TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Shooting star]

I like the spacey mood and atmosphere, but the pulsing effect on the pads was a bit too heavy for my tastes. The airy synth at :15 is a nice touch, and there’s a good sense of climax into :46. The slow-paced drop was great harmonically, if a bit over-compressed. The beat at 1:48 is cool, and I like the more consistent flow of the second drop at 2:17. The melodic variations at 2:33 really help hit the piece home. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture throughout, though - I wonder if you could’ve gotten away with loosening up on the compressors a bit if you toned down the reverb. Still, this is a creative piece with some really neat sound design and atmospheric elements. My main concern is probably the generic arrangement, actually. Keep at it, Retrize! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

retrize responds:

I will try my best, thank you very much ;)

[Approaching Battle]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning and the crisp percussion. The dark chord at :21 is a nice touch, and there’s a great sense of build-up into :34. The string melodies there are beautiful, and you’ve really sold the drama well with the phrasing and instrumentation. The brass solos during the middle section were also really nice, and you tie the piece together really well with the melodies at the end. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be that the mix is a little quiet. But overall, really strong work here, my friend. You’ve earned a scout and, pending the approval of the other judges, a spot in the next round of this competition. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

potato-stick responds:

Thanks for the clearly thought out review! The mix has been something that I haven't gotten too deep into, so maybe I'll focus more on that for the next submission. I'm glad to join in on this competition and this community :)

[Explode Cat]

I like the beat at the beginning and the ghostly synths at :05. The texture is a bit dry, though, and could use some more reverb or other mixing effects. The rhythmic content is pretty cool, but sometimes the instruments don’t blend super well together. The strings at :31 sounded a bit out-of-place, for example, and I would’ve liked to hear some more variety in the harmonic content later on. The outro was a bit cheesy, too. The production quality is strong, and I can hear all of the instruments clearly throughout. I think you could’ve put more effort into the compositional details, and the piece doesn’t really feel structurally complete. I think it would help if you had some more creative progression techniques, like filtering and automation, as opposed to just adding and subtracting instruments over time. Overall, the rhythmic content and mixing are my favorite elements of it. I hope you’ll keep working on this, because it has potential as a more fluid, full-length track. Keep at it, Noobster! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

maybenotriver responds:

I Agree with Everything you said, I feel like it was to empty and and I made it in one day. Thanks for the feedback ^-^

[LMMS Synthwave]

I like the grouchy bass at the beginning. The synth at :20 sounds a tad cheesy, and the kick at :38 is pretty heavy. Usually, I would advise against putting so much reverb on the kick - it can make the mix sound distorted without adding too much emphasis on the instrument. There was a good sense of build into 1:18, but the harmonic content there sounds a bit dissonant. The ominous breakdown at 2:35 was pretty nice, and the smooth pads at 2:55 help contribute to the atmosphere. The harmonic content quickly gets very repetitive during the second half of the piece, though, and it was nice to hear some more prominent melodic content at 4:29. I would even suggest moving that melody up an octave or so to make better use of the top end of the frequency spectrum and add some intensity towards the end. Overall, the composition of this piece is a little drawn-out and bland, but I enjoyed the production quality, drum beat, and progression. Keep at it, MykeMyr! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

MykeMyr responds:

Thank you for your comment! I've never received something similar from someone, I really appreciate your judgement! :')

[El Camino de la Gloria]

I really like the emphatic string patterns and percussion at the beginning. The brass melodies at :19 are great, too. The mixing is really strong, despite a lot of reverb in the texture. The mood really starts shifting by :45, and the more somber and yet graceful tone is really enjoyable throughout the second half of the piece. The piano entrance at 1:22 is a pleasant surprise. It can be risky to introduce new instruments that late in a piece, but you’ve tied it really well to the harmonic content beforehand and created a strong sense of narrative progression using this variety of instruments. Really captivating work! Keep it up, Matias. You’ve earned a scout with your wonderful sense of melody and strong production skills. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

MatiasCarbone responds:

Thank you! Your feedback really means a lot to me!

[CannonDance]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The bass at :05 is a little loud, and the chord progression is pretty cliche. That said, I like the catchy synth riffs at :20 and the sense of build into :36. The melodies there are really nice, and I also like the more mysterious breakdown at 1:25. The reverb is a little heavy here, but the mixing is solid regardless. I think the synth at 1:52 sounds really cheesy and generic, which is too bad because a lot of the other sound design details here are really cool, particularly during the atmospheric parts. The bassy section thereafter is nice, and I’m really enjoying the dynamic contrast and mood changes offered by the downtempo, moody parts like at 2:42. The piece comes together well towards the end, but the melodies could’ve used a tad more variety during the last refrain. Still, solid work with this one, particularly the composition. The instrumentation is honestly my main problem with the piece. Keep at it, LtFS! :)

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
.5/1
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

LtFS responds:

Well, as I understand it, I have something to work on. I will try)

[Climatic Failure]

I like the quirky, distorted synths at the beginning. The texture sounds a bit minimal throughout, but the beats are catchy and there’s a nice sense of atmosphere. The piece could’ve had more harmonic depth, especially during the first half or so, but I like the cute sound design and rhythmic content. Overall, the production quality is strong, but some of the individual elements took up a bit too much space in the mix, notably the hi-hats (1:35, 1:40, etc.). Really unique composition and arrangement. It’s certainly engaging throughout, but part of me felt like it needed some sort of prominent melody or distinct solo to tie it together towards the end. Otherwise, the harmonic content is a bit bland, even while the instrumentation and rhythmic material is top-notch. Still, this is a stand-out piece in a lot of ways, from the mixing and mastering to the atmosphere. Keep at it, Jedo15! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Jedo15 responds:

thank you so much, this means a lot to me! and yeah i have to work on not making things to clouded in the mix so I'll take in your advice and suggestions and use for my next song. :)

[Re;Surface]

I like the cute melodies at the beginning and the smooth progression. A lot of the synths are a bit cheesy, and the drum samples are also pretty generic. The build-up into :55 felt like it didn’t lead much of anywhere, but I’m enjoying the arpeggios there. The transition into 1:22 was pretty sudden, and I wish there was some more variety in the harmonic content in the second half. The strongest element of the piece is probably the production quality. The mix is a tad over-compressed, but I can hear the instruments loud and clear throughout. I enjoyed the melodies too, although the composition might need a bit more shape and variety to give the piece a stronger sense of narrative and direction over time. Overall, it’s a catchy and well-mastered piece, but the sound design and some of the compositional details are a little bland. Keep at it, iChrono21! :)

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
.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
7/10

iChrono21 responds:

I'm glad to hear that you liked the piece somehow. I was going for a long break at the time I was making this so I put a lot of effort more than usual. Thank you so much for inviting me to NGUAC, even though I, at least, wanted to get through the Tryouts for a fresh experience. But I will definitely try again next year!