Isle of Alduin - My first try

Create music and sound effects for mainline or user-made content.

Moderator: Forum Moderators

User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Hi Wesnoth!

I'm not sure if my music can reach the quality of other artist's music, so i decided to post a not yet finished song to get critique and find out if it's good enough.

New Link:Isle of Alduin
Last edited by Adri42 on March 30th, 2009, 2:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
vonHalenbach
Translator
Posts: 398
Joined: May 3rd, 2006, 10:23 am
Location: united europe

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by vonHalenbach »

Hi!

The correct name would be "Isle of Alduin"

look here: http://www.wesnoth.org/images/sshots/wesnoth-1.4-1.jpg
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Thanks :)

I've corrected it.
User avatar
Turuk
Sithslayer
Posts: 5283
Joined: February 28th, 2007, 8:58 pm
Contact:

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Turuk »

Welcome to the forums (your first post even if you joined a bit ago) :P

I'm not the most qualified to give musical critique, but I do enjoy your piece, it seems to flow along very well without having pieces out of place that jar with the overall composition. I would think that it fits with the current style of Wesnoth music, and anyone attempting to fill the musical void is always welcome to have a go.
Mainline Maintainer: AOI, DM, NR, TB and THoT.
UMC Maintainer: Forward They Cried, A Few Logs, A Few More Logs, Start of the War, and Battle Against Time
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

:D Thank you!
I have updated the piece: Version 2
I've added a new part and changed the reverb for the harp.

PS.
I hope you didn't compliment me just because there are so few music contributors :wink:
User avatar
Turuk
Sithslayer
Posts: 5283
Joined: February 28th, 2007, 8:58 pm
Contact:

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Turuk »

Adri42 wrote:I hope you didn't compliment me just because there are so few music contributors
Not at all. :) Hopefully you can get more directed comments or critiques from one of the Music Lords in order to get some better input and to see if something like this could be incorporated into an addition to the game.

The new part is a nice touch, I like the different sound.
Mainline Maintainer: AOI, DM, NR, TB and THoT.
UMC Maintainer: Forward They Cried, A Few Logs, A Few More Logs, Start of the War, and Battle Against Time
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Next Version

The next part is done.

:eng: The added part is using a different scale which has been used for romantic pieces.
User avatar
West
Retired Lord of Music
Posts: 1173
Joined: October 30th, 2006, 7:24 am
Location: In the philotic connections between ansibles.
Contact:

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by West »

Hi Adri42 and thanks for your submission!

First of all I gotta say that I really like your piece. It has a nice balance between classicism and a sort of fairytale mood, which of course means that with some work this might very well fit in with the rest of the game music. Good work there, I'd be interested to hear more of your music.

But yes, I said 'with some work'.

I find some of your samples unconvincing, mainly the string ensemble. It doesn't sound like a proper orchestral arrangement with separate sections playing. It sounds like it's a generic 'full strings' ensemble patch with the high notes on the left and the low on the right. I can't hear the distinct timbres of the different sections, which makes the strings sound flat and lifeless. Also, it's not even a very good ensemble sample, it sounds more like a Mellotron than real strings.

Your solo samples are much better though, I particularly like the violin (or is it a viola? it sounds a little too throaty for a violin, but it's hard to tell). The flute is also good, though maybe a bit loud.

The percussion in the beginning, and also the harp to some extent, suffer from the quantize/grid snapping disease. You really need to work harder on making your piece sound like it's performed by humans and not machines. Same goes for dynamics, which are largely non-existant right now. Try using Expression to make parts softer and louder, to create swells and fades and so on. This, combined with a looser and more human timing, will add lots of believability to your music.

So no, we can't accept your piece as is (even if it were finished). I encourage you to keep working on it though; I like what I hear and I think this will turn out great if you switch out a few of the samples and spend a bit of time 'humanizing' the tune.
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Hopefully you can get more directed comments or critiques from one of the Music Lords in order to get some better input and to see if something like this could be incorporated into an addition to the game.
:hmm: Well, this piece doesn't sound warlike. But it could be used for peaceful scenarios, which take place in a safe capital or so.



@West:

Well that was exactly why I didn't post the completed piece: I was not sure if the sound quality is good enough. This is my third piece I created with my PC, and i can't cope with all the functions of my sampler yet.

You were absolutely right. I used that bad string ensemble because i lost the overview; The sample library I bought is really big.

I also don't have much musical knowledge; That's why I didn't use fades.

I'll try to make the piece better, but I'm not sure if I'll afford it today.
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Next Version.

I changed the samples for most instruments and finished the piece.
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Next Version

I've done some little changes.
User avatar
zookeeper
WML Wizard
Posts: 9742
Joined: September 11th, 2004, 10:40 pm
Location: Finland

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by zookeeper »

To me, pretty much the whole 1:55-2:20 part sounds...uh, very out of tune. :o
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

I am working on it. Just a few min and we'll have a new version.

But I think the piece sounds melodic again after 2:07?
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

:| Anyway, I've updated the melody of the harp, which was probably the reason for the bad sound.
User avatar
Adri42
Posts: 33
Joined: March 18th, 2008, 4:44 pm

Re: Isle of Alduin - My first try

Post by Adri42 »

Now
I've removed the harp from that part. It seemed to have a sound colour that didn't fit in with the other samples.
Post Reply