TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Techno = Club]

I like the rhythmic content and sound design at the beginning. The panning is a bit strong on some of the percussion, especially that one high-pitched one in my left ear that first comes in at :02. The piece is pretty minimal and slow to progress, and has a rather bottom-heavy mix, with the bass often overwhelming the mid-range harmonies. I like the glitchy breakdown at 1:35 and the prominent hi-hats at 2:06. A lot of the composition details and sound design elements are really cool here, but the texture doesn’t seem very well-balanced. Some soft pads in the treble range with some wet reverb or something might help at least fill out the atmosphere a bit more. The minimal outro at 2:55 was enjoyable, but as I said earlier, I would’ve liked to see some more fill in the texture for most of the rest of the track. Overall, the mix is clean, the beats are bumpin’, and the instruments are nice and quirky, but the composition gets pretty bland and stagnant after a while. I’d encourage you to keep working on this - there are a lot of good ideas in here, and I’m confident you can take this piece to the next level with a little more time. Keep at it, UPT3! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Runner]

I like the dark atmosphere at the beginning and the dystopian voiceover. The groovy bass at :30 and the tense, apprehensive vibe are enjoyable, but the minimal texture and overuse of the spoken-word vocals are turn-offs for me. Right as the instrumentals seem like they’re picking up, the vocals often cut in abruptly. If the vocals are original, it’s certainly impressive voice acting, but frankly voice acting isn’t what I’m looking for in competitions like this. I think you could’ve done a lot more with the instrumental tracks in terms of variety, richness, and melodic content. The production quality is probably my favorite element of this piece - the mix is clean, if a bit bottom-heavy. The sound design is a close second, though. I especially love the gritty old-school techno synths. Still, the fact that the vocals are the main thing driving the narrative here is a bit concerning to me, and the vocal sections often don’t have much else going on simultaneously to keep me engaged. Overall, I’m not sure this functions well as a stand-alone track, but if you can team up with someone from the movie portal, it would make for a compelling short film. Keep at it, Ukatz! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Ukatz responds:

Yea, everyone says like "IT'S DEFINITELY A GAME OST", "Maybe a film soundtrack?".
Just don't know how show myself to someone :c

About diversity in instrumental part, i think just not enough time, try my best for this deadline.
Just happy to participate in this competition, thanks :3

[Omniscience Of Gods]

I like the rich atmosphere and crisp drums at the beginning. The transition at :20 was a bit abrupt, as was the one at :30. You just switched out a lot of different instruments all at once, and the risers and drum fills bridging the gap feel like Band-Aids over bullet holes in that regard. The blissful melodies and VGM sound design are both enjoyable, but at times I wanted the drums to be a bit stronger in the mix. Once the texture gets busier at around the 2-minute mark, they get rather buried. Part of the problem might be that there’s a lot of reverb on the pads and bells. Stereo widening could potentially help clear out the middle of the stereo space for the drums, bass, and melodies. The second half of this piece (2:12 onwards) also doesn’t have much in the way of dynamic melodies, and the melodies you do have seem pretty square rhythmically. Switching up the energy level more might help solve that. Still, I enjoyed the dense beats and cinematic flair of the sound design. Keep at it, TheTrester! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[FACUNDO GARDIOL - Slime Girl ( Future Bounce )]

I like the upbeat mood and flashy synths at the beginning. It’s a bit hard to follow the rhythm at first, at least until the beat comes in at :19. The mix is nice and punchy, and the progression is smooth. Aspects of the sound design and arrangement are pretty generic, and the composition could use a bit more variety, especially harmonically. I also thought the extended pause at 1:17 was a bit awkward. The melodic variations at 1:32 are nice, and you carry that energy into the final refrain well. Solid work overall! I really admire your mixing and mastering talents in particular. ^_^

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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

SPIRALi responds:

Thanks for your nice commentaries!!!

[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