TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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 :)

[Take it off]

I like the soulful, slow-paced guitar line. I think there isn’t a ton of power behind your vocals, though, which made the climactic sections of this piece feel a little less climactic. For example, “save” at 1:43 should probably carry through into the downbeat of the next measure in order to maximize the intensity at the chorus. Little details like that would really give this piece a little more punch and emotion. The mixing and mastering are solid, though, and the solo at 2:12 is really well done. I like the lyrics, and this piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. From what I’ve heard of your other work, it seems that this piece is very much in your comfort zone. In future rounds, I’d love to see you experiment more with other genres, themes, and moods, but for now this is more than enough for you to advance. Keep up the good work, DivoFST! :)

9.25/10

DivoFST responds:

Thank you so much!!! You are always "that judge" that gives me amazing scores xD
I might try an adventure in a diferent genre for the next round ^^
Your love is much apreciated!

[Undine]

The beginning sounds really distorted and ominous. I like the mood, but I think some of the instruments, along with the chord progression, sound a little generic. I like the strings. They add a great sense of drive and urgency to the piece. The change-of-pace at the 1-minute mark was a bit wonky. I like the melodic content at 1:06, but I think the mix was a bit strained there. It’s hard to hear the strings and percussion. The re-intro at 1:31 was a good way of channeling the energy during the second half of the piece. You have needed a bit more contrast with the dynamics and phrasing, though. Still, the piece sounds rather climactic, dramatic, and emotional. Your composition skills are excellent overall. Mixing is the next crucial step for you. Please be stricter with equalizing, and don’t be afraid to compress the percussion and string harmonies. Stereo widening and panning are your friends you call in an emergency. Overall solid work! :)

8/10

Guylee responds:

I have to admit that this is a very fair review. Thank you for taking the time to go into detail. I will take your advice to heart.

Cheers.

[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!