volume. You could even push the synth chords to the side a bit with some stereo widening to make more room for the drums, bass, and melodies. I’d also make sure that the harmonic instruments (i.e., not the bass or drums) have NONE of the frequencies at 200 Hertz or lower playing in the equalizer - so much of the distortion in the mix here is in the lower part of the frequency range, and I suspect a big reason why is that your melodies/pads/piano/etc. have too many overlapping tones with the strings, low-pitched chords, and kick.

The melodies here are nice, but the sound design is a bit cheesy at times, especially the high-pitched, flute-like synth (featured prominently at 1:14) and bouncy mid-range off-beat synth chords. As mentioned previously, the mix could use some tightening up too, although I do like the meandering piano arpeggios at 2:01. I still think you could’ve done a tad more to switch up the harmonic content later on in the piece, though. Still, the progression, rhythmic content, melodies, and atmosphere of this piece are all enjoyable. Keep at it, MsFluent! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

MsFluent responds:

Thanks Logic 🙂

[Scaithe (NGUAC Knock-Out Entry)]

I like the airy synth arpeggios at the beginning and the build-up into :20. The reverb is rather heavy there, especially on the snare, although the hi-hats at :39 sound really neat. The piece is a bit slow to progress at times, but I really enjoyed the transition at 1:00. The added harmonies at 1:03 don’t come through the mix all that clearly due to all the reverb. The mellow breakdown at 2:01 was good for some variety, and the wonky harmonies starting around 2:15 really help jazz up the texture. The string melody at 3:02 is another element that could’ve come through the mix a lot clearer, but I really like the lo-fi beat at 3:21 and the pentatonic groove at 3:38. This piece certainly has a strong narrative appeal, and the sound design helps facilitate that. The drop at 4:28 was a pleasant surprise, with a lot of glitchy elements and a fairly heavy bass to boot. Dialing back the reverb at the low end of the frequency spectrum could really help add some punch to the mix there, though, and I was a bit thrown off by the extended pause at 5:33. Overall, I’m a big fan of the composition and instrumentation here. Tightening up the mix and maybe smoothing over one or two transitions could really turn this into a top-notch track.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[// TWEAKING //]

I like the eerie texture at the beginning and the lo-fi details. The distorted vocals at :15 sound a bit disorienting with the way they duck in and out of the mix, and the texture of the piece is rather thin throughout. The rhythmic content is good, and the sound design that’s here is enjoyable - kinda reminds me of “Hydrate” by Skrillex. The spacey outro at 2:08 is also a nice touch. Overall, a more dynamic composition and some more coherent vocals would really help take this piece to the next level. The texture sounds a bit experimental for my tastes right now, although I really like the scratchy shaker you have rocking the top end of the frequency range. Evocative work here, Monumia. Keep at it! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Sunshine]

I like the majestic atmosphere at the beginning and the furtive vocals. The mix is nice and loud and crisp, and I love the upbeat tone of the piece and the bouncy sound design. The piece is a little slow to progress at times, and I can’t help but feel like you could’ve done a bit more with the melodic content and vocal refrains in the piece, cathartic though they were. The mellow breakdown at 1:37 is good for some variety. The arrangement and sound design of this piece are a little generic, and later on in the piece the main riffs and harmonies could use some shaking up. The production quality, sound design, and atmosphere of this piece are top-notch. Some bolder compositional details and a less generic arrangement would help take it to the next level. Keep at it, Mauxus! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Mauxus responds:

Thank you so much for this review! I'm amazed by your ability to leave such detailed info.