TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Clashing Palletes]

The stringed instrument at the beginning is pretty catchy, and the staticky white noise at :07 is cool, even if the attack was a little strong on the latter. At :14, the harmonies work well, but the mix sounds a bit strained. I think there might be a bit too much reverb in the texture, and I’d also suggest looking into adding a compressor on the drums, if that’s an option in Jummbox. The string melodies at :58 are really nice, and the synth riff at 1:12 is really catchy as well. The whole call-and-response structure you have during the middle section of the piece is really fun and engaging. That said, I also enjoyed when you slowed down the pacing at 1:40 and got back to the more melodic content. The arrangement of this piece comes off as a tad disjointed at times, as there are a lot of different sections that play in quick succession. I think the one at 2:25 was a good one to end on, though - it’s energetic and climactic, and complements the outro at 2:39 well. Some of the sound design elements are a bit cheesy, including the sweeps and the (relatively inauthentic) stringed instruments.

I think the biggest problem with the piece is that the texture sounds a bit muddy. An important way I can tell that the mix is not as clean as it could be is that the drums are very hard to hear during the busier sections. There are a lot of ways to go about fixing this, but the most important is probably using what’s called an equalizer, or EQ. You might know this already, but if so I think you need to use them way more often. Basically, every single instrument in your song should use an EQ to filter out all the frequencies below around 200 Hertz, except for the bass and kick drum. You should also try to select and manipulate your instruments so that there aren’t more than 2-3 playing in the same frequency range at a given time, and the visualizer on your EQ is a good way of identifying which instruments are in which frequency ranges. Other mixing techniques you might employ to make the sound quality sharper include panning, compression (especially on the drums), and more advanced techniques like stereo widening.

I’m going over this in detail here because, frankly, I think that this track could be a top-notch piece in this competition if you had paid more attention to the mixing here. Mixing is probably the most technical of the skill sets you need to make electronic music well, but you clearly already have the other ones down. You have a great sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression already. Let me know if you have more questions about mixing. Again, I might not be able to answer Jummbox-specific questions, but you should be able to find YouTube tutorials about how to mix in Jummbox, or more specific things like how to add a compressor to your drums in Jummbox, etc. Best of luck! Keep at it, ButterBees. ^_^

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

ButterBees responds:

...thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. Ever since the start of the pandemic and even a little before, I've been trying my absolute hardest to learn all of this myself and to see that the only thing I'm really missing from my music is a better understanding of mixing (something I've never really delved into yet, but definitely will now), it's inspired confidence in me like never before.

This is the best feedback I've ever received from anyone, and it tells me that not only can I reasonably fix and improve my songs from the past, but I can further improve my own style going into the future. I'll look into tutorial videos and try experimenting to my fullest with this knowledge in tow.

I am overwhelmed with emotion right now. You don't know how much this means to me.

Thank you for holding this contest and for inspiring a guy like me to keep my head held high.

[Another Day of Endless Pain]

I like the catchy synth riffs and the minimal percussion at the beginning. The synths themselves sound a tad cheesy and generic, but the melody synth at :29 is also pretty quirky and fun. The first melodic section does drag on for a bit too long with only minimal changes to the harmonies, but I like the extra percussion line at 2:10. The breakdown/re-intro at 2:12 was a good idea, as was slowing the pacing of the chord progression down at 2:41. Other than that, the piece gets a bit repetitive and predictable after a while. After 3:10 or so, I felt like I had heard all there was to hear, tbh. There was that section with the faster bassline at 4:09, but it might’ve been nice to switch up the harmonic framework/chord progression entirely at some point. I also might’ve liked to hear a less abrupt ending here, perhaps with a fuller outro. In terms of mixing, your drums could’ve been a bit punchier - I’d look into adding some compression on them. Still, this piece is catchy, well-structured, and has some really nice melodies. Keep at it, BigBlueBazooka! You earned a scout. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

BigBlueBazooka responds:

Thanks for the feedback. I will take onboard what you said.
and thanks for scouting me.

[Worlds Between]

I like the quirky synth arpeggios at the beginning and the heavier guitar riff that comes in shortly thereafter. This piece has nice, crisp drums and a loud, well-balanced mix. The transition into the more tranquil section at :33 was a bit abrupt, but I loved the solos at 1:05. The gritty, rhythmic bridge at 1:46 came on a tad suddenly, but I love the jumpy solo at 2:20 and the brief, jangly section at 3:00. I like how you brought the synth arpeggios back at 3:20 - truly a full-circle piece. The ending was pretty abrupt, though. In fact, the biggest complaint I have here is that elements of the arrangements are pretty disjointed. Otherwise, though, you’ve made a catchy, expressive, and well-mastered piece that’s full of variety (and killer solos!). Rock on, BOE! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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
9.25/10

BeyondOurEyes responds:

Thank you for the amazing score and constructive feedback, greatly appreciated! <3

[Far Beyond]

I like the suspenseful mood at the beginning and crisp string riff at :15. Once the drums come in, the compression is a bit heavy for my tastes, and I think the sidechaining distorts the string lines more than is necessary. The breaks at 1:14 were really catchy and intense, but that section also seemed a bit too dragged-out. Adding the vocals during the bridge was a great idea, but the processing on them was a bit heavy compared to the orchestral flair of the rest of the piece. The lyrics themselves are also enjoyable, though, and I liked the build-up into 3:00. I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety in the drop the second time around compared to the first, but it was still an effective way of hitting the piece home. Overall, I commend you for the clean mix, progression, sound design, and atmosphere of this one. Some aspects of the piece seemed a bit over-produced, and aspects the arrangement were a bit generic, but otherwise you’ve made a dramatic, catchy, and compelling track here, Benji. Keep it up! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

Benji-G responds:

Hey thank you TaintedLogic! I greatly appreciate the effort you make to give us such detailed reviews, they're incredibly helpful.

[Unsichtbar]

I like the echo-y bass growl that plays every 2 measures during the first minute. The lead synth is pretty bland and dry - some more mixing effects on it might help keep me engaged during what is otherwise a pretty slow-paced intro. I like the furtive feel at :53, although the long stop-start transition at 1:26 didn’t quite work for me. It also threw me off that the guitars totally took over the texture at 1:30 - I would suggest at least introducing the guitars earlier to foreshadow its role as the lead instrument later on. I also would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content earlier on in the piece, especially since the “verses” in the piece are so repetitive. I like the transition into 3:16 and the additional atmospheric elements there. The mixing is pretty good overall, although the drums could’ve been punchier with a bit more compression. The key change at 4:26 was a good idea, although I thought the transition into it could’ve been smoother. In retrospect, 4:26 was a good way of concluding the piece, as it’s easily the most melodic and memorable part. That said, I still wanted to hear more melodic content and a fuller texture earlier. The outro at 5:20 has some neat phasing and panning effects, too. Overall, you have a good sense of harmony and some decent mixing skills. I’m not always a huge fan of your sound design choices, and some of the arrangement details in this track could use more effort. Still, you’ve put together a catchy piece with a well-balanced mix and a killer final solo here. Keep at it, BBaNK! ^_^

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

BBaNK responds:

Thanks for the review TL, appreciate it!

[Universal Pulse]

I like the dreamy synth riffs at the beginning, and the eerie harmonies that come in shortly thereafter. The progression is a bit slow-paced, but by the time the crisp drums and guitars come in at :43, I’m starting to feel the groove more. The reverb on the drums is a bit heavy for my tastes, and the snare sample sounds a tad thin and high-pitched too. The chord progression and arrangement of the piece are a bit generic. I really like the way the piece slowly builds up to 1:25, although the synth melody there was a tad cheesy and generic-sounding. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the pulsating pads at 2:00 - they were a little disorienting at first, and also have too much reverb IMO. I like how you stripped away the beat at 2:25, and then immediately offered some contrast in the energy level with the killer guitar solo at 2:40. You transitioned well back into the refrain at 3:16, although I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety on some of those main riffs and melodies the second time around. Still, the piece comes together well by the end, and the mix holds up well despite the busy texture there. Overall, despite my complaints with the instrumentation and compositional details, you’ve clearly displayed your strong production, melody-writing, and progression skills here. Keep at it, Barbier! ^_^

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
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

BarbierDoesMusic responds:

Hey, thanks for the feedback! Yeah, at this point I was still getting the hang of using my virtual instruments, also the lack of time due to my personal challenge of posting a song per week to train more my music making skills. Still, I'm really glad you liked it (specially the guitar solo, it also was my fav part to make :D).

Welp, it sucks that I didn't get to the competition this year, but will shoot for the next, as well as the NGUAC to see what happens. Thanks for the opportunity and for checking out!! ^^

[Waiting]

I like the tranquil guitar riffs at the beginning and the crisp drums that come in shortly thereafter. I love the soothing vocals, and the lyrics themselves are also really good. I’m personally not a fan of the throaty “scoop” up to the first note in the phrase, which is particularly noticeable at :24 and :31. I also think the main guitar riff is playing slightly off-beat during the verses - it might need some re-quantization. You also might try to edit out the mic distortion at 1:17, or otherwise re-record that part. By the end of the second refrain at around 2:00, the harmonic framework was getting a tad repetitive, so I’m glad you came in with the eerie atmospheric part at 2:23. The distortion on the guitar at 2:55 is really cool, although that part of the piece felt a tad dragged-out. That said, the return of the soothing vocals at the very end really helped tie up the piece nicely in my opinion. Overall, while aspects of the production and recording are rough around the edges, I really like the relaxed, almost spiritualistic, quality to this piece, as well as the sound design and lyrics. Keep at it, Anoth3rMind! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Anoth3rMind responds:

Thank you. We love the perspective you brought and appreciate the time you took to highlight the different parts of the song.

[Roaring Call of the Dark Ones | AlphaStorm]

I like the relaxed guitar riff at the beginning. The heavier chords definitely help up the energy level, and I like the more melodic lead at :23 too. The vocals were a good idea, although I think they could’ve used a bit more power behind them at times. They sound a tad thin and hollow. Part of the problem might be that you don’t draw out the note length at the ends of phrases, nor are your vowels particularly tall or resonant. In terms of composition, I like the breakdown at 2:30 and the solos at 3:15, which both help break up the verse-chorus structure of the rest of the piece rather effectively. The harmonic framework is a bit generic, although I do like the added harmonies during the final refrain at 4:45. My favorite element of the piece is probably the production quality - everything sounds so clear and crisp in the mix, although occasionally the drums struggle to stay out front. Overall, I really like the composition and the mixing and mastering. Some of the sound design details and vocal editing could use some polishing up, but you’ve put together a catchy track with some compelling lyrics here, AlphaStorm. Keep it up! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

AlphaStormMusic responds:

Thank you for the feedback! For what it's worth, I'm not primarily a vocalist. This song was the second time I've released something with vocals and done so proudly in years, and I'm still trying to find my voice (planning on taking private vocal lessons for this kind of music soon). As well, this was a song I've had for so long that I wanted to get it out into the world and thought it might work as my submission. But I'll be honest, I forgot I submitted at all xD

I'll definitely take your feedback into mind for the future! And thank you for taking the time to review it!

[Where I am]

I like the catchy piano riffs at the beginning, although the piano itself sounds a little bare in the mix - some more reverb and other mixing effects might’ve helped jazz it up a bit. It also sounds like it was sampled from a DAW with relatively little “humanziation” - automating the volume levels and note lengths might help make it feel more authentic, and you could also use a MIDI keyboard to record it yourself if you have one. That said, I like the string chords at :40 a lot, as well as the creative drum patterns. Again, the drum pattern itself might need a bit more “pop” in the mix, including some more compression and reverb.

I like the breaks at 1:25, although the mix gets a bit distorted once those eerie synths come in at 1:45. I might try to soften up the sidechaining and try to make the EQs a little tighter. By around 2:30, the synth line feels like it’s falling behind the beat a bit - can’t if something either wasn’t quantized or misaligned in the piano roll, or otherwise the delay effects are a bit too heavy. I like the re-intro at 2:50, although that section could’ve been a tad more dynamic and led into the final refrain at 3:55 more organically. I found the extended pause at 3:45 to be a bit disorienting. I’m glad you added the sweeping pads and mallets at 4:30 for some extra pizzazz, although this is another spot where the mix could be a bit tighter. You tied up the piece well with the militaristic percussion and reverb automations.

Overall, I’ve lobbed a lot of nitpicky criticism at you here, but this piece is catchy, well-structured, and has a number of neat compositional details, from the rhythmic syncopations to the filtering effects during transitions. Keep at it, AlienSumo! ^_^

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

VaeArt responds:

well first off thank you for leaving such a well constructed critique even if it is "nitpicky", second i agree on a lot of the critiques/ points made it does sound a bit robotic and messy, and the synth does kind of just lag behind and or disappear, the drums feel quite dry and do need to pop out a bit side chaining is a bit aggressive at times.

I'll try in the future to mitigate these kinks, and i once again thank you for leaving a critique and i appreciate the compliments and i hope to get around to joining NGADM when ever it arrives again. <3

[Eyes]

I like the smooth guitar at the beginning and the harmonies that come in shortly thereafter. The drums are a bit soft in the mix, though. I think they could benefit from some more compression. The vocal layering is really nice here, and your voice has a really classic ‘90s coffee shop sort of feel. The mixing on the vocals could be a bit stronger, though - they get a tad buried during the refrain. I really like the solos at 2:20 and the transition back into the final refrain at 3:06. The ending comes on a little suddenly here, and aspects of the arrangement are a little generic, but my main complaint here is still the mixing. The drums need to be punchier, and the vocals more up-front. Compression should get you 70% of the way there, but level automations and equalizers are probably also necessary to really emphasize the frequencies of the vocals that they share with other instruments. That said, the composition and sound design here are fantastic. Keep it up, Ajtastic! ^_^

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

Ajtastic responds:

Thanks so much for the in depth feedback, I really appreciate it!