TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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 ^^

[Thalia's Rhythm]

I like the spacey pads and minimal drums. The sound design here is really good, although the progression is a bit slow-paced and there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture. The mood of the piece is very evocative, and this track has a really smooth flow. I think there could be a bit more variety in the instrumental hierarchy of the piece, but 1:22 served as a pleasant breakdown. The percussion sounds a bit harsh in my ears at 1:36, likely because of excessive panning. I think it’s usually a good idea to keep major rhythmic elements like that front-and-center in the mix. Still, the piece is really flowy and soothing, even if the chord progression was a bit cliche at times. The subtle climax at 2:46 with the strings is really nice - great way of hitting the piece home towards the end. The added bass riff at 3:39 was a bit bizarre; sounds like a combination of a traditional and fade-out ending. Overall, great job with the instrumentation, rhythmic content, melodies, and arrangement, though. This piece is a good reason why I often think my structural standards are too strict. Keep it up, shadow-ghost! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

shadow-ghost responds:

Wait, I could've SWORN I posted a reply to your review already, but... it turns out I didn't? Terribly sorry about that. I just wanted to send a (belated) thank you for the in-depth analysis and commentary; I appreciate it immensely! :) I'm really glad to hear you liked the track, it means a lot.

[The Escape]

I like the catchy beats and harmonies at the beginning. I think there’s way too much reverb in the texture, although the mix holds up pretty well regardless. The ominous synth riff at :38 is pretty sweet, although there’s not a lot of structuring here to satisfy my compositional standards. Overall, this sounds like a great start to a piece, and I’d love to hear the finished product. For the purposes of the NGUAC, it’s a little underwhelming right now as a stand-alone track. Please do PM me if you ever finish this - I’ll leave you a full review. Keep at it, Shabbyjazz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
0/1
Composite score
5.5/10

CielOuvert responds:

Well for a piece that's mostly unfinished getting a score like this, and the combined ones from other judges, do make me wanna try to finish it.

[N3Ogodus - sunrise]

I like the punchy drums and energy at :04, but the sweep at the beginning sounded a bit undecorated. There are a lot of more creative ways to start a piece. Still, the pulsing low chords at rhythmic content at :04 make this piece really catchy, and I like the sense of climax into :26. Some of the drum samples and arrangement elements of the piece seem a bit cliche, but I like the melody at the drop. The texture could use a bit more harmonic depth at times, and sometimes the mix lacks higher-range frequencies for an extended period of time. The synth riff with the prominent 5th interval at 1:35 was nice, but I think the piece gets pretty repetitive later on. You recycle the same transitions, vocal samples, and melodies a lot, and the minimal texture doesn’t help alleviate that problem. The variations at 2:29 were nice, though. Overall, I like the mixing, rhythmic content, and mood of the piece the most. More variation in the harmonies and originality are what this piece most needs. Keep at it, N3Ogodus! :)

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
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

N3Omusic responds:

thanks bro! To be honest I have mixed emotions. Im happy about your positive rating but on the other side im kinda dissapointed with the things that is the song missing. But you are right. I should work harder on that. Thanks for inviting me.

[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. ;)