TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!

[Centrifuge]

I like the quirky percussion and bass riff at the beginning. The drums might need a tad more reverb just to fill out the texture toward the beginning, and the progression is a little slow-paced for the first minute or so. By around the 1-minute mark it’s starting to come together well, and I’m enjoying the bluesy chords too. The synth that comes in at 1:37 is cool, but I think it’s distorting the pads in the mix. I’d suggest using a little more filtering to eliminate some of the low-pitched tones in the instruments besides the bass and kick. Otherwise, instruments playing in the same frequency ranges as others will tend to make each other sound less distinct, which I think is what’s happening here. There’s a great sense of climax into 2:15, though, and I like how you aimed for some dynamic contrast in the next section. The clave at 2:54 sounded a little dry and out-of-place - maybe it deserves a fade-in? The texture is pretty minimal in here, but the majestic melody at 3:20 is a great touch. The piece comes together really well at 3:57. I’m loving the injection of melodic content and energy, all while keeping the mysterious mood of the breakdown section alive. The mix might’ve gotten a tad overwhelmed by 4:17, and it might help to tone down the reverb there. I would’ve liked to hear a more proper outro, but in a way the sudden ending adds to the sense of mystery with this piece. Overall, the composition of this track is really strong. I love how it’s structured, and the sound design and flow of it are great too. Some of the mixing details are my main concerns here, and I think the bass is also a little too loud throughout. Otherwise, keep up the good work, Glassedhouse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Glassedhouse responds:

Thanks! I think that for the next rounds of the competition, I will focus more on acoustics and the orchestra since as you might be able to tell, my strengths are compositional, and I'm very new to electronics/production. Thanks for the criticisms! Very well stated and helpful.

[Europa [Charity Album]]

I like the quirky bass riff at the beginning and the spacey synths at :11. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture, especially on the drums, and the drum samples themselves are also pretty generic. I’m really enjoying the rich harmonies by around 1:20, and the breakdown at 1:42 is great for some variety. The pitch-bending on that synth at around 2:05 is nice, and the drawn-out phrasing there builds a good sense of anticipation into the return of the main theme at 2:35. I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety on some of the main melodies later on, but the rich atmosphere and full texture help me stay engaged. Solid work! The sound design, pensive mood, and progression are all especially nice here. Keep at it, GizmoDude8128! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

GizmoDude8128 responds:

Wow, thanks for providing such in-depth feedback! And thanks for organizing NGUAC, it's a really cool competition. I'm glad you liked the track!

[Ghost Warriors - Zero Chance]

I like the pensive piano riff at the beginning and the low strings. The vocals at :20 are wonderful - they really blend in well with the atmosphere. The kick drum at :56 sounds a little too sub-bassy for a piece like this, but once the snare comes in I’m acclimated to it. The uplifting piano chords at around the 2-minute mark were nice, and the guitar at 2:14 was a pleasant surprise. The drawn-out, atmospheric outro was really neat too. I think some more melodic content later on in the piece would really help hit it home, but this piece still has a nice narrative arc to it. Good job with the sound design, mixing, and progression. Strong work, GhostWarriors! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

GhostWarriors responds:

Thank you very much for such a detailed assessment!
I am glad to hear that you like this composition

[00FF 1u]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning. The percussion at :24 sounds a bit dry and unpolished, and the mix is pretty distorted. There’s very little in the way of mid-range or treble tones in the texture, which would make the piece sound much more balanced. Instead, the kick drum and a number of bass riffs dominate the texture for most of the piece. I think you could do a lot more with harmonizing here - right now, the harmonic content is pretty minimal and bland. The piece also didn’t really have any meaningful overarching structure to justify its being 13 minutes long.

The excess of bass tones and riffs is something that could more easily be fixed using the “slot” method. Ideally, you’d assign one or two instruments each to the bass range, mid-low, middle, high-mid, and treble range. That way, the texture comes out sounding more balanced and full. Otherwise, it’s hard to make out all the individual bass riffs you have playing at once. Higher pitched riffs might also sound more melodic, which is another thing that’s missing in this track: melodic content. Overall, I want you to consolidate your ideas and focus on harmonizing. With a minimal texture like this, your tracks just won’t keep listeners engaged for 13 minutes.

It’s certainly not all bad, though. You have a good sense of rhythm and atmosphere, and a lot of the individual riffs here are really cool, like the sub-bass at around the 10-minute mark. Keep working at it, man! Feel free to PM me if you’re ever looking for feedback on one of your projects. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
4/10

geonb responds:

Thanks I will try that I also posten the wrong track thanks

[Elise of the East]

I like the nature sound effects at the beginning. The guitar riff at :07 sounds a little overly contained, which dampens the easy-going vibe of the beat and vocals. Maybe it’s the recording quality? Or the acoustics in the space where you recorded it? I really like the soothing vocals and smooth pads at :23, though. The chorus at :57 is well-written, but the production sounds a little indistinct and the main guitar still sounds like it needs more breathing room in the mix. If you used a DAW to put this together, I’d suggest slapping an equalizer on the guitar and making sure that all the frequencies are coming through on the recording. Something sounds off there. Anyway, it was nice to hear you break the verse-chorus structure by 2:43, although the different vocal passages don’t really blend super well together there - again, it’s more of a mixing problem than a compositional one. Either way, I like the drum fill at the end and the overall mood of this one. I can tell you’re a talented singer and songwriter, and you’ve definitely earned a scout. Keep at it, Gald! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
7.5/10

Gald responds:

Thank you for the very detailed and honest response!
This is the kind of response that makes me feel good about what I'm doing.

[Epic Celebration]

I like the bright-sounding strings and atmosphere at the beginning. Sound design here is really interesting, actually. The vocals at :16 are super cool, and the rhythmic content gives the piece a fun danceable flair. The harmonic content is really repetitive, but the mixing is strong. The ride cymbals you use at times, like at 1:46, were another good choice orchestration-wise. Overall, my main problem with the piece is the repetitive riffs. You did a good job of varying the instrumentation and energy levels, especially with that furtive-sounding breakdown at 2:40, but the entire structure is basically the same 15-second riff on repeat for 5.5 minutes. Especially in such a long piece, I really wanted to hear some new chord progressions, melodic ideas, and rhythmic patterns at some point. Still, you’re clearly a talented producer with a good sense of sound design, rhythm, and progression. Keep at it, FLAVOUR-STAR! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.25/10

FLAVOUR-STAR responds:

Thanks for the detailed rating. You're right, a little more melodic variety would have done the piece good and was responsible for the narrow failure. Cheers. :)

[EverythingYouWish - Divided]

I like the ominous synth riffs at the beginning. The mix sounds a bit muddy by :17 - maybe there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture? You might also need to get a little stricter with the equalizers - seems like a lot of the distortion comes from the bass range. The sound design at :45 is pretty cool, but the compression is a bit too heavy for my tastes and the harmonic content is a little repetitive and bland, which only continues in the second half. Overall, I enjoyed the rhythmic content, mood, and the catchy riffs, but I think the mixing needs a little more attention and the composition is pretty underwhelming. I think it would help the listener to stay engaged if you tried to contrast these apprehensive beats with a section that was more melodic, or maybe just atmospheric, at some point. That way, there would be more variety in the arrangement. Still, I think this piece is worth a second version. PM me if you ever get around to it, and I’ll drop you another review. Keep at it, EverythingYouWish! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
4.5/10

EverythingYouWish responds:

Thank you TaintedLogic! You opened my eyes to what was not obvious before, and now that I am aware I can make better music. Glad you had the chance and time to review me. ;)