TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Silver drum]

I like the airy guitar at the beginning and the rather ominous atmosphere. The heavy echo effects on the guitars are a bit overwhelming at first, but as the rest of the instruments fill in I don’t notice it too much. The synths that come in at :17 are a bit cheesy, but I like the E-piano. The texture starts sounding much fuller and moree well-balanced once the beat comes in at :32. Overall, the cutesy sound design is great here, and I appreciate the liberties you took with the harmonic framework, like with the riff at 1:02. I might’ve liked to see you switch up the main melodies and riffs a bit more towards the end, but I like how the piece ends on a pretty dissonant chord. The composition here felt a tad stiff at times, with a lot of repetition later on a variety created mostly through adding and subtracting instruments over time, as opposed to more advanced methods like dynamic contrast, filtering, and automation. But overall, this is a cute and fun piece with some neat instrumentation and solid mixing. Keep at it, LeanLean! :)

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

LeanLean responds:

@TaintedLogic
@ADR3-N
Thank you for inviting me to the contest and thanks for giving me constructive criticism that I can use to be a better person, its appreciated. Thanks.

[Dream]

I like the quirky synths, slap bass, and warm pads at the beginning. Some of the synths that come in later sound a bit cheesy, though, like the one at :22. I think the mix can come across as a bit indistinct at times. The drums aren’t quite as front-and-center as I want them to be, and some of the lower-pitched synths sound pretty murky. The vocal samples at :47 are pretty cool, but after a while you start to overuse them a bit. The rhythmic content here is really nice, although I’m not quite sold on the composition, as the texture is pretty minimal and bottom-heavy during much of the middle section, and there isn’t much in the way of melodic content or structural variety to keep me engaged. I also think a lot of the drum samples here sound pretty generic. Later on, the piece sounds pretty repetitive, although I like the injection on energy at 2:54 and the rhythmic content during the last minute or so. Overall, you have a good sense of rhythm, progression, and harmony, but the mix could be tightened up a bit, and I would’ve liked to see a stronger sense of ebb and flow in the composition. Still, this is going to be stuck in my head for a while. Keep at it, HG-HL! :)

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

HG-HL responds:

Thank you so much for the analysis! Over time I’ll hopefully get out of my looping phase lol. I’ll also try to get some plugins to get some different sounds into my songs :)

[A new Chapter]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the organic sound design. The upbeat melodies and well-balanced harmonies suit the mood well, and I like the “B” section at :38 too. The piece feels a bit slow to progress after a while, given the constant energy level and instrumental palette. The somewhat darker chords at 1:50 help add some variety, but overall I’d like to see a stronger sense of ebb and flow in the composition here. Later on, the modulations help hit the piece home, but you also might consider adding some drums or something to help drive the piece forward a little more. Lastly, the mix is a tad quiet, even though the frequencies are well-balanced and clear. Overall, you nailed the relaxed and determined mood, sound design, and melodic content here. A little more variety in the texture would’ve been welcome, but clearly you’re a talented composer. Keep at it, Gemini*2! :)

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

GeminiGemini responds:

Thank you for the review

[Castle Dregs]

I like the ominous-sounding organ riff at the beginning. The long pause at :11 threw me off a bit, and then the bass riff at :16 took the piece in a bit of an unexpected direction. The beat there is really catchy, and has a cool instrumental palette, but the mix sounds a bit strained and distorted throughout the rest of the piece, with the organ not quite popping through on top of the beat as much as I would’ve liked and the drums sounding a bit soft too. I’d suggest toning down the reverb on that bass riff and giving more space in the mix to the harmonic instruments.

Compositionally, there are a lot of cool ideas in here, from the creative rhythmic content in the drums to the string riffs at 1:50 or so. That said, there isn’t quite enough structuring in the piece to keep me engaged for the whole 5.5 minutes. The energy level is almost constant, and despite slight changes in the instrumental palette, I’m not getting a strong sense of narrative direction in this piece over time. The result is that the composition comes off as a bit bland, and needs more ebb and flow over time. It also seemed like you didn’t quite know how to end the piece, given the fade-out ending.

Overall, you have a great sense of harmony, rhythm, and sound design, but the production quality and compositional details here fall flat at the end of the day. Limit the distortion on the harmonic instruments in the mix and add some more compelling progression over time, and this piece is easily an 8 out of 10, at least. Keep at it, djadj50! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6/10

SednovaNova responds:

I appreciate the tips and the constructive feedback. I can learn a lot from this. I have been looking for some feedback it has been something I needed to hear. Thank you so much for this criticism. It is really appreciated and welcomed! It is true, I was confused at the end about where I was going. I usually come back to the piece later. I did, but I decided on an end that probably needed more work. I appreciate it.

[Follow Me]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The more minimal section at :24 was also cute, but felt a little dragged-out by the end. There’s a good sense of climax into 1:00, and I’m enjoying the sense of arrival and release of tension there. The mix is well-balanced and clean, but a little quiet here. You transition well into the breakdown at 1:46, and the vocaloid section there was a nice touch. I would’ve liked to hear a bit more variation on the main melody during the second refrain, but the outro at 2:58 with the different rhythmic elements worked well to hit the piece home. The arrangement of the piece is a bit generic, but the structure flows nicely and has a strong narrative appeal. Overall, solid work here, Dewey! :)

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

DeweyDewster09 responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I was inspired by Panda Eyes and Nitro Fun.

[Conspiracy]

I like the frantic percussion and quirky synths at the beginning. The piece is a tad slow to progress at first, but the bass at :30 and subsequent call-and-response action with the quirky percussion at :45 helps keep me engaged in the meantime. The rhythmic content at :56 is just awesome, and the squeaky effect that comes in every 2 bars made me laugh out loud. The sound design here is so unique and fun, and there’s a constant sense of evolution and variety. Towards the end, the arrangement seems to get a tad formulaic/repetitive, but within the part that repeats (up until 1:42), there’s so much variety that it’s hard to be mad at the later repetition. My only complaint with the mixing is that the percussion is distorting some of the background elements of the piece at 2:07 or so. Usually, my judging standards include things like “melodic content” and “structural contrast,” but honestly fuck my judging standards. This piece is delightful. Keep up the good work, DDI! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

DEATH-DANGER-INCOME responds:

Thank you very much! Appreciate it. <3
Had to use the heart one time, sorry.

[rain.]

I like the piano riff at the beginning and the quirky textures in the background. The distorted saxophone riff at :16 is a nice touch, and the ocean sound effects complement the instrumental palette well. The production quality is strong here, with a booming sub-bass that sits perfectly in the mix to boot. I kinda wish the melodies at 1:07 were a bit more prominent in the texture, and in general I think some more prominent melodic content would’ve given this piece a more well-rounded character, but the rich piano at the end helped scratch a bit of that itch for me. I think the piece would make a great loop, too given the abrupt ending. Overall, this is strong work! The composition could’ve used a tad more fleshing out in my opinion, but other than that my complaints are all nitpicks. Keep at it, Crysstal712! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Crysstal712 responds:

Thanks for the feedback :)

[Thistle]

I like the moody, pensive vibe at the beginning and the melancholy and dissonant harmonies. The rhythm is also rather compelling, although sometimes the progression here is a bit disorienting. Once the texture starts filling out at :48, you immediately start scaling it back and take the piece in an entirely different direction by 1:00. Your oscillation between moody and jazzy on the one hand, and blissful and orchestral on the other make it feel like part of a rich and complex narrative. The production quality is also fantastic, btw. And the more full-textured section at 3:00 helps hit the piece home. I think it’s rather ironic that you uploaded this in July, as there’s something distinctly wintery about the jazzy and ominous harmonies. The entire piece sounds like I’m watching an old man struggle to shovel his driveway on a snowy Sunday afternoon. Overall, this is a really unique piece - in terms of sound design, rhythm, and otherwise. Honestly, let me know if there’s somewhere I can download this. Keep up the good work, Cresince! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

Cresince responds:

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response! I love your wintery viewpoint on the song, it definitely has that vibe now that you point it out.

I made a private link so you or anyone can download the wav file here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-132925677/thistle/s-fgVV76fM00G?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I'll be trying my best for this contest! Thanks again for hosting a great event. <3

[Gorgeous Fantasy]

I like the upbeat mood and airy piano riffs at the beginning. When the beat comes in at :23, it seems to really distort the melodies, though. The mix seems a bit more well-balanced during the climactic section at :45, and I appreciate the variations in the beat and the instrumental palette at 1:30. That said, the harmonic content feels pretty stagnant after a while. I think the breakdown at 1:51 was a missed opportunity to do something different in that regard, although I do like the addition of the strings at 2:15. In that same vein, some more variation on the main melody later on in the piece would’ve been welcome. Even a modulation of transposition up the octave would’ve helped keep things sounding fresh towards the end. That said, I think you nailed the atmosphere, sound design, and progression of this one, and my complaints with the mixing are minor. Adding some more memorable and dynamic melodic content, as well as variety in the composition later on, are important steps for turning this into a top-tier piece. Keep at it, CrazyKryz13! :)

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

CrazyKryz13 responds:

Thank you for your review! I'll try and learn more to make my music better! Next year of NGUAC I'll try to remember to come back to show off ;)
Thank you.

[new day]

I like the dreamy texture at the beginning. The vocals were a pleasant surprise - well-mixed and appropriate for the tone of the piece. I like the hip-hop-inspired drums at :40 and the groovy rhythmic elements at :56. At times, the lyrics and synths alike sounded a bit cheesy, but the execution on the vocals is impressive. I’m also impressed with the mastering quality here - all the instruments are well-balanced, clear, and loud in the mix. I like how you process the backing vocals at 2:11 to function as pads. The mellow breakdown at 2:50 was good for some structural variety, and the solo at 3:25 really helps hit the piece home. The transition into 3:25 was fun in and of itself, and you’ve really showed off your melody-writing skills here. Honestly, it’s rare to find a newer musician on Newgrounds who’s a great vocalist, talented producer, and compositional guru all in one. I think you’re going to go far in this competition, Cade. Keep up the good work! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

cad-mium responds:

thank you so much for the kind words! I appreciate it