TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Salt The Earth]

Really creative intro, and the sound design is really engaging and fun between the gritty synth bass and sitar. The texture stays pretty thin for most of the first minute, but the sense of apprehension is cool, and I’m enjoying the rhythmic content. The part at 1:01 felt a bit anticlimactic, and I’m not sure the cheesy plucked synth melody really fit well with the ominous vibe of the minute before that. I also feel like, during the post-chorus at 1:15 or so, the gritty bass and melodies trip over each other a bit. The piano and organ at the breakdown worked well, and I enjoyed the dark turn in the progression at 2:06. The crunchy rhythmic outro was also really unique. Overall, the composition was a tad too experimental for me here - I think part of the problem is that you went experimental on a number of different parameters - sound design, harmony, rhythm, progression - so it got a little hard-to-follow after a while. I also think the mix, while clean, feels a tad too thin and constrained. Maybe part of it is that there isn’t a ton of treble in the frequency range, which makes it feel off-balance at times. Overall, there are a lot of really cool ideas in here, but the choppy arrangement and experimental texture don’t quite come together for me. I can tell you’re a really talented composer, though - the melodies themselves are enjoyable, the mix is really sharp and distinct, and the sound design has some really cool samples in it that fit the piece well. Keep at it, GearWax! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.75/10

Iosun responds:

had a hard time working with the drop in general, nothing i did seemed to sound mono enough and the synth was a bit of a last minute change (as in i literally did it on the last possible day i could have sumitted)

the experimental sound is just kind of how I compose in general, it wasn't something intentional for this, I just kind of put ideas in based on whatever would sound good next most of the time which leads to the common review complaint that it feels choppy (as you pretty directly said lol)

thanks for review, even if it didnt make it. this is definitely on the table for a remaster or at the very least more attention put into it, I still think the ideas have more potential than i used them for

[METOL]

I like the edgy guitar riffs and crisp percussion at the beginning. The more melodic content at :43 is really refreshing, and the frantic riffs at around 2:15 add some nice variety to the texture as well. The arpeggios at 3:20 also work well. I also appreciate how well-varied the drums are. In fact, my only complaint with the composition is probably that I would’ve liked to see a bit more melodic content later in the piece. After the bridge at 2:20 or so, the texture was mostly dominated by bass riffs. It felt like you were leading up to a final “emotional height” at around 3:30, but that section ends up being a bit anticlimatic. Mixing-wise, the panning is a bit heavy for my tastes at times, but all the instruments sound really clean and clear, and the drums in particular are super crisp and punchy. The sound design is solid, and you did a great job of selling the energy and mood of the piece too. Overall, strong work here, Dave! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Daveisgr81 responds:

Thanks so much for the positive review - I really appreciate the time you took to do it :)

Good to see you still running this comp too :D

[stolthet]

I like the quirky percussion towards the beginning, although I’m not sure I like that the percussion gets so much blander when the guitar comes in at :22. The guitar riffs are nice and relaxed, and I’m enjoying the filtering and atmospheric details by :40 or so. The bass harmonies are a bit dissonant with the lead, but in a way that fits the experimental texture. The section from :37 to 1:36 could’ve been a tad more dynamic, and I also might’ve liked to see a smoother transition to the breakdown at 1:46 besides a fade-out/fade-in. That said, the ping pong echo effects are really nice during the final minute here, as are the cheesy synth brass pads. Overall, I have no complaints with the production quality or sound design either. Really evocative piece, Aweror. You won me over with the spacey mixdown, relaxed mood, and instrumentation. The composition could’ve been a tad bolder, but overall solid work! ^_^

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?)
.25/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Aweror responds:

thanks so much! i hope everyone judging nguac knows that the feedback is really helpful!!

[Cave Siren]

I like the water sound effects and relaxed atmosphere at the beginning. The drum beat and twittery synths at :34 come together nicely, and there's a good sense of climax into :44. There's a bit of dissonance in the harmonies by :45-:50 or so, and some of the riffs end up tripping over each other a bit. The drop was a little more straight-forward harmonically, and had some cool rhythmic syncopations to boot. The sound design and mixing are both pretty good here. The piano line at the breakdown at 2:05 or so seems a bit generic and stale, but the synth guitar thereafter helps thicken up the texture and make that section feel a tad more dynamic. The re-entry of the vocals at 3:15 or so was well done, and the added harmonies at the second drop at 4:03 fit in nicely. Overall, I'm enjoying the upbeat mood, instrumentation, and production quality here. Some of the compositional details could use some more fleshing out, especially the melodic elements. I also think that the structure felt a bit dragged-out at times. That said, overall it's a strong, memorable, and catchy piece! Keep at it, Ziondiac. ^_^

Ziondiac responds:

Thanks for the feedback and vote.

[Wings II]

I like the rich atmosphere and crisp beats at the beginning. The pulsing on those pads at :07 is really nice, and the relaxing mood and neat sound design help keep me engaged despite the slow progression. The re-intro at 1:22 seemed a bit dragged-out, but I liked the sense of build into 2:35 and the more melodic flair there. The mixing and mastering is also pretty solid here. Later on, I would’ve liked to see a tad more variety. The dreamy mood and cool synths only go so far to keep me entertained. A secondary melody, modulation, or sound design switch-up would be quite welcome by around the 4-minute mark. That said, you’re clearly a talented producer with a strong sense of progression, harmony, and production. I also really like a lot of the risers in this piece. The somewhat eerie outro was a fun surprise, too. Keep at it, Ziondiac! :)

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
.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
8/10

Ziondiac responds:

Thanks for the feedback and vote

[EmeraldX - Feral]

I like the quirky synths and energy at the beginning. There’s a good sense of build-up into :24, too. Some of the drum samples are a bit generic, especially the snare, but you did a good job with the mixing effects and filtering. The texture feels a tad over-compressed at times, but otherwise the production quality is strong. I like the progression and harmonies too, but I also would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodic content after a while. The more furtive pads at 2:07 were good for some structural contrast, and I’m liking the sense of build throughout the bridge into 2:46. You finally scratched that melodic itch of mine at 2:57, and I like how you closed out the piece with that major chord and door slam-like sound effect. Overall, my biggest concern is probably with the generic elements of the sound design and arrangement. That said, the production quality is rather strong here, and the composition is full of variety, catchy riffs, a strong sense of direction, and, later on, a cool and memorable melody too. Solid effort all around, EmeraldX! Keep it up. ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

EmeraldXMusic responds:

Hi! I'm really thankful for the feedback and glad you enjoyed the piece! I'll keep the feedback in mind for future projects for sure!

[Technocosm - Poison Gauntlet (Snare Remix)]

The pulsing orchestral chords and atmospheric details at the beginning are really cool, and the rhythmic content is really compelling here. The compression is a bit over-the-top starting at :31, but the vocal samples work well. The somber piano and atmosphere serves as a nice element of contrast to the gritty breaks. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear a bit more fill in the texture, especially towards the top end of the frequency range. The breakdown with the airy vocals at 1:36 was a good idea, but some more prominent melodic content would probably do more to flesh out the composition here. The pause at 2:24 really threw me off, especially with no reverb or other effects to “carry over” into the next section. The final energetic section at 3:40 helps add some closure to the piece, and the atmospheric and melancholy piano and vocal riffs at the very end help cement the emotional appeal of the piece. Overall, you certainly nailed the mood, atmosphere, and sound design here. The production is also pretty good, although you might need to rein in some of these volume levels at times, like at 3:33, for example. The overwhelmed mix and lack of fill and/or harmonic depth are my main concerns here. Keep at it, SnaresWorks! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

SnaresWorks responds:

thank you so much for the review! i agree with pretty much everything :') the track for the next section of the nguac will definitely build on what this one didnt do well enough

yet again, thank you for the review ^^

[Gone (Trap)]

I like the powerful piano chords at the beginning and quirky snare at :14. There’s a bit of harmonic dissonance at around :30 when the synth melodies and bass line are playing at the same time, but I like the build-up into 1:07 and the gritty descending synth that plays every 4 bars during the drop. The mix is clean and loud, and the piano gives the piece a fun, jazzy flair. The melodies at 1:59 are a bit jumpy in pitch, and don’t feel as dynamic and expressive as they could. The rhythmic content and sound design are neat, and the dramatic pause at 2:59 is a nice touch. I think the second drop could’ve been more distinct from the first one, but the beat itself and the mood changes throughout the piece also give the piece a good deal of variety. Overall, solid work, Reddyfu! Keep at it, man. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

reddyxu responds:

Thanks a lot for giving feedback, Andrew! I'll keep in mind what you said in the future.

[Table Scraps]

I like the lyrics and energy right off that bat, although the piece probably could’ve used more of an intro just to get the listener oriented a bit.

The mix feels a bit thin and constrained at times, especially the guitars and vocals. Did you equalize out the bass tones in the guitars? You might consider putting more of the mid-lows back in there, because otherwise they sound pretty constrained and artificial. It also might be the mic that’s making the output sound that way - it’s hard for me to tell.

Also, the vocals are a bit dry - I’d suggest layering on some reverb, compression, and maybe other mixing effects that give them some power. Your voice also sounds a tad strained at times - it might be that you’re singing near the top of your range, but even so a vocal coach could probably show you some exercises that make it easier to open up the sound even at a high register.

Like I said, I’m enjoying the lyrics, but sometimes you squeeze in a few too many syllables in one line (example: at :38, the frantic delivery of “you expect us to be okay with this” doesn’t really fit with the other lines in that phrase). I find it helpful to practice using fewer words when you need to in other writing contexts, even writing haikus.

The harmonic content gets a tad repetitive after a while. The spoken word vocals at 2:20 are a nice way of switching things up, but the overall chord progression and layout of the texture is pretty constant throughout. A solo or bridge earlier on could really help break up the long sections of similar vocal phrases and backing guitar. Part of the problem might also be that there isn’t a huge amount of contrast (in energy level, instrumentation, etc.) between the verses and the chorus here. That said, the keyboard solo at 3:18 is a great moment of structural relief, and I like that you are faintly talking through it in the background. I just wish it came a little earlier in the piece, which I think would give you a good opportunity to hammer home the message in the final chorus and layer on the guitar and keyboard at the same time.

Either way, the piece comes together well at the end. You have a good sense of progression, harmony, and mastering, and I can’t help but identify with the generational angst you express here. :) Keep at it, Realmaskband!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
8/10

realmaskband responds:

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks a ton for the feedback!