TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[All I Want]

I like the pulsating beats and chopped vocals at the beginning. The vocal samples at :15 are really smooth and well-blended into the rest of the texture, and the drop at :31 is super catchy too. The production quality here is truly impressive, and the chopped-up post-chorus at :48 has a nice punch to it. You might begin overusing the chopped-up vocals at 1:02, but having a more mellow breakdown section at 1:18 was a good idea. Some elements of the arrangement and harmonic framework are a bit generic here, but I’m glad you shook up the drop the second time around at 1:48. The house-inspired outro at 2:20 was a nice idea too, especially with the added percussion. Overall, this is a well-produced track with some flashy synths, catchy beats, and a good use of vocal samples. Keep it up, CHPSK8! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

CHPSK8 responds:

so surprised i made it! considering all of the other incredibly talented artists that I was up against.

[Sprint (loopable)]

I like the catchy synth riffs at the beginning and the crisp beats. The synth arpeggios and 90s-style orchestral hits on the downbeats are also nice additions to the texture. The piece starts getting a tad repetitive after a while, and the chord progression is pretty generic. That said, the sound design and production quality are both really solid. I might’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies at some point, but you still won me over with the full texture, well-balanced harmonies, and flashy synths. The smooth loop is a nice touch, too (I can tell it’s smooth even though you can’t really loop it smoothly on the Newgrounds player). Keep it up, ChordsInMotion! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Clashing Palletes]

The stringed instrument at the beginning is pretty catchy, and the staticky white noise at :07 is cool, even if the attack was a little strong on the latter. At :14, the harmonies work well, but the mix sounds a bit strained. I think there might be a bit too much reverb in the texture, and I’d also suggest looking into adding a compressor on the drums, if that’s an option in Jummbox. The string melodies at :58 are really nice, and the synth riff at 1:12 is really catchy as well. The whole call-and-response structure you have during the middle section of the piece is really fun and engaging. That said, I also enjoyed when you slowed down the pacing at 1:40 and got back to the more melodic content. The arrangement of this piece comes off as a tad disjointed at times, as there are a lot of different sections that play in quick succession. I think the one at 2:25 was a good one to end on, though - it’s energetic and climactic, and complements the outro at 2:39 well. Some of the sound design elements are a bit cheesy, including the sweeps and the (relatively inauthentic) stringed instruments.

I think the biggest problem with the piece is that the texture sounds a bit muddy. An important way I can tell that the mix is not as clean as it could be is that the drums are very hard to hear during the busier sections. There are a lot of ways to go about fixing this, but the most important is probably using what’s called an equalizer, or EQ. You might know this already, but if so I think you need to use them way more often. Basically, every single instrument in your song should use an EQ to filter out all the frequencies below around 200 Hertz, except for the bass and kick drum. You should also try to select and manipulate your instruments so that there aren’t more than 2-3 playing in the same frequency range at a given time, and the visualizer on your EQ is a good way of identifying which instruments are in which frequency ranges. Other mixing techniques you might employ to make the sound quality sharper include panning, compression (especially on the drums), and more advanced techniques like stereo widening.

I’m going over this in detail here because, frankly, I think that this track could be a top-notch piece in this competition if you had paid more attention to the mixing here. Mixing is probably the most technical of the skill sets you need to make electronic music well, but you clearly already have the other ones down. You have a great sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression already. Let me know if you have more questions about mixing. Again, I might not be able to answer Jummbox-specific questions, but you should be able to find YouTube tutorials about how to mix in Jummbox, or more specific things like how to add a compressor to your drums in Jummbox, etc. Best of luck! Keep at it, ButterBees. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

ButterBees responds:

...thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. Ever since the start of the pandemic and even a little before, I've been trying my absolute hardest to learn all of this myself and to see that the only thing I'm really missing from my music is a better understanding of mixing (something I've never really delved into yet, but definitely will now), it's inspired confidence in me like never before.

This is the best feedback I've ever received from anyone, and it tells me that not only can I reasonably fix and improve my songs from the past, but I can further improve my own style going into the future. I'll look into tutorial videos and try experimenting to my fullest with this knowledge in tow.

I am overwhelmed with emotion right now. You don't know how much this means to me.

Thank you for holding this contest and for inspiring a guy like me to keep my head held high.

[~ DISABLEDspace vol. 1 ~ // 02 LATE NIGHT CITY ZONE ACT 2 //]

I like the eerie atmosphere and vocal samples at the beginning. Ditto for the crisp beats, brass stabs, and synth pads at :20. The mallets at :55 are really ominous, and you begin to overuse them a tad before the echo-y piano comes in at 1:30ish. The texture could’ve used a tad more variety overall - for example, a section where you stripped away the beat entirely and went in a different direction (more atmospheric, or a melodic solo, etc.), at least briefly. That said, I love the sound design and mood of the piece, and the production quality is solid as well. Keep it up, BottomKek! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Another Day of Endless Pain]

I like the catchy synth riffs and the minimal percussion at the beginning. The synths themselves sound a tad cheesy and generic, but the melody synth at :29 is also pretty quirky and fun. The first melodic section does drag on for a bit too long with only minimal changes to the harmonies, but I like the extra percussion line at 2:10. The breakdown/re-intro at 2:12 was a good idea, as was slowing the pacing of the chord progression down at 2:41. Other than that, the piece gets a bit repetitive and predictable after a while. After 3:10 or so, I felt like I had heard all there was to hear, tbh. There was that section with the faster bassline at 4:09, but it might’ve been nice to switch up the harmonic framework/chord progression entirely at some point. I also might’ve liked to hear a less abrupt ending here, perhaps with a fuller outro. In terms of mixing, your drums could’ve been a bit punchier - I’d look into adding some compression on them. Still, this piece is catchy, well-structured, and has some really nice melodies. Keep at it, BigBlueBazooka! You earned a scout. ^_^

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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

BigBlueBazooka responds:

Thanks for the feedback. I will take onboard what you said.
and thanks for scouting me.

[Worlds Between]

I like the quirky synth arpeggios at the beginning and the heavier guitar riff that comes in shortly thereafter. This piece has nice, crisp drums and a loud, well-balanced mix. The transition into the more tranquil section at :33 was a bit abrupt, but I loved the solos at 1:05. The gritty, rhythmic bridge at 1:46 came on a tad suddenly, but I love the jumpy solo at 2:20 and the brief, jangly section at 3:00. I like how you brought the synth arpeggios back at 3:20 - truly a full-circle piece. The ending was pretty abrupt, though. In fact, the biggest complaint I have here is that elements of the arrangements are pretty disjointed. Otherwise, though, you’ve made a catchy, expressive, and well-mastered piece that’s full of variety (and killer solos!). Rock on, BOE! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
9.25/10

BeyondOurEyes responds:

Thank you for the amazing score and constructive feedback, greatly appreciated! <3

[Far Beyond]

I like the suspenseful mood at the beginning and crisp string riff at :15. Once the drums come in, the compression is a bit heavy for my tastes, and I think the sidechaining distorts the string lines more than is necessary. The breaks at 1:14 were really catchy and intense, but that section also seemed a bit too dragged-out. Adding the vocals during the bridge was a great idea, but the processing on them was a bit heavy compared to the orchestral flair of the rest of the piece. The lyrics themselves are also enjoyable, though, and I liked the build-up into 3:00. I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety in the drop the second time around compared to the first, but it was still an effective way of hitting the piece home. Overall, I commend you for the clean mix, progression, sound design, and atmosphere of this one. Some aspects of the piece seemed a bit over-produced, and aspects the arrangement were a bit generic, but otherwise you’ve made a dramatic, catchy, and compelling track here, Benji. Keep it up! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

Benji-G responds:

Hey thank you TaintedLogic! I greatly appreciate the effort you make to give us such detailed reviews, they're incredibly helpful.

[Unsichtbar]

I like the echo-y bass growl that plays every 2 measures during the first minute. The lead synth is pretty bland and dry - some more mixing effects on it might help keep me engaged during what is otherwise a pretty slow-paced intro. I like the furtive feel at :53, although the long stop-start transition at 1:26 didn’t quite work for me. It also threw me off that the guitars totally took over the texture at 1:30 - I would suggest at least introducing the guitars earlier to foreshadow its role as the lead instrument later on. I also would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content earlier on in the piece, especially since the “verses” in the piece are so repetitive. I like the transition into 3:16 and the additional atmospheric elements there. The mixing is pretty good overall, although the drums could’ve been punchier with a bit more compression. The key change at 4:26 was a good idea, although I thought the transition into it could’ve been smoother. In retrospect, 4:26 was a good way of concluding the piece, as it’s easily the most melodic and memorable part. That said, I still wanted to hear more melodic content and a fuller texture earlier. The outro at 5:20 has some neat phasing and panning effects, too. Overall, you have a good sense of harmony and some decent mixing skills. I’m not always a huge fan of your sound design choices, and some of the arrangement details in this track could use more effort. Still, you’ve put together a catchy piece with a well-balanced mix and a killer final solo here. Keep at it, BBaNK! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

BBaNK responds:

Thanks for the review TL, appreciate it!

[Looking Out]

Are those amen break samples? :D They actually work pretty well in the context of this piece, especially since you chopped them up. I like the eerie atmosphere and fat sub-bass at :12. The piece is a bit slow to progress beyond that, but the filtering at :45 is cool, and the dreamy mid-range pads at :48 are a nice addition to the texture. The chiptune-y synth at 1:00 caught me a bit off guard, but I’m really digging how they jive with the gritty pads at 1:36. The thin, frantic vocals at 2:01 are great as well, and the stop-start transition at 2:26 led really nicely into the re-integration of those vocals into the earlier beat you had playing. The transition at 2:48 was a bit abrupt, and I wasn’t a huge fan of when you made an already-minimal piece even more minimal at around 3:00. Overall, this is a really catchy piece with some neat sound design and solid progression. The piece is frequently lacing in mid-range frequencies and harmonic content, and I think you could’ve done more to create variety here besides introducing new instruments later on in the piece. Still, you won me over with some of the flashier riffs here, like at 1:36 and 2:01. The production quality is top-notch here, btw. Keep at it, BassClefff! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[HO+HO+NH2]

Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the distorted texture - very harsh and grating sound design here, honestly. The beats are catchy, although there isn’t a lot of harmonic content to keep me grounded structurally. The transition at 1:06 is cool, although some of the other ones are pretty abrupt. The spacey atmosphere at 1:41 is nice, but given the pacing of the rest of the piece I think that section drags on for a tad too long. Overall, I think you’ve made an experimental piece with a jarring texture that doesn’t really display the variety of compositional skills we’re looking for at the NGADM. The rhythmic content is good, and a lot of the sound design details are creative and engaging, but, quite frankly, to get a decent score on most of the categories in my judging rubric, you needed to rein in some of these volume levels and do more with harmonies. Sorry! If you have other stuff that’s more tonal, feel free to send me a PM, and I’m happy to given you some more feedback. Cheers.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
0/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
0/1
Composite score
3.5/10