TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Barriers]

I like the cutesy riff at the beginning and the crisp drums at :12. The mix feels a bit strained starting at :12 - the bass doesn’t quite come through well, and by :25 even the lead is ducking under in favor of the drums and harmonies. Part of the problem might be that you need to filter out more of the bass tones and low-mids from the harmonic instruments using an equalizer. I’d also check to make sure that the drums are compressed enough to avoid clashing with some of the harmonic instruments later in the piece as the texture gets busier.

Still, the sound design and melodies here are awesome. Love the ballpark-style organ and the increasingly upbeat and energetic vibe until 1:35 or so. The melodies at the bridge at 1:39 are great, and I’m also glad you brought back the mallets at 1:50. The drums at 2:04 are especially nice, and overall you hit the piece home with the final melodic section at 2:17. Some more variation on the final melodies compared to the earlier refrains might’ve been nice, but that’s a pretty small detail.

To summarize, my main concern here is the mixing. The composition and sound design are fantastic, and with a little more tweaking this piece could make a fantastic loop for a video game soundtrack or something. Keep at it, ZaneLittle! ^_^

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

[Imperfecto]

I like the percussion at the beginning and the bass line. The funky synth at :20 is pretty cool too. At :40, there’s this really nice stringed instrument (maybe a harp?) that’s so far back in the mix, I can barely hear it, but I really want to! Maybe some more compression would help it shine in the mix more. The mix here in general is pretty quiet - a compressor on the master track might be advisable, actually.

I like the synth melody at :59 and the mini-breakdown at 1:38. The composition could use a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time, though. It seems like you switch up the texture every 8 bars or so, but within those 8 bars the piece doesn’t sound very dynamic. Filtering, automation, slight variations in the drum patterns, etc. can really help a piece sound more interesting, especially when the harmonic framework is the same throughout.

Still, you clearly have a good sense of rhythm, harmony, and progression, and I like the sound design a lot too. A sharper mix and some more “humanization” in the composition would really help take this piece to the next level. Love the Latin inspiration and memorable melodies here, though. Keep at it, Yayday4evr! ^_^

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
.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
7.5/10

[Blaze Of Beheaded Fungi]

I like the punchy drums at the beginning and the murky bass riff shortly thereafter. The synth pad at :16 blends into the texture nicely, and the texture really starts coming together at :38 or so. The guitar riff at :48 is really catchy, but the mix here could be a bit sharper. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture, and the guitar overwhelms the synth harmonies a bit. I like the solo at the breakdown at 1:20, but part of me feels like it could’ve been a bit bolder melodically. The injection of energy at 1:53 was a welcome change, but I’m not sure I like how quickly the piece oscillates between the bottom-heavy synth sections and the guitar solos. Maybe if the “true lead” was either vocals or a more powerful synth, that kind of formulaic arrangement would be okay, but since the guitar seems to be the main thing to pay attention to in the texture most of the time, it kinda just disrupts the flow of the piece IMO. Overall, the sound design is really cool, and I like the spacey atmosphere and rhythmic content. The composition could’ve been a tad bolder here, though, and the mix could use some tighter equalization and a little less reverb. The instrumentation is my favorite part of the piece, but I also really like the title (even though there’s no place for scoring titles on my rubric). Keep at it, xZiriusX! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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

[Utopia]

I like the dreamy synth arpeggios at the beginning. The lead at :21 is a bit quiet relative to the arpeggios, but the texture comes together well by the time the drums come in at :47. The drums sound a bit dry and flat - some more compression, reverb, and other mixing effects might help give them some punchiness - and also a bit generic. The bridge at 1:21 was nice, but I wanted to hear more of the low-mids in the mix.

I also think that the vast majority of this piece has a near-constant energy level, which is not the most conducive to keeping the listener engaged. At some point, a more dynamic melodic section or atmospheric breakdown or something would really help take this piece to the next level. Also, the very end of the piece gets cut off pretty abruptly. I’d suggest automating the wet reverb there and then letting it fade out over maybe 5-10 seconds - you don’t have to even add another note, but that would give the piece a nice sense of “fading back into the atmosphere.”

Still, I think my biggest problem with it is the somewhat off-balance mix. I’d like to hear a more prominent bass line - maybe you could free up some room in the mix by cutting a bit of reverb on the harmonies and dialing back the volume of the arpeggios once the leads come in? Either way, I did enjoy the atmosphere, upbeat mood, melodies, progression, and rhythmic content here. Keep at it, Xyrul23! ^_^

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

[sinky]

I like the cutesy synth riffs at the beginning and the crisp beats and quirky atmosphere at :15. The piece has a strong rhythmic appeal, but the arrangement feels a bit choppy and could use some smoother, legato elements to fill out the texture at some point. The distorted vocals and glitchy treble-range synths work very well. The mixing is strong, but if anything the drums could’ve been a tad louder, and some more reverb and echo/delay effects could’ve helped you give the piece a stronger sense of atmosphere. Overall, you nailed the sound design, mood, and rhythmic content here. I would’ve liked to see a bit more depth in the compositional details and narrative appeal in the progression. But otherwise, this is a really catchy and unique track. Keep at it, xxxZigZagxxx! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[disparate]

I like the filtering at the beginning. The lead synth is a bit dry, and could use some mixing effects to help fill out the atmosphere. The drums are pretty cool, although they also sound a bit undecorated in the mix, and the distortion on them kinda overwhelmed the lead riff. The harmonies are really good, especially that floaty melody at :28. The piece could use more of a fleshed-out composition, with a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time. Right now, you only really just started layering on some harmonies before the piece fades out with that dramatic filter/flanger thing at 1:04. Still, the sound design is flashy and the harmonic and rhythmic content are strong. Keep at it, Xetto! ^_^

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
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
7.5/10

[XCRIZ - Magic Walk]

I like the rich atmosphere and ominous mood at the beginning. The eerie synth at :13 is nice, and there’s a good sense of build-up into :41. The mix is a tad over-compressed for my tastes, and there’s also a lot of reverb in the texture which is pushing the volume levels up further. The rhythmic content here is great, though, and I like the vocal samples too. The ominous-sounding breakdown at 1:30 was good for some variety compared to the energetic breaks, although over the course of the piece you overuse the stop-start transitions a bit IMO. I like the lead at the bridge at 1:57 and the chopped vocals at 2:17. I would’ve liked to see you vary the second drop at 2:44 a bit compared to the first one, although the added “woops” at 3:00 help add interest. The arrangement and chord progression are a bit generic, but the sound design helps make up for that. The drums don’t always come through in the mix during the drops as much as I’d want them to, but otherwise the production quality holds up quite well. Overall, this is a really catchy piece with some killer sound design and a smooth flow.

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Shine Bright]

I like the bassy groove at the beginning. Really refreshing sound design throughout this piece, and the drums are nice and crisp in the mix, which is great to see. The melodies at :19 could use a serious boost, though - the bass and pads kinda overwhelm them right now. Otherwise, the piece could use a tad more structuring - a bit more ebb and flow over time to really sell the narrative aspect of the piece. I’d encourage you to keep working on this. You already have the instrumentation, atmosphere, and melodic content nailed. You could do a lot more with the composition, though. I want to hear those melodies take it to the dance floor at some point, not just hide in the back of the party by the punch bowl (or, to be more literal, I’d suggest using some more compression on them and push up the gain knob a bit). Still, you’ve already got a great sound brewing here. Keep at it, Xanaxo! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

xanxoepico responds:

Ayyyyy thank you very much for the detailed review! I'm still working on my composition aspects, trying to get better every time, hell this song in particular was a bit of a step forward compared to my previous stuff, but I still get too comfortable with repetition me thinks.


Also it's xanxo not xanaxo! XD

[чувства (feelings)]

I like the blissful synth pattern at the beginning. The clap at :08 sounds a bit dry, and could use some more reverb. The vocals at :13 are pretty far back in the mix, but by :23 I’m really feel their passion. The bass is a little loud relative to the lead synth at the refrain, but otherwise I have no complaints with the production. The rhythmic content is great throughout, and the effects on the vocals - distortion, chopped up at transitory moments, etc. - are really cool. I especially like the overlapping rhythmic patterns and distortion at 1:25. Overall, this piece is a bit short - I would love to see you flesh out the structure more - but also really enjoyable. I looked up a translation of the lyrics, too, and they seem pretty heavy and raw. Keep it up, Wushyx! ^_^

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

[Drogarati]

I like the airy synths at the beginning and the somewhat spidery-sounding lead. The choir at :28 was a good idea, but I think there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture there, as many of the instruments sound a bit indistinct in the mix. The drop at :50 was a bit minimal and bottom-heavy, but certainly still has some creative sound design, including the vocals. The return of the melody at 1:46 is really nice - that section has some great overlapping rhythmic patterns, and I love the idea of slowing down the pace of the stereo clicks and bass at 2:08 before the choir comes back in. The breaks at 2:20 sound really creative too, albeit a bit harsh in the mix at times. Later on in the piece, I wish you had switched up some of the main harmonies for some variety, although when you start playing the main riff up the octave at 3:16, it helps scratch that itch to some extent. Overall, this is a really catchy and creative piece. I would’ve liked to hear a fuller texture with some more dynamic harmonic content, and the mix could be sharper at times, but the sound design, atmosphere, progression, melodies, and rhythmic content are all great. Keep at it, WontonSauce! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
7.75/10