TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Digitallis]

I like the quirky synths towards the beginning, especially the one that first comes in at :07. The attack at :13 is a bit harsh-sounding, though. The build-up into :27 was nice, and I like the harmonies there a lot. That said, the mix is a bit soft here. It’s hard to hear the drums and bass in particular. I’d suggest scaling back some of the reverb here - I think it’s distorting some of the instruments. The breakdown at 1:22 is nice for some variety, and you transition well back into the “verse” at 1:48. During the second half of the piece, I would’ve liked to see you create more variations on the main melodies and give the piece an overarching sense of dynamism. Instead, the arrangement here feels a tad formulaic. That said, I’m enjoying the harmonies, atmosphere, and rhythmic content of this piece a lot. Some of the instruments were really cute and fit in with the “outer space” theme quite well, despite being a tad cheesy. Overall, the composition is solid, and my biggest concern is the muddy mix. Shave off some of the reverb, add some equalizers onto the melodic instruments, and create some melodic variations in the final verse, and this piece would easily be an 8-range track. Keep at it, MusicBySpektral! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

MusicBySpektral responds:

Thanks for the review! This is my first time submitting into any contest on Newgrounds, and I am glad to have gotten a 7/10 on my first try. I definitely see the problems and will work on them on future works and keep on trying to get into the next round someday (maybe)!

[D.E.A.F]

Dude! What an inspiring story! You’re a legend.

I really like the idea of spelling out “deaf” in notes for your piece. I will say that the synths at the very beginning sound a tad harsh in the treble range, though. You might want to filter out some of those frequencies with an equalizer. The texture starts coming together well by :25, and I like how the synth arpeggios get increasingly more frantic until :40. The eerie atmosphere at :51 threw me off of the flow a bit at first, but it creates a good “blank slate” environment for the build-up into 1:42. The lead at 2:08 is a bit overpowering, but the descending vocal line at 2:32 is a really neat detail.

I’m not sure I like the long sections of creepy minimalism, like at 2:33. It certainly provides a certain amount of variety, but could use a fuller texture and more harmonic content. After a while, the riff at 3:50 also gets a tad repetitive. I’d like to see you vary it a bit more if you’re going to bring that riff back so often. I understand that’s the part that spells out “deaf,” but I can’t help but feel like you’re limiting yourself too much - it’s really hard to write a piece with only four notes.

The tranquil pads at 4:16 were nice, especially with the prominent hi-hats layered on top, and the rhythmic content during the last couple of minutes or so of this piece is especially nice. The outro at 5:22 sounded pretty cute, but also didn’t seem very well-integrated with the ominous synths and gritty beats that came before it.

Overall, I’m really impressed with your sense of rhythm and production. In fact, the best thing about this track IMO is probably the mixing. Besides that one harsh-sounding synth, everything sounds very clean, polished, and well-balanced in the mix. The harmonic content here could use a bit more depth and variety, and the arrangement of the piece is pretty disjointed. But overall, this is a catchy piece with some neat sound design and a strong sense of atmosphere. By all means, keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

music69012 responds:

Damn, I didn't make it through. Thank you for the opportunity and next time I will up my games to show you that I am capable of doing it again, I'm glad that you had a chance to comment and show good criticism and what I need to improve on. It is a real shame that there were people who were slightly better than me, but that isn't going to put me down. I will try to do midi, own a sample, find a better plugin and create new ideas. Could I keep in contact for any future competition because I would love to do this again and show my talent? Perhaps I will come back stronger when I learn a new technique as I improve everytime.

Hope to keep in touch and will show you my improvement and ideas of my creativity soon!
Feisty (The Deaf DJ) Fennekin aka music69012

[Aquatic Machinery]

I like the haunting atmosphere at the beginning - it’s very tranquil and full of a sense of wonder. The reverb on the drums at :50 is very heavy - it’s almost like the drums are contributing more to the atmosphere than the synths. Also, the mix is rather quiet. Perhaps a bit more compression would be advisable.

The piece is a little slow to progress for the first couple of minutes, but I like the tempo automations going into 1:50. The hard-hitting mid-range bass offers a nice contrast to the earlier atmospheric content, although the mixing could be a bit better balanced here. I wanted to hear more of the ghostly pads and maybe a tad less of the drums. The filtering at 2:56 is pretty cool, and the minimal breakdown at 3:04 is good for some variety.

Overall, the arrangement here feels a little formulaic, though, with regular changes in the texture every 8 or 16 bars, but not a lot of ebb and flow with the phrases themselves. Still, I like the grouchy bridge at 3:50 and the return to the regal-sounding atmosphere at 4:35. Really makes the piece come full-circle. That said, the very end could’ve been a tad more creative than a fade-out.

Overall, there are a lot of great ideas here, from bookending the gritty beats with atmospheric beauty to the rhythmic content of the beats themselves. That said, the entire piece feels a bit slow-paced and repetitive, with a pretty generic harmonic framework, arrangement, and sound design. A richer texture and a bit of a clean-up of the mix in some places would really take this piece to the next level. Still, as it is I’m enjoying the melodies, atmospheric elements, and progression a lot. Keep at it, MrSpud! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

MrSpud8 responds:

Thanks for the review, I’ll work on the things you mentioned

[Mr.Must3rd-Purple Orb]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the dynamic synth pads at :11. The 8-bit drums are a bit cheesy in this context for me - not sure they fit well with the eerie atmosphere. The sidechaining is also very heavy for my tastes. That said, the gritty breaks at :48 sounded pretty sweet, if a little minimal. Love the rolled hats here too, like at 1:16. At times, the texture could use some more fill, especially in the upper-mid range, and I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic development too, as the harmonic content gets pretty after a while here. That said, I’m really digging the experimental texture and foreboding tone of this. You might also consider working to play up the sense of atmosphere by adding some reverb and other mixing effects to the synth lead during the middle couple of minutes of the piece. Overall, I really like the rhythmic elements, crisp mixing, and ominous thematic content here. The compositional details could use a bit of fleshing out, but this is a solid effort nonetheless. Keep at it, Mr. Musterd! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Faster Speeds]

I like the tranquil guitar chords at the beginning and the synth arpeggios that slowly fade in and out. The minimal beat at :21 sounds a bit generic, but helps keep up the energy level. The atmospheric synths and snare are nice additions during the build-up into 1:04, and Iike the bassy groove at the drop, although I wanted the synth harmonies to pop a bit more in the mix there. The transition at 1:47 was a bit sudden, and the one at 1:58 also could’ve been a bit smoother. I would’ve liked to see a bit more variety in the harmonic content during the second drop at 2:18. I’ll also say that the arrangement here sounds a bit formulaic. The texture shifts every 8 or 16 bars or so, but within those 16 bars there’s not much of a sense of dynamism. Overall, though, the strong mixing, sound design, and catchy beats really make this piece memorable. You’re clearly a talented producer, but some of the compositional details (especially the transitions) could’ve used some smoothing over. Keep at it, MrCheese! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Different Emotions]

I like the energy at the beginning. At first, the stop-start rhythm of the synth bass threw me off a bit, but I’m enjoying the subtle build-up into :23. Given the tranquility at :23 and how much that contrasted with the hard breaks earlier, I’m not sure you really needed the first 23 seconds at all. Regardless, by 1:15 I’m enjoying the blissful melodies and rich atmosphere. The mix is a tad over-compressed for my tastes, but the filtering at 1:54 is a good way of transitioning into the more mellow breakdown that follows it. I like the neat percussion at 2:08 and the airy melodies at 2:29. Admittedly, the breakdown section as a whole was a bit dragged-out, but by 2:51 I’m enjoying the return of the main melody, although it sounds a tad strange rhythmically when paired with the bass line that so heavily emphasized the off-beats. There was a good sense of build into 3:33, and I like the stronger claps at 4:18. Otherwise, I wish you had done a tad more to vary the melodic content during the final refrain here. That said, I like the emotional appeal of the piano melody during the outro and the tempo automations at the very end. Overall, this piece has a lot of sweet melodies, danceable beats, and fun rhythmic components. Aspects of the sound design and arrangement are a bit generic, and at times the mix could be a bit tighter and less distorted by sidechaining. That said, the compositional details are quite strong, and the progression and harmonies are very well-polished. Keep at it, Mockany! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Mistful_Shadow & Windows 16 - Underworld]

The riser at the beginning is pretty cool. The popcorn snare at :04 kinda overpowers the dreamy pads beneath it, but a bigger problem is how much the sub-bass distorts the rest of the texture at :09. Notice how that mid-range synth riff sounds a lot quieter at :09 than it did before? That’s a sign that the texture is getting distorted because you have multiple instruments playing at the same frequency range. You can fix it by using an equalizer to filter out the bass tones (less than 200 Hertz or so) in the harmonic instruments. “how to use an equalizer in _____” (whatever DAW you use). You might already be familiar with similar mixing tools - you should use them way more often, is the point.

Mixing aside, the transition at :23 is a bit sudden, and while I enjoyed the build-up into :37, I was a little thrown off by the injection of new riffs at the drop. The intro just doesn’t do much to foreshadow the content during the drop very well. The synth at 1:20 sounds very cheesy, and also doesn’t do much to add variety to the harmonies. The entire second half of the piece, in fact, could use some more variety, especially compared with the content of the first half of the piece.

At the same time, a lot of the transitions in this piece are pretty abrupt. A good rule of thumb is that, with limited exceptions, you should have at least 1-2 harmonic instruments (i.e., not drums or bass) playing the same pattern on either side of a transition, just to keep the listener well-oriented to what’s going on. You can also use sweeps, crashes, filtering, and automations to smooth over some otherwise rough transitions, all while adding interest in the middle of otherwise-repetitive phrases. I’d suggest you experiment with all of these approaches at some point.

Sorry if this isn’t a very positive review. I do like the rhythmic content, build-ups, and a lot of the individual synth riffs here. But overall, the composition feels a bit disjointed, repetitive, and cheesy, and the mixing could be a lot sharper. Still, this is a catchy piece with potential. I’d encourage you to keep working on it. When you feel like you’ve implemented some of my feedback, feel free to send me a PM and I’ll leave you another review. Keep at it, guys! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
4/10

MistfulShadow responds:

Thanks for your feedback. I am sorry this track was not the greatest, but I admit that we could have done better in a few ways
I'm not sure if it's possible to revamp this for multiple reasons, but again, this is helpful feedback, so thank you.

[City of Rot]

I like the groovy guitar riff at the beginning and the crisp drums. The lead vocals are powerful, but the vocal harmonies could’ve blended in a tad better with the lead. Some more mixing effects might help with that, including reverb. The lyrics themselves are great, and I love the dark themes. Sometimes, the bass gets a little lost during the vocal verses, but otherwise the production quality holds up quite well. The solo at 2:47 helped disrupt the somewhat repetitive instrumental tracks underlying the verse-chorus structure. The last verse felt especially emotional, and I like how you turned up the intensity of the bass line during the final 20 seconds or so. Overall, this is a strong composition with some great sound design and a clean, well-balanced mix. Keep it up, Mischa! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Mischa-head responds:

Thanks for the feedback!

[Goldenrod Game Corner [SUPER HYPER MEGA MELEE MIX]]

I like the bouncy synth pads at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The sound design has a big 80s vibe, and I like the melodies at :44 too, despite the somewhat strange contour on the descending bit at :55. The mix could’ve been a bit louder and sharper here, with the kick drum in particular getting buried during the busier sections. I also like the addition of the brass at 1:14 or so, as well as the synth solo that follows at 1:28. At some point, I might’ve liked to hear a bit more variety in the energy level here. A near-constant energy level for the middle 3.5 minutes of the piece isn’t always the most conducive to keeping the listener engaged. Still, the tempo automations into 2:27 and the switch-up in the harmonic framework were creative ways of creating variety. The mix seems a bit muddy at 2:27, though, possibly because of an excess of reverb. Still, you hit the piece home nicely with the final melodic section at 3:12, and I was glad to see the brass also figure prominently there. Overall, despite being a tad repetitive at times and having some slight production blips, this is a really catchy and fun piece with some neat sound design and an engrossing, upbeat mood. Keep at it, Metatron! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[STAR☆COASTER~]

I like the blissful melodies at the beginning and the cutesy 8-bit sound design. There was a good sense of build into :24, but it didn’t quite prepare me for the frantic craziness there. It sounds like the vocals were sped up and were intended to sound upbeat, but I think the artificially fast tempo actually has the opposite effect - they almost sound creepy instead. The bassy instrumental section at 1:05 is good, and the vocals at 1:14 sound like a pitch-shifted version of one of Eminem’s classic “speed verses.” :D The melodies at 1:24 are nice, and there’s a great sense of triumph in the melodies at 2:05. At some point, I might’ve liked to see you slow down the pace a bit and create some more variety in the energy level and thickness of the texture. That said, the piece is full of variety in other ways, including in the sound design and melodic content. Overall, this is a strong piece that might be more effective if it slowed the pacing down a tad, just to keep the listener grounded in some of the core motifs of the piece more. It’s a little jarring to listen to a piece that changes so much every 10 seconds or so. Either way, the composition, sound design, and production quality here are all really impressive. Keep it up, MetaHumanBoi! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10