TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Massive Show - Commotion]

I like the cute, frantic piano riffs at the beginning. The mix is really quiet and a little indistinct here, though, and the little woodwind riff that comes in every two bars sounds a little atonal sometimes. The breakdown at :49 was a good idea, although the transition at 1:01 was very sudden. The loop is smooth, and overall there’s a nice sense of phrasing and structuring to the piece, despite its being very short. A lot of the instruments, especially the woodwinds and brass, don’t sound very authentic, and I also think the composition needs to be fleshed out more for you to maximize the emotional potential of this piece. Still, I think you should keep working on this - it has a lot of potential. Keep at it, massivemarioluigi700! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
5.5/10

MassiveMarioLuigi700 responds:

thanks man, i also got more stuff coming up for the next round man!

[Adventure Awaits]

I like the mood and atmosphere at the beginning, but I think some of the harmonies sound a little indistinct in the mix, notably the percussion at :20 and the strings playing ⅛ notes at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress, and there also might be a bit too much reverb in the texture. I like the sense of climax into 1:01 and the syncopated string harmonies there. This piece really reminds me of Waterflame’s old style. I liked the prominent drums at the breakdown at 2:01, but they could really sound crisper in the mix with a little less reverb and more careful equalization. I also thought the lo-fi effects at 2:05 were a bit out-of-place here. The harmonic shift at 2:53 was a little sudden, but I enjoyed the uplifting vibe there and the structural contrast you offered with the more minimal bridge thereafter. There’s a bit of dissonance in the texture at 3:45, but part of that could just be the reverb. I like the second refrain at 4:15, but I think you could’ve varied the main melody a bit more. The emotional appeal of the outro was nice, and overall I really like the mood, rhythmic content, and atmosphere in this piece. Keep at it, Hyenaedon! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Hyenaedon responds:

Wow! Thanks so much for the in-depth review. I'm definitely gonna be putting it into account when I fix this song up for a Youtube release. I think I really surprised myself with this piece, but it's still got a ways to go ;)

[FractureClutter - Polaris (Resurrection EP)]

I like the ominous mood and rich atmosphere at the beginning. The sound design, including the militaristic percussion, is especially nice here. I like the injection of intensity at :40, but the strings sound a bit thin in the mix. That likely helps the production quality to equalize out the lower tones like that, but it also makes the strings sound pretty inauthentic. The brass samples also sound pretty fake, and there may be a bit too much reverb in the texture. The production quality still holds up pretty well, though. I’m a little thrown off by all of the stop-start transitions and the jarring changes in instrumentation between the spacey electronic intro, orchestral section, and then the guitar riffs. I think you need to work on creating gradual transitions, although I like the smooth breakdown with the strings at 2:18 and the return of the rich atmosphere at 2:30. There’s some really strong melodic content in this piece, and the mixing is solid. The disjointed arrangement is probably my only major complaint. Keep at it, FractureClutter! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.5/10

FractureClutter responds:

Thank you for feedback! I really acknowledge all my blunders in this composition. I'll try to get better in the future by working more on compositional and mixing aspect. Hopefully I'll get some high quality orchestral stuff soon

[Crystalline Fields]

I like the ambiance at the beginning and the eerie texture. The strings sound a bit inauthentic, and there could’ve been a smoother transition into :42. The kick at :42 is a tad heavy, and the open hat at :57 is a tad cliche. I like the production quality and the well-balanced texture, and the sound design reminds me a lot of 2008 Newgrounds. :) The piece is a little slow to progress, and 2 minutes in I still haven’t heard much in the way of dynamic melodic content. The melody at 2:36 is very jumpy, and the melodies before it have pretty predictable rhythms. The melody at 3:28 is really pretty, but I thought the ghostly ambient effects were a little too loud relative to the strings. The grittier instrument at 3:47 is a nice touch, but I think by that point you start to overuse the transitions with the reverse crash. The piece comes together well by the end with the last melodic section, but I think the flow of the piece would complement the languid atmosphere a little more if there were more gradual transitions in this piece. Overall, nice work with the production quality, mood, atmosphere, and rhythmic content. The mixing here is especially good, in fact. Keep it up, EverReverb! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

AED-4 responds:

Thank you for incredibly detailed review once again! I don't know how you manage to mass produce reviews of this quality :p You do raise many good points, especially about the transitions.

[Your Moment]

I like the spacey atmosphere at the beginning and the low strings at :09. The rhythm is a bit square, and there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture imo. Still, I like the haunting mood and the sense of wonder throughout this piece. The one-climax model is hard to pull off, but you do it well here. The production quality holds up well, and you do a great job of channeling the emotion into the climax at 1:38. The melody at 1:38 has a very regular and boring rhythm, though, and I think you could’ve captured the drama better with this piece if the melody was more dynamic, in terms of both pitch and rhythm. Still, nice job with the phrasing, progression, mood, and sound design here. Keep at it, Columbers! :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
8/10

Columbers responds:

Thanks for the review and helpful criticism! This track was definitely a bit rushed (a bad habit of mine) but I’m glad I entered the audio competitions again this year.

[Late Night]

I like the cute synth riffs at the beginning and the crisp drums. The piece is a tad slow to progress, but there’s a good sense of climax into :34. The arrangement of the piece feels a bit formulaic, though, with major changes only occurring at 8-bar intervals for most of the piece, and despite the full texture there’s not much harmonic variety or melodic content. I liked the breakdown at 1:59, but it might’ve helped give the piece more shape if you cut out the drums and doubled down on the atmospheric content. There isn’t a lot of dynamism in the composition later in the piece either, and honestly it sounds like a straight copy-paste of the first half, besides the variations at 3:25. I also thought you overused the stop-start transitions, and I would’ve liked to see more gradual transitions, phrasing, and dynamic contrast in this piece. The mixing is solid, although that doesn’t necessarily make up for the bland composition imo. Still, I liked the atmosphere, rhythmic content, and mood of this one. Keep at it, CANDYdisturber! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

CANDYdisturber responds:

Thanks for the review, and I can completely agree with what you said here. Its was much harder to work under the time constraint, and didn't realize this going in. Definitely not my best piece, but it was fun to be a part of the contest nonetheless!

[Pvlstoo (Original Mix)]

The sweeps and lead synth at :02 sound a bit cheesy, but I like the energy and rhythmic content here. The texture is a bit minimal and pizzicato-y. I think you could use a richer atmosphere or more legato pads or melodies. The piece is a bit slow to progress, although the texture is well-balanced and the mix is crisp and clean. The chord progression is a bit cliche in places, and I think you overused the stop-start transitions after a while (like at 2:05). There could be more textural fill and harmonic variety here, and I would’ve liked to see you vary the main melody towards the end as well. The composition is a bit bland overall, though I have no complaints with the mixing or rhythmic content. The sound design, chord progression, and arrangement could be a bit more original, but I’m enjoying the smooth flow and atmosphere of the piece. Overall solid work, Airprogressive! I just wanted to see a bit more ingenuity in the composition here. :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Airprogressive responds:

Thank you for your detailed review, I will consider your advice for my next tracks.

:)

[Drift]

I like the bass riff at the beginning. There’s a bit of an excess of reverb, although I like the vintage feel of the drums and the synths at :27. The mix is also a little quiet overall, but the production quality holds up pretty well and the texture is well-balanced. You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony, and the melodies at 1:39 are really fun with the pitch-bending and the chromatic motion. I think this piece needed a bit more structural variety, though. It has a sense of continuity between the beat and harmonies, and an atmospheric breakdown or something would really help give it some more shape. Still, I love the jazzy harmonies and quirky mood of this one. Keep at it, YHTFLKC! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

YHTFLKC responds:

I feel like a lot of my music is rather quiet, like when I listen to other music on Spotify for instance, compared to mine I can hear it over the speakers at work whereas mine I can not. I think I'm gonna try turning up the master volume a little bit before I export next time. Thanks for the feedback, and glad I was able to participate again this year, but now I can go back to making stuff at whatever pace I feel like, lol. Still, looking forward to next year as well, this is always a good time.

[Beside You]

I like the emotional appeal of the beginning. The rhythm and volume automations are a little wonky at around :04; it kinda damaged the flow of an otherwise soothing piece. The glitchy effects are a bit cheesy, and the arrangement is pretty choppy. The piece needs a bit more coherence in the structure, although there is a good sense of direction over time. I like the minimal breakdown at 1:28, although I think I hear some peaking or other distortion at 1:35. I also think the drums could’ve been more prominent in the mix, especially towards the end. Overall, I like the sound design, melodies, and mood of the piece, but I think you really overdid the glitchy breaks and mixing effects. Keep at it, Thomaisho! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.25/10

Thomaisho responds:

Ah, I see. Thank you very much for the feedback and score, I appreciate it ^^

[Joyride]

I like the emotional piano at the beginning and the atmosphere. The synths at :23 are a bit cheesy, and you may have a tad too much reverb in the texture at times. That said, the melodic content is nice, and I love the crisp percussion at :45. There’s a good sense of climax into 1:09, but the lead there sounds a bit harsh in the mix. You might consider taking off some more of the treble tones in the equalizer. I think the bass could be a bit louder during the refrain, and the transition at 1:55 was pretty sudden. I like the more melodic transition into 2:24 (unlike the sole presence of the cheesy riser at the first refrain) and the frantic synth arpeggios at 2:47. The harmonies could’ve been a tad louder here, as the texture seems heavily balanced in favor of the melodies. I also thought the piece needed a more complete outro, as the ending came across as a bit abrupt. Overall, I like the melodies, atmosphere, cute mood, and rhythmic content here. The arrangement could be a bit more flowing, and the mixing details could use some polishing, but otherwise nice work, Solize! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Solize responds:

Thanks for the feedback, might release this in the future but wayy more polished