TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[FANTASMA [NGADM 2023 Top 100]]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning and the orchestral sound design, between the string drone and church bells. There’s a good sense of build into :52, and once again into 1:07. The gritty synths during the drop don’t necessarily blend in well with the rest of the piece’s sound design in my opinion, especially the mid-range bass at 1:07. I like how you added back the string line at 1:40, but I would’ve liked to see it be a bit more prominent in the mix. The arrangement of this piece is a bit generic, but I enjoyed the eerie riff at 2:08 and the second build-up nonetheless. I would’ve liked to hear more variety in the drop the second time around, especially compared to the first one. That said, I really like the emotional appeal of the outro. Overall, great job with the mixing and mastering, well-balanced texture, and atmosphere/mood of this piece. Some of the compositional details of this piece could use a bit more massaging, but most of my complaints here are small details. Keep at it, D4W1LL13! Good luck with your album. :)

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
.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
7.75/10

D4W1LL13 responds:

Thanks so much for listening! I gave my best efforts with this one, and strongly believed in its ability to compete in the audio deathmatch. It is extremely encouraging to see feedback from you and many others.

[POV: ohio]

I like the glitchy synth riff at the beginning and the echo-y mallets and sub-bass at :09. The snare sample at :18 isn’t my favorite - it sounds a bit thin and high-pitched. I like the cutesy melodies at :28, but occasionally you tried to do a bit too much with the rhythmic syncopations. I also think the texture sounded a tad too busy at :47. At some point, it would’ve been nice to strip away the beat and take the piece in a different direction (more melodic, or more atmospheric, etc.), just for some variety. After the first minute and a half or so, the piece is very repetitive, and also doesn’t have a lot of truly dynamic melodic content. The arrangement seems a bit formulaic and stale, despite the neat sound design and energetic beats keeping me engaged. Overall, I think the compositional details could’ve been more fleshed out here, and aspects of the harmonic framework are a bit generic, but the production quality, sound design, and a lot of the individual riffs are really enjoyable. Keep at it, Cyllum! ^_^

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

[APSM (NGADM)]

I like the glitchy and ominous riffs at the beginning. The sound design and production are both awesome, and you nailed the rich atmosphere and moodiness too. At :46 or so, the piece loses a bit of momentum, and after a while I would’ve liked the piece to stay grounded in some more stable harmonic content. The melancholy breakdown at 1:40 is nice, and I really like the addition of the piano and the wavering synth pads at around 2:05. The filtering/volume adjustments on the pads at around 2:35 are a bit disorienting, but I like how the piece sinks back into a mellow atmosphere before the final drop at 3:23. That said, there are also a lot of moments in this piece where the texture is fairly minimal, and I might’ve liked to see either some more melodic content or otherwise a thicker soundscape. Still, the mixing, mastering, and instrumentation are killer here. Really evocative piece, CrowdDoll! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

CrowdDoll responds:

Thank you so so much for your review. I really tried to go a little more Experimental for this piece because I want to explore the more crazy part of my music and extend the bounds of what I can do. But thank you for your honest feedback, I'll use it to improve my Round 1 track ( ╹▽╹ )

[Dancing On Our Graves]

I love the brass at the beginning and the strummed guitar. The injection of energy at :19 is a welcome addition to the texture, and I like the vocals at :31 too. The lyrics themselves are also really good. The drums get a little buried in the mix during the busier sections, but otherwise the production quality is solid. I especially like the growly vocals at 1:48, and you also kept the verses interesting with content like the scream at 2:26. The tremolo’d solo at 3:04 is really nice, although I might’ve liked to see some more variety in the refrain during the last time around at 3:27. Still, the energy level, sound design, mixing and mastering, and melodic content here are all fantastic. You nailed the Mexican-inspired instrumentation and rhythmic content too. Keep it up, CrossCarrasco! ^_^

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

[Finding]

I like the big swell at the beginning and the crisp string riffs shortly thereafter. The meter is a little hard for me to pin down at first (it almost sounds like the emphasis is constantly changing), but it stabilizes itself by :40 or so. The sound design here is fantastic. I might’ve liked the percussion to play a more prominent role in the mix, just to add some punch to the relatively smooth string and piano riffs. That said, the piece goes in a very different direction with the tranquil bridge at 1:25, which nicely breaks up the otherwise fast-paced structure. The bouncy string and piano riffs return at 2:07, but I’m not sure the piece ever returns to the level of uncontainable passion and triumph that I felt towards the beginning. That said, you’ve done a lot of creative work here with the rhythm, progression, and harmonies, all while doubling down on your typically killer sound design. Keep it up, Cresince! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[Insomnia Addict]

I like the mumbly vocals and the crisp drums. The guitars sound a bit overly contained in the mix, though, almost like you filtered out a lot of the mid-tones of it. Your voice is a nice rich baritone with soulful undertones. I also like the comedic aspect of the last 30 seconds, although it might’ve been even more effective if you had made the piece come full-circle with an additional refrain that integrated aspects of both the classic country and “sleepy punk” parts. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the composition, sound design, melodies, and production here. Keep it up, Crammish! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[AIM - Pick it up - Corrupt Module]

I like the shimmering pads at the beginning. The high-pitched, spacey synth at :12 comes in a bit suddenly, and there’s a bit of dissonance in the texture by around :30. The ominous atmosphere here is great, as is the production quality - really crisp and clear mix throughout. Some of the transitions are a bit rough, notably 1:20 and 3:06. The distortion at 1:40 is a bit harsh-sounding, but that section leads nicely into the bass-y bridge at 2:08, where your excellent sense of rhythm is on full display. The arrangement of this piece is a bit disjointed, and the extended silence at 3:10 or so really threw me off of the flow. The outro has pretty haunting, but also sounded a tad unpolished and ended rather suddenly. Honestly, I feel very conflicted about this piece overall. The sound design and mastering are fantastic, but the structuring could use some smoothing over, and aspects of the texture are very experimental. At the very least, kudos on executing an ambitious composition with a cinematic flair that clearly complements the art it’s inspired by very well. Keep at it, CorruptModule! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
8/10

[Chrome Coast]

I like the frantic arpeggios and bright-sounding lead at the beginning. The drums are a bit weak in the mix, though. Some more compression might help them “pop” more. The sound design itself is good - plenty of cutesy melody instruments and smooth pads.

The piece could use a tad more structuring, though. I know it’s intended for use in a video game, but the progression is basically a series of meandering melodies one after another, and after a while they blend together in my mind. None of them feel like they’re contributing to an overarching narrative or informing each other. Part of the problem may be that some of them have a lot of excess ornamentation. A good example is the part between 3:48 and 3:54 - you could achieve the same progression with way fewer notes, which would in turn help orient the listener to the direction you’re going in (i.e., the more low-register melody that follows it) a lot better.

Aside from the melodies, I can tell that the piece loops well, and I commend you for having a full, well-balanced texture throughout. Like I said earlier, I really like the sound design here. For a stand-alone piece, I just expected the melodic phrases to be a bit more broken-up and interspersed with verses/breakdowns/atmospheric sections. Still, you’ve put together a catchy and fun piece here, CommanderJersey! Keep it up! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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

CommanderJersey responds:

Thank you for such an in depth review! I'll definitely look more closely at the structure and clarity/direction of my melodies going forward.

[Dusk]

I like the dreamy pads at the beginning. The drums sound a little generic, but a bigger problem here is the mixing. The pads at :36 are way too loud, and also distort the drums a lot. Notice how the drums sound a lot quieter at :36 than they did before those pads came in? 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’m sure you can look up “how to use a compressor in LMMS” or “how to use an equalizer in LMMS” to help you navigate the technicalities of your DAW. You also might already be familiar with these mixing tools - you should use them way more often, is the point.

Production aside, I’m enjoying the re-introduction of the dreamy pads at 1:05 and the airy melodies at 1:10. The chord progression is a bit generic, and at some point I might’ve liked to see you shake up the harmonic framework here. Most of the variety in the piece comes from switching out the instruments over time, rather than the note patterns themselves. The result is that the piece sounds very repetitive after a while, and some of the instruments also sound rather unpolished, like the lead at 1:40. I like the arpeggios at 2:02 and the synth bass at 2:16, though.

Sorry if this isn’t a very positive review, but the production quality could be a lot tighter and the composition is a bit bland and repetitive. Overall, my favorite element of the piece is probably the rich atmosphere and upbeat mood. Switching out a few of the cheesier synths might help you double down on the dreamy quality of the piece, too. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece, though. It certainly has potential, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression. When you feel like you’ve implemented some of my feedback, feel free to PM me, and I’ll give you another review. Keep at it, Colin8tor! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6/10

Colin8tor responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback. I found it helpful and really appreciate it.