TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Wings of Ash - Waltz of the Undying [Zeddius Remix]]

I like the eerie mood at the beginning and the trippy piano riff at :08. There’s a good sense of build-up into :33, but the 8 seconds of gritty mid-range bass drone disrupts the flow a bit for me. The sound design here is really nice overall, but the texture still feels a bit minimal for most of first half of the piece. The drop at 1:23 is really neat - the organ and grouchy bass complement each other well, and the rhythmic content is great. Another really strong aspect of this piece is the production quality - all of the instruments sound super crisp, loud, and clear in the mix throughout. The waltzy bridge at 2:05 was probably my favorite part of the piece. Sounds like a traveling circus that’s secretly also a religious cult. The airy synth lead at 3:02 is great, but the drums also duck under the mix a bit there. The minimal, creepy outro really cements the narrative appeal of the piece, though, and overall this piece is really compelling for its vivid atmosphere and sound design. The arrangement is a tad choppy at times with all the stop-start transitions, but otherwise my complaints here are few and far between. Keep it up, Zeddius! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Radiowaves]

I like the airy percussion at the beginning. The bassy groove at :02 sounds a bit distorted in the mix, though. Dialing back the reverb might help a bit, but you’ll also need to compress the drums more and get stricter with the filtering. Part of the problem might be that instruments with a similar frequency range are distorting each other. To help solve this, it might help to use equalizers more often. Also known as EQs, they’ll help you filter out the frequencies in the harmonic instruments (i.e., pretty much everything except the bass and drums) below about 200 Hertz. That’ll make all of the instruments sound much clearer in the mix, especially on the low end of the spectrum. You may already know about equalizers, but you should use them way more often, is the point.

Mixing aside, the sound design and texture of the piece sound really rich and neat. The harmonic content could use some more variety, but the catchy rhythmic content and subtle automations help keep me engaged here, and the melodic variations towards the end also help scratch that itch. I love the prominent arpeggios at 2:57 too. Overall, my main concern here is the mixing - this track would sound a lot cleaner and more distinct with some tighter production. Still, I can tell you’re a talented composer with a knack for retro sound design. Keep it up, X2scepten! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.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
7.5/10

[Slawblade.mp2]

I like the eerie siren-like synth at the beginning. The drums at :05 are catchy. I think I recognize some FL Studio presets, though. The piece is pretty slow to progress at first, but the transition with the vocal sample at :32 was neat. The synth at :40 sounds a bit thin and unpolished - some more mixing effects might help give them some more atmosphere. That said, the riff it’s playing is catchy, and has a nice call-and-response pattern between the higher-pitched and lower-pitched sub-sections. The effect at 1:15 is cool, but could’ve been better integrated into the “body” of the piece, if you will. Otherwise, I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more here. Kinda feels like the piece ends right as it’s getting started. Overall, it’s not bad, just a bit bland. I’d encourage you to keep working on this - there’s a lot of potential between the catchy synth riffs and drums and the cool effects and transitions. Keep at it, WoogLord! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6/10

WoogLord responds:

Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate the in-depth analysis you gave and do agree with you on all that you said.

I look forward to improving more in the future!

[Dynamo Blitz]

I like the catchy rhythmic content at the beginning. The synths are a bit cheesy, but by :36 the crisp beats and low-mid pads help keep things interesting. The piece is missing some higher-frequency tones and melodic content for almost the entire track, though. The harmonic content is repetitive, and could use more depth at times. The variations at 1:40 help the piece come full-circle, but the bass is very loud relative to the other harmonies there. This piece is catchy and energetic, but the composition could use a bit more fleshing out. I would suggest focusing on melody-writing going forward. Melodies will add a level of dynamism and storytelling to your piece that’s hard to replicate in other areas of composition. Still, the production quality is strong here, and the rhythmic content, atmosphere, and progression are also quite enjoyable. Keep at it, WolFoxBeats! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

[static (feat. eleanor forte)]

I like the pensive piano riff at the beginning. The instrument itself sounds both dry and distorted, though - it could use some wet reverb to fill out the atmosphere and maybe some filtering or something to add variety. The percussion at :18 sounds similarly dry and minimal. I like the lyrics a lot, and the vocals themselves sound pretty realistic despite being a vocaloid. I’m also not sure I liked how you overlap the vocal phrases - it didn’t really seem to fit with the pacing of the piece up to that point. The added layering at :52 is really nice, although some more bass tones would’ve helped fill out the texture there more. The melancholic bridge at 1:10 was a bit of a missed opportunity to add some bolder melodies or a beat drop IMO. With the repetition towards the end of the piece, I feel like the composition of this piece in general was pretty underwhelming, despite being well-structured and having some cool melodies and sound design. I’d encourage you to find more ways of filling out the texture here and adding variety, whether that’s with mixing effects, additional instruments, more dynamic melodies, or otherwise. Still, the existential content of the vocals and the distorted sound design end up serving you well here. Keep at it, wheremakingthishapen! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

[Left Adrift]

I like the hardstyle lead at the beginning and the frantic synth harmonies. The mix is very loud and pretty clean, although sometimes the balance seems a bit off between the harmonies. For example, the synth riff at :28 seriously overwhelms the piano, and in general the drums could use a bit more of a boost in the mix. The main melody at :58 sounds a bit square rhythmically, and you also start overusing the riff at :53 a bit after a while. That said, I like the breakdown at 1:26, and you transition well back into the frantic harmonies at 1:48. The key changes at 2:10 and 2:30 were good for some variety, although I might’ve liked to see you switch up the harmonies themselves rather than just transpose them to different keys. The piece also probably could’ve used a proper outro, as it ends pretty suddenly. Still, this piece is catchy, energetic, and has some really cool retro sound design. You have a good sense of rhythm, harmony, and progression, and pretty much all of my complaints are nitpicks. Keep it up, VoltranixMusic! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Kore ga ai no sugata ka?]

I like the cute synths and jazzy pads at the beginning. The bouncy piano riff at :07 is really great, and I really love the blissful melodies at :14 too. The mixing here is strong, and the melodies have a nice and dynamic feel. The frantic piano line at :43, vocal sample/effect that comes in every measure during the refrain, and the high-pitched outro are other favorite compositional details of mine. If I had to complain about something, it might be that the drums could use a bit more creativity, and I also might’ve liked to see you vary the main melody the second time around at 1:22. That said, I really enjoy the sound design, production quality, melodies, and progression of this piece. Hard to go wrong with a track this upbeat and well-produced. Keep it up, VIVID91! ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Driving through memories]

I like the bass drone at the beginning. The synth at :01 is a bit cheesy, and could use some more atmosphere around it to help it blend in. The prominent drum rolls at :14 are really nice, but could use a bit of a boost in the mix, maybe with some more compression. The tranquil, bright-sounding section at :22 is also good, but could use some more bass tones to balance out the high-pitched synths.

Your melodies sound pretty jumpy and aimless at times - there are a lot of big jumps in pitch between notes, but at the same time there’s a lot of repetition in patterns that you’re using. During the entire last 2 minutes of the piece, the synth riff that first comes in at :39 serves as the lead melody - at some point, it might be a good idea to switch it up, either by having another instrument take the lead or by changing the note pattern that synth is playing in the first place.

The texture feels full and well-balanced during the bassy/climactic sections, and I appreciate how much effort you put into the drum patterns. That said, you really spam the crashes too much here, especially at 1:25. You have a good sense of rhythm, harmony, and progression, but some of the compositional/arrangement details of this piece could use some fleshing out. Still, the blissful mood and rich harmonies help keep me engaged here. Keep at it, VanillaSnope! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.25/10

VanillaSnope responds:

Wow! thanks for the helpful feedback! I've never received criticism like this before, so it helps a lot. I'm always learning and thanks to people like you I'm able to improve along the way. Thanks!

[Smooth Operator [demo]]

I like the rich atmosphere and soulful vocals at the beginning. The drum fill at :20 threw me off a bit at first, but I’m loving the gradual fade-in of the drums until :40 or so. The piece is a little slow to progress at first, but the sax solo at 1:01 really hits the spot. I would’ve liked to hear more of the sax in the mix, although the synth at 1:27 fills in nicely as a lead instrument. There are a lot of sudden transitions here, though, including back into the sax and vocal combo at 1:48. At times, the drums could use a boost in the mix too, especially towards the end. Overall, though, the production quality, sound design, and atmosphere are really strong here. The composition could use a bit more fleshing out, and the arrangement is a tad too choppy right now, but as a response to the author’s description here, yes, I want to hear a full-length version. Please PM me when you finish it. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[a journeys end]

I like the catchy synth riff at the beginning. You overuse the open hat a bit, and some of the synths sound pretty cheesy, like the one at :22. You could also do a better job of transitioning between the sections of the piece - there are a lot of times where you add or subtract instruments without warning. At :56, the mix seems a bit oversaturated with reverb, to the extent that the harmonies sound a bit muddy. I’d suggest dialing back the wetness there. The bridge with the walking bass at 1:19 is cool, is a tad minimal, and you transition well back into the more energetic section at 1:45. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm. The piece could flow a tad smoother, though, and the production quality could be sharper at times. Still, this is a catchy piece with a rich atmosphere and some cool individual riffs. Keep at it, toad-shroom! ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

toad-shroom responds:

Thanks for your input!