TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

["WHEN CALLING"]

I like the dreamy texture at the beginning with the airy vocals and mallets. The instrumental tracks sound a tad quiet relative to the beat. The vocals sound very clear in the mix, but also a little undecorated - a little more reverb might help fill out the atmosphere, especially during the verses. The added harmonies and increased vocal range at the chorus at 1:10 are really nice, and I also like the vocal layering during the pre-chorus at 2:09. The distorted breakdown at 2:42 was a good idea, although I wasn’t a huge fan of the pitch slides at 3:10 and 3:16 - they just sound a bit cheesy. Also, during the last minute or so, the vocals could use a bit of an extra boost in the mix amidst the extra distortion and harmonies. The synth solo at 3:51 was a great way of hitting the piece home, though - its jumpy contour captures a lot of the conflicting emotions that you’re expressing through the lyrics. Overall, I really like the sound design, atmosphere, vocal editing, and progression of this piece. Sometimes, the texture feels a tad bare, and the mix could use some more careful balancing out between the vocals, drums, and harmonies. Still, you’ve made an evocative and heartfelt piece here with a strong atmospheric appeal. Keep at it, xxxZigZagxxx! ^_^

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

xxxZigZagxxx responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback! I always have quite a bit of trouble with mixing, but this is one of the best mixed works I've done, so I think I'll have to talk to a great mixer I know to see what they have to say about mixing it :) I'll just show them some of these words and he'll be able to sort it out, and maybe I'll learn a thing or two!

Thanks for taking the time aside for valuable and well-thought-out feedback <3

[Dreamwalker]

I like the airy, blissful synths at the beginning. You’re definitely playing up the 80s synthwave vibe, but you integrate the punchy percussion and guitars at :21 very well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the kick sample - sounds very sub-bassy for a piece like this. That said, the synth melodies at :49 are really nice, and overall the production quality here is really strong. The bridge at 1:50 is refreshing, but otherwise the harmonic content in this piece is pretty repetitive, and the arrangement feels a tad formulaic after a while with all the stop-start transitions. Overall, the sound design, mixing, atmosphere, melodies, and rich texture of the piece are all really nice. Keep it up, BOE! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

BeyondOurEyes responds:

Thanks for the awesome score and feedback! Wow to be in the NGADM Top 16 is crazy and an honor, thank you - Now I really gotta bring it for the next submission, haha!

[Slawblade.mp2]

I like the eerie siren-like synth at the beginning. The drums at :05 are catchy. I think I recognize some FL Studio presets, though. The piece is pretty slow to progress at first, but the transition with the vocal sample at :32 was neat. The synth at :40 sounds a bit thin and unpolished - some more mixing effects might help give them some more atmosphere. That said, the riff it’s playing is catchy, and has a nice call-and-response pattern between the higher-pitched and lower-pitched sub-sections. The effect at 1:15 is cool, but could’ve been better integrated into the “body” of the piece, if you will. Otherwise, I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more here. Kinda feels like the piece ends right as it’s getting started. Overall, it’s not bad, just a bit bland. I’d encourage you to keep working on this - there’s a lot of potential between the catchy synth riffs and drums and the cool effects and transitions. Keep at it, WoogLord! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6/10

WoogLord responds:

Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate the in-depth analysis you gave and do agree with you on all that you said.

I look forward to improving more in the future!

[Driving through memories]

I like the bass drone at the beginning. The synth at :01 is a bit cheesy, and could use some more atmosphere around it to help it blend in. The prominent drum rolls at :14 are really nice, but could use a bit of a boost in the mix, maybe with some more compression. The tranquil, bright-sounding section at :22 is also good, but could use some more bass tones to balance out the high-pitched synths.

Your melodies sound pretty jumpy and aimless at times - there are a lot of big jumps in pitch between notes, but at the same time there’s a lot of repetition in patterns that you’re using. During the entire last 2 minutes of the piece, the synth riff that first comes in at :39 serves as the lead melody - at some point, it might be a good idea to switch it up, either by having another instrument take the lead or by changing the note pattern that synth is playing in the first place.

The texture feels full and well-balanced during the bassy/climactic sections, and I appreciate how much effort you put into the drum patterns. That said, you really spam the crashes too much here, especially at 1:25. You have a good sense of rhythm, harmony, and progression, but some of the compositional/arrangement details of this piece could use some fleshing out. Still, the blissful mood and rich harmonies help keep me engaged here. Keep at it, VanillaSnope! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.25/10

VanillaSnope responds:

Wow! thanks for the helpful feedback! I've never received criticism like this before, so it helps a lot. I'm always learning and thanks to people like you I'm able to improve along the way. Thanks!

[a journeys end]

I like the catchy synth riff at the beginning. You overuse the open hat a bit, and some of the synths sound pretty cheesy, like the one at :22. You could also do a better job of transitioning between the sections of the piece - there are a lot of times where you add or subtract instruments without warning. At :56, the mix seems a bit oversaturated with reverb, to the extent that the harmonies sound a bit muddy. I’d suggest dialing back the wetness there. The bridge with the walking bass at 1:19 is cool, is a tad minimal, and you transition well back into the more energetic section at 1:45. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of harmony and rhythm. The piece could flow a tad smoother, though, and the production quality could be sharper at times. Still, this is a catchy piece with a rich atmosphere and some cool individual riffs. Keep at it, toad-shroom! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

toad-shroom responds:

Thanks for your input!

[Metropolitan Energy]

I like the descending piano line at the beginning. Unfortunately, MuseScore’s samples aren’t the best quality. The guitars and strings all sound pretty fake, and the drums probably need a boost in the mix (in most DAWs you can use a compressor to make drums sound louder). I like the frantic melodic content and upbeat mood, though, and despite the inauthentic sound design, the piece seems befitting of a video game soundtrack. The composition also gets a tad repetitive after a while, although the key change at 3:15 was a good idea. If you have access to another music production software (slightly outdated versions of Logic Pro sell for like $40), I’d suggest PM’ing @LD-W and joining the NG Audio Pub on Discord. The Resources tab there is full of great sample libraries and tips on where to find more. Still, this is a cute piece with some nice melodies and (unsurprisingly) a strong sense of energy and drive. Keep at it, TheGrassGuy! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

TheGrassGuy responds:

Should I use FL Studio? It's expensive though ($100, and I don't feel like pirating it). I've used the trial version before and it was somewhat convoluted. I know many of the Newgrounds OGs used Nexus, but not only is Nexus itself like $200, I've heard you also can't really make presets with it.

I actually intend on remastering this and adding vocals in the future. I like it. The "repetitive" part is actually a repeat sign for the second verse (which will have different lyrics once I add lyrics).

[Lonely song]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning. The synths are a bit cheesy, especially the one that comes in at :12. The lead melody has a lot of chromatic tones in it, which is fun and unique. The drums at :47 sound a bit flat, and could use some more compression. There’s some dissonance in the harmonies at around 1:45, but the main melody there is really dynamic and memorable, and the transition back into the refrain at 2:12 was a bit awkward. It would be nice if at some point you stripped away the beat or shook up the instrumental hierarchy in a major way, just for some variety.

That said, I like the mid-range bass solo at 2:50ish and how that leads back into the final refrain. The injection of energy at 3:24 was a bit of a surprise - another sudden transition, but in retrospect it was a good way of creating additional interest towards the end of the piece. It might be nice to create some variations on the refrain melody instead of just interspersing it with a bunch of other melodies, especially if you’re going to have time more a more downtempo or atmospheric section for structural variety. But maybe that’s too nitpicky.

More concerning for me is that the texture sounds pretty muddy and indistinct throughout. It might help to dial back the reverb across the board. Part of the problem might be that instruments with a similar frequency range are distorting each other. To help solve this, it might help to use equalizers more often. Also known as EQs, they’ll help you filter out the frequencies in the harmonic instruments (i.e., pretty much everything except the bass and drums) below about 200 Hertz. That’ll make all of the instruments sound much clearer in the mix, especially on the low end of the spectrum. You may already know about equalizers, but you should use them way more often, is the point.

Overall, you have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression. The mixing could be sharper, and the arrangement details of the piece could use some polish (especially with the rough transitions I mentioned), but overall this is a solid track with some nice melodies and a rich atmosphere. Keep at it, Snoot-Doot! You’ve earned a scout. ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Snoot-Doot responds:

Thanks man! I appreciate the feedback

[Ice cave]

I like the rhythmic content at the beginning, but the sound design sounds a tad harsh. The distorted drums at the very beginning could use some more reverb and effects to soften them up a bit, and also a compressor to keep them on top of the mix once the texture gets busier. The frantic synth arpeggios at :08 are also a tad too crisp for my tastes - especially considering how busy the texture gets by :30 or so, it might’ve been nice to turn them into more of an atmospheric effect with some filtering and delay. By the time the main melody comes in at :35, the texture already sounds way too crowded, with a lot of tinny, staccato, and percussive sounds and not a lot of languid and smooth ones to balance them out.

The arrangement also feels a tad formulaic here - you add instruments every 4 or 8 bars like clockwork during the first half of the piece, and then have them cut out just as robotically during the second half. A lot of the individual ideas here are really good, like the smooth bass line that first comes in at :26, the slidey chiptune effect at 1:51, and the main melody at :35. That said, it might serve you well to consolidate some of your ideas and think more about how to structure the piece to tell a coherent narrative. Right now, the piece sounds like a demo track in that it lacks the elements that make electronic pieces feel loose and human (filtering, automation, MIDI, dynamic contrast, etc.).

That said, I think the fundamentals (catchy beats, harmonic depth, variety, a sense of progression, etc.) of composition are there, and I hope you’ll keep working on this. The sound design just needs a bit more blending and balance in the type of sounds, and the structure needs more ebb and flow over the course of each section/phrase. Keep at it, Sirbru! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

Sirbru responds:

I like your critique which will help me a lot when making new music. The nice things are also good because, well, I’m using GarageBand:/

[Life]

I like the lo-fi texture and the heavy chords at the beginning. The drums could use a bit more “pop” in the mix - some more compression, reverb, and other mixing effects might make them stand out more. The piece doesn’t make a bad loop, but I really wanted to see you do more with the composition here. The dissonant chords and rhythmic content are good, but there’s a lot of work you need to do before this functions as a full-length, stand-alone track. I’d encourage you to keep working on this - sounds like a life that’s not finished yet. :) Keep at it, Scrubyboat! ^_^

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

Scrubyboat responds:

Thank you! I know the track is not much, but it's the kind of music I like to compose. I'll definitely keep working on this and try to make something better. Thanks for the invitation though!

[Revenant - Eternal Stagnance]

I like the airy piano at the beginning. The drums that come in shortly thereafter sound very muddy and indistinct, though. You might’ve needed to dial back the reverb and add some compression or something. In fact, the mix is very quiet and subdued in general here. I like the strings at :30 and the gradual sense of build-up into :54. The piece has a very square overarching rhythm about it, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies and variety in the harmonies. The breakdown at 2:20 created some variety in the intensity level, though. I like the cutesy harmonies that come in at 1:45, but they still sound rather minimal and rhythmically square. The injection of energy at 2:10 was good, but the lead synth still doesn’t have quite the strong sense of leading somewhere that I would expect of a main melody. You also start overusing the reverse crashes by the end of the piece.

Overall, you do a great job of channeling the energy here, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. The composition could’ve been a bit more ambitious, though, and the mixing could use some cleaning up as well. The uplifting mood and decent structuring work still make this piece memorable. Keep at it, Revenant! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

RevenantMusic responds:

thank you, i really appreciate your feedback!