TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Dark Woodlands-]

I like the murky atmosphere at the beginning. Definitely feels Halloweeny. :)

The way the drums faded in sounded a bit bizarre. Fading them in with filtering as opposed to just volume might've been smoother. There's a bit of dissonance in the texture at around the 1-minute mark, and the transition at 1:19 is pretty sudden. The texture feels like it's missing a lot of mid-range frequencies. The complex rhythmic structure of the piece would also come through more clearly if the different harmonies weren't so close together in pitch.

I also feel like the song needs a more prominent lead riff. Right now, the echo-y mid-range bass riff that serves as the lead for most of the piece (it plays in isolation at 3:48) sounds a little too minimal and murky to really stand out.

Overall, not your best, but you definitely nailed the creepy mood and sound design. Happy belated Halloween! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thanks for the advice!

[Journeyman]

I like the spacey vibe at the beginning. The wave-like pattern of the synths is definitely on-brand. The pacing is a bit slow, but I like the call-and-response high-pitched synth line at 1:33. The quickening pace of the synth line at around 2:00 helps give the piece a sense of direction, although the transition at 2:20 still felt a tad abrupt, as did the entrance of the bass at 2:28. The heavier drums and synth guitar at 3:10 or so are a nice break from the mostly atmospheric content of the first 3 minutes. The texture is still pretty thin harmonically, but the blissful melodies at around 4:10 help thicken it up a bit. Sometimes, during the busier sections of the piece, the drums are struggling to come through the mix, like at around 5:30. I also think the "The city" section drags on for a bit too long without much variety in the instruments or harmonies.

I like the more melancholy tone of the piece by around 7:00, although the transition into 8:00 could've been a bit smoother. The piano melodies there are a highlight of the piece for me, although at 8:52 the chords sounded a bit clunky. It might help to space the notes out a little more so they have a more open, well-balanced sound. The rich pads at 9:30ish are a treat, although some more filtering or automation could've added some interest at times, especially to maximize the emotional appeal of the piano at 10:17. The wonky progression at 11:02 is really engaging, and the organ and frantic drums that come in shortly thereafter really give that section a sinister undertone. This is another place where the drums are a bit too quiet in the mix, though - I might give the organ a little less space in the lower-end of the frequency range in the equalizer. The drums might also need a boost in the mid-range with a multi-band compressor. The melodies at 12:33 are killer, although they also could stand a boost in the mix vis-a-vis the pads and harmonies.

13:20 is one of your better transitions in the piece, and I love the drum solo at 13:34 and the catchy low-register piano line at 14:06. The section at 14:53 sounds like a jabbering bird indeed, although the fade-out into 15:39 was a bit underwhelming of a conclusion to that section, even though it's on-theme. The gradual fade-in at 16:20 is nice - I really like the atmosphere and sound design of that part, from the floaty synth arpeggios to the murky pad at 17:08. The last 5.5 minutes of this piece would actually function well as a stand-alone track in my opinion. The gradual build-up of tension into 18:40 is really effective, and the rhythmic syncopations blend really nicely together. The melodies at 19:50 serve as a nice point of arrival, although a lot of the harmonies are ducking under the mix during the downbeats at that section. Again, it couldn't hurt to clear out some of the low-end frequencies there or even pull back on the reverb. The dense final chord at 21:07 is nice - the grating treble range of that organ adds a bit of tension to the otherwise resolutive tonic, as if the journeyman's journey is not truly over. :)

Overall, I think you've focused a lot on the overarching narrative aspects of this piece, which isn't a bad thing, but it could use a bit more ebb and flow within some of the individual sections, just to keep the listener engaged more. Vocals might help make some of the thematic elements of the track come alive, especially during the "argument" section, which, it should be noted, is my favorite of the piece. Given the overall energy level and dynamism of the melodies, I think the argument section could even be a fitting conclusion for the piece as a whole. If I was going to do a "radio edit" of this piece, I would probably make an "Argument/Old Man is a Bird/Argument" sandwich, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I commend you for a strong and ambitious track here, Cavernsparten. A little more variety in some of the individual sections and some cleaner mixing in places would help take it to the next level, but overall the sound design, atmosphere, rhythmic content, and narrative elements of it are really impressive. Keep it up! ^_^

[-Diagonal-]

I like the cute sound design. The rhythm is a little hard-to-follow at first, but I like the prominent hi-hats and frantic descending lines that start each mini-phrase. It could use a tad more variety later on, but overall it's catchy and has some cool instrumentation. This would make a good soundtrack for a fast-paced platformer. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thanks mate! Glad you like it!

I also showed it to my friend @Thetageist, she had the same issue of it hard to follow. Yeah, I say it’s my standard basically lol, at least transitionings well, just too much (I think)

[-Stranded-]

Alright, thanks again for your patience! I like the atmosphere and the growling bass toward the beginning. The percussion is creative and sets the scene nicely. The different rhythmic elements are totally groovy, and there are definitely some unexpected sound design choices in here - like the guitar at :34 and the airy woodwinds at :55. The transition at 1:08 is a tad sudden, but I like the string line at around 1:20. The guitar line at 1:36 is catchy, but the melodic contour it has is a bit too narrow to be captivating IMO. The production quality is solid throughout, and I like the extended flute lines later on. Overall, I think this piece could use some stronger melodies and some more gradual transitions in places, but the atmosphere, sound design, and mixing are all really strong. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Yay! 4 stars this time :D thanks for the advice Taintedlogic!

[ONE WITH EVERYTHING]

I like the blissful melody at the beginning and the cute sound design. The mixing could be a bit sharper - it’s hard to hear some of the harmonies when they’re all playing at once. Make sure you assign all of the instruments a mixer track and, at the very least, add an equalizer to each one. None of the instruments besides the bass and kick should have any frequencies left below 250 Hertz once you equalize everything. Also, the drums sound pretty soft throughout - I’d suggest adding a compressor onto each of the drum kit instruments, and giving the snare in particular a boost in the middle-range frequencies in the equalizer.

Compositionally, the piece is stronger. The downtempo section at 1:59 was good for some variety, and the voice acting was solid. I think the vocals are a tad too loud relative to the instrumental tracks, though. The frantic synth line and faster tempo during the final minute was a good way of hitting the piece home. Overall solid work, WoogLord! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. Also, I can indeed confirm that all anime girls are Chargers fans. ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

WoogLord responds:

Thanks so much for your feedback! I'm starting to work on mixing more, and EQ work was a tad above my paygrade when reading up on it for this haha. I'm going to watch/learn more on it and make some presets to not think too hard on it for the next couple tracks before I develop my tastes for frequency changes on instruments.

100% agree with all your comments, thanks again for the feedback!

I really enjoyed competing in NGUAC24, I learned a lot, and am thankful to the judges, TO, GOD, my family, my friends, and all Chargers fans (frick the Raiders)!!!

[Dimension (NGUAC 2024 Final Round)]

I like the rich atmosphere at the beginning. The drums are not my favorite - the clap sounds a bit unpolished, and the percussion riff at :15 is a bit dry in the mix. The pacing of the piece starting at around :40 is pretty cool - lots of twists and turns in the build-up to 1:19. The chirping effect at :55 is really neat, although admittedly the pause at 1:11 threw me off a bit. The drop is catchy, if a tad minimal, and ideally I think the clap would be a bit punchier in the mix. In general, the mix is clean, if a tad over-compressed. I like the atmosphere at the breakdown and the gradual fade-in of the bouncy synth riff that really gets its chance to shine at 2:18. The transition at 2:48 is a bit sudden, but I like the squeaky rhythmic riff there and the build-up into 3:17. I think you start to overuse the stop-start transitions at this point, but I appreciate that you switched up the drop the second time around. The thick bass and airy pads during the outro are really nice. Overall, solid work, Whymsical! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, and hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
8.5/10

whymsical responds:

thanks for inviting me here! had tons of fun, wish to participate next year!

[okay for now]

I like the tranquility and sound design of this one. Has a nice lo-fi flavor during the second half. If you ever flesh this out into a full-length track, send me a PM. I’ll leave you a proper review. Until then, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[BASS CAN]

I like a lot of the sound design choices here, between the airy pads and mischievous-sounding bass. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture for my tastes, especially at the beginning - it actually makes it hard to follow the rhythm at first. There’s a good sense of build-up into :35, and the drop is catchy and quirky-sounding. The chopped vocals are especially cool. The mix is clean and punchy, but a bit over-compressed at times. The pads and higher-pitched synths sound pretty harsh, almost like you have them panned to both ears but not in the middle (that may or may not actually be the case; the point is that they take up too much of the soundscape). The second half of this piece could use a bit more variety compared to the first half, including some more memorably harmonic riffs. That said, this piece is really catchy and the instrumentation is super flashy and unique. Solid work overall - just be sure to rein in some of these volume levels next time. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, TurboDrivee. Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

[Tropical Surge]

I like the quirky rhythmic emphasis at the beginning and the airy pads. The bass riff at :17 is catchy, and has a nice call-and-response going on with the dreamy synth lead. The jumpy melody at 1:02 is also cool, and the texture really attains something that feels “stable” at 1:19. The darker tone at 1:33 is good for some variety, and I really like the shape of the final phrase at 1:50, where the intensity level and register of the melody gradually increase. This piece felt like it could use one last climactic part towards the end to tie it together, although I like the unique structure and experimental details of the texture. Strong production quality overall, too. Beautiful piece, TheNormalMusic! Tropical Surge is a very fitting title. This piece sounds distinctly watery and light. 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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

TheNormalMusic responds:

Woah, almost hit the ceiling! Well, the judging must've been hard in the top 20...
Thank You so much for running these contests. I'm surprised there are people who can organize and run them.
See You next year!

[Ecnelupo [NGUAC]]

I like the moody chords at the beginning and the mellow percussion. The mix is a bit quiet, and the drums in particular could use a tad more compression so that they cut through the texture during some of the busier sections. The atmosphere is great, though, and the structure feels really loose and fluid. There are some moments of dissonance, like at 1:38, but they also fit the off-the-cuff character of the piece really well. I’m generally skeptical of full-length tracks that rely on the same fairly repetitive harmonic framework all the way through, but you pull this off quite well with how variational the melodies and sound design are. The fade-out at the end felt like a bit of an underwhelming way to end the piece, though - this piece is full of tension, and at some point I wanted to see it resolved, even if it was in a brief cadence at the end. This track would also make a great loop IMO. Overall, really solid work here, Staintocton! Some people just use brass instruments and call it jazz, but you’re a true jazz musician’s jazz musician! Keep it up, and 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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10