TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Abendland - Forest Whisper]

I like the gentle tone of the beginning and bird samples. The piece has a bit of a square rhythm, and for much of the first minute or so the chords are what’s giving the piece its drive. I did enjoy the melodies that became prominent at around :30, though. The piece was very flowing, yet also had a dull sense of continuity that needed some more structural variety. I think the percussion at 1:25 sounded a bit indistinct. It could be that you need to tone down the wet reverb, or otherwise give in a little breathing room in the equalizer at some middle frequencies. I enjoyed the sense of climax into 1:58, although 2:28 was the real emotional height here. I think 2:28 reveals further mixing problems. The low percussion sound really muddy and distorted. I think part of the problem is that you need to equalize the other instruments of this piece more carefully, particularly removing the low frequencies on strings and melody instruments. This piece comes together pretty nicely composition-wise, although I’m still not a fan of the lack of change in energy and dynamics during the first half of the piece. You did a good job with the melodic content here, and I admire your sense of harmony and progression. Keep at it, Abendland! ;)

7.75/10

Abendland responds:

Thank you so much for your feedback! This means a lot to me and helps me to see und understand flaws within my music. I am not yet good enough to really understand all the aspects that form the music I'm making and its a more like a sort of trial and error Szenario. So your hints and tips are an excellente source for me to understand on which aspects I need to work.
All the best and have a good week,
Chris Abendland

[Rubrum - 8LayneTech8]

This piece has a cool mood and some really strong melodic content. I wasn’t a huge fan of your synths. They sound a bit generic, and occasionally quite thin and dry (e.x., :09). The snare is a little weak during the drop at :45, and it’s also easy to hear the rhythmic chords ducking under the mix at 1:02. I’d highly recommend some stricter equalization, compression, and panning to clean that up. There were also a couple of sudden transitions in here, like 1:36, including the abrupt ending - it’s almost as if you intended to loop it. I think you could’ve done a lot more creative things with the drums. I also find it helpful to use changes in the drum pattern to foreshadow transitions. The piece has a sense of continuity throughout without much structural variety. I’d suggest stripping away some of the rhythmic elements of the piece at one point and letting it breathe a little more. The piece largely lacks a point of climax and finality towards the end. Despite these strict structural critiques, I really enjoyed the melodic content and atmosphere. You have a good sense of harmony, which is a huge plus. Keep at it, 8LayneTech8. ;)

7.5/10

8LayneTech8 responds:

Thanks so much for the detailed review, I will try improving for the future using these tips :)

[Anytown, RPG]

I like the cute mood and progression. Some of the synths sound a bit harsh in my headphones. I might suggest taking a bit more treble off of the lead. Other than that, it's really flowy and melodic, and the loop is smooth. Good use of panning, and I liked the drum instruments a lot. Definitely fitting for a videogame. :)

ChronoNomad responds:

Yeah, there's a bit too much harshness in the higher ranges, but it's nice to know that the mood is conveyed well and the progression is appreciated. Smooth Loops Я Us! And I'm still waiting for someone to use it in a game...

Thanks again for a very nice little review! ^__^

[NGADM 2017 Round of 64 Podcast]

Aww yeah! Just as well-produced as the first one. Not quite as concise, but that's understandable. :) I wish we could have an ongoing discussion podcast with at least a couple of the judges that breaks down all the match-ups. Maybe that's more realistic for future rounds.

I appreciate the advert for the NGUAC, as well as your acknowledgement of the good sportsmanship at around the 5-minute mark.

The music in the background is amazing, of course, but personally I think the guitar music toward the beginning and the uplifting VGM at around 4:00 work better than the light piano music at 3:00 or so. The vocals aren't particularly fast-paced, so when the music gives the podcast some drive and energy, I think it works best.

I'm looking forward to your future podcasts about the NGADM, though. The competitors also probably really appreciate the biweekly injection of positivity. :)

ChronoNomad responds:

Yeah, I think this is pretty good for just freewheeling without any kind of script or anything, and I don't want it to make it too dry by making it overly professional. I am seriously considering adding match-ups in later rounds to the podcast, but I don't want to butcher anyone's pseudonyms, so we'll have to see.

You are very welcome! Just trying to spread the word in my own little way. :D

Yeah, I totally know what you're saying, but then there are others who have mentioned how much they enjoy the softer, more Fantasy-inspired music. I knew pretty instinctively what I wanted to use for the intro and ending, but the centerpiece was a bit more of a question mark. Believe it or not, it's tough to find musical puzzle pieces that fit the overall length of the podcast well. In this one I ended up having a bit more silence, but that seems to work out okay.

Awesome! These do seem to be surprisingly well-received, so I might as well keep cranking them out. I think we can all use the infusion of positive vibes, no doubt. Thank you for the stellar review!

[This Stained Portrait]

I love the energy and intensity at the beginning. The part at :43 offered some nice structural relief. The mixing is quite good, too. I thought the transition at 1:39 was a bit sudden, as was that of 1:48. Still, I like how you made a story of this piece. It's a little hard to make out the floaty piano riff that comes in at 2:08, though. It's very powerful, and has a great sense of climax at the end. Overall really impressive work! Keep at it, man. ;)

MetalRenard responds:

Hey thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it, I haven't made anything new for a while so this was the first in a long time.
Thanks for the feedback on transitions and mixing, I'll have a look into it again. :)
FYI, 2:08 is guitar but with a lot of effects.

[Hide no more]

The instruments at the beginning - from the synth bass to the phasing synths - seemed a little cliche. The piece is also pretty slow to progress, but I did like the pizzicato-y riff that comes in at :16. The kick at :47 helps to give the piece more drive and intensity, but the progression is still VERY gradual. I would’ve liked to see some more melodic content earlier in the piece. The transition at 2:07 was a bit awkward, and took the piece in a very different direction very suddenly. I like the vocals - they sound very upbeat and sit well in the mix. I think you could really cut the first 2 minutes of the piece down, though. Also, the piece doesn’t have a lot of structural variety or shape, and adding some more dynamics and phrasing could really help with that. My favorite element of the piece was actually the mixing - it’s pretty clean and clear, and the texture is full and rich throughout. My one complaint there is that the pizzicato-y synth melody gets a little lost at around 2:45. Overall, it’s a pretty cool piece. My biggest problems are the cliche instruments and the pacing issues during the first half. Keep at it, man. ;)

7/10

Mauxus responds:

Thank you for that review! The latest version (just uploaded now, don't forget to clear your cache to listen to it) should hopefully take care of most of your observations.

[Cameleon Arc-En-Ciel]

The distorted effects at the beginning were a little bizarre, yet at the same time had a very predictable phasing pattern. I think you needed a smoother transition into :08, and a couple of the instruments there sound really harsh - I’d suggest eliminating some of the treble frequencies with an equalizer. The drums were enjoyable, though, and you did a nice job of offering some structural contrast at 1:05. The piece doesn’t have a lot of melodic content at all, and the texture at 1:33 sounds very distorted and indistinct mixing-wise. The drums are really struggling to come through, and the instrumentals are a jarring wall of sound. Some more strict equalizing could really help maintain the gritty quality of the texture without the harsh mixing attributes. The vocals also get a little buried in the background of the unpolished synths. The fade-out ending came across as lazy. There are a lot of contrasting moods here, which I like, and you often have them playing simultaneously, which is cool. The piece has a decent amount of atmosphere, but I think the sound design needs to be shaped a little differently to make sure everything sits nicely in the mix. You definitely scored points for originality, and overall the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. Keep at it, man. :)

7/10

etK responds:

Yeah, I have to get better at mastering, and I agree with most of your criticism, thank you for that.
However about the vocals, they're left on the background on purpose, it's shoegaze-influenced, I don't consider the vocals to be a privileged instrument. But yeah again thanks a lot for the support ! :)

[Ayjin - Chillin]

The synths at the beginning sound really harsh and unpolished. I’d suggest removing some of the treble there. I like the atmosphere and most of the other instruments, though. The mix is indeed crisp and clear. The middle section of this piece is a little minimalistic, though, and I think my main problem with the piece is that it needs stronger melodic content. The repetitive riffs at the chorus don’t really satisfy that need, and you don’t vary a lot of the content during the second half of the piece anyway. Still, it’s a really catchy piece with a refreshing, relaxed mood. Keep at it, man. ;)

8.25/10

Armorstick responds:

Thank you for the comprehensive feedback!

[Phase Cancel]

I like the intensity at the beginning. You have a good sense of rhythm, and the drums feel pretty loud in the mix. The piece has a sense of continuity without much structural variety, though. The energy level is almost constant the entire time, and I would’ve liked to see you experiment more with dynamics, phrasing, and the like. The piece has a really clean and polished sound, though. Everything sits really well in the mix, and there are a lot of cool riffs here. Keep at it, man! :)

8.5/10

TSRBand responds:

Thanks for the detailed review! I'm happy to hear this went over well in the NGADM auditions :) looking forward to coming up with another over the next couple weeks!

[Tango with the Devil]

I like the sound design and mood. The piece has a good flow and amusing melodic content. The section at 1:56 offered some great structural variety, although I think you could’ve done a lot more with dynamics and phrasing in this piece. The part at 2:58 is really amusing as well, and I like the soft, somewhat somber ending. You could’ve done a bit more with the drums here, just to give the piece a little more drive, but in a way simplicity is an asset for this piece. In some of the busier sections of the piece (such as 2:30), the cymbals had a little trouble coming through the mix, but overall the instruments are very well-balanced. Perhaps the main riff could’ve used a little more variation, too - there are a lot of repeated cadences here. Still, this is strong work. Keep it up! :D

8.5/10

PomicStone responds:

Thank you very much for taking time to rate this. This analysis is very helpful for me to get better :)