TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Up In Flames]

I love the synth at the beginning. It starts really tranquil and groovy, and you leave yourself a lot of space for contrast, which you totally capitalize on at :10. Very catchy stuff. I love the complex texture of this one. At :40, those floating counter-melodies add a lot to the piece, and I appreciated when you seemed to bring them more upfront in the mix at around the 1-minute mark. The transition at 1:10 could've been a little smoother, to be honest, but OH MY GOD YOU'RE JUST A CATCHY MELODY MACHINE...was my response to 1:14. :D I enjoyed the transition into 2:13, though - the slide method simply appeals to me, is all. ;) I have to say: your mixing has improved by leaps and bounds since when I first clicked on one of your tracks over 2 years ago now. I thought the ending was a bit inconclusive, but you at least partially made up for it with the little portamento and reverb thing at the end. Overall, great work! Insta-faved and DL'd. ;) Keep up the great work, Johnfn! ^^

johnfn responds:

> The transition at 1:10

Hah yeah you caught me. I knew I could do better but I realized I might not finish the piece unless I wrapped it up soon, and I couldn't think of a better transition in the moment. So .. :P

> OH MY GOD YOU'RE JUST A CATCHY MELODY MACHINE

lolololol. Pretty much. :D Actually you'd be surprised how long it took me to come up with that melody. For a couple of days at least I would keep coming back to that section to see if I could come up with a good melody for the breakdown. Eventually I found one!

> Mixing

It's all about those loud drums :P :P Also, not abusing reverb like I used to. That one is big, too.

> Ending

This actually ticks me off slightly because I *did* have a better ending, but then I accidentally overwrote it and couldn't figure out what I had done -_- So annoying!

Anyway I'm glad you liked this one so much! Thanks for another lovely review.

[Facing the Stormy Sea]

Yes! Pirates ftw!!! :D I love the melodies, which really reasserted the pirate themes, and despite a lot of call-and-response style mini-phrases (i.e., :46 - 1:03), it actually flows really well, like most of your tracks. The composition is rather good, which comes as no surprise to me. The thing I just can't stop myself from saying is that, unfortunately, the mixing (or lack thereof) seriously detracted from my overall enjoyment of it. Take, for example, the drums between :27 and :35. With all due respect, they sound like indistinct static. I know you upload a lot of these tracks just for fun, but I really think you should focus on your mixing a lot more in the near future. Perhaps it would be more ideal for me to critique your most recently uploaded tracks in order to maximize your productivity regarding improving your mixing techniques. I will commence doing so tomorrow. Otherwise, this piece tells the same story as many of your other non-piano-solo pieces I've been reviewing recently: good composition, but less-than-good mixing. Until tomorrow, then, old chap! ;P

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

YARR!!!

Nice catch with the call-response thing between 0:46-1:03. I don't always take this kind of approach, so I though I'd try it here.

There's certainly no lack of mixing here, even though it may indeed be bad. Out of curiosity, do you use headphones, and in that case, what kind?
The worst things about the mixing here is 1. The percussion (duh), 2. The overall volume (it's low), which means one should listen to this with higher volume settings than usually, and 3. The trombones and such in certain parts + a small bit of muddiness. Other than that, the mixing should be pretty fine, with panning and EQ as well. It's just the few things that drag down this entire track pretty heavily.

0:27 is mostly good, but I'd want a higher volume to the percussion, and perhaps more punchiness to it. Not achievable with the snares, but I should've used the tipmanis to highlight the hits better, in retrospect. So I totally get what you mean here!

The reason I'm not as focused when it comes to mixing yet, is because I learn things in a certain order. To begin with, I'm trying to grasp the compositional aspects of orchestral music, and which instruments go well together etc. I think I'll focus more on mixing when I have a good grasp on that. As for the percussion though, I think I'll try to improve that already to the next bigger track. Another problem is the fact that I had to divide this song in to 5 different parts while making it. This means it's a huuuuge pain in the ass to go back and mix something, and I still want the mix to be consistent, instead of mixing say the middle part differently from the rest. But ultimately, it all comes down to laziness XD When I upgrade my DAW, I think I'll automatically improve in these kinds of areas :p
That, and I'm not in a hurry to become a master! I improve from every track no matter what I do, and I don't want to kill all my motivation (which is why I can't sight read sheet music at all)!

Anywho, thanks for the fast review streak! In a few hours, I'll probably upload something quite interesting >:D

[Vega]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, and how you gradually use the kick as a sort of build-up into :23. As with most of your tracks, it's pretty repetitive and progresses rather slowly, but at least it's not quite as long as some of them. I enjoyed the riser that started at 1:18, as well as the uncharacteristically heavy drop for you at 1:29. The mastering was, in fact, rather good, as you alluded to in the description. I thought the drums were a bit loud, which is especially noticeable during the breakdown section between 2:15 and 3:00. Perhaps in order to heighten the contrast between the drop at 3:20 and that breakdown section, you should make the snare a bit softer and drier and gradually crank up the reverb before the drop (this coming from someone who has little experience making music of this genre himself). I love the echo effects at 5:08, though. They really give the piece that last touch of mystery before the final fade-out. Overall, great job! I think you should continue to push the boundaries of this genre and others as well for the good of your music career. This is a stand-out track amidst your other recent ones. Nice job! ^^

SynchroSpectre responds:

Yea it is different from my other tracks; I might get into this kind of DnB a little more. I wanted to try something different and I'm glad that you enjoyed that.

I'll keep doing what I do, thanks for following ;)

[La Valse D'Amelie (Cover)]

I like the slow tempo and pensive mood at the beginning. The pacing in this piece is very good. I like how the energy picks up around :45. I can see an old ballroom, and a couple dancing (slowly at first, then faster as their passion grows). It is a bit minimalistic compared to some of your other tracks, but still very pretty and flowy (as almost all of your piano solos are). Seeing as this is a cover, I can't exactly give you points for originality, but I like how you brought it full circle at the end with the slow dance again. Solid transition at 2:32. Anyway, keep up the good work, LSD! ;D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hi again! :D
I'm glad you like the tempo and pacing. I've told you a million times, but I like it when you share your visuals XD

And yeah. The reason this seems minimalistic, is because the arrangement is not mine. And even if it was, there's not much to add to this piece; there's not enough room nor time for the fingers to move much, unless you want some really weird harmonics :3

A cover can be original, but this one, surely is not. It's great that 2:32 worked! I always play it like that :D

Thanks again ;)

[Sabrepulse Horizons Remix]

Okay, totally missed this one because AP exams. DX Anyway, now that that's over, this is awesome! :D I love the intro, and it's somehow dreamy and energetic at the same time. One thing I think you should work on is making your transitions less sudden, like at :47. I love the somewhat clashing chords at 1:45. The drop at 2:28 is just freaking awesome, though. I have to say, though, I think you've used that riser (or at least the same instrument) that builds up to 2:28 before. ಠ_ಠ Still, I love the quirky synths that pop back in around 3:37, and how you incessantly switch up the mood of the piece. The structuring and progression of this piece is amazing, and I don't even mind that it's almost 7 minutes long (which is not something I say too often, trust me)! :D Good use of repetition later on in the piece, too, and that drop just releases a wave of euphoria! :O Those cute little arpeggios at 6:25 were a simple, yet perhaps fitting, way to end the piece. Overall, awesome job! How could I possibly resist downloading this if it's free? :D Hope college is going well for you, and I'm looking forward to hearing more of your stuff this summer! ^_^

Lockyn responds:

Thank you so much for the detailed review TL! I'm glad you enjoyed it and that you downloaded it :D Thank you thank you, and good luck with college yourself!

[Winterscape - MusicBoxx]

Haha, I like the distorted beginning and the slow, dreamy tempo it has. It almost sounds like it's from a flashback to one's childhood - a lost memory somehow reignited by a fleeting moment in old age. I see a little girl holding the music box for the first time in wonder, and watching the ballerina in the middle spin in an incessant dance, and then the old woman tearing up as she realizes it's still in her attic somewhere, long since broken, but not forgotten. Sorry, I got carried away there. I think you already know that the mixing/recording quality wasn't great, but other than that, it's a beautiful melody played on a beautiful instrument. :')

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Yeah, I got the tempo pretty much like I wanted, even though I'd have liked it to be even more stable. But it's not easy to crank it at a steady pace!

I think that solo music boxes always give a great atmospheric feel, be it horror, sadness, or like you said, just a memory. And whoah! That's quite the vivid picture you shared there! A pretty nice, and short story.

As for the mixing and recording, this was more of a quick test run :3

Thanks for leaving this review! You're almost at the present... But boy, do I have a surprise for you and the others tomorrow >:D

[Insting]

Yeah! I love the melody and instruments. The filters you put on the melody really give it this cycle of life and death, if you know what I mean. Still, that cycle makes the piece really interesting, even if it's really short. It loops well, and I like that sweep you have at the beginning. The mixing is pretty good, and overall I think this piece has a lot of potential. You should do more with this! You could have an epic electro banger here. ;D Keep at it, man! ^^

fayyn responds:

thanks mate! I have many unfinished projects like this one, I just never feel like finishing them because im happy with what they are now :)

[groovin while breaking laws]

I love the rapid, flowy arpeggios at the beginning. The bass is roaring (which probably means it's too loud)! Otherwise, really catchy stuff. Classic Johnfn-style track, melodramatic crashes and all. ;) This is well-structured, smooth-flowing, and overall a really fun track. I thought you did a good job of making it coherent, yet with enough variety to keep my attention. It loops really well, and I loved how the synth roll starts at 2:45 and finishes at :02! ^_^ Your tracks seem simple on the surface, yet have this really complex and full-sounding texture to them that's just delicious! I love it! Keep up the inspiring work, Johnfn. ;D

johnfn responds:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO LOUD BASS THEDOOR. Unless it makes the drums quieter, then it's probably too loud, I GUESS.

Well whatever. I'm still glad you liked it :P

[Mrs. Robinson (Singalong)]

I love the natural, old-fashioned country vibe here. Given the title, I'm not sure if this is a cover or what, but I loved the lyrics and general mood/themes. It's mellow and flowy, yet very engaging and fun. Almost seems like an audio recording of one of those people who come in and entertain during kids' birthdays by singing silly, feel-good songs. :) Not sure what else to add...it may be a tad dry, but to solve that "issue" would be to take away from the natural campfire-like atmosphere of it. Also, Step, the mix is so clear that it's like I'm right there at the campfire playing shakers along to the beat! XD Nice work everyone. Keep up the good work. ;D

Step responds:

You are making it your mission to review all my recent uploads haha. Always love your reviews.

Super glad you liked this. It is indeed a cover. The dryness might be an issue... I'm not very good at calculating reverb on real-life instruments. I did add some reverb but I never really liked the wishy-washy sound that reverb gave to vocals. We'll be submitting a Summer of 69 cover very very soon - maybe I fixed the reverb in that one. That said, I'm super relieved you think the mix is clear!

Thanks again for the review. c: