TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Aria - Beige]

I like how crisp the texture is at the beginning, but the string samples sound pretty inauthentic and dry. I’d strongly suggest adding some reverb. I think the reverb would especially help towards the end when you’re trying to add finality to the piece. The transition at 3:14 was a little awkward, and some reverb would really help smooth it over. Later in the piece, it’s harder to tell that the string samples are fake - perhaps it was just the dynamic contour of the first chords that made them seem fake to me. By :41, the texture is rich and full, and I admire your sense of harmony. The rhythm is pretty square in the melodies, though - in the future, I’d love to see you avoid using arpeggiated patterns in place of strong melodic content. I’d encourage you to look into using dynamics, phrasing, and other methods of creating variety besides adding and subtracting instruments. Doing so will add a lot of flavor and shape to your composition, and is a great indication of experience in a composer. Keep at it, Delitescentaria. :)

6.25/10  

DelitescentAria responds:

Woah. That's a large amount of text. I really appreciate that you like some parts of what I made -- I'll take it as an achievement for being self-thaught. I'll definitely look into the structural elements that could benefit my tracks.

Thank you for this lengthy review.

[Nebulae]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The piece has a good sense of atmosphere, and the subbass was a nice touch. It’s a little slow to develop, though, and many of the instruments are a little generic. I enjoy the changes in energy levels throughout, although I think the mix could use a tad more clarity. You may have overdone the reverb on a few of these instruments - that could be part of the problem. The piece may also need some stronger melodic content. The lead at :54 sounds very square rhythmically, and only really has moving notes toward the end of each measure. Still, overall this is a strong piece. You have a good sense of harmony and flow. Keep at it, BluJayTunes! ;)

8/10

BlujayTunes responds:

Thank you! I definitely agree with your statements, I too noticed after a while my melodies got too repetitive, plus mixing is a thing i really need to work on. Glad to be in the next round!

[That One Realization]

I like the riff at the beginning, although you may have gone a little overboard with the reverb - the instrument seems to have a lot of feedback. I wasn’t a huge fan of your drum samples - that kick has a lot of treble, and the snare was a bit dry. It’s also really easy to tell that the snare is getting distorted by the pads at :55. I think you need to be stricter about equalizing all of the instruments here and compressing the drums. It was a good idea to bring the piece full-circle with the riff at 2:00, but I think you needed a smoother transition there. The piece also has a sense of continuity without much structural variety - the energy levels don’t change all that much, and I’m not hearing anything in the way of dynamic contrast or phrasing. I want you to find more ways of creating variety besides adding and subtracting instruments over time - using filtering, volume levels, and automations could really add some emotion into this piece. The melodic content here is solid, though, and you have a good sense of harmony. Keep at it, BeeFef. :)

6.25/10

BeeFef responds:

Thanks. The reason why the drum samples sound a bit off is because I made them/recorded them myself. I'm still working on it. And I think the distortion on the snare is caused by the kick compressing with it sometimes during the faster part. I actually added like some sort of crunch sound to the snare for that part to make it sound better without the kick, but I guess it didn't work that well.

I hope I make it in!

[Relativity]

I like the atmospheric vibe at the beginning. I think the arpeggios need some of their treble tones equalized out. Otherwise, the piece is really well-balanced, and uses the frequency spectrum well. Nice job with the climax into :56, and the melodic content thereafter. While the drums are a little generic, they sit nicely in the mix - crisp and clear. I think the post-drop dragged on a little long (until 2:08, under my analysis). The piano melodies there were beautiful, though. You have a lot of talent for crafting atmospheres, my friend. I think the pacing is still a bit slow, but the part at 3:48 was beautiful once again. It disappointed me that you didn’t include much melodic development during the second half of the piece, but really that’s the only thing separating this piece from the 9-range. Keep up the good work, Attackofthetroy! :)

8.5/10

Attackofthetroy responds:

Wow thank you for the feedback! I'll be sure to look into some changes.

[That Tree Have A Face]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. I think the square bass line is a little too loud compared to the melodic content that’s at a higher register. Overall, this piece needs way more humanizing and variety. It has a drab sense of continuity where it could really use some dynamic contrast, phrasing, and structural relief. The melodic content is enjoyable, though. The transition at 1:38 threw me off a bit - there wasn’t anything that foreshadowed it at all. Same thing with the change in pacing at 1:58. Overall, the composition here is pretty weak, and that’s what’s really dragging this piece down IMO. You clearly have a good sense of harmony, but I think you need to consider implementing variety along more parameters, especially since this is a solo instrument piece. Keep at it, Ardakio2! :)

5/10

ardakio2 responds:

Thanks for the review, i should try to apply your tips and growing as musician, i hope be better the next year. Respect and thanks a lot cx.

[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

[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!