TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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.

[Without You]

I like the fade-in at the beginning and the rich, baritone vocals. The mix holds up quite well despite the plethora of reverb in the texture. The sound design is a bit generic, but also blends together well. The vocals get rather repetitive after a while, but I like the thick atmosphere of the middle third of the piece and the melodramatic transition into 2:09. The variations on the main melody at 2:33 are a nice way of wrapping up the piece, although the vocals are barely discernible in the mix during that section. Overall, this is a punchy and catchy track with some strong production quality and progression. Some more variety in the harmonic content and some more inventive sound design would help take it to the next level. Keep at it, JustTop! ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

[Glimmer]

I like the splash sound effect at the beginning and the bright piano line shortly thereafter. The mix is very loud and clean here, and I really enjoy the build-up into :32. The drop there could’ve been a bit more dynamic, and also dragged on for a rather long time. I also wanted the hi-hats at 1:11 to be more prominent in the mix - maybe it would’ve helped to transpose them up an octave, and/or to push up the treble range on the equalizer. The mellow breakdown at 1:30 is enjoyable, although the bridge at 1:48 is a bit bland, with some square rhythms and not much of a strong sense of direction. I really like the filtering work at 2:40 and the added melody synth at 2:46 - the melody in particular really helps hit the piece home. That said, the piece could still use some more harmonic variety at some point, especially later on once the main riffs of the piece are well-established. Overall, this is an upbeat and enjoyable track with some seriously good production quality and sound design. My biggest problems with it are probably the generic arrangement and repetitive harmonies. Keep at it, JoeStasi! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Darkness]

I like the airy texture at the beginning and the rich bass. The vocal samples sound good and blend in with the texture well, but one thing that bothers me is the lack of articulation at the ends of phrases. The singer is barely pronouncing the ‘s’ sound in “darkness,” “accomplice,” and “heartless.” But that’s a really nitpicky thing.

The drop at :40 is catchy. The claps starting at :43 come a tad bit before the off-beats, which is jarring at first but refreshing after I get used to them. The rest of the sound design is cool, although the one drop could’ve been a bit more dynamic considering it’s most of the length of the piece. I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more here, but this track is definitely a good start. Catchy beats, solid mixing, and fun sound design. Keep at it, Jekoer! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[HRT Theory]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the blissful, chaotic riff at :10. The beat at :20 is catchy, but also sounds a bit grating on the treble end of the frequency range. The sudden transitions at :41, 1:01, 1:27, etc. are a bit jarring, and the harmonic content here could use some more variety at times. I have no idea what’s going on at 1:49 (cross-fading? Filtering/pitch-bending combo???), but it sounds really awesome, and the relatively mellow outro was a good way of hitting the piece home. Honestly, I really like the experimental texture of this, but I think you went a bit too far by having the arrangement be rather experimental too. It’s just hard to stay grounded and well-oriented as a listener with a piece that’s this…out there. Still, if you had dialed back the harsh percs in the treble end and implemented some more gradual transitions, I could seriously vibe to this. Keep at it, JarJarZoinks! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10