TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Orbital Crises]

The synth at the beginning had a cool melody, but the instrument itself was rather high-pitched and harsh-sounding. I think you should transpose that down an octave. I thought a lot of your other instruments were quirky and maybe even bizarre. This track is missing a lot of bass tones, though. You have a kick in there, but no other bass lines to keep the chords grounded. It seems rather pizzicato-based, which isn't that bad in and of itself, but with such a fast-paced and variational track such as you have here, it can be hard to follow the progression sometimes. I like the mood a lot, though, as well as a lot of the isolated riffs. You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. I liked the ending, although the last note was a bit too dry to be quite...well...conclusive enough. Sounds like you need some reverb and/or echo effects in there, just to give it that extra finishing touch. I admire your ability to dabble across genres with this one, though. It's very unique and creative. It's not the most coherent piece, though, which, again, makes it a bit structurally confusing. You change up the beat and the melody a lot, for example. Still, a couple of easy fixes would make this piece a lot better: again, transposing some of the rather so-high-they're-in-your-face melodies down an octave. Also, I think you needed more bass tones in this piece, but the sub-bass you bring in at 2:08 for maybe 20 seconds is still too loud. XD I would recommend adjusting the volume levels on your instruments while wearing headphones - that might help you fix some balancing issues as well. The mixing, however, was overall rather solid. Very interesting piece here, Dubwolfer. Keep up the good work! ;D

8/10

Dubwolfer responds:

Oh thank you so much for the feedback! I see exactly what you are saying and will try to tweak it a bit.

A quick note, I'm actually currently producing with an iPhone app called Beatwave, because currently it's really all I have legal access to. But, like always, no matter what I use my goal will be to try and show that money doesn't indicate quality, and if you try hard enough you can make something of equal or even greater value than even the big boys in the industry.

:) This was super helpful I'll see if I can record it again with this in mind.

[Tides of Time]

I like the FX of the waves crashing. The piano had a beautiful, emotional quality to it that was only heightened by reverb. Same thing with the cello. The progression is absolutely beautiful, and while it is rather simplistic, the simplicity adds such a human quality to it that I absolutely love. The mixing is rather solid, although perhaps it's hard to screw up the mix when there are only 2 instruments playing at a time. It had enough coherence to make it structurally pleasing, yet enough variation to keep me engaged. It was strangely open-ended and conclusive at the same time, like the ambiguous last line of a novel that you know your English teacher is going to rant about in class the next day. Amazing job again with the progression and harmonies. This piece tugs at my emotions just like the moon does on the oceans. ;) Keep up the fantastic work, DSykMusic! ^^

9/10

DSykMusic responds:

Thanks so much! I'll aim to keep up the fantastic work :)

[Archangel Assault GD]

I like the energy and progression right off the bat. I thought the claps at :26 were a bit too quiet, though. I think you need to try to heighten the drama during the first minute or so by creating a massive crescendo instead of starting the piece with those bass synths roaring. Otherwise, a full minute of content with flat dynamics that fails to introduce new instruments won't keep my engagement that well. The part at 1:01, which is both more upbeat and more melodic, was interesting. It seems that the melodies are very up-front in the mix throughout compared to the lower pads and drums, though. That may have been a mistake, especially since such a long piece demands better harmonic support. The texture seems full, probably mostly because of reverb and generally good mastering, but it still needs some more going on besides one instrument dominating the mix for the entire piece in order to stay entertaining. I like the progression, but it just needs more structural relief - a bridge or breakdown or re-intro or something that will sort of serve as a reset button for the emotional quality of the track. I also thought that the ending was a bit rushed. With a track like this, I might suggest using tempo automations to gradually slow the piece down during the last 10 seconds. That's usually a good way of leading into an ending a bit more. Also, the last note should usually be on the tonic. Still, it's a fun and energetic track with some cool instruments and harmonies. Keep at it, DocterOreo! ;)

7.5/10

DocterOreo responds:

Hmm i felt like i needed something like that
lets just say my next song is a huge rival of
this one

no one has been able to say which one is better

but anyways thanks for the review

[Through Darkness]

I like the atmospheric pads at the beginning. This piece progresses really slowly though, especially for such a short track. The kick had a lot of higher tones for a bass drum - I think you should've Equalized that a bit more carefully. My main problem with this piece, though, is that it seems very safe. There are some cool sweeps and harmonies and stuff, but you could've done so much more with this. I feel like this should be a roaring, 5-minute long piece with tones of quiet tension and drama that eventually explode into epicness, but instead it's a 2-minute skeleton of a track that seems like it's unfinished. The piece cuts off really suddenly, which I would've excused if it looped well (but it doesn't). The mixing is solid, and, as I said, the instruments and harmonies are cool. However, I'm getting the sense that you didn't really show off your skill set at its true potential here. I want you to aim for a fuller texture with more effects, engaging melodies and harmonies and, well, generally riskier things! Overall, this track is cool but also relatively bland. I'd love to see you really go all-out with it next time! Keep at it, DJmadalrian. ;)

7/10

DJmadalrian responds:

Thanks I will keep working at it!

you are right its not finished I have a bad habit of working on a song for weeks then never finishing it and scrapping it, so I am forcing my self to just throw things out :)

[Midnight Paradise]

I like the cute synth at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliché, and I didn't think you needed to establish the chord progression 2 times over before fading in other elements of the piece, but I did like the climactic nature of it and the energy. I liked the way you used those portamentos as a transition at :49. You used crashes and volume automations/filters effectively to connect various parts of the piece, and I think it's structurally a very solid track. It does get a bit repetitive by end - I don't think it needed to be 4 minutes long, maybe closer to 3 - but I still love the mood and melodies. The mixing is also not that bad. I can hear everything clearly throughout. The ending was cute, too, albeit a bit sudden. What I really think you should consider next time, though, is that I don't think you took as much of a risk with this piece. It's not very unique - I've heard a lot of tracks like this during my time on NG. There wasn't much melodic development, and I think you could've done a lot more to give more direction to this track. I think pretty much everything after the first 1.5 minutes or so is simply repeated from the first 1.5. Still, it puts a smile on my face and I admire your sense of harmony and progression. Keep up the good work, DjHoneyb! ;D

7.5/10

Jakki responds:

Thank you really much!

[Espada]

Ooo...I like the Latin theme. You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. Unfortunately, the strings seem to get very distorted by the guitars. I would suggest working on your Equalizing skills as a priority. Also, this piece doesn't have much in the way of drums, which could really help give it some energy and also help it move forward. You have a sweep at 1:05, but I think you needed a crash to smooth over the transition at :41, and some cool percussion could really help spice up the rather dry texture you have at around :50 - 1:00. It's really easy to tell that flute-like instrument you have playing throughout the second minute of the piece distorts the piano pads and drums. Here's where the Equalizing would come in handy! It's catchy and cool, and I like the upbeat mood. However, there are also long, repetitive sections, such as between 2:45 and 3:20. I didn't think this piece needed to be 4 minutes long. Also, you don't really transition effectively into 3:20. There should really at least be a crash there to smooth it over a bit. Also, I don't know where the bass at 3:40 came from. Generally, I'd advise against introducing new instruments 30 seconds before the end of your piece. This piece has a fun mood and atmosphere, though, and, again, I admire your sense of harmony. It has potential. Compositionally, it's not bad, but learning to mix is an important next step for you. Keep working at it, man! Good luck! ;)

6/10

DeadlyAlchemy responds:

Literally every problem I highlighted with this was mentioned plus more xD I didn't have enough time to completely fix the piece before submission, so this had a lot of holes in it. All the same, thanks a lot for taking the time to listen to it and leave a review with such attention to detail. I'll be sure to actually remake this with issues fixed now I have the time to spare.

[AngelsRevenge]

I like the chord progression at the beginning, and the warm pads really help set the mood. The beat that comes in at :12 is a little loud. I would suggest compressing and panning those pads more. The cello at :24 adds a warm vibe to the piece that I think helps the mood. I think the pads and the cello clash a bit at :32, but it's hard to tell because the pads are drowned out by the beat and cello a lot. Also, when you strip away the beat at :42, it can be a little hard to follow the rhythm of the cello. Then, I'm not sure the cello solo at :42 led into the transition at :49 very well. I liked the beats thereafter, though. I think you could've used a crash at 1:25 - I wasn't really prepared for the beat to suddenly end like that. The transitions at 1:30 and 2:08 are also a little rough, and the crash at 1:42 is very loud. The coda was kind of lazily done. I wanted to see something more creative than a simple fade-out. However, I think my main problem with this piece is the lack of coherence. It sounds like you're jumping back and forth between playing 2 or 3 different pieces. You at least tried to bring it full-circle at the end by bringing the cello back, but you didn't connect the various sections of this piece very well, so it didn't really work for me. Still, I like the instruments and the moods here, and a lot of the isolated riffs (like the melody at 1:30). If you improve the coherence and the transitions of the piece, it would be a pretty solid track. Keep at it, Bolisa! ;)

5/10

bolisa responds:

Thanks for the amazing review! The only problem is that i lost the file of this song, so i cant edit it anymore :(. With you're tips i could make a solid track indeed. But that just means that i have to use it in my future songs, and i will. Anyways, i wish you the best with the contest. There are many good musicians out here!

[Rebels from 2005]

Interesting title! The beat is really engaging and cool, albeit a little hard to follow rhythmically. I think those open hats are way too loud compared to the snare. At :22, you have a ride playing on every downbeat, which kind of makes it seem like you're placing the emphasis on the downbeat, which is rather uncommon in a lot of EDM music. I like what you did with the sound design on this one, though...1:17 has an awesome, ominous yet energetic vibe to it, with the heavy bass, spidery mid-range synth, and a kick drum to keep it moving along. It's short, but still structurally sound. You built up a solid atmosphere with this one (I mentioned the cool harmonics going on at 1:27), but I think this piece still lacked some fill. There wasn't really a predominant melody, and some pads could go a long way in smoothing over some of the rather in-your-face bass work. Some of the transitions, like at :34, seemed a bit rough. At :34, it almost seemed like the crash cut off before it sufficiently did its job of channeling the energy. The snare roll thing at 1:15 is also a bit cliché. Still, this is a pretty interesting and unique piece. I could totally picture this being put in some sort of fast-paced videogame. Keep at it, BiPolarBeat! ;)

7/10

BiPolarBeat responds:

The whole project is about 5 hours. It's too "done" to be WIP yet still not polished. The song's base was done in ~20 minutes. The rest is mixing and adding the two bridges and polishing some parts, my goal was to make the possibly most cliché music. It's not that serious. I really appreciate your review, it's really in-depth and helpful (and is more serious than my project).
edit: the ride is every 1/16 or 1/4 beat with varying volume, my purpose was to punctuate every 1/2 beat.

[Machinarium]

Interesting use of instruments at the beginning. Almost sounds like a dark ambient track at first. The drums at :28 are way too loud, and they distort the arpeggios and bass in the background a lot. Their energy is perhaps also not so appropriate considering the ambient-like vibes I'm getting from the pads and arpeggios. I admire the sense of harmony you use around the 1-minute mark. At 1:23, the kick is, again, way too loud. The synth at 2:03 is cool, but very loud and in-your-face. I think you need to Equalize it more carefully in order to make it punchy without overly harsh-sounding. Structurally, however, this piece is very solid and smooth-flowing. I also like the vocal samples at around 3:35. They were a cool addition to the piece. Nice job with the portamento at 4:08 as well. I also like how the ending is very conclusive - proper conclusions can be hard to find among relatively less experienced musicians. Compositionally, I think this is a fantastic piece. Going forward, I want you to work on your balance (i.e., how loud the instruments are relative to the others). You took a huge risk submitting something so in-your-face for the tryouts, and I think it paid off. I love the full texture this has and the engaging synths and progression. Keep up the good work, Adhenoid! ;D

8.5/10

Adhenoid responds:

Thanks for the helpful review, TaintedLogic!! :D
I will learn further about mixing and equalizing my future tracks..