TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Our Silence]

I like the slow pace and ambience at the beginning. The distorted vocals are cool. I might’ve taken a bit more treble off of the guitar and vocals with an equalizer, just to keep it from sounding too harsh. The drums sound a bit generic, but the texture is really cool and unique. I guess my main problem with the piece is that it doesn’t have much structural variety - sounds almost uniformly energetic throughout. I think you mixed a big opportunity to maximize the emotion there. The ending is pretty abrupt, too, almost like you meant for it to loop. Still, killer atmosphere and sound design. Going forward, I just need to see you give your track a little more structuring. Keep at it, Joey! ;)

7.5/10

Joey4Track responds:

Thank you! Yes, this is actually a track from about 4 years ago, I entered it into the NGUAC as an afterthought really, as I never have done one of the contests before. But I do agree with your criticisms and the track I will do for the knock-out round is going to have a lot more energy put into it. Thanks again :)

[It's Not Easy]

I like the melodic content at :16 a lot. I think the percussion could use a bit more clarity - maybe some compression and more careful equalizing could help. I think you overuse the transition with the “crash” effect (like at :33), but you clearly have a good sense of harmony. There are a lot of staccato sounds in the mix, though - some pads might help smooth that out and add to the texture. You might also want to consider adding some more reverb to enhance the texture. I think the section at 1:35 was a cool idea, if a bit cheesy. The piece has a cutesy and fun vibe overall. Perhaps the composition is a bit underwhelming - it could certainly use some more shape (dynamic contrast, phrasing, filtering, etc.). The piece is also lacking on originality a bit, but overall you’ve demonstrated that you have pretty strong compositional skills, and I think all the frequencies are well-balanced in the mix here. Keep at it, JigglypuffClient. :)

7/10

JigglypuffClient responds:

Yeah, its difficult to make something that hits all points with such limited programs I use, but I can agree with almost all of things you said. Thank you

[Cheerful and Happy]

The beat at the beginning really establishes some energy and drive here. I think the hat has a bit too much sustain on it - feels like its bleeding into the next beat a bit too much for its own good. Many of the instruments, including the first synth bass that comes in at around :10 and the hats are a little generic. By :50 or so, the kick is getting really lost in the mix. I think you need to equalize those synths more carefully so they don’t have any interfering tones with the kick, especially with the low frequencies. Compressing the drums in general also would help. I liked the melodies at 1:46, but I think the transition into 1:46 is a bit sudden, especially since it seems to take the piece in a bit of a different direction. I liked your use of modulation at 2:38, but at the same time I think the piece drags on for a bit too long and the modulation exacerbated that idea. Those melodies definitely didn’t have to last for over 2 minute (from 1:46 to 4:00). You tried to create more variety later in the piece, but the transitions at 4:32 and 4:52 are just a little too sudden. Overall, though, I think my biggest problem with the piece is that it’s very cliche - whether you’re considering the chord progression, instruments, drum patterns, etc. I know that the best way to get comfortable making music when you’re first starting out is to imitate what works in other music. But I think you’re past that point now. I’d strongly advise that you try to use more nuanced and innovative approach to sound design, mood and atmosphere, as well as when creating the structure of a song. You’ve got a good start with some other elements, though - there are some strong melodies here, and overall it’s a catchy piece. Keep at it, Jeansowaty. :)

4.5/10  

Jeansowaty responds:

Thank you for the nice review, I'll think about it ;) Also, believe it or not, but it's always like that that I start off with a nice idea but then as I progress through it it just goes worse and worse, I start losing ideas, I get bored, distracted...

[Spoopy House]

The creepy mood is cool. I think a lot of the synths are a little generic, and the drums could’ve been stronger. For example, the snare that first comes in at :02 would aid a lot more to the creepiness here if it was a bit crisper and punchier, which you can accomplish with some more careful equalizing and compression. The drums sound very distorted throughout much of this piece. I also think that, for the first 1.5 minutes or so, the piece doesn’t have much of a strong sense of direction - little dynamics or phrasing, filtering, changes in texture, etc. Giving the piece some more shape and structure within phrases could really help you maximize the effect of the creepy mood here. I liked your idea for the drop at 1:36, but the product is very muddy and unpolished. Equalizers will be your best friend - stripping away low frequencies in everything except the bass and kick will give your mix some clarity, and taking away some of the treble tones in the white noise at 1:36 will prevent your piece from sounding overly harsh. I’d also suggest using some reverb to make your piece sound fuller and richer when you have fewer instruments playing. One thing I did appreciate with this piece is the subtle ways you varied both the verses and the drops. I think you could’ve had some smoother transitions, though, at 3:56 for example. The ending also cuts off a little suddenly. Still, I think my biggest problem with the piece is the production quality. Please do some research on equalizers and compressors in whatever DAW you use, and you’re well on your way to making more professional-sounding mixes. :)  Keep at it, HJFod!

5.25/10

HJfod responds:

Thank you for the review! Yeah, I really need to look into equalizers and stuff, it's just I'm fairly new to FL Studio and just actually making my music into reality overall. :DD

[Hidden | Surreal]

I like the ominous synths at the beginning. At :32, it seems like the kick is getting a little distorted by the sub-bass. You can fix that with sidechaining, or at least minimize the effect with some more careful equalizing if you don’t want the unnatural sound that comes with sidechaining. That said, I did enjoy the melodic content during the first minute and a half or so, although you did go quite a long time without varying the texture much at all. The transition at 1:32 didn’t quite work from me - that drum fill is not an effective way to move towards a complete change in the harmonic structure of the piece. Without much knowledge of music theory, it can be hard to make such transitions, but I’d encourage you to include some of the same instruments or harmonies on both sides of a transition in order to keep the listener grounded. The same goes for 2:22. Overall, there’s also quite a lot of minimalism in the piece, and I think you could’ve done more to use the entire frequency range as much as possible, especially the higher end. The melodies could also use some more variation, and the instruments are a little generic. I’ve been tough on you in this review, but I think the main thing you should focus on moving forward is drawing harmonic connections between distinct sections of your piece. The part at 1:34 and the rest of the piece could very well be two different pieces - smoothing over that transition and giving the piece some cohesion will gain you back a lot of points in the “structure and variety” category. Keep at it, Hidden-Hub. :)

6.25/10

Hidden-Hub responds:

Thanks for the review! I will consider this feedback when making my next piece. I haven't been in the music industry for a lot of time, and another important thing is that I don't have access to a lot of music creating software (I use GarageBand), so a couple of the points you mentioned will probably improve when I'll get something else like FL Studio. Once again, thanks for the review and I'll consider these points when making my next piece. :)

[Faller]

The instrument at the beginning is a little generic, although the progression with the arpeggios at :09 was interesting. The distorted melodies at :25 are cool, and don’t sound overly harsh in the mix, which is a big plus. I think the progression is a little slow, although it does have a good sense of climax into the first minute or so. The melodic content at 1:54 was also strong. I suppose my main problem with the piece is that it doesn’t have a ton of structural variety or shape. Things like dynamics, phrasing, and filtering could really help enhance the emotional and/or dramatic quality of this piece, keeping your listener engaged. I also thought the percussion was a little dry, probably in need of some reverb. You have a couple of sudden transitions in this piece, but the one that bothers me the most is at 3:04. It seemed like you were taking the piece in a new direction, but then you abruptly move to this coda that has a bit of a bizarre progression and that doesn’t feel all that conclusive. One thing I think that’s pretty strong in the piece is the mixing. Despite being dry, the drums are crisp and clear, and the synths blend well together. Overall, this piece is catchy and clearly displays some strong melodic and harmonic content. If you just take a few more risks with the composition, this piece could be really strong! Keep at it, Googlebugger. :)

7.5/10

Googlebugger responds:

Once again thank you so much for taking the time to check my music out and letting me be a part of the competition! I will take all the advice I can get and improve for next year!

[Walking Home With You]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. A couple of the flute/other woodwind instruments sounded a bit too harsh in my headphones - I’d suggest taking away some of the treble there with an equalizer. The melodic content of this piece is really good, though - has a smooth, flowing, relaxed feel. The snare might’ve been a bit hard-hitting compared to the cutesy nature of the melodic content. Same thing with the dramatic crashes (like at 1:55 and other places). You clearly have a good sense of harmony, and I think you nailed the mood and atmosphere. My main problem with the piece is that the texture needs a lot more variety. The melodies play on a near-constant loop, and even the transitions are overused by the end. The texture has a lot of pizzicato-y sounds that could be smoothed over with some pads - maybe you could even introduce them in a breakdown or bridge, just to add more variety. Cute, blissful and melodic piece, though. Keep at it, GoldHeartSenpai. :)

8/10

Febbs responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic! I'll keep that in mind :)

[pobreza]

It seems you have a good sense of harmony and rhythm. I think your track is peaking a bit, though. The harsh, crackling noises I’m hearing on my headphones indicate that the volume of the track is a bit too loud. I’d suggest adjusting the master volume on your track in the DAW until your peak meter doesn’t go into the red (you can probably look up how to access your peak meter in whatever DAW you use on the internet). And always use headphones when mixing and mastering your piece. :)  Okay, back to the song - I’m really enjoying the melodic content in the strings. I think it dragged on a bit too long without much variation in the texture. Welcome changes finally came at 1:14. In the future, I’d love to see you experiment more with dynamics and phrasing. Giving this piece a bit more shape could really help keep the listener engaged. It also has a bit of a dull sense of continuity - some structural variety would really help. Overall, I like it. It’s a catchy and fun piece with a distinctive character. Keep at it, man. :)

7/10

EmmanuelRojas responds:

thanks for the tips and the kind words :D

[Abstrack - The Raining]

I like the powerful chords at the beginning, even if the progression is a little cliche. The melodic content at :11 is also enjoyable. I like how you scale back the energy at :22, and the bitcrushing on the percussion is amusing. Despite the frequent changes in instrumentation, it’s pretty repetitive. I also think the mixing needs some work. The kick is clearly distorting the pads (and vice versa) at around 1:15. The snare is also a bit weak. I’d suggest using some more careful equalization to eliminate the low frequencies in everything except the bass and kick, and also adding some compression to the drums. The section at 1:47 offered some nice structural relief, which then led into the final refrain well. The filtering effects at around 2:45 are enjoyable too. The ending is a little abrupt, and I wish you had some more melodic development at the end. Perhaps that’s a little picky, though. Overall, this piece is strong. Clean up the mixing and vary the chord progression and melodies a bit, and this would be a really solid track. Keep at it, DJ-white. :)

7.25/10

Abstrack responds:

Woah, thank you for your big review! All the stuff said seems pretty mutch true to me, and will be useful as hell!