TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Challenged By The Captain]

I like the bubbly synths and blissful mood at the beginning. I might’ve liked to see a bit more of a hierarchy in the texture, though - it seems like the harmonies are as loud as, if not louder than, the melodies here. Also, the drums could’ve been a tad stronger in the mix, perhaps with some more compression. The melodies themselves are really enjoyable, and I also enjoy the flow of the piece. That said, there’s more you could’ve done to create an overarching sense of dynamism here. Right now, the energy levels are nearly constant throughout the piece - at some point, stripping away the beat or having a synth phrase that was softer in volume might’ve helped create some variety. Still, you’ve put together a catchy and compelling track here, Interloping! Keep it up! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Interloping responds:

Thank you so much, I am still learning how to use FL Studio, so a lot of the mixing and compressing qualities are a tad out of my reach at the moment. I will continue to experiment with features and hopefully place a higher ranking in the future

[You're finally free]

I like the dreamy pads at the beginning and the rainstorm sound effects. The piano riff at :23 has a great emotional appeal, as does the choir pad throughout the intro. At :44, the frantic beat and graceful melodies contrast really nicely. The transition at 1:29 was a bit sudden, but I’m digging the dynamic contrast between the refrain and breakdown. The brighter tone the piece has at 1:50ish is a nice touch, and I appreciate you shaking up the harmonic framework during the middle of the piece like that. That’s an advanced compositional skill to have. By 2:15, the mood of the piece is decidedly triumphant again, although the lead synth there was a bit cheesy IMO. During the busier sections of the piece, the drums struggle to pop through the mix a bit, but otherwise the production quality holds up well. Overall, this piece is really strong - great sound design, with a balance of synthetic and orchestral influences, a solid composition with some memorable melodies, and a loud and crisp mix. Keep it up, IndexatioN! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Spiral Fracture (feat. jon)]

The vocal samples at the beginning are really neat. It’s hard to discern the rhythm of them in a way, but they set the mood well. The kind of frantic pace of them set up my expectations for something a bit more uptempo once the instrumental tracks came in, but the rhodes and piano lines sound strangely melancholy and heavy by comparison. The production quality is really good - I love the crisp, acoustic drum kit and the well-balanced, full texture. The distorted synth lines at 1:27 help inject some life into the piece, but the transition at 2:02 is rather sudden. The return of the vocals during the re-intro is a good idea, but I would’ve liked to see you do more with the composition during the second half. There were some added glitches and mixing effects, but the harmonic content feels a bit stagnant. Overall, I really like the sound design, mood, and atmosphere here, and the mixing is really good. The composition feels a tad bland by comparison, though, and more variety in the harmonic framework or instrumental hierarchy may have helped. Still, really evocative work with the experimental texture and mixing effects. Keep at it, I-C! ^_^

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

[Heimarmene]

I like the apprehensive tone at the beginning and the eerie drone that kinda sounds like a slowed-down version of a race car passing by. I like the subtle build-up into :48 and the subsequent downtempo section. The mix is pretty clean here, but also a bit quiet, and at times I wanted the drums to be more up-front, especially at around 1:10. That said, by the 2-minute mark, the drums are indeed punchier, and the gradual swell of intensity through 2:24 was really smoothly done. The rhythm of the melodies sounds a bit square at times, although the drums did a good job of providing some syncopations. I thought the choir at 3:33 was a bold compositional choice. The choir kinda hijacks the mix there, and it becomes very hard to hear the drums while it is playing. Maybe it’s worth scaling back the reverb there. I appreciate the choir as a way of adding some closure and “point of arrival” to the piece during its final climax, but I think it felt a tad forced given the otherwise very gradual ebb and flow that the piece had. Still, you’ve clearly displayed your knack for cinematic tapestries of sound, with crisp string riffs and a strong emotional appeal. Keep at it, IglicaV! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Guardian]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the medieval-sounding string melodies shortly thereafter. The generous use of reverb and the minimal beat here fit the character of the piece quite well, and the dynamic bass riff at 1:00 is a nice touch. The production quality is really strong here, with a clean and well-balanced mix. The little breakdown at 1:48 is another nice touch, although the shift in tone and instrumentation at 2:12 was a bit sudden. The texture is pretty minimal throughout the first half of the piece, although I really like when you start balancing the heavy, electronic elements with the melodic, orchestral ones at 3:00. By 3:24, the piece has a very triumphant tone about it, but you transitioned seamlessly to the eerie bells and vocals at 3:36.

The extended vocal sections at 4:12 definitely added to the sense of narrative, but also dragged on for a bit long and disrupted the flow of the piece IMO. You transitioned well into the energetic section at 5:00, although it was a tad difficult to follow the rhythm there at times. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the brief pauses in the atmosphere at transitory moments, like at 5:41. In fact, towards the end the entire composition feels a bit disjointed, despite the killer sound design and rich textures. I especially like the brass solo at 6:55 and how it dovetails nicely with the synth melody shortly before 7:15. I also liked how you brought the piece full-circle with the string melodies at the end, but I was also looking for something a tad more creative than a fade-out to serve as the ultimate conclusion of this epic battle.

Overall, I think you tried to do a tad too much with the composition here, and at times you could’ve done more to help the gritty electronic elements and graceful orchestral ones blend together more. That said, the production quality is top-notch, and the cinematic quality and variety in the sound design is great. I can tell you put your heart and soul into this track. Keep it up, iamwontolla! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Poprocket]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning and the triumphant-sounding lead at :32. Aspects of the sound design and chord progression are a bit generic, but the atmosphere here is engrossing, and your cadre of melodies really helps me stay invested in the piece. I like the more minimal breakdown at 2:10, and the warm pads and heavily reverberated synths during the next 30 seconds. I think my favorite aspect of the piece was the mixing - the instruments are just crystal clear, loud, and well-balanced throughout the track. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be that the piece never quite returns to the energy level it had during the first minute or two - I think that was a bit of a missed opportunity. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this track - it’s full of memorable, dynamic melodies, energetic beats, cutesy instrumentation, and a rich and soothing atmosphere. Keep it up, Hypervolt! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Hypervolt responds:

Thanks for the feedback and kind words! Looking forward to keeping it up ;)

[She Rained Down]

I like the jazzy piano chords at the beginning and the acoustic kick drum. The rhythmic syncopations at :26 are great, as are the percussive instruments and the atmosphere. The vocals are nice and soothing, but could also use a boost in the mix and a bit of “decoration” - reverb, echo/delay effects, etc. The drums also get a tad buried in the mix at times, especially during the busier sections.

That said, the lyrics themselves are really haunting, and I absolutely love the solos at 1:34. The second refrain was great, especially with the chromatic progression at 2:45, and overall you hit this piece home really well. The production quality is easily my biggest concern here. The composition, sound design, and atmosphere are all fantastic. Keep it up, Glassedhouse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
8.75/10

[Asteroid]

I like the dreamy synth riff and string pads at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress at first, but the crisp drums and added harmonies at around :40 are really nice. The oscillating pad that fades in at :38 sounds a bit too loud, and the way it was panned at :51 was a bit jarring tbh. The texture comes together well by 1:08, but the descending line the lead is playing still doesn’t seem very melodic or dynamic. I like the fat, grouchy synth bass and a lot of the other sound design elements. I also like the added harmonies during the second refrain at 2:35.

Overall, this piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, with solid production quality and a killer atmosphere. Some of the compositional details could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, but honestly my biggest problem here is probably the extreme panning on that one pad - it’s just very distracting and unpleasant. Stereo widening is probably a better way of having an instrument like that blend in with the rest of the texture more - that’ll simultaneously pan the pads to both sides so that they sound more well-balanced. Otherwise, this is a catchy piece with a nice, soothing atmosphere. Keep at it, GlaceonDash! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
7.5/10

GlaceonDash responds:

This was made during a period when I discovered panning existed, so yeah!

I'll try my hardest the next time I make something similar, hopefully avoiding it sounding too harsh

[Sonic speed]

I like the bouncy beat at the beginning. The synths are a bit cheesy, though, and the mix sounds seriously distorted here. Notice how the drums sound a lot quieter at :32 than they did during the first 20 seconds? 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 adding a compressor to the drums, and then using an equalizer to filter out the bass tones (less than 200 Hertz or so) in the harmonic instruments (i.e., everything besides the bass and kick). I’m sure you can look up “how to use a compressor” or “how to use an equalizer” and then add the name of your DAW to help you navigate the technicalities of mixing in your specific program. You also might already be familiar with these mixing tools - you should use them way more often, is the point.

Production aside, I like the frantic arpeggios at :32, but I think the additional layering at :43 is a bit too much. I’m also enjoying the melodies at :53, although the transition at 1:15 came on a bit suddenly. After the breakdown at 1:15, the piece got pretty repetitive, and also has a pretty generic chord progression and arrangement. Overall, I think you have a good sense of rhythm, song structure, and harmony, but the composition needed more variety here and the mix could’ve been a lot tighter. Still, I enjoyed the house-inspired outro and the final build-up at 3:26. Keep at it, GEYXOR! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
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

GEYXOR responds:

tysm ill try to get better :D

[Miss You]

I like the gritty pads at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit strange, but I like the arpeggios and hip-hop inspired beats at :15. The bass and lo-fi kick at :30 are also nice sound design elements. The transition at :58 was really cool, but also didn’t really lead much of anywhere, since the harmonic content of this piece is rather repetitive after a while. The production quality and instrumentation are both definitely highlights for me, but the arrangement feels a tad disjointed after a while with all the stop-start transitions, and the composition feels pretty stagnant and directionless. Overall, I can tell you’re a talented producer, but I wanted to see more ebb and flow in the composition over time - dynamic melodies, or an atmospheric breakdown/bridge, or at least a key change or something. I’d encourage you to keep working on this track, though - it has a lot of potential. Keep at it, Geewd! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10