TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Aurora-]

I like the rhythmic synth at :01 and the added harmonies at :13. This piece is really catchy, but also a bit minimal. The mixing and mastering is really clean, and I love the descending mallet line at :52 and the bridge with the strings at :57. The pace of the piece is pretty fast - the texture seems to abruptly change every 15-20 seconds, with just a brief riser or drum fill to smooth things over. I think you've gotten really good at production, sound design, and creating dense rhythmic patterns. A good next step for you would be working on the arrangement of the piece - give it a cohesive, overarching "story." Right now, this piece sounds like a string of different ideas playing in succession, with not a lot tying those ideas together. Some more gradual transitions might help in that regard, but a little more repetition of some of the core motifs from the first minute or so could also help. You already do that in a subtle way with the low-register piano line at 1:30, but the instruments you're using have changed so much in the preceding minute or so that the piece still doesn't sound very coherent. Does that make sense?

I'd also encourage you to reach out for feedback to the judges who actually scored your piece in the competition, if you haven't already. Cheers! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Help, waterflame turned me into a fridge
(Thank you lol!)

[xandex - PSYCHO]

I like the quirky atmosphere at the beginning, although the sub-bass at :09 is seriously distorting the other instruments. I think you need to separate out the frequencies in the sub-bass and the harmonies with an equalizer. To be clear, that means putting an equalizer on each instrument besides the bass and kick and removing all the pitches below around 200 Hz. Right now, the mix is distorted enough that, for most of the piece, I can barely hear anything besides the sub and the drums.

Composition-wise, the piece also needs a lot more depth and variety. That said, I like the atmospheric bridge at 1:36, and also how you switched up the snare at 1:56. The sweep at 2:32 also sounds pretty cool. Otherwise, the entire piece is just very bland and repetitive. I’d encourage you to keep working on this, though. It has a lot of potential between the dark mood, sound design, and rich atmosphere. It just needs a thicker texture, a more well-balanced mix, and more variation in the harmonies. Keep at it, xvndex! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
4.5/10

xvndex responds:

ty for the feedback, the track is about a year old and i’m not suprised it wasn’t that highly scored. i will most likely be making a remade version.

[Down drop]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, but the bass is a little too loud relative to the synths. There’s a good sense of build-up into :32, although the drum kit there is a bit generic, and the mix is pretty muddy. The texture is very bottom-heavy here, with a lot of bass-range instruments competing for attention. I would suggest both transposing one or two of the harmonies up an octave, maybe the staccato-y bass line, and then using equalizers to remove frequencies below 200 Hz in all but one of the bass instruments. The drop at 1:28 is pretty cool, but also drags on for a bit too long while being fairly repetitive.

One thing I really like about this piece is how full and rich the texture is throughout. I also think the mellow breakdown at 2:18 is a nice change-of-pace from the rest of the track. You transition nicely into the second drop at 3:35, and I like the added harmonies there as a way of creating variety later in the piece. Overall, the mixing could use a tad more polish, and the composition here could use a bit more ebb and flow within phrases, but I like the sound design, foreboding mood, and rhythmic content of this one. Keep at it, X-Irus! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

X-Irus responds:

Thank you for the criticism and lenghty comment! I'll use this feedback for future tracks. :)

[Road to the Stars]

I like the relaxing mood at the beginning. It’s a tad difficult to follow the pattern of emphasis in the rhythm until the beat comes in at :40, and I wanted to hear more of the drums and bass during that section. The pads could also use a bit more atmosphere and automation to maintain interest over time. The piece is smooth-flowing, and overall I like the sound design and rhythmic content, but what’s really missing here is some more variety in the harmonies. Dynamic melodies, or at least variations in some of the lead riffs here, would really help jazz up the composition. After a while, it just doesn’t feel like it’s leading much of anywhere. The production quality holds up quite well, though - very clear mix, but also not over-compressed or otherwise distorted. Overall, the compositional details of this could be a bit bolder, but the mixing, sound design, rhythmic content, and progression are solid. Keep at it, V1XTEZz! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

V1XTEZz responds:

Thanks <3

[BLUEDAGGER]

I like the smooth synths and crisp beats at :10. The intro sounds a bit unpolished and out-of-place, though. The mix starts sounding a bit overwhelmed at :32, with the vocals at :56 taking up a bit too much space in particular, but I love the energy and rhythmic content here. There’s a good sense of build-up into 1:26, and the drop is catchy, although you overuse the samples and rhythmic effects a bit. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more variety in the harmonies and instruments. In the future, it would also be helpful if you indicated where some of these samples are from in the author’s description.

The breakdown at 2:32 was a nice touch - really helps draw contrast from the frantic energy of the rest of the piece. The part at 2:55 is another moment where the mix sounds a bit strained. I think you should take a look at the equalizers on the harmonic instruments there and make sure to cut out some of the lower frequencies if you can. Otherwise, the second half of this piece is pretty redundant with the first one. I would’ve liked to see you add variation to the main melodies, and maybe layer on some additional harmonies or a solo or something.

Overall, this track is catchy, smooth-flowing, and has a great, triumphant-sounding mood. The composition could use a bit more variety and depth, the mix needs some more polish in places, and the over-use of vocal samples gets pretty cheesy after a while. Still, you got my foot tapping with this one, and I like how full and rich the texture is throughout. Keep at it, TurboDrivee! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.75/10

TurboDrivee responds:

Thank you for this rating dude, I’ve needed an actual rating from an actual producer for a while. I’ll be sure to take these into consideration for my future songs!!!

[Catacombs]

I like the catchy bass riff and beat at the beginning. The filtering on the bass is particularly nice, and the quirky percussion at :11 helps set the scene nicely. I think you start going a tad overboard with the rhythmic effects starting around :30, especially since the piece doesn’t have much else going on harmonically. There are flashes of more tonal content, like the bass riff at 1:07, but overall the texture sounds a little too experimental, and more importantly like it’s not really going anywhere. I wanted to hear a stronger sense of narrative development, especially if you’re going to stick with very minimal and atonal content for the entire piece. The rhythmic content is enjoyable, though, and elements of the sound design sound pretty cool. The composition just needs a lot more depth and variety. Keep at it, TheRealMrPeoples! ^_^

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

TheRealMrPeoples responds:

I agree with everything you wrote. I will keep at it. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to listen and give feedback. I so seldom get any that it actually means quite a bit to me. I expect that my making pieces in essentially a vacuum made me complacent. Expect to hear something more complete on my next offering.

Thank you,

Mr. Peoples

This piece was used for the introduction and outro music for this video. Huge thanks to Giant Freaking Robot!
https://youtu.be/48Rtrl6J3SY?si=V4j-GW_Cbi3eaiZ-

[Prowler's Polka]

I like the cute synth melody at the beginning. The mix is very quiet, though - you might need some more compression, or maybe just some volume level adjustments. The bass line at :11 is catchy, but the organ at :22 sounds a bit too harsh and loud relative to the other instruments. I’d suggest using an equalizer to scale back some of the treble tones in the organ. Also, you might want to reduce some of the really low frequencies (200 Hz or less) in the organ and piano as well - that might make it so that you can hear the drums more clearly. Right now, the drums get a little distorted at times, like when the organ is really loud at :43.

That said, I like the church bells at :57 and the quirky synths at 1:08. The transition at 1:08 was a bit rough, and the synth sounds pretty distorted at 1:25 when the bass comes in - that might also be because you left a few too many bass tones in the synth in the equalizer. That said, the structure where you return to the main melodies later on was very effective. It might be nice to vary the melodies more the second time around, but otherwise the composition is pretty enjoyable here. My main concern is the mixing and mastering - the texture of this piece could sound a lot clearer, louder, and more well-balanced. Idk what DAW you use, but please PM me if you want some tips that are particular to either FL Studio or Logic Pro.

Still, this is a catchy piece with some fun sound design and strong melodies. Keep at it, ThePhreshPhrog! You earned my scout. ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

ThePhreshPhrog responds:

Thank you for the in depth breakdown, I really appreciate it. I’ll admit I knew the mix was lacking heavily going into it but I’m really new to FL Studio and was unsure how to fix the problems I heard. I’ve composed a few more tracks since then that are probably a step in the right direction. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll be more capable. Thanks for hosting this contest though, I was glad to be a part of it.

[Me when I fart a little bit too hard]

The instrument selection here is pretty cool. I like the jazzy flair this has, but the rhythm is very hard-to-follow and the harmonies are rather dissonant. The mix is also extremely harsh and distorted at times - during the busy sections, like 1:50, it’s very difficult to hear the drums, and often the lead synths are way too loud relative to the harmonies. The grating synths in the upper register in particular are a bit overwhelming - you can soften them a bit with some wet reverb and maybe remove some of the treble tones with an equalizer. In general, the piece lacks coordination and an overarching narrative appeal too. There’s definitely potential here with the funky instrumental palette and wonky mood, but you need to scale back the experimental doodling and give this piece a less jarring arrangement if you’re going to get any more points out of me. Sorry! Keep at it, TBMME. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
0/1
Composite score
3/10

TheBestMusicMakerEvr responds:

Lol

[Dreamly Depths]

I like the beat at the beginning and the triumphant-sounding melodies at :10. Some of the effects are a bit cheesy-sounding, like the unpolished bass that comes in every 4 bars starting at :04. Some parts of the piece, especially the first 90 seconds, could also use some more harmonic depth - a bass line, pads, or other harmonies to fill out the texture a bit more. You do create a good amount of variety throughout the piece, but sometimes the transitions between themes are a bit abrupt, like at 1:31. That section, at 1:31, is probably my favorite of the piece, though. The melodies are really catchy and dynamic, and the chords backing them up create a richness in the mix that’s lacking during other parts of the piece. You also transition nicely back into the main melody at 2:32.

At some point, it would be nice to strip away the beat or otherwise switch up the instruments a bit more than you’ve done here. An important variable to use to create contrast in your song is the energy level, and the same beat playing for 5 minutes makes the entire piece seem a bit stagnant after a while. Otherwise, there’s not much in the way of novel content during the last couple of minutes of this piece. It almost sounds like a straight loop of the piece after 2:31, other than the first 10 seconds where it’s just the beat. Either way, varying the melody slightly or adding some additional harmonies towards the end could be a great way to give your piece a sense of overarching development.

Still, I like the sound design, mood, and mixing here. I think the composition could be a tad more fleshed-out and well-varied, but there are a lot of fun and catchy riffs here. Keep at it, Stilverguy! You’ve earned a scout. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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
6.75/10

Stilverguy responds:

Thank you for the critic! It's nice to get advice from someone with a deep understanding of music! (usual ppl that give me critiques, are my friends that don't really give me much) I'm considering making an update with the advice you gave me. Thanks again

[Long Lost Stories]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning. Some of the chords sound a bit clunky, especially the 4th one in the progression - maybe it would help if the notes were spaced a little further apart. The mallets (?) at :47 are a bit too loud relative to the other instruments, and in general this piece is very slow to progress and has some very square rhythms. A lot of the instruments blend well together, but an exception is the high-pitched chordal harmony at 2:03 - it’s just a bit too harsh-sounding and loud to fit into the atmosphere. I’d suggest removing some of the treble-range tones in it with an equalizer, turning the volume down, and adding some wet reverb to it.

The main problem with this piece is the lack of variety. The pace of change is just too slow to keep the listener engaged, the harmonic framework is the same throughout, and the rhythmic content also lacks interest. At some point, I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodies, a bridge or breakdown where you really switch up the instruments, or a similar point of variety. There are some more syncopations by the end, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression, but frankly the composition could be a lot bolder here in half the time. Still, I like the harmonies, mood, and most of the sound design here. Keep at it, SrAlpaco! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

SrAlpaco responds:

Thank you for the feedback! I'm still learning so it helps a lot!