TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Answers]

I like the bass drone and frantic synth arpeggios at the beginning. The airy beats and grating percussion at :28 work well together, and the rhythmic content is certainly a highlight. The distorted piano melodies at 1:02 or so help provide some contrast to the gritty rhythmic elements from earlier, but I would’ve liked them to be a little more up-front in the mix. The string arpeggios at 1:40 were pretty unexpected, as was the drop that comes shortly thereafter. The structure of this piece feels a bit disjointed, and I’m further confused by the mood change conveyed in the blissful piano line at the very end. Overall, you’re clearly a talented producer with a strong sense of progression, harmony, and mixing, but the composition didn’t quite come together for me here. You’ve certainly done enough to earn a scout in my book, though. Keep at it, Paper-Money! :)

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Paper-Money responds:

sorry for the late reply but thanks:>

[Dragon Warrior Modified]

The riser at the beginning sounds cool, if a tad unpolished and out-of-place in the context of the relaxed riffs that follow it. Nice job with the filtering on the synth line at :14. The mix is also pretty clean and well-balanced here, as exemplified by the crisp drums and broad frequency range. The piece is a tad slow to progress after :14, and the chord progression is a bit cliche. My main complaint here is probably that the piece needs more harmonic variety and a richer texture later on. The jumpy riff at 2:33 was good for some variety, but it was short-lived and was playing in a pretty minimal context, which didn’t help give the piece a sense of conclusiveness. This piece has a lot of changes in the energy level and dynamics, which is good, but little overarching sense of direction over the entire piece. As a smaller detail, it’s also bothering me that the drums are a little buried in the mix at 1:23, especially since not much else is going on there. Overall, you have a strong sense of progression, harmony, and mixing and mastering. The composition could be a tad more varied and dynamic here, though. Keep at it, OliRO! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
7/10

OliRO responds:

Thank you so much for this in-depth review! I already feel like I won a prize. Getting such good quality reviews on my music is on my top tier list of things that my music could bring me. :D

[Grimey Grapple!]

I like the cutesy bass riff at the beginning and the energy. The percussion is nice, and the descending brass line, while a bit cliche, helps add character to the piece as well. The production quality is also solid, and I’m enjoying the rhythmic content throughout. That said, the structure might need some more fleshing out. There isn’t a ton of development in the harmonies or melodies after the initial themes are introduced here, which makes it hard to assess how well-rounded your composition skills are. That said, you’ve easily earned a scout, and I’m going to have this piece stuck in my head for a while. Keep at it, Noudele!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.5/10

Noudele responds:

thank you, the criticism is greatly appreciated!! I might apply some of the criticism and rework the song, once im able to again. I'll definitely post more music!

[Sword of Destiny]

I like the airy percussion at the beginning and the quirky orchestral samples. Some of the instruments could’ve sounded a tad more authentic here, especially the strings, but I think a bigger problem is the mixing. The texture sounds pretty muddy and indistinct throughout, and the percussion easily gets buried when there are several other instruments playing at once. I’d suggest toning down the reverb and using some more equalizers to remove the lower-pitched frequencies from some of the non-bass instruments. From there, you could also add some compressors to the percussion to make it pop through the mix more. Compositionally, the piece is solid, although the melodies feel like they could be a bit more dynamic at times. I also would’ve liked to hear more variety later on in the piece. That said, the sound design is cute, and the mood sounds triumphant and adventuresome, which is nice. The modulation at 1:48 also helps keep me engaged later on in the piece. Overall, solid work, NnolokK! Just needs some more attention to detail on the production, and you’re well on your way to an 8-range piece. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.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?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

NnolokK responds:

Thank you for the critique. =)

[Okaasan]

I like the vocal samples at the beginning. Where are they from? The relaxed mood and wonky rhythmic elements and sound design are nice, although the texture stays pretty minimal throughout and could use some harmonic variety and melodic development. The section at 1:38 served as a nice mellow bridge, but I’m not sure I like how the vocals sample and beat overlap at 2:00 - seemed like a missed opportunity to express the re-entrance of the chill pads as the release of the tension from the dialogue. Overall, the mood, sound design, and production quality of this piece are all solid. The composition is a tad underwhelming, though, and the arrangement lacks originality. The lo-fi production and trippy rhythmic elements are highlights for me. Keep at it, LPSounds! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.25/10

LPSounds responds:

The vocal Samples?? Samurai Champloo. thanks for the review

[(Hard Techno)Radioactivity]

I like the frantic drum patterns and gritty synth bass at the beginning. The pulsing effect on the bass was a nice touch, too. Some of the samples are a bit cheesy and generic, especially the claps. The entrance of that other mid-range synth at 1:06 really threw me off, and the rhythm of the phaser/pulsing effect on it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the piece. The track is really slow to progress overall, and doesn’t have much in the way of interesting harmonies or rhythmic content to keep me engaged in the meantime. The mix seems a bit overwhelmed at times - do you have a limiter on the master channel of the mixer? The distorted sound design is for a while, but without any counterbalancing with smoother elements of the texture, it’s a bit much to listen to for 8.5 minutes. Many of the synths in here also sound pretty unpolished and cliche. You clearly have a good sense of rhythm and progression, but a more well-rounded and dynamic composition also necessarily includes melodic elements and more variety than this. I’d challenge you to create a piece that has some more memorable melodies and a stronger sense of “storyline.” A good way to start is by listening to a melody from a piece of music you really like, recreating it in your DAW, and, using all the same pitches, slowly alter the contour and note length until you have something new. Until then, I enjoyed the catchy beats and some of the synth riffs here. Keep at it, lllElectroMusiclll! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
3.5/10

lllElectroMusiclll responds:

Thanks you!

[Bittersweet Coffee Lo-Fi]

I like the jazzy sound design and relaxed tempo at the beginning. The layered kicks and snares starting at around :20 are a bit bizarre - are there multiple instruments there, or is it just a heavy delay effect? Either way, it may be a bit much, especially with the relaxed vibe of the rest of the piece. I really like the atmosphere and instruments, though. The piece is a tad slow to progress, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear a solo or bridge or something for variety. One of my favorite parts of the piece was when the bass played in the upper part of its frequency range towards the end. The mood and melodies really sell this track overall. The composition could’ve been a tad bolder, but the active bass line and drums help keep things engaging. Keep at it, Kantieno! :)

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?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.25/10

kantieno responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I did have multiple instruments going around 0:20, for no real good reason haha. With my current projects I am focusing on making a simpler more cohesive drum backing. Glad you enjoyed the upper frequency span of the bass, it is also my favored part. Thanks again for the feedback!

[A world full of fairy tales]

I like the bright piano instrument at the beginning. The stop-start nature of the chords threw me off a bit, though. The strings at :21 sound pretty inauthentic, but I like the cute melodies at :41 and the upbeat mood. The progression could’ve been a bit more creative - the main source of variety in this piece seems to be the addition and subtraction of notes over time. Volume changes, automation, filtering, phrasing, and more elaborate transitions might have helped make the texture more varied and interesting, especially since the second half didn’t have much harmonic variety compared to the first half. You clearly have a good sense of melody and harmony, and also a good sense of how to structure a piece. I think getting some higher-quality samples and finding some more creative ways of adding variety and flair to your piece are important next steps for you. Keep at it, InsertNameHere0! :)

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

insertNameHere0 responds:

Thanks, I'll definitely admit that I was a bit lazy with this song as I after creating the main part basically said that's enough. Same with the samples as I just worked with what I could find in the FLEX plugin.

[Helios Rio]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the cute instruments. The piece is a tad slow to progress, but I like the crisp beats at :55. In fact, the drums might even be a bit too loud and sharp-sounding compared to the pads and ambiance, as is the bass at 1:21. At some point, some stronger melodic content would’ve been welcome. I also think it would’ve been nice to create some variety in this piece in more ways than just by adding and subtracting instruments over time - phrasing, dynamics, automation, filtering, etc. all pull more emotional weight than just creating a new instrument track after every 4 or 8 bars. In that way, the arrangement felt pretty generic and predictable. Still, the compositional details here - like the way the secondary snare echoes at 2:47 (and other places) and the slight pitch bend at the very end - do help keep me engaged. My favorite elements of the piece by far are the sound design and the mood, although the production quality is pretty clean at the end of the day, despite the balance issues I mentioned earlier. Overall, it’s a solid piece, but it could’ve been a lot more compositionally adventurous. Keep at it, GrahamFr! :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.5/10

GrahamFr responds:

Very thorough and helpful :)