TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Rise of the Ancient Empire]

I like the somewhat somber mood at the beginning. The dynamics pattern in the low brass is a bit strange - there’s a huge emphasis on the very first note, and the next 3 notes are rather muffled before the tonic comes in again. The brass instruments you’re using here in general sound pretty inauthentic, although I like the composition. The melodies are memorable and blend well with the atmosphere. The mixing could also use some help, though. I can barely hear the strings when the brass is playing. On the plus side production-wise, the drums sound nice and crisp in the mix. The airy bridge at 1:45 was good for some variety, and had some neat percussive effects early on. The choir at 2:40 was a nice touch, although the way the choir chords duck under the mix right after the note ends (as opposed to gradually fading away with reverb) makes them sound a bit unnatural. Overall, the composition is solid here, but the sound design and the mixing could both use a bit more polish. That said, thanks for coming out for the NGUAC, satanicpotatoe! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

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
.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
7.5/10

[Finite]

I like the haunting synth pads at the beginning and the thunder sound effects. The piano and strings also channel the emotion of the piece well. Blending the piano and pads together at :39 was a good idea, as was the wider spacing of the notes later on. There’s a lot of feeling packed into such a short piece, as others have said.

Wish I could give you a hug, quintivium. You have my deepest sympathy.

[Whisky and a Saxophone (NGUAC Finals 2024)]

I like the bouncy piano riffs towards the beginning and the refreshing sound design between the flute, brass, and bass. The melodies are really nice, and so many of the melodic riffs are really catchy and memorable too. The one brass instrument that first appears at :23 sounds a bit inauthentic, but otherwise the instruments don’t strike me as overtly fake. The “reset” at 1:32 was a nice compositional idea, just to break up the frantic energy of most of the rest of the piece. The mixing could be a bit more polished here. Overall, the mix is pretty quiet, and the drums in particular sound very flat. I’d recommend using a little more compression on the drums and turning the ratio up to at least 4:1.

Also, the composition sounds a bit repetitive after 1:32 until around 3:12. Some subtle variations in the largely repeated section in between (or even an extended breakdown/bridge) would’ve been welcome. I like the more minimal outro where you start with a drum solo at 3:37 and then gradually add back the other instruments for the final cadence. The composition here in general is really good - just be careful not to get too formulaic with the arrangement. Otherwise, the mixing could use a bit more help, but the sound design and melodies make this a fun and engaging piece regardless.

Keep at it, PaintedPenguin! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[FRACTURED]

I like the glitchy reverse piano and glass breaking effects at the beginning. The texture comes together nicely by :32, although the piece is still pretty slow to progress. The bass-y breaks at 1:22 are catchy, if a bit minimal, and add some variety to the texture after 80 seconds of the rhythmic emphasis being based around the piano/glass breaking. I like the acoustic drum kit at 1:54 and the cool panning effects on the synth that comes in at 2:36. The climactic section at 2:36 hits the piece home nicely. I think this piece could be stronger with a bit more variety in the harmonic content, and especially some more dynamic melodies. Right now, the sound design is engaging, and the production quality is solid, but the piece also doesn’t feel like it’s leading anywhere. That said, I commend you for taking such an experimental approach with the texture and instrumentation here. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Octaneuro! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

octaneuro responds:

I've never thought about progression while making my songs, it usually hinders me.
But honestly, hearing about this tells me that I should focus on that more from now on.

Thank you for the kind words, TaintedLogic! :D

[Satisfaction]

I like the glitchy pads at the beginning. The beat is nice too, although the clap could use a bit more “decoration” in the mix IMO - maybe some reverb at the very least. The piece is pretty minimal and slow to progress, especially for the minute or so following 1:07. The entry of the pads at 2:17 helps add some interest, but the piece still could use some more harmonic variety - a countermelody, or different chord progression, etc. The mixing is solid, and I like the sound design and progression. It just needs a fuller texture and more variety, is all. That said, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Nxes! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Nxes responds:

ima cook next year trust

[Overclocked Chip [NGADM + NGUAC 2024]]

I like the catchy bass riff towards the beginning, but I agree that you “overclocked” the glitchy effects. There’s a good sense of build into :44, and the drop has some refreshing sound design, and the post-chorus melody at 1:15 is also nice. Aspects of the arrangement and compositional details of this piece are pretty cliche, but the production quality is top-notch and I really like the rhythmic content too. The drop could’ve used a bit more variety the second time around, but overall the rich texture helps keep things engaging. Keep at it, NatahDN! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[Mr.Must3rd; ID 3 (NGAUC)]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the slight dissonances starting at around :25. The piece is pretty slow to progress at first, but the faller at :56 is pretty cool. The texture could use a bit more fill, especially in the middle and treble frequency ranges. The filtering and other automations are pretty cool, but aren’t really enough to keep me engaged for 5+ minutes here. Some more melodic content, or at least variations in the energy level and instrumentation, would really go a long way towards adding more interest and variety in this piece. I like when you “reset” the atmosphere at around 2:50, stripping away the pads to emphasize the bass, but it both doesn’t lead much of anywhere and also is pretty short-lived. Overall, there are some good ideas here between the rhythmic content, sound design, and atmosphere. I’d encourage you to keep working on this, though - there’s a lot of potential for storytelling and variety that you’re not quite capitalizing on yet. Still, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Breathing Glitch]

I like the quirky percussion minimal bass line at the beginning. The piece is a tad slow to progress at first, and the texture could use a bit more fill for the first minute or so. The slidey synth melody at :58 is really refreshing, though. The atmosphere could use a bit of fleshing out, as the body of the sound remains pretty thin, especially in the middle and treble frequency ranges. Later on, some variety in the harmonic content or, especially, the main melody would’ve also been welcome. The composition just doesn’t feel very bold here, despite the fun sound design and arrangement details (like the recordings of coughing). Overall, the mixing, rhythmic content, and instrumentation are really good, but I’d like to push you to really have a big moment of arrival later on in the piece that gives it a sense of overarching development. Keep at it, mjattie! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

mjattie responds:

Thanks! The song isn't totally finished and you have some good ideas to add. Melodically it would be cool if there was some variation. Thanks for the feedback!

[A Marriage Of Convenience]

I like the catchy guitar riff at the beginning and the ghostly pads at :08. Really strong vocals as always - love the harsh, almost judgemental tone they have. The lyrics themselves are also really strong, centered around a very versatile metaphor. Is it literally about a human relationship? Or someone’s unhealthy habit (drugs, gambling, etc.)? The lyrics leave all of that ambiguous, which is what I like about them. If there’s one thing I had to critique about the lyrics (or really about their delivery), it’s that the line “you can walk away” didn’t feel like it deserved the weight of 4 full measures every time it’s delivered.

Structurally, the piece is smooth-flowing and arranged well, although the copy-paste of the refrain at 2:32 felt a bit underwhelming. Even harmonizing it a bit more the second time around would be preferable imo. The solo at 2:50 was refreshing, a nice climactic way of hitting the piece home. The mixing is solid, but not perfect. The drums are crisp and loud, but at times the pads sound a bit too front-and-center to cut through when the vocals and guitar are playing simultaneously. Overall, despite my nitpicks, this is a really strong piece, Mischa-head! Love the sound design, progression, vocals, and melodies here. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Mischa-head responds:

Thank you for the feedback!

[Last Chance]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. By :27, there’s a lot of reverb in the texture, and the sidechaining is a bit heavy for my tastes. That said, I like the melodies and progression here. The sound design is a bit cheesy at times, and the mix could use some more polish, especially during the second refrain at 1:36. I would make sure to cut back on the reverb on the lower-register instruments and maybe pan the pads to both sides to make more room for the lead melody and rhythm section in the middle of the mix. Still, this is a cute, well-structured piece with a rich atmosphere and some strong melodies. Keep at it, MiniMusicPieces! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
7.5/10