TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!

[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 !