TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Facing the Stormy Sea]

Yes! Pirates ftw!!! :D I love the melodies, which really reasserted the pirate themes, and despite a lot of call-and-response style mini-phrases (i.e., :46 - 1:03), it actually flows really well, like most of your tracks. The composition is rather good, which comes as no surprise to me. The thing I just can't stop myself from saying is that, unfortunately, the mixing (or lack thereof) seriously detracted from my overall enjoyment of it. Take, for example, the drums between :27 and :35. With all due respect, they sound like indistinct static. I know you upload a lot of these tracks just for fun, but I really think you should focus on your mixing a lot more in the near future. Perhaps it would be more ideal for me to critique your most recently uploaded tracks in order to maximize your productivity regarding improving your mixing techniques. I will commence doing so tomorrow. Otherwise, this piece tells the same story as many of your other non-piano-solo pieces I've been reviewing recently: good composition, but less-than-good mixing. Until tomorrow, then, old chap! ;P

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

YARR!!!

Nice catch with the call-response thing between 0:46-1:03. I don't always take this kind of approach, so I though I'd try it here.

There's certainly no lack of mixing here, even though it may indeed be bad. Out of curiosity, do you use headphones, and in that case, what kind?
The worst things about the mixing here is 1. The percussion (duh), 2. The overall volume (it's low), which means one should listen to this with higher volume settings than usually, and 3. The trombones and such in certain parts + a small bit of muddiness. Other than that, the mixing should be pretty fine, with panning and EQ as well. It's just the few things that drag down this entire track pretty heavily.

0:27 is mostly good, but I'd want a higher volume to the percussion, and perhaps more punchiness to it. Not achievable with the snares, but I should've used the tipmanis to highlight the hits better, in retrospect. So I totally get what you mean here!

The reason I'm not as focused when it comes to mixing yet, is because I learn things in a certain order. To begin with, I'm trying to grasp the compositional aspects of orchestral music, and which instruments go well together etc. I think I'll focus more on mixing when I have a good grasp on that. As for the percussion though, I think I'll try to improve that already to the next bigger track. Another problem is the fact that I had to divide this song in to 5 different parts while making it. This means it's a huuuuge pain in the ass to go back and mix something, and I still want the mix to be consistent, instead of mixing say the middle part differently from the rest. But ultimately, it all comes down to laziness XD When I upgrade my DAW, I think I'll automatically improve in these kinds of areas :p
That, and I'm not in a hurry to become a master! I improve from every track no matter what I do, and I don't want to kill all my motivation (which is why I can't sight read sheet music at all)!

Anywho, thanks for the fast review streak! In a few hours, I'll probably upload something quite interesting >:D

[Vega]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, and how you gradually use the kick as a sort of build-up into :23. As with most of your tracks, it's pretty repetitive and progresses rather slowly, but at least it's not quite as long as some of them. I enjoyed the riser that started at 1:18, as well as the uncharacteristically heavy drop for you at 1:29. The mastering was, in fact, rather good, as you alluded to in the description. I thought the drums were a bit loud, which is especially noticeable during the breakdown section between 2:15 and 3:00. Perhaps in order to heighten the contrast between the drop at 3:20 and that breakdown section, you should make the snare a bit softer and drier and gradually crank up the reverb before the drop (this coming from someone who has little experience making music of this genre himself). I love the echo effects at 5:08, though. They really give the piece that last touch of mystery before the final fade-out. Overall, great job! I think you should continue to push the boundaries of this genre and others as well for the good of your music career. This is a stand-out track amidst your other recent ones. Nice job! ^^

SynchroSpectre responds:

Yea it is different from my other tracks; I might get into this kind of DnB a little more. I wanted to try something different and I'm glad that you enjoyed that.

I'll keep doing what I do, thanks for following ;)

[La Valse D'Amelie (Cover)]

I like the slow tempo and pensive mood at the beginning. The pacing in this piece is very good. I like how the energy picks up around :45. I can see an old ballroom, and a couple dancing (slowly at first, then faster as their passion grows). It is a bit minimalistic compared to some of your other tracks, but still very pretty and flowy (as almost all of your piano solos are). Seeing as this is a cover, I can't exactly give you points for originality, but I like how you brought it full circle at the end with the slow dance again. Solid transition at 2:32. Anyway, keep up the good work, LSD! ;D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hi again! :D
I'm glad you like the tempo and pacing. I've told you a million times, but I like it when you share your visuals XD

And yeah. The reason this seems minimalistic, is because the arrangement is not mine. And even if it was, there's not much to add to this piece; there's not enough room nor time for the fingers to move much, unless you want some really weird harmonics :3

A cover can be original, but this one, surely is not. It's great that 2:32 worked! I always play it like that :D

Thanks again ;)

[-Late Night Call-]

I love the tranquil mood and dreamy atmospheric vibe this has. The instruments were cool, and I love how you started incorporating the vinyl scratches at around :45. That said, it progressed a little slowly, and there isn't really much of a melody until 1:24. I like your vocal samples, despite their being a bit cheesy. ;D It has a strong beat and some catchy bass lines and mid-range synth patterns, but besides that it lacks a bit of luster when compared to some of your other tracks IMO, Waterflame. I don't think it should've been 5 minutes long, maybe 3 or so. I understand you made it for Rebecca, who is presumably your girlfriend, but as a casual listener it didn't keep my attention that well. Sorry. It's a cute piece with some catchy rhythms and solid mixing, but it didn't exactly make me say "WOW," if you know what I mean. Keep at it, Waterflame! ;)

[Sabrepulse Horizons Remix]

Okay, totally missed this one because AP exams. DX Anyway, now that that's over, this is awesome! :D I love the intro, and it's somehow dreamy and energetic at the same time. One thing I think you should work on is making your transitions less sudden, like at :47. I love the somewhat clashing chords at 1:45. The drop at 2:28 is just freaking awesome, though. I have to say, though, I think you've used that riser (or at least the same instrument) that builds up to 2:28 before. ಠ_ಠ Still, I love the quirky synths that pop back in around 3:37, and how you incessantly switch up the mood of the piece. The structuring and progression of this piece is amazing, and I don't even mind that it's almost 7 minutes long (which is not something I say too often, trust me)! :D Good use of repetition later on in the piece, too, and that drop just releases a wave of euphoria! :O Those cute little arpeggios at 6:25 were a simple, yet perhaps fitting, way to end the piece. Overall, awesome job! How could I possibly resist downloading this if it's free? :D Hope college is going well for you, and I'm looking forward to hearing more of your stuff this summer! ^_^

Lockyn responds:

Thank you so much for the detailed review TL! I'm glad you enjoyed it and that you downloaded it :D Thank you thank you, and good luck with college yourself!

[A Smashing WIP]

I like the synths and drums. That bass riff at the beginning was cool. If you're going to use that vocal sample at :13, though, please don't use it again 15 seconds later in the actual piece. I understand that this is just a WIP, though. I think the drums at :16 sound really good, though. Just make sure that the hi-hat doesn't get distorted by the other instruments too much. The first thing I would do is make sure the bass's upper range is brought down A LOT on the EQ. I understand that when it's EQ'd this way it produces a fuller sound, but when you add more instruments it will just make everything sound more fuzzy and distorted. Sorry, I'm critiquing this way too much for a 45-second-long WIP. Keep it up, TeraVex! ;D

[Winterscape - MusicBoxx]

Haha, I like the distorted beginning and the slow, dreamy tempo it has. It almost sounds like it's from a flashback to one's childhood - a lost memory somehow reignited by a fleeting moment in old age. I see a little girl holding the music box for the first time in wonder, and watching the ballerina in the middle spin in an incessant dance, and then the old woman tearing up as she realizes it's still in her attic somewhere, long since broken, but not forgotten. Sorry, I got carried away there. I think you already know that the mixing/recording quality wasn't great, but other than that, it's a beautiful melody played on a beautiful instrument. :')

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Yeah, I got the tempo pretty much like I wanted, even though I'd have liked it to be even more stable. But it's not easy to crank it at a steady pace!

I think that solo music boxes always give a great atmospheric feel, be it horror, sadness, or like you said, just a memory. And whoah! That's quite the vivid picture you shared there! A pretty nice, and short story.

As for the mixing and recording, this was more of a quick test run :3

Thanks for leaving this review! You're almost at the present... But boy, do I have a surprise for you and the others tomorrow >:D

[-Stalker-]

I like the bass and beat. Those gritty synths really add a lot of character to the piece. It's been too long since you've done really hard-hitting techno like this, Waterflame. That creepy pad at 1:24 (and other places) reasserts the ominous, yet arousing, mood as well. :) I like how even sections that don't have a lot going on - like from 1:50 to 2:30 - still sound really fully textured and reverberated. My favorite part is probably 2:47 - love the frantic distorted synth work here. Some of your more blissful melody riffs even started to bleed in around 3:10! :D It's a cool piece, but a little longer than it needed to be IMO. What really keeps my attention throughout, though, is the instrumentation. Really enjoyable piece overall. Keep up the great work, Waterflame! ^^

[Insting]

Yeah! I love the melody and instruments. The filters you put on the melody really give it this cycle of life and death, if you know what I mean. Still, that cycle makes the piece really interesting, even if it's really short. It loops well, and I like that sweep you have at the beginning. The mixing is pretty good, and overall I think this piece has a lot of potential. You should do more with this! You could have an epic electro banger here. ;D Keep at it, man! ^^

fayyn responds:

thanks mate! I have many unfinished projects like this one, I just never feel like finishing them because im happy with what they are now :)