New Menu Music
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Ok, here is my final Main Menu Music.
http://aleksi.free.fr/Wesnoth/
I'll maybe do a few changes here and there on a counterpoint of view but its pretty much finished.
Aleksi.
http://aleksi.free.fr/Wesnoth/
I'll maybe do a few changes here and there on a counterpoint of view but its pretty much finished.
Aleksi.
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TimothyP
- Music Contributor
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- Joined: July 18th, 2005, 4:34 pm
- Location: Southern California
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Nice work, Aleksi.
I still feel like you could add something more to make it more "epic". It sounds quite good, but I'm not getting much sense of impending battle from the theme. The trombones at the beginning are nice, but then it feels like you pull back to a small ensemble.
Also, we haven't really talked about "mic-ing" effects. I think we should give the music a more distant sound. We should use lots of reverb and make it sound like the mic is in the back of the concert hall. This is built into East-West, so hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to alter.
The reason I like this style is because:
1. It helps cover up some of the inadequacies of synth orchestra
2. It makes the music sound like it is coming in from somewhere farther away. This can really help the atmosphere.
For an example, you may want to check out Jeremy Soule's music. He has commented before on his use of lots of reverb. It really helps game music, I think.
So, for this theme, I think it is good as it is. But if you want to add to it, I would say to crank the reverb and add more instrument voicings. Parts of it sound empty. Part of this could just be my compositional preference. I tend to like rich, complex harmonies and modulations. This piece has a much more standard Classical feel, whereas I think my style falls somewhere more in the late-Romantic.
If you do make any changes, post them so we can hear.
Good work, man. I'll have some level music posted soon. The notes are all done. Now I'm adjusting levels and instrument nuances.
--Timothy
I still feel like you could add something more to make it more "epic". It sounds quite good, but I'm not getting much sense of impending battle from the theme. The trombones at the beginning are nice, but then it feels like you pull back to a small ensemble.
Also, we haven't really talked about "mic-ing" effects. I think we should give the music a more distant sound. We should use lots of reverb and make it sound like the mic is in the back of the concert hall. This is built into East-West, so hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to alter.
The reason I like this style is because:
1. It helps cover up some of the inadequacies of synth orchestra
2. It makes the music sound like it is coming in from somewhere farther away. This can really help the atmosphere.
For an example, you may want to check out Jeremy Soule's music. He has commented before on his use of lots of reverb. It really helps game music, I think.
So, for this theme, I think it is good as it is. But if you want to add to it, I would say to crank the reverb and add more instrument voicings. Parts of it sound empty. Part of this could just be my compositional preference. I tend to like rich, complex harmonies and modulations. This piece has a much more standard Classical feel, whereas I think my style falls somewhere more in the late-Romantic.
If you do make any changes, post them so we can hear.
Good work, man. I'll have some level music posted soon. The notes are all done. Now I'm adjusting levels and instrument nuances.
--Timothy
Wow sounds really good Aleksi!
nice use of the brass in the opening. If I had any criticism I would say that the high strings sound a bit thin. I totally agree with TimothyP in adding a bit of reverb to the strings to add a feeling of being further away. That may take care of the seams that I am hearing.
Excellent piece though!
nice use of the brass in the opening. If I had any criticism I would say that the high strings sound a bit thin. I totally agree with TimothyP in adding a bit of reverb to the strings to add a feeling of being further away. That may take care of the seams that I am hearing.
Excellent piece though!
Well, i do agree about some points on the orchestration. Especially for the Orc Theme which is far from complete. Winds are usually what i put last, because it is what i am less familiar with.
But, regarding the reverb i don't totally agree. First because i've been using East/West SO for a year now and the "Surround" setting is really for a surround system. Adding too much of it makes it too distant and too confusing. My aim was to do music that you don't find in all video games, and try to do something less stereotyped. Plus, people like to think music as a background, but i never. When i like a music in a game i like to hear what it sounds like. Take an example of Warcraft 3 or Starcraft. The music is very very low as a default setting. And when you cranck up the sound it doesn't sound that good. So then there is no point to it. I'll see what i can do anyway.
As for the Menu theme, i'm still searching for certain harmonies and i kind of like the quartet in the middle section.
i will still be working on this one but its not my priority now.
Oh, and to come back to a background music, my Undead theme will be very freaky and distant!
Cheers,
Aleksi.
But, regarding the reverb i don't totally agree. First because i've been using East/West SO for a year now and the "Surround" setting is really for a surround system. Adding too much of it makes it too distant and too confusing. My aim was to do music that you don't find in all video games, and try to do something less stereotyped. Plus, people like to think music as a background, but i never. When i like a music in a game i like to hear what it sounds like. Take an example of Warcraft 3 or Starcraft. The music is very very low as a default setting. And when you cranck up the sound it doesn't sound that good. So then there is no point to it. I'll see what i can do anyway.
As for the Menu theme, i'm still searching for certain harmonies and i kind of like the quartet in the middle section.
i will still be working on this one but its not my priority now.Oh, and to come back to a background music, my Undead theme will be very freaky and distant!
Cheers,
Aleksi.
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TimothyP
- Music Contributor
- Posts: 244
- Joined: July 18th, 2005, 4:34 pm
- Location: Southern California
- Contact:
Thanks for posting, Aleksi.
As for music being in the "background", I think there is a compromise. We can make the music better than standard "background music". At the same time, we can make the recording of it sound more distant and realistic by utilizing reverb well. This provides good atmosphere. We can still make the music as loud as you want, but with a final recording that doesn't sound like each instrument was miced, but rather, recorded from a distance.
Overall, I agree, our music needs to be of that quality that it is good enough to listen to on its own.
As for the Main Menu theme, this certainly does need to be in the foreground because it is not level music.
--Timothy
As for music being in the "background", I think there is a compromise. We can make the music better than standard "background music". At the same time, we can make the recording of it sound more distant and realistic by utilizing reverb well. This provides good atmosphere. We can still make the music as loud as you want, but with a final recording that doesn't sound like each instrument was miced, but rather, recorded from a distance.
Overall, I agree, our music needs to be of that quality that it is good enough to listen to on its own.
As for the Main Menu theme, this certainly does need to be in the foreground because it is not level music.
--Timothy
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Kestenvarn
- Inactive Developer
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Woodwizzle
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Timothy may be a better choice to ask even though i haven't seen him around recently, but Aleksi barely has time to work on normal wesnoth stuff so don't get your hopes up.Ranger M wrote:Could you make a bandit type of music, cos the music i am having to use for my bandit campaign at the moment is really doesn't fit.