TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Unbreakable Spirit]

I like the energy at the beginning, although it might’ve been nice if the piece had more of a gradual intro. The mixing and mastering are really sharp and clean, and I like the prominent bass riff at :35. I think the transition at :55 could’ve been a tad smoother, but I also see what you did with trying to foreshadow it with the legato note right before the downtempo section. I like the quirky vibe at 1:06 with the oscillating effect on the guitars, and the melodies at 1:15 are really nice too. The arrangement of this track is a bit choppy, with a lot of distinct sections and sudden transitions. That said, you clearly have a good sense of harmony, textural balance, and rhythm. There were times when I wanted to be a little louder in the mix, but otherwise I have no complaints with the production. Honestly, the somewhat disjointed nature of the structure is the only thing that actively bothers me here. The melodic content, mixing, and sound design are all excellent. I really think you should focus on your transitions as a next step. It might help to change elements of the texture a little more gradually, and also to maintain some more background instruments across sections. Still, I have a feeling you’re going to the final round (I’m actually writing this on the 10th). Keep at it, MisledSatellite! ^_^

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
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
9/10

MisledSatellite responds:

Thank you for the review!

[Adventure ^0^]

I like the cute synths at the beginning. The pads sound a bit clunky, and the rhythm of the main melody is a bit overly-convoluted. The percussion at :27 is creative, and despite the cheesy synths, the melodic content falls together nicely after :30 or so. The transition at 1:15 sounded a bit rushed, but I like the emotional appeal of the minimal breakdown section thereafter. You could’ve used a smoother transition into 1:40, though. Ending on such a strong cadence at 1:38 kinda damages the flow of the piece a bit. Still, I like the refrain at 1:40 and the additional layer of harmonies at 1:53. The rhythm at 2:18 is a little wonky - it sounds like there’s just one too many beats in there or something. I think it would’ve been nice if you had some more gradual transitions in this piece. It’s hard to channel the energy effectively and keep the listener grounded when you have such a strong duality of character in your piece that isn’t well-connected. The emotional outro also dragged on for a bit long imo. Overall, though, nice job with the melodic content, mixing, and mood. Keep at it, MishkoLalko! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.25/10

MishkoLalko responds:

Thank you very much, I am very glad that I participated with you in this contest ^^

[Hesperax's Pet]

I like the distorted atmosphere at the beginning and the heavy, wobbly guitar chords. The texture is a bit overly staticy at around :38, and the panning at :57 is a bit too heavy. The vocals at 1:10 are nice - I’m impressed you managed to articulate the syllables so well given the fast tempo. That said, I think they sounded a bit dry, and could probably use some more mixing effects. They also sound like they’re coming from a slightly different stereo space as the guitars, so you might want to record them with that in mind next time. I also wanted the drums to be more prominent in the mix at times - the snare was struggling to come through at some of the busier sections. Sometimes, the syllables could be synced to the beat a little smoother, like at “I can’t get up until you do” at 1:44. I like the provocative nature of the lyrics themselves, though. I also think the structure gets a little repetitive after a while. The verse forms are very similar, although the variations in the instrumental tracks at 2:12 were refreshing. The solo at 3:00 was awesome. It’s clear to me that you’re a very talented guitarist, although sometimes the drums are a bit behind the beat. I think you could’ve foreshadowed the re-entry of the vocals at 3:50, although their content seemed a fitting conclusion to the set-up in earlier verses. The fade-out at 4:13 came across as a bit lazy, and the creepy, echoy whispering at 4:32 seemed a bit unnecessary. Perhaps it’s intended to be Hesperax herself? I’m unfamiliar with Warhammer. Overall, strong work with the melodic content, energy, and vocals here. I think the mixing could use some cleaning up, and the arrangement could be a bit less choppy, but it’s an engaging and fun piece nonetheless. Keep at it, MercyfulDeath! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.75/10

MercyfulDeath responds:

>Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1

BIG OOOOF

I'm joking though. Thank you for your detailed review, I'm extremely grateful for it. To answer the most glaring question; the whispers at the end are basically any overtly evil entity from the 40k universe meddling with the song, reversed, they say "covet heretical xeno ass" which is (in my opinion) a very cheeky joke directed at the 40k canon and metal's history, to pontificate, the imperium of man, which is the largest faction of 40k, is led by an incredibly dogmatic (kinda like catholicism on steroids), semi-fascist government which spans nearly the entirety of the Milky Way. The most capital crime you could commit is heresy, which is basically disagreeing with the Ecclesiarchy, which is also the government, and is punishable by death. The imperium is also extremely against consorting with anything that isn't human, so something like screwing an alien is basically grounds to get your shit pushed in with a bolter. The backmasking is basically a nod and a tribute to the satanic panic from the 80's, which given the overtly religious focus of The Imperium in 40k it'd be like whoa, you know, heh.

I'm fond of the beginning as well, feels like hot tension, the way the fuzz burns in. The static at :37 is basically Amplitube telling me FUCKING PLAY SOMETHING CAUSE I AIN'T GONNA FEEDBACK, since I'm using headphones to monitor my playing, the amp simulation can't really cook up the properties a real speaker would bring. I'll work on the panning at :57 as well, I really like the tone I set up for that guitar but mixing it to cut through is a cast iron bitch. I agree with the syncing of syllables, as well as the vocal mix, I'm mostly used to recording vox without a proper professional mic and this being the first time I've gotten the chance I wasn't exactly sure how to get em to mix properly, the biggest complaint I've gotten is "I CAN'T FUCKING HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING" so I just put em as upfront as possible without fucking up my other shit. I apologize for the repetitive structure of the vocals on the first verse and chorus, what I was trying to aim for was a frantic feeling with the delivery, and the closest to that was that way, originally it was gonna be 1 more verse and chorus but I'm glad my laziness prompted me to just call it a day with 2 of each, as I feel it would've been too repetitive to pull that, plus the milking of the money shot main riff would've gotten tiresome. I'm very, very glad you enjoyed the solo, I felt that from 3:00 to end, that's the highlight of the whole tune, and it's what keeps me, and hopefully other people coming back. The reason why the drums feel behind at a couple points is because I intentionally tried to play in front of the beat, reason why is because I read an interview from an old 80's speed metal band called Savage Grace that the lead guitarist on the first album tended to play infront to give it a very quick feeling. As for the fade out, come on dude, that is a HALLMARK of 80's music, and, and, I'm kidding, yeah, it's lazy as shit, was pressed for time and went "hey, what could possibly be more 80's than a fucking fade out?" and bam. I intend to play this tune live with a band so when that time comes I'll just stick in more solos because solos are always cool. And for a final note, yes, I agree with the fucking snare, I figured it out way too fucking late but hey, shit happens.

Once again, thank you for the review, I'm very glad to have participated in this contest.

[Xentiment - Summer (NGUAC 2019)]

I like the relaxed vibe at the beginning and the cute sound design. The mix is a tad quiet, and also has a lot of pizzicato-y elements to the texture (as opposed to legato and smooth). The melodies are nice, and the strings (while not entirely authentic) add a folksy charm to the piece. The minimal breakdown at 1:58 was nice for some structural variety, and I like the melodic variations at 2:53 with the saxophone. The production holds up pretty well here, although at times I thought the drums could’ve been a bit louder. I also thought the fade-out ending was a bit lazy, and also that you could’ve used a more energetic section towards the end of the piece to really hit it home. Right now, it seems that the most prominent climax of the piece occurs about halfway through, which isn’t really conducive to keeping the listener engaged in a piece that has such repetitive harmonic content. Still, nice job with the cute mood, mixing, sound design, and melodies here. Keep at it, IXentimenTI! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

IXentimenTI responds:

Hey dude thanks for leaving a review! Those seem to be pretty hard to come by.
I can agree with pretty much all criticisms you laid out but have to point out that mix is quiet mostly because I didnt have enough time to make separate masters so I just made one at -14 LUFS and uploaded it everywhere. Im very glad with fact you thought production was decent because its difficult for me to produce well since Im mixing on pretty shitty headset.
Although I sadly didnt pass Im quite happy with scores (6, 8 (that was a *suprise*, 7.75) considering Im producing for less than year and the half. You can bet youll be seeing me next year.
Cheers,
- Xent. ;)

[Puzzle]

I like the quirky chopped vocals at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The smooth pads in the background add a refreshing vibe to the texture. The section at :29 has a nice sense of climax, but also might need some more mid-range frequencies to balance out the texture. The same problem occurs at around 1:25 and other sections of the piece. The vocals at 1:06 have a nice and soothing vibe, while also hinting at the energy of many of the other sections of the piece. This piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, and also has a good sense of harmony and rhythm. That said, I think you could’ve maximized the emotional appeal a bit more with some more fill in the texture at times. You may have overused the high-pass filters or equalized things in a bit of an unbalanced way here. I wanted to hear a little more bass at times, and definitely more mid-range frequencies. It also gets a tad repetitive towards the end, although the additional harmonies on top of the vocals at 3:43 help alleviate that issue. Overall, solid work with the structuring, melodies, sound design, and catchiness! Keep at it, icantpronouncethis. ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

icantpronouncethis responds:

Thank you for your awesome critques. I was wondering if you can clarify what you mean by "I think you could’ve maximized the emotional appeal a bit more with some more fill in the texture at times" I also noticed the lack of bass and mid-range a little too late in the game, but I'm making the fixes now. Though I didn't make it to the finals this year, this was a great chance for me to explore and see where I am now.

[Latitude]

I like the somewhat somber mood at the beginning and the atmosphere. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture, although the mix holds up pretty well regardless. The drum samples are a bit cliche, but I like harmonic content and the subtle sense of climax into :45. The transition at :45 could’ve been smoother, but the injection of energy at 1:00 was a nice touch. The melodies at 1:15 sound blissful and light, if a tad repetitive. The transition at 2:04 could’ve been a bit more gradual, but I enjoyed the re-intro with the emotional appeal of the piano. The second half of the piece is very similar to the first half. I would’ve liked to hear a little more variety in the melodies and transitory content leading into the last refrain. Still, solid work overall with the harmonies, rhythmic content, energy, sound design, and production. Keep at it, HactasticBeast! :)

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
.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
8/10

Benji-G responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback! I will look back at this in my future work so I can fix the things you said. :)

[Odoroki Ruins]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The string samples aren’t of the best quality, but I like the eastern-sounding instrument at :39 and the harmonic content. The texture is a bit thin, and at times I wished the drums had a more prominent role in it. I like the powerful brass at 1:47, but I’m not sure I like how the note cuts off right before the next one starts. The mix is a little muddy in the low end at times, especially with the strings, and also sounds rather quiet overall. Sometimes, the harmonies are even a bit quiet relative to each other. The arrangement is a bit choppy, too, with sudden transitions (like at 3:03) and not much of an overarching sense of direction. The structure of the song feels a bit cyclical after a while, and I really wanted the texture to be a bit richer at times. The piece is missing a moment of climax or arrival at the end to really hit it home, despite having a lot of mysterious tension throughout. That said, there’s a pleasant atmosphere and harmonic content here. I think the unfamiliarity of a new DAW is affecting the quality of this piece, unfortunately, and that was apparent in the mixing and sound design. Still, I appreciate your resolve to make a track despite these setbacks. Keep at it, ARealGhost! :)
Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

ARealGhost responds:

Thank you for the feedback and for the opportunity, Tainted! I will keep pushing forward.

[Passing Through]

I like the bright piano and atmospheric noise at the beginning. The texture sounds very light and graceful, but also rather contemplative at the same time. I like the sub-bass and crisp drums at :52, even if the drums were a bit dry and simplistic. The production quality is really strong here, although I would’ve liked to hear some more prominent melodies in the piece. The breakdown at 1:38 seems to have a bit of added distortion to it, which I liked. I also liked the sense of climax starting at around 2:40, and the second refrain at 2:50 had a refreshing, cathartic vibe with some minimal (but satisfying) melodies. I still think the composition is a tad underwhelming here, but the atmosphere, flow, production quality, and sound design help compensate for that. The piano solo during the outro was a nice touch, too. Keep at it, Aesaire! :)

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Aesaire responds:

I have a bit of trouble with committing to melodies when writing ambient tracks, sometimes I feel that the ones I write are a little too distracting for the listener and genre. Need to make up my mind whether I want to be more or less melodic when making these.

Thanks for the feedback anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it for the most part.