TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Shopkeeper]

I like the bouncy piano riff at the beginning. The mix is full, clean, and well-balanced, and the sound design is refreshing. This is one of the most authentic-sounding vocoders I’ve ever heard - I thought it was a real person singing for a full 6-8 seconds. The conversational tone of the lyrics is really nice, too. Feels like this song is right out of a musical. The layered string/guitar melody at :51 complements the vocal verse perfectly, and the exposed percussion line at 1:08 does a great job of pushing the “reset button” on the song. The layered vocal line at 2:15 was a great way of adding closure to the piece - it feels like the level of attention to detail and passion for her work the shopkeeper is demonstrating is increasing as the song goes on. Really strong work here, Vermeen! You told a convincing story with this one, right down to the vocaloid. Keep it up! ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.75/10

vermeen responds:

thank you so much! i really did try to bring out a sense of playfulness with this track, i feel proud it shone through. while i don't quite expect to stack up against the veteran competitors in the finals, i'll come up with something i know i'll enjoy writing like i did with this.

[Fairy Tail]

I like the glitchy vocals at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere. You started to overuse the vocal samples a bit once the call-and-response started between the “designated for termination” authoritative voice and the more indistinct, calm voice. The sound design is a bit cheesy, including the synths, but the vocal samples take up a bit too much of the mix compared to the synths throughout. The “narrative” of the piece is driven mostly by the vocals, although the techno backing track does have a nice, full texture. Overall, I really enjoyed the creepy mood, rhythmic components, and progression, but some of the other compositional elements are a bit lacking, including melodic content and transitory moments. I also wasn’t too impressed with the sound design - it’s way too dependent on the vocal samples to maintain interest, as much of the rest of it is some pretty unpolished and generic synths. Not to be too harsh, though. You’re clearly a guru at crafting some compelling atmospheres with some catchy techno riffs. Keep at it, Ukatz! :)

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

Ukatz responds:

It's hard to deny some problems with instrumental part, for the most part I focused on voices and probably, as usual, wanted to throw as much as possible, I'll take this into account in future.
Thank you for your feedback, and in general for holding such an event, it was a pleasure to participate for the first time

[Scars]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the combination of the gritty guitars and majestic vocals at :07. I think the compression is a little heavy - the drums are taking up a lot of space in the mix, to the extent that they’re really breaking up the sound waves of the other instruments. The intensity and thick texture are really fun, and I like how you contrasted that with the eerie atmosphere at 1:20. Later on, the piece doesn’t quite get back to the same “emotional height” as before, and I thought the ending could’ve been a bit more creative than a fade-out. I also think there could’ve been some more dynamic melodic content in this piece, as the most prominent example of that is the (short-lived) guitar riff at 1:03. That said, you nailed the atmosphere, rhythmic elements, and sound design here. Solid work, ProjectSoary! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

ProjectSoary responds:

Sorry for the late reply. Thank you very much for the detailed review! I'll def. keep that in mind for future releases. Still learning how use this GGD drum plugin. Much appreciated!

[Ruins of old]

I like the string chords at the beginning and the cutesy synth at :17. I’m enjoying the atmosphere at :31 too, but the kick drum there sounds like it has a tad too much treble for my tastes. The cello at :46 sounds pretty inauthentic, but it also blends in well with the texture. The piece is a tad slow to develop at times, but you kept things interesting by doing things like the volume adjustments on the piano line at 1:20. The flute solos at around 2:05 work well, but I would’ve liked to see some more variation on the main melodies during the last minute or so. The arrangement of this piece feels a bit formulaic at times, with very little phrasing within a particular section. The production quality is pretty good, but sometimes the mix feels like it’s missing some higher-pitched tones that would balance it out more. The composition also could’ve been a bit more dynamic and bold at times. Still, overall I enjoyed the atmosphere, sound design, melodies, and progression of this one. Keep at it, OliRO! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

OliRO responds:

Thank you so much for this detailed review! It was quite a good challenge for me and I appreciated every bit of it. If there is something I learned on this one is to be a bit less square in my construction and more daring in the phrasing. : )

[Garden of Eden]

I like the cutesy synth riffs at the beginning and the bouncy beat. Some of the synths are a bit cheesy, but they pair well with the upbeat mood and crisp drums. The melodies at :44 are nice, but they could’ve been a bit more up-front in the mix compared to the rhythm section. The panning here is also pretty heavy for my tastes sometimes. Composition-wise, you clearly have a strong sense of harmony and progression, although the harmonic framework is pretty generic and the drums could be a bit more creative at times. I appreciated the scale-back in the texture at 2:30 to offer some more structural contrast. Other than that part, the piece felt like the piece had a near-constant energy level for 6 minutes, which is a lot of time to stay engaged. I’m enjoying the melodies at 3:51, and again at 4:22. The arrangement of this piece feels a little dragged-out, especially since there isn’t much of a strong sense of overarching “story” here, but it’s still smooth-flowing and has a good amount of variety. Overall, this is a strong piece, Pandaguru! Nice work with the production, melodies, transitions, sound design, and mood. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Pandaguru responds:

Thank you for the detailed review and organizing the competition! Will keep your points in mind for next time.

[Mestrix - Reverie [King Step Release]]

I like the emotional quality of the piano at the beginning and the bouncy synths at :25. The progression is a little slow-paced, but I liked the build-up into 1:03. The percussion at the drop is a little generic, and I also would’ve liked to see some more harmonic variety at some point. You did a nice job crafting the upbeat mood and dynamic contrast, though. I also liked the cute melodies at the breakdown at 1:43. Things come together well at the second “emotional height” of the piece at 2:24, but it’s still missing a bit of dynamism in the composition, at least in terms of the harmonic structure. The mixing is strong here, although at times it feels a tad over-compressed, especially at :22 where the kick takes up so much space. Still, you won me over here with the upbeat mood, melodies, emotional appeal, and phrasing. Keep at it, MestrixMusic! :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

MestrixMusic responds:

Thanks man, super stoked to be in the finals. I'll take what you said into consideration!

[Sacrifice for Everything]

I like the jazzy atmosphere at the beginning and the echo-y percussion. The distorted guitar at :20 is another nice addition to the sound design on top of the spacey pads and smooth bass. The atmosphere drops away a bit suddenly at :38, but the dreamy breakdown at :58 helps rekindle that moodiness that I found so appealing in the first 30 seconds of this piece. The production quality here is really strong, too. The return of the gritty guitars at 1:53 drags me back down to earth, at which point I might’ve liked to see a bit more harmonic variety. Still, you’ve kept me engaged with the creative drum riffs (like at 2:38) and pleasant surprises in the texture (like the addition of the acoustic guitar at 2:58). The composition on the refrain could’ve been a tad bolder, but otherwise all of the pieces are in place here - you nailed the emotive, dreamlike quality, in addition to the mixing, sound design, and progression. Keep it up, Introverse! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Introverse responds:

Thanks again for wonderful feedback!

[Electric Seasons]

I like the quirky percussion at the beginning, but the texture stays pretty minimal for a while thereafter. The mix is also pretty quiet, and you switch pretty suddenly between moods/textures a lot here. The plucky synth at :37 quickly fades to the smooth pads at :55, and there’s a completely different riff on the original synth at 1:14. That riff at 1:14 is also a bit hard-to-follow melodically, as there are a lot of jumps to far-off pitches. The atmospheric section at the end flows a lot better than the first half, although overall the piece still doesn’t feel very cohesive. I really enjoyed the sound design and a lot of the isolated riffs here, and the mix holds up well despite being very quiet, but the choppy arrangement and bizarre harmonic progressions (like at 1:14) are big turn-offs for me here. Working on some of the transitions here and integrating the different instruments as part of a coherent harmonic layer would help you earn a higher score from me. Right now, it’s just a little hard to follow the progression here, and then during the last part of the piece (when I can follow the progression decently well), the piece doesn’t feel very dynamic. Until then, I enjoyed the mixing, fun sound design, atmosphere, and mood of the piece. Keep at it, IndustryStandard! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
6.75/10

IndustryStandard responds:

A fair interpretation. I wasn't super happy with how this one came out to be honest, but the due date was up and this was the best I had. I was hoping to stumble on a bit of inspiration to build off of, so I kept playing with different ideas hoping one of them would grow into something but they never really did. Oh well, a great band once said: "They can't all be zingers"

[Welcome to the party!]

I like the gradual fade-in at the beginning and the synth brass. The melodies are really nice, although the filtering (like at :31) makes them sound a bit unnatural. I also think the harmonic details were a tad ambitious here sometimes, like at around :35 - the piano and brass are getting in each other’s way a bit. The tempo automation at 1:30 was a great idea - even though you’ve overused that main melody a bit by then, it made the texture feel refreshed. The added harmonies at 2:05 were a nice touch, and I really like the mellow outro. The mix is well-balanced and full throughout, although the compression is a tad overdone for my tastes. I usually like more variation on the melodies when it’s repeated this many times, but you found plenty of other parameters for creating variety in this piece, including a really creative tempo change that gave this track a second wind. Solid work, Indexation! :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

IndexatioN responds:

Oh wow, thanks for the feedback

[Legend Slayer]

Haha, I can totally see how this is stylistically a metal track through and through, even though the instruments are all synths. That bass is especially nice, and comes through really well in the mix. It might’ve been nice to add a bit more reverb onto the lead, just because it’s hard to mimic the full-sounding body of an electric guitar with a dry synth. The atmosphere at 1:23 helps that cause a bit, though. Sometimes, the arrangement of this piece is a bit choppy, like when you switch out the lead and drum pattern suddenly at 1:37 without much forewarning. I also think the composition could’ve sounded a bit more dynamic here - the energy and volume levels are pretty constant, and the structure feels formulaic sometimes. It felt like you needed something here to break the tension in the piece - a solo midway through, for example - that never really came. Otherwise, the piece sounds pretty anticlimactic and stale after a while. The production quality, sound design, and rhythmic content are all really good, though. It’s just the composition that feels a bit too robotic and square. Anyway, keep at it, Immitis! :)

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?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

Immitis responds:

Thank you!

For instruments I used VST guitar and bass in addition to a synth playing the same parts, glad you like the sound. I was not going for an electric guitar sound on the lead, you said it, it's not really possible to replicate with only synthesizers.

As for the structure, I tried some things like putting an interlude around the middle of the track to break the tension, but I felt like it only detracted from the overall mood and I would have to change the rest of the composition too much. If not the time limit I could probably have come back to the song later with a fresh mind and change things up, but that's not the point of the contest.

Thanks again for the feedback!