TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[DIXLOX-Necrotic heart]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, but I like the gritty bass line that starts fading in at around :32. The drums could’ve been a tad punchier in the mix, and that main snare at :45 sounds pretty thin. The transition at 1:06 was pretty abrupt - I might’ve at least cranked the reverb there and let it fade out for a second or two. There are some cool mixing effects, like the pitch-bending at 1:44 and the rhythmic variations later on, but otherwise I think this piece could use a lot more variety and harmonic depth. You re-introduce the eerie vocal section at 2:00, but at this point it doesn’t seem well-integrated into the overall flavor of the piece. You also start overusing the glissando/pitch-bending thing start at around 3:00, and then the 20+ seconds of “heart beating” during the outro was a bit excessive. Still, you have some great rhythmic content and sound design here, and overall the mix holds up pretty well. My main issue with the piece is the fairly bland and repetitive composition. Still, I think the piece has a lot of potential, and I hope you’ll keep working on it. Keep at it, DIXLOX! ^_^

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
.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
6.75/10

[dekiru - star seeker]

The sweep at the beginning is pretty cool, and I really like the atmosphere at :04. The distorted bass is not really to my liking, though - it just doesn’t jive well with the spacey sense of wonder in the rest of the texture. I also think the mix becomes a bit strained once the texture gets busier, as it’s hard to make out the piano and the other atmospheric instruments after a while. The mellow string section at 1:18 is nice, and I like the crisp beats at 1:36 too. I wanted the piano line at 1:57 to be a bit more prominent in the mix - maybe less wet reverb and more dry reverb? The transition at 2:31 is a bit abrupt, and you already know how I feel about the bass, but the atmosphere around it is really nice there. The frantic synth at 3:46 sounds cool, but also completely hijacks the mix and probably needs to leave more room for the other instruments (especially the bass). The key change at 4:40 was also pretty abrupt, but I think the overlapping string and piano riffs at the outro were really nice.

Overall, there are a lot of good ideas in here, but not much “integration” of the ideas with each other across sections, leaving it a bit jarring to listen to sometimes. Smoother transitions will certainly help, but you also might have to consolidate your ideas a bit more and think more carefully about how to interweave them, including transposing keys and overlapping harmonies. I know this piece is long enough as it is, but some more gradual transitions between the gritty bass and orchestral/atmospheric elements would likely be advisable. You could also try more cross-fading or melodic transitions, as opposed to simply introducing new instruments right on the downbeat.

Still, there’s a lot to like between the rich atmosphere, string and piano melodies, and catchy rhythmic content here. Keep at it, Dekiru! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Magnet]

I like the piano line and crisp drums at the beginning. The drop at :06 is pretty catchy, although the synths are a bit cheesy and unpolished-sounding. I also think it would’ve been nice to flesh out the intro and build-up of the piece a bit more. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture that seems to be distorting the mix, and part of the problem might be that you need to eliminate some of the low frequencies (<200 Hertz or so) in everything besides the bass and drums. The rhythmic content is really nice here, and I think the string pads at 1:53 help offer some variety later on in the piece - much more mellow and pensive tone than earlier. The final drop at 2:37 could’ve been a bit more distinct than the first two, though - that would’ve really helped give the piece a stronger sense of development and narrative. I’ll also say that, overall, the sound design and arrangement of the piece sound pretty generic. Still, you put together a catchy, engaging, and full-textured track here, Deforklift. Clean up the mix a bit and create a bit more ebb and flow in the composition, and this would be a top-notch track. Keep at it! ^_^

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

[Dang]

I like the bell-like synth at the beginning. Some of the harmonies sound a bit dissonant, notably at :06, and a lot of the instruments are pretty cheesy and unpolished. Sometimes it’s good to modify presets to fit the piece you’re making better. Also, I find it a bit jarring how quickly you switch out different instruments, which in turn only stick around for 10-15 seconds or so. I’d suggest consolidating some of your instrumental choices, and also maybe using some more prominent drums or something to smooth over the transitions between different sections of the piece. Seriously, sweeps and crashes can go a long way towards making abrupt transitions seem less abrupt. In general, the drums should probably be louder anyway - it’s hard to hear them for most of the piece.

Still, I like a lot of the individual riffs and ideas here. The soaring arpeggio at 1:04 is probably my favorite. You clearly have a good sense of rhythm and harmony, but the corny sound design and disjointed arrangement of the piece don’t do you any favors here. It might help to slow the pacing down a bit - this piece is pretty short right now, after all - and focus on crafting gradual transitions and giving your instruments some more flavor and depth. A little reverb might help towards that latter goal, but you may also need some different samples that are less cliche. I’d suggest PM’ing @LD-W and joining the NG Audio Pub on Discord. The Resources tab there is full of great sample libraries and tips on where to find more.

Anyway, hope you found this review helpful. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece, too - it’s catchy and has a lot of whimsy about it. Keep at it, deepfriedfiend! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.5/10

[Panic]

I like the muffled beat at the beginning. I might’ve liked to see a smoother transition at :05, but I love the full texture and soaring synth lines there. The prominent pads at :22 are also nice, and overall the progression is rather smooth and fast-paced here. The drums get a little lost in the mix once the texture gets busier, although I like how you offer some variety with the spacey breakdown at 1:33. The bass takes up a bit too much space in the mix, and at times the reverb on the harmonies is a bit heavy considering it’s so hard to hear the drums. The composition is fantastic, though - lots of variety among the harmonic instruments, catchy and dynamic synth lines, and neat sound design to boot. Clean up the mixing a bit and smooth over a couple of transitions, and this piece would be top-notch. Keep at it, Deathincan! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[The Backrooms]

I like the foreboding mood at the beginning and the hip-hop-inspired drum kit at :13. The mid-range bass at :28 sounds pretty harsh in the mix, although the atmosphere around it helps fill out the texture. The harmonic content here could use a lot more depth and variety. You have a great sense of rhythm and progression, but the volume levels need to be reined in a bit, and I think this piece would benefit from a more dynamic composition. Clearly, you’re a talented producer, though. The sound design and atmosphere of this piece are just haunting. Keep at it, DARKMAJIK! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.5/10

[CYANEKO WORLD]

I like the busy beat and prominent pads at the beginning. The reversion to the minimal atmosphere at :23 threw me off a bit, but I like the rich texture and cutesy synths at :30. I wish that section at :30 was a bit more dynamic, though, and there’s another really abrupt transition at 1:17, with the jazzy chord at 1:23 and ringing sound at 1:25 serving more to confuse me about the direction you’re going in here rather than help me get there. The mellow section at 1:26 was nice, although there’s another abrupt transition at 1:57, and that distorted bass doesn’t do too much for me. I would knock it back in the mix substantially if you wanted to keep it. Other moments with rough transitions include 2:27, 2:56, and 4:39. The spacey breakdown at 2:57 is good for some variety, but also doesn’t seem like it relates back to the earlier content in the piece very well. The drum work during the last couple of minutes is impressive here, but the harmonic content feels pretty repetitive and stagnant. The atmospheric outro during the last 30 seconds is nice too.

Overall, my favorite part of the piece is the production quality. Everything sounds really crisp and clear in the mix throughout. The biggest problem I have with it is the disjointed arrangement and the lack of cohesion in the structure. I think you need to consolidate some of your ideas and work on transitioning gradually between each section. Stop-start transitions should be used sparingly, and it’s rarely a good idea to introduce new harmonic elements during the transition that are not going to stay with the piece after the transition (example: 1:17 - 1:26). Integrating and overlapping the melodic section at :30, the jazzy downtempo one at 1:26, the rich pads and subsequent beats at 3:04, and the spacey outro at 4:40 will not be easy, but it’s generally better to make your piece have a coherent harmonic structure rather than have it sound like 4 different tracks playing in succession. Having some core repeated riffs that span the entire piece will help with that coherence. But don’t truly integrating these different riffs into a progression that sounds smooth will be tough, which is why I suggest only using 2-3 of the 4 “song seeds” here, at most. Also, I’d strongly encourage you to remove the “thanks for playing” sample at 5:00 - I highly doubt you have the licensing rights to use it.

Still, overall this piece is catchy, well-produced, and has some great sound design to boot. Keep at it, Cyaneko! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

cyaneko responds:

ah thank you for the feedback ^_^, everything sounding crisp is one of my main priorites with the overall mix

[Swingstep]

I like the punchy bass and crisp beats at the beginning. The squeaky-sounding rhythmic riff in the background is a little harsh in the treble range, and I might’ve liked the drums to have a bit more presence in the mix with some reverb or something. That said, the melodies at :19 are nice, and the minimal groove at :38 was a nice way of providing some variety. The bridge at :57 was also pretty cool, although I would’ve liked to hear a second climactic section towards the end to tie the piece together a bit more. The sound design is top-notch here, though, and the thick texture and solid mixing are highlights as well. Strong work, CommanderFrost! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[Enigma]

I like the airy pads at the beginning. The saxophone at :06 sounds pretty inauthentic, to the point you might be better off replacing it with a synth that’s not trying to mimic an acoustic instrument. The melodies at :25 are pretty cool, but I would’ve liked the drums to be a bit more prominent in the mix there. I’d look into adding some compression across the board, and some reverb to the snare in particular. There are also some pretty abrupt transitions here, like at :44 and 1:36. I like the gritty bass at 1:10 with the haunting string line in the stratosphere. After a while, the piece gets pretty repetitive, though, and I’d recommend switching up the main riff when it comes back at 1:36 in particular. Still, this is a catchy and cute piece. Some of the sound design is a bit cheesy, and the mix could be a lot punchier, but I enjoyed the melodies, rhythmic content, and somewhat foreboding mood. Keep at it, Colin8tor! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
6.75/10

[Rooftop Adventures]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. The thin-sounding harmony line that comes in at :10 is just a little too loud. I might’ve taken it back a couple of notches with a filtering automation, and then added back some wet reverb for atmosphere. The melodies at :30 are great, although some of the transitions here are a little abrupt, like at :49. Some more prominent drums might’ve helped smooth them over - a short fill/break before the transition and then a simple crash would suffice. Also, I know this piece is really short, but I might’ve liked to hear the second refrain at 1:09 be more distinct from the first one, just for some overarching sense of development. Still, the sound design, production quality, rhythmic content, and melodies are all strong here. Keep at it, CheesyChan! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10