TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Bolero of the Hero]

I like the serene mood at the beginning. The instrumentation fits the thematic content very well, but sounds very inauthentic. The mixing is also pretty quiet. I’d suggest adding some compression and volume level adjustment to help create a thicker and fuller texture of sound. The melodic content here is really nice, and the harmonic progression of the piece is quite pleasing. The energy of the piece sounds pretty uniform throughout, though. I’d suggest adding some dynamic contrast, phrasing, and automation to give the composition a little more ebb and flow over time. That’ll help keep the piece more engaging for your listener. I also think you could’ve done a bit more with the percussion. Right now, it’s used very sparsely, but it has the potential to give the piece a lot more energy and drive where appropriate. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. That said, some of the compositional elements here could use a little more fleshing out to maximize the emotional qualities of the piece, and the mixing also needs work. Keep at it, PomicStone!

7/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

PomicStone responds:

Thank you for your review!

[Max]

I like the pizzicato-y synths at the beginning. The rhythm is a bit bizarre, but comes off as being more creative/experimental than anything bad, per say. The piece has a nice ebb and flow to it, but progresses very slowly harmonically. I like the instrumentation switch-up at 1:18, but the harmonic content is still the same. There isn’t really much strong melodic content in this piece, but the piece does seem quite varied in terms of intensity and structure. The mixing and mastering are strong, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm. That said, the lack of variation in the harmonic content really started to bother me after a while. I don’t think there was quite enough variety in the energy and rhythmic content to justify keeping the moving notes the same for the entire piece. I also thought the fade-out was a pretty underwhelming way to conclude the piece and that the instrumentation is pretty generic. Overall, nice job with the production, structural variety, and atmosphere. I’d like to see you do more with some of the compositional elements next time. Keep at it, LordJabeebus!

7/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

LJTLegendaryL responds:

Thanks for the evaluation :). I'm happy that this time I got a better score, I'll be sure to find a way to make mix things up a bit in future compositions. This was really helpful!

[laying in the backseat, staring at the ever-shifting stars]

I like the chill mood at the beginning, but I think you didn’t execute it as well as you could’ve. The heavy panning sounds pretty harsh; I can barely hear anything in my right ear. I also think the instrument at the beginning is a little cheesy and generic. Then, the synth that comes in at :19 is completely in the right ear. It seems like you’ve prioritized mixing clarity over blending, and also that you’ve taken that approach a bit too far. I’d suggest looking into stereo widening techniques rather than panning both of these instruments to one extreme side of the spectrum, especially when they’re the only things going on. The mood of the piece is really calming, and as the texture thickens the blissful nature of the bell-like synths really comes through. The instrumentation is still a little cliche, though. Usually 3xOsc is a pretty unpolished plugin to use for harmonic content (great for sweeps and sub-basses, though). The mix remains loud and clear as the piece goes on, but the panning still bothers me. As for the composition, I’d like to see you use more advanced techniques of creating variety than just adding and subtracting instruments over time. I’d suggest trying to use more dynamic contrast, phrasing, and automation. Also, the piece doesn’t have much structuring. All it ever does is grow in intensity and, while it does have its cathartic moments, I think there needs to be more of an ebb and flow within this paradigm of “one big climax” in order for it to be most effective. Overall, learning to mix without relying too much on panning would be a worthwhile investment for you. You should probably spend the plurality of the time you spend mixing adjusting equalizers, not compressors or panning. Fleshing out the composition more is an important step, too. Still, the mood and atmosphere of the piece are really nice. Keep at it, Lofiskyline!

5.25/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.25/10

lofiskyline15 responds:

thank you! I definitely agree on the equalizer thing and I'm actually working more on ambient fade ins rather than straight-up instrument adding/subtracting. I actually never really rely on panning as much as I did in this song, and it's kind of more for a full sound (kind of like a Panic! At the Disco situation) haha so when the second synth with the different timing kicks in, the contrasting timing catches you off guard. it also is supposed to work as kind of something to catch you off guard so as to help you remember the song more. but it could definitely be frustrating.

in terms of catchiness and song structure, this is also kind of a weird one for me. I was trying to emulate M83 in a more D.I.Y. sense as the instruments pile on. regarding the synth choice, it is a little cheesy. I was kind of going to, through free synths, go for that D.I.Y feel without losing the emotional intensity. it could totally backfire though (haha)

a song I've uploaded recently, minor truce, is probably the craziest thing I've ever done and I feel like it responds to a lot of your criticisms in terms of generic build song structure and a lack of originality. there is panning but it's a lot less minor, and, while the beginning builds in dynamics through slowly adding drums, there's several switch ups that make it worth it.

these are fantastic criticisms, though. thank you very much!

[Kirefyx - Klassy]

I like the intense orchestral-sounding instrument at the beginning. The progression is a little slow for the first minute or so, but starts picking up just in time for the build-up at :52. I liked the drop at 1:02, even if it was a tad minimalistic. The production quality here is sharp. That snare has a lot of bite. That said, the mix isn’t all that loud. You transition pretty well back into the “verse” at 1:44. Perhaps the texture could use a tad more variety at times. You also overused the transitions with the crashes (and reverse-crashes). I think the piece gets very repetitive after a while, and has several sections that are pretty minimalic, regardless of the drop. I think you could stand to add a little more atmosphere to the piece and thicken the texture otherwise. You have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, and the thematic content and production are excellent. My main concern here is that the composition could be a lot more dynamic and varied. Otherwise, keep at it, Kirefyx!

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

Kirefyx responds:

Thanks for the feedback! Will consider this for the future

[To The Moon!]

The frantic synth arpeggios at the beginning are cool. I wasn’t a huge fan of the vocals, though. They sounded really muddy and indistinct, and just didn’t add much to the texture imo. The piece cycles through a couple of mini-buildups before the texture changes much, though. Once the drop comes at around 1:06, there’s not much harmonic content. I’m also a little confused about the transition into the drop. There’s not really any distinct structuring there (drum fills, crashes, etc.), so I can’t tell when the drop starts. That’s an indication that you could do a better job of keeping the listener grounded. As the piece goes on, the progression still doesn’t have a strong directionality to it, and the abrupt transition at 1:41 was really jarring. There are a lot of moments of minimalism, sudden transitions (another huge offender at 2:29), and overall very little harmonic content of value (like melodies). The bass riffs are catchy, but not very memorable, and it seems like the only moving notes you have above 1,000 Hz for the entire piece are those synth arpeggios that keep coming back as filler content all over the place. The piece ends just as suddenly as I’d expect, too. It’s really a shame that the composition and arrangement of this track never come together because the production is fantastic. All the synths and drum patterns sound so clear and polished throughout. I can’t say that the frequencies are too well-balanced (mostly because there’s a lot of bass and not a lot of anything else), but I’m thoroughly convinced that you’re a talented producer by now. I think you should really focus on your composition skills from now on. For your next piece, try to structure it around a specific chord progression and melody. That way, your listener will have a more solid harmonic foundation to stand on when you change up the texture around the harmonic elements. Good luck (but don’t be discouraged! Developing strong composition skills is really hard). Keep at it, K0TiC!

5.5/10

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

K0TiC responds:

Thank you for the response, I’ll make sure to work on my transitions and structure. I do admit that I could have done a lot better with this track. Again, thank you, I’ll be sure to take your advice in to every other track / song I make.

[Listless Drive Home]

The instrument at the beginning sounds a little thin, but the atmosphere starts sounding really soothing and pensive once the texture thickens at :14. Some of these instruments, including the E-piano at the beginning, sound pretty dry, though. A little reverb might help them blend better and further establish the ambiance. The drums were nice, even if the snare sounded a bit sharp compared to the relaxing mood of the rest of the track. The part at 1:08 could’ve used a smoother transition, especially in such a drone-like track to begin with. That said, I thought the transition at 1:37, while also abrupt, worked better because you primed the listener with the same riff earlier. While the composition isn’t hugely dynamic here, I think it bothers me more that when the texture does change it’s abruptly. I think you should work on shaping the composition a little more with gradual changes in dynamics, phrasing, and automation. Not only are the abrupt transitions (like at 2:17) jarring, but they also don’t fit the tranquil character of the piece. That said, the quirky instrument at 2:45 was fittingly introduced in one of the minimalist asides scattered throughout this piece. I also like how you brought the piece full-circle with the outro, even if the fade-out ending came across as a tad lazy. Overall, I really liked the soothing ambient quality of the piece and the sound design. The composition and arrangement could use a tad more effort, but the production seemed pretty strong too (even if the texture was a bit bare at times). Keep at it, Icantpronouncethis!

7.5/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

icantpronouncethis responds:

Thank you for a thorough critique of the piece. I did spent a long time on this piece and I knew there was some areas that needed a push and changes. This helps a lot for my future pieces. Thank you once again.

[Suvi - I Need You]

The quirky synths at the beginning sound nice, and set the mood quite well. Nice job with the atmosphere and build-up into :24. I like the ping-pong echo effects and sound design. The drums could stand to be a tad stronger, and while I enjoyed the bass I think it also could’ve used a boost towards the front of the mix. The re-intro at 1:12 was pretty effective despite a pretty abrupt transition into it. The composition feels well-shaped and -structured, with some cool melodic content and instrumentation. The second half of the piece sounds very similar to the first half, though, which might be an indication that more variety is in order. Overall, the flow is very smooth and the mastering is solid despite an excess of reverb in places. Keep up the good work, IAmSuvi!

9.25/10

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

IAmSuvi responds:

Thank you for the awesome feedback <3

[Neon Dragons]

I like the hypnotizing arpeggios at the beginning and the thick texture. Good sense of climax into :26, too. I like the vocal samples, and nice job with the fake-out transition at :37. The breaks at :42 sounded a little harsh. I’d recommend double-checking the filtering on the high-end frequencies there. The harmonic depth is also not as full as it could be, despite the strong mastering quality. I’m also starting to think that you’re overusing the vocal samples by around 1:30. Nice job with the panning at the re-intro at 1:35. You’re really good at shaping build-ups and making your piece feel dynamic over time. However, there’s very little melodic content here, and the piece is actually quite harmonically bare for a significant duration of the track. There are slight variations, but overall the second half of the piece is very similar to the first half. I wanted to like this piece a lot more than I did, but overall the composition was pretty underwhelming, and elements of the sound design and arrangement (vocal interjections at the ends of phrases, for example) are pretty generic. The solid production quality, catchy breaks, and well-shaped transitions begin to make up for that, though. Keep at it, GrowlBittzOfficial!

7.5/10

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
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
7.5/10

GrowlbittzOfficial responds:

Well okay then. Gorden Ramsay! Haha. I completely understand and really appreciate the feedback. Great way of judging a pice without being rude and or demotivating the artist! I will definitely improve! However, I will say one thing though;

At the time, I lost the original file with the track. The drop that you hear WAS the original track. It was just a simple drop loop.. However, since that drop loop used 60+ tracks, my CPU couldn't handle it with an intro, build, etc. So I decided to export it and use the WAV file instead in a separate project to save CPU! However, I lost the original drop loop project, so I couldn't possibley add another drop. I could've added one in the current project, but the mastering was different, I didn't have the same drums, etc.

I will definitely improve and add more variation to my tracks! Thanks!