TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Bubbly Clouds Remix - TXL]

I like the cute riff at the beginning. The instruments are a bit generic, but you clearly have a good sense of harmony. I thought the percussive content should’ve been a lot more upfront in the mix, though. The melodic content is also quite enjoyable. The ending is a little abrupt, and I would’ve liked to see you incorporate a little more structural variety into this piece. Even when you strip away the drums at :52, the piece has a sense of continuity, and doesn’t do much with phrasing, dynamics, filtering, or other elements that could give it a bit more shape and contrast. Overall, I like it. The cute, catchy riffs got to me. :D Keep it up, man!

7.5/10

trixelbit responds:

Thanks a bunch! Really helps narrow down what I should work on!

[318]

The piano sample sounded a bit...generic. FL Keys is something I’m just very used to hearing at this point. I’m not going to take off any points for that, though, just in case I’m wrong. What I am going to take off points for is the sudden transitions (:14, :55, 2:21, etc.). The drop is catchy, but the instruments you used sound really dry. There’s a lot of minimalism in the first minute or so of this piece, and the lack of reverb or other effects makes an otherwise cool drop sound pretty bland. I’m also not a fan of the balance at :55. The melodic piano line should be out in front of the arpeggios there, for the sole reason that it’s the melody. The chords at 1:09 also didn’t really help transition into 1:17. I think you need to do more with dynamics and phrasing in order to make transitions like that work. Some filtering work could also. You certainly make the drop a little more active and texturally rich, but it could still use some reverb and other effects to help the instruments blend better. I’ve been tough on you in this review, though. You have a good sense of harmony and melody, and the mixing and mastering is quite good. The composition needs a bit more shape and variety, and the sound design and atmosphere didn’t wow me, but those are my biggest complaints. Keep at it, man. ;)

6.25/10

AlphaStormMusic responds:

Thanks for the feedback. I will try to take your device. You do make a good point about the arpeggios needing to be behind the piano. And I'm planning on using Alicia's keys next song. So you were right about me using FL Keys. Thanks for the review.

[Invisible Women]

The cute synths and the church bells were a bit of a bizarre combo at the beginning, made more bizarre by the completely different instrumentation at :12. The brass sample at :23 sounds pretty inauthentic, too, although you clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm. I think you needed a transition to foreshadow the change in texture at :53. A lot of the instruments you have in here strike me as being either generic or fake-sounding, like “choir” at 1:12 and the bell-sounding synths at 1:33. The portamento (slide effect) at 2:01 was a little cheesy, and overall this piece has a lot of minimalism. I think you needed some pads and additional harmonies to fill in the texture more, even during some of the low-energy sections of the piece. The extended section where only the beat played at 2:53 really didn’t contribute a lot to the composition, either. The piece is also pretty repetitive at the end of the day, with little variation on the piece’s main riffs and harmonies, and probably shouldn’t have been as long as it is. The ending was abrupt, too. Overall, I think the main thing you should focus on is adding atmosphere to your pieces - look into using effects like reverb and delay. They’ll help add some texture to your piece, especially during transitory moments, and will give your piece a more well-rounded sound. I’d also encourage you to try experimenting with dynamics, phrasing, and filtering - these are all ways of varying your piece over time other than simply adding and taking away instruments. Keep at it, man!

5.5/10

JourneyJaybeats responds:

This is a backing track for a song I've written. I find the accurate assessments made in your review to be irrelevant to the quality.

I like some of your ideas and will consider them in the future.

[[0002-ACMF] The Helm of Valknut]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the instrumentation. The melodic content is gorgeous, and you’ve also left yourself a lot of space for climax here. The strings at 1:08 sounded a bit fake, though - something about the timbre of them was off. The transition at 2:09 was a little abrupt. You set the atmosphere up so well for some really cinematic content, but I don’t think you quite capitalized on your capacity for emotion and climax here. I also thought the mix was straining to include some of the lower harmony parts at around the 2-minute mark. The strings at 2:25 could sound a lot crisper and clearer. Still, you really killed it with the atmosphere and sound design. Keep up the good work! :)

9.25/10

DwightFalcon responds:

Hi TaintedLogic,

Thank you very much for detailed analysis and review. Really help me much to understand what am I lacking of. :)
Also apology for the late reply. :)

Regards,
DwightFalcon

[Eternal Sunset]

The instrument at the beginning seems a little generic, and I think you have a couple of sudden transitions in this piece that change the texture very abruptly (:28, 1:36, 1:59, etc.). At :40, the kick gets a little buried in the mix. I’d suggest some more comprehensive equalization and compression. The melodies at 1:04 are a bit frantic, and are somewhat overwhelmed by the high chords that first come in at :51. I like the texture at 1:36 - offers some nice structural contrast too compared with the energy of the chorus. The mood and atmosphere are cool, but I think you could’ve made the melody a lot more memorable and catchy if it was both slower and varied more rhythmically. The piece also ends a bit abruptly. Overall, you have a good sense of how to create harmony, texture, and variety. Focusing a little more on mixing and mastering as well as the melodic content would really help this piece. Keep at it, man. ;)

6/10

EdKempeper responds:

Hi !

Thank you very much for your review !
I totally agree with you on these points.
Unfortunately, I didn't spent so much time on the mixintg of the track, and my maximiser is a bit "brutal".
For the transitions, I tried to work on it this year, bit you can still hear the different part of the FL project...
And yes, same chords all along the track.
I still like this track however, I tried some new things on it and I'll try to improve my skills for the next ones.
Thanks again !

[G4CE'sz - Zen]

I thought the fade-in was pretty lazy and the instruments at the beginning were really generic. The piece is also mastered VERY quietly - I have my speakers turned up as loud as they can go and the piece is at a standard volume. It’s very slow to progress at the beginning, but I think the bit at 1:06 is quite catchy. The off-beat open hats at 1:21 are cliche, but fit the character of the piece well. You really needed some melodic content in here sooner, though. Otherwise, the piece lacks a strong sense of direction, which is a problem. The piece has a good sense of atmosphere at times, and the mixing and mastering is pretty solid. The composition is definitely the weakest point of this piece - bland and uninspired. I’d encourage you to make a more melody-driven piece, or at least thicken the texture beyond bass-beat-chords for a significant portion of the piece. The piece is still smooth-flowing and has a cool mood, though. Keep at it, man!

5.5/10

KayJay-Artique responds:

Thank you for the response, I'll keep those tips in handy for future pieces. :)

[Star Rush (Mario Starman Remix Mash-up)]

The synths at the beginning are a little generic, and I think you need a smoother transition into :26. I like the sense of climax into :39, and the section at :39 was cute and catchy. You seem inclined to shake up the texture of the piece at a pretty fast pace, which I think is dangerous because it allows a lot of your transitions to be jarring to the listener. The drums also get very distorted when the synths come in at 1:59 (this also happens in other places, though) which is a sign that you need to do some more work with compression and equalization. Compressors and equalizers are really useful tools for making all your instruments sound clear. I suppose my favorite element of the piece was the cute mood and catchy synth patterns. Improving the mixing and mastering (i.e., using compressors and equalizers) here is probably your most important next step. Keep at it, man. :)

6/10

mutty99 responds:

Actually this is my first track i've ever made with FL Studio, so i experimented a lot of things: some went good, others not. Thanks for the feedback ;)

[Nothin']

I like the smooth, relaxed guitar riff at the beginning. Your voice has a great throaty quality to it. The lyrics themselves are also rather enjoyable. The solo at 1:18 is great too. It might need some variety in the instrumentation after a while, but the solo at 2:31 kept it feeling fresh. Some drums might also give the piece a little more drive and punch. Still, this is just a really authentic and soulful piece with a lot of character to it. Keep up the great work! :D

9/10

frank-n-furter666 responds:

Thank you!

[Kytoon - Stay in Kansas City]

The vocals are really smooth and catchy - also kinda creepy in a way given the lyrics. I think the instrumental is a little minimalistic, though, and perhaps the vocals are just a little too loud. The drums could also stand to be a little more upfront in the mix, mirroring the hard-hitting vibe of the lyrics. Overall, I really like it, though. Well-structured, smooth-flowing, cool atmosphere and synths. This is a piece that’s got a lot of character to it, and I think that’s my favorite element of it. Keep up the good work, GhostLawyer!

9.25/10

GhostLawyer responds:

Thank you!

[Iori Licea - Together]

I liked the chill atmosphere at the beginning, but I think you need to be careful with the equalization and volume levels. It sounded like it was peaking at :05-:06, and that’s without any other instruments in the texture. It also peaks at :33-:34 and other places. I like the progression, though, even if the chords are a little cliche. I like the melodic riff at 1:24, and the piano harmonies at 1:38. I would’ve liked to hear some stronger melodic content with more of a varied rhythm and direction to it, though. I think my favorite parts of the piece are the mood and atmosphere. The mixing and mastering themselves were fine, but the peaking really detracted from my enjoyment of the piece. Also, the composition was a bit underwhelming, but definitely fix the peaking - most DAWs have some kind of peak meter or clipping detector that should alert you as to when your piece is too loud. Keep at it, man. ;)

7/10

iorilicea responds:

Well, maybe this isn't my better piece, but I´ll take you advice!
Thanks for review!