TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sunset Riders]

I like the relaxed guitar riff at the beginning. The drums could’ve been a tad punchier in the mix here, and the guitar has a lot of echo/reverb to it that might be further edging out the drums and bass. The piece doesn’t have much of a strong sense of progression until the breakdown/bridge at 1:03, but I like the quirky sound design during the second half of the piece. I know you’re a really talented guitarist, Ritz, but honestly the mix could be a lot tighter here, and I would’ve liked to see you do more with the composition too. Still, I’m a big fan of the rhythmic content, atmosphere, and sound design here. Keep at it, man! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

Ritz190 responds:

Hey thank you for the feedback!

It's been rough getting back into music the way I was before, got kids now and takes most of my time, but I'll def work on the weaker aspects of my music that you have pointed out.

Thanks again! Peace!✌️

[Puffs]

I like the smooth atmosphere at the beginning. The piano sounds a bit harsh in the mix, though - I might suggest using an equalizer to knock down some of the treble-range tones down a peg. The pad slides at :19 and :37 are really cool, and I love the relaxed mood and the rhythmic syncopations in the percussion. The production quality is solid, although the piano and other harmonic instruments could’ve had a tad more room to breathe after the bass comes in at :59. The harmonic content here is very repetitive, though, and at some point I would’ve liked to see you vary the main riffs of the piece or otherwise give the piece a stronger sense of progression. Still, the haunting mood and airy sound design are really nice here. Keep at it, Rilo15! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

ggsevv responds:

Thank you! I'll take this and improve. Be on the lookout for me next year!

[Catastrophe- Mr. Germs (Ft. Reytunez Bz)]

I like the furtive synth at the beginning. The vocals at :11 sound a bit harsh in the mix, and much of the rest of the sound design could use a bit of polish. The kick at :21 is very heavy for an otherwise mellow piece like this, and I would’ve liked to hear some more mixing effects on the harmonic instruments to fill out the atmosphere a bit more. The way the lead synths kinda duck under the other instruments occasionally (suddenly gets quiet at :34, then louder again at :37, etc.) is a bit bizarre, and overall the texture feels very thin and slow to progress for most of the rest of the piece.

You layer on a high-pitched synth at 1:10 or so, but that one could also stand to be a bit softer in the mix - maybe add some reverb and then turn the dry reverb way down, to give it more of an atmospheric appeal. The added percussion at 1:28 is pretty cool, and overall I like the rhythmic content in this piece a lot. That said, the beat later gets a bit too busy-sounding and indistinct at around 2:30 onwards.

Overall, you have a lot of good isolated ideas here, but they don’t always blend together well, and sometimes the sound design detracts from the realization of those ideas. I’d suggest going for some bolder compositional decisions to add variety to the lead synth here - either increasing its range higher or lower at different points of the song, or even having it fade away entirely at times in favor of other melodies and riffs. The beat is really neat here, but the off-beats could’ve been stronger, with more compression on the main snare/perc that’s playing at a given time. I’d suggest adding some reverb on more of the instruments to aid with blending, and then using filtering to even out the texture so that nothing sounds too harsh.

I know this review hasn’t been very positive, but I think you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and progression. You just need the harmonies and sound design components of the composition to match the efforts you’ve put into the rhythm and progression now. When you feel like you’ve implemented my feedback or made other improvements, feel free to PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Keep at it, ReyTunezBz! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5/10

ReytunezBz responds:

Thank you very much for the review. I will use this to grow and progress on future projects. -Reytunez Bz & Mr. Germs.🦠

[Under Surveillance]

I like the echo-y, minimal beat at the beginning. The mysterious-sounding synth bass are a nice touch, as is the flute and the echo-y percussion at :42. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, but the sound design is really cool, and the mix is really loud, crisp, and well-balanced. The transition at 1:25 was pretty sudden. There’s a great sense of mounting tension starting at 1:50, but the part at 2:11 ended up being a bit anticlimactic. The texture is pretty minimal for most of this piece, and as much as I enjoy the synth lead at 2:32, I think all the apprehensive set-up in this piece was a bit of a missed opportunity to really create a high-octane climax later in the piece. When do the burglars realize they’re on camera and start running? When does the guard’s throat get slit? Right now, I’m not sure that moment ever comes. I also think the mix begins to sound a tad strained during the final minute or so of the piece, and the drums in particular seem like they’re fighting for attention. That said, I really like the atmosphere, ominous mood, instrumentation, and progression of this piece. Keep at it, RedCocoa! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

RedCocoa responds:

Thanks for your very in depth feedback :)
I wanted to audition with one of the more experimental tracks on this album and I knew it was a bit of a gamble but I'll take the feedback and improve whatever I'll come up with in the next two weeks. Thanks again!

[continuity error Jazz/IDM/Future [MUSIC VIDEO]]

I like the jazzy vibe at the beginning and the crisp, punchy drums at :16. I think you start overusing that pad and crash with the strong attack at :22, and otherwise the texture is pretty minimal. The sound design is really cool, though, and I like the tempo automations at 1:02 or so. The harmonic content here could use a lot more depth and variety after a while, and I also think the structure of the piece needed a stronger sense of ebb and flow. Right now, the piece just gets a bit repetitive and predictable after a while, despite the neat sound design and strong production quality. I also like when the beat slows down at 2:48 and the off beats get a stronger emphasis than they had before. Clearly, your killer sense of rhythm is on full display here, but I would’ve liked to see you round out the composition a bit more with an overarching sense of narrative and more variety in the harmonies. Still, the instrumentation and mixing are top-notch here. Keep at it, Quarl! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Quarl responds:

Thanks for taking the time TL, and salud!

[Qshunt - The Wyvern Protocol]

I like the gritty atmosphere at the beginning and the ominous vocal samples. I’m also digging the crisp drums at :22 and the build-up into :33. The drop there is a bit minimal, but also catchy and well-balanced in the mix. The production quality is really strong here, even if there are a lot of mixing effects in the texture during the busy parts. The parrots sound really cool, too (I assume it’s the distant screeching sound at 1:50?). The breakdown at 2:01 was good for some structural variety, although the arrangement of the piece is a little generic and the drop/post-chorus sections drag on for a bit too long IMO. By 2:46, I’m loving the rhythmic syncopations in the bass, and the chopped-up vocal samples at 3:05 are also pretty neat. I would’ve liked to hear a stronger “point of arrival” and/or sense of development during the second half of the piece here, and I also think the ending comes on a bid suddenly. That said, you absolutely nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and mixing of this piece. Keep it up, Qshunt! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Qshunt responds:

Thanks for listening and your detailed review!
That's the parrots @ ~1:50 :D

I've actually replaced the file with a better sounding remaster last night that I was hoping to submit before the comp, but regardless, I'm pleased I got through the auditions!

Now for the next round!
I'm up against some pretty stiff competition.
I've checked them out and they make some excellent music.

[Dreaming in Reverse - ft. SOLARIA Lite]

I like the guitar chords and the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The lead instrument at :12 also sounds really soothing and light. The vocals here sound incredibly realistic - maybe it’s just me, but the vibrato on them occasionally makes them sound slightly off-pitch, at least at the beginning.

I like the string melody at 2:13, but the density of the notes makes them sound a bit inauthentic (as a classically trained cellist, it always annoys me when string samples from plugins have a really weak attack, so that every single note sounds like you’re placing the bow on the string for the first time. In real life, the notes would be slurred together in one bow, or otherwise the musician would time it so that the main body of the sound is playing right as the note hits. It’s not your fault. I need to send an angry message to ImageLine or something. But I digress.)

The minimal breakdown at 2:32 was nice for some variety, and I like the re-entry of the vocals with the more mellow (“fantasy”) line at 2:55. The return of that first guitar melody at 3:12 was really nice, and I also really like the additional layers of harmony during the final refrain at 4:12. The production quality is also solid overall, but the drums do seem a bit weak between 4:12 and 5:00, as do the guitars during both refrain sections, actually. Still, I really enjoyed the pensive and mysterious outro.

Overall, the composition is quite impressive here. Despite my nitpicks regarding the sound design and mixing, you totally have me won over with the melodic content, progression, and amount of variety in the texture. Keep it up, Pixxlman! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

PixxlMan responds:

Thanks for the awesome, in depth review! Really glad you liked the song! :)

[Instability]

I like the creepy atmosphere at the beginning and the airy piano lines. The riff at :14 has a couple of nice, dissonant chords, too. The transition at :23 is a bit sudden, but the glitches at :30 are pretty cool, and the mix holds up well despite the busy texture. The frantic synth pattern at :48 was nice, and later the breakdown at 1:20 provided a bit of respite from the high-octane breaks on either side of it. There was a good sense of build into 1:54, although I wished you had varied the melody there a bit compared to the first time it appears. While the mix is impressively clear considering how much is going on, I would’ve liked the drums to “pop” a tad more during some parts, and 1:54 is one of them. Overall, though, this is a really catchy and intense piece with some neat sound design, strong mixing, and a good sense of atmosphere to boot. Keep at it, Nixonic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Nixonic responds:

*Skull*

[Mind Breakout]

I like the cute synth at the beginning. The frantic opening line is a little corny, and I think the airy pad at :11 is a bit too loud in the mix relative to the rest of the harmonies. I like the crisp beats at :22, and the variation in the harmonies at :57 offered a nice break in the repetition. Throughout the piece, the beat is a bit too loud relative to the harmonies, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content. The stop-start beat at 1:44 is a bit bizarre, although I like the glitchy breaks at 1:01. Most of the synths here are pretty cheesy and generic, but the drums sound good. In terms of production, I think the mix could’ve left a lot more space for the harmonic instruments, especially while the beat was playing. The composition is a bit bland after a while, and could use some more depth and variety in the harmonic framework. The piece also ends pretty suddenly. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and progression, but aspects of the sound design, mixing, and compositional details could use some polishing up and fleshing out. Keep at it, NikoN1nja! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.5/10

NikoN1nja responds:

Thanks for review, I'll definitely try to improve all my weak points in the future :)

[Fall-Up]

I like the catchy synth riffs at the beginning and the minimal drums at :15. The harmonies at :30 also help fill out the texture nicely. I really like the injection of energy at 1:01, although the drums get a bit lost in the mix there. I’d suggest adding a compressor to them. The piece could also use some other mixing effects, just to create a stronger sense of atmosphere and more variety over the course of the piece. I’d suggest doing more with reverb and equalizers in particular. The sound design of the piece is fun, perhaps with the exception of the brass at 2:02, which sounds pretty inauthentic. The arrangement here sounds pretty formulaic - the texture shifts every 8 measures or so, but within those 8 measures, there’s not much of a sense of ebb and flow. You can use tools like filtering and automation to help address that - YouTube should have plenty of tutorials on how to do so in your software program if you don’t already know how. Still, this piece is catchy and cute, and has some neat synths and a good sense of rhythm and progression. Keep at it, NGE! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

NewGameExplorers responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I'll try to use what you suggested.