Critic on a soundtrack(Individual tracks now available )

Dualnames · Mon 07/09/2009 15:54:09

I've composed the current soundtrack, on which I'd love your opinions.

Apart from the village I found a little boring, I'm satisfied with most of them.
They are in wave form due because I've yet to compress them.

It's in parts due to size limitations from uploaders:

Soundtrack:

Battletheme

Village

Bossfight

Intro

Credits

Outdoor

Castle theme

The soundtrack is about a fantasy based RPG/Adv sort of game:

Battletheme: A chiptune that will be looped for battles
Bossbtheme: A tune played on the final battle (loop)
Castletheme: A tune looping inside a castle
Intro: A song written for an atmospheric intro
Credits: Guess
Outdoor: A song looping outside the village
Village: A looping song inside the village(that's the worst one and I'd love some ideas on how to work on a song that's supposed to be heard inside a village, you know the folk elements and all)

I need critic on the whole soundtrack. As in how does it feel, is it too boring?

Nikolas · Mon 07/09/2009 16:43:24

Jim,

Really, just take the effort and offer the ability to the rest of us to download individual tracks, by making them mp3s or ogg instead. I doubt anyone will download a full RAR file with WAV files in there, in order to listen, and I seriously doubt someone will comment on all of them.

Also it would be a good idea to say a few words on what you're after. I mean, are you after general comments? The coherency of the whole soundtrack? Individual tracks? General notions? Aesthetics?... etc...

Sorry for this.

PS. Heh... and then I clicked and part 1 is 13 MB long only. Not too big really, alhthough the above do make sense... $:-\$

TerranRich · Tue 08/09/2009 04:32:11

Psst! Try http://shutupload.com/

I own it.

Dualnames · Tue 08/09/2009 07:40:28

Update on First post.

Quote from: Nikolas on Mon 07/09/2009 16:43:24
Jim,

Really, just take the effort and offer the ability to the rest of us to download individual tracks, by making them mp3s or ogg instead. I doubt anyone will download a full RAR file with WAV files in there, in order to listen, and I seriously doubt someone will comment on all of them.

Also it would be a good idea to say a few words on what you're after. I mean, are you after general comments? The coherency of the whole soundtrack? Individual tracks? General notions? Aesthetics?... etc...

Sorry for this.

PS. Heh... and then I clicked and part 1 is 13 MB long only. Not too big really, alhthough the above do make sense... $:-\$

I'm after a fantasy themed soundtrack, not too modern. Something close to Square's early 90's japan rpg games (chrono trigger, final fantasy) and a little based on Act Raisers 3. I want to know if it resembles that. (even at a small grade)

I'd love general comments, but I'd rather have someone comment each track seperately and if possible all together. I'd also like to know of the consistency of the track.

EDIT: Updated first post. Ogg format individual tracks.

ShiverMeSideways · Tue 08/09/2009 08:40:11

My 2 cents (not that I know what I'm talking about or anything):

Battletheme: Honestly, that chiptune feels a bit awkward when you put it next to the other tracks which are sort of orchestral.
Village: This track actually works, 'cos it gives out that warm fuzzy feeling you normally get in medieval villages (the ones which have not been pillaged). Although I suggest putting in a flute or an acoustic guitar, or something... Experiment more

.
Bossfight: This song really works nicely, but I'd suggest lengthening it a bit more and building it up more. It's a boss fight, so in my thoughts it has to be the most epic track. However, we don't want to fall into generic territory so this has it's good points and bad points.
Intro: Nicely done. This is great, leave it like that.
Credits: Again, a nicely done song which fits in with the intro so it gives a certain feeling of completeness. However, it has too much bass, or that may be just me, but you should look into that. I'm also guessing the game has a happy end?
Outdoor: Needs to be longer, dude. You've had like 1:30-2 minute loops, you can't have one that's 16 seconds now... Develop it and tie it in with the village. I also think it goes into a bit of generic territory, so you should experiment more with it.
Castle Theme: ~~Hey, that's not very me-~~ Sorry, Painkiller flashback, woah... Anyhoo, again, it feels awkward to have a chiptune, especially in a RPG game where you've had orchestral stuff. They're nicely done chiptunes, mind you, but I think you should stick with the orchestral.

So, those are my suggestions. Overall, nicely done. If you feel I'm talking out of my arse, then please excuse my arrogant ways, if not, let's discuss further

.

Also, Dualnames, do you play any instruments?

Dualnames · Tue 08/09/2009 09:06:12

Battletheme: Honestly, that chiptune feels a bit awkward when you put it next to the other tracks which are sort of orchestral.

I have to say this was designed whilst playing RPG's but yes indeed a chiptune feels out of the blue here, but I think it will fit easily.

Outdoor: Needs to be longer, dude. You've had like 1:30-2 minute loops, you can't have one that's 16 seconds now... Develop it and tie it in with the village. I also think it goes into a bit of generic territory, so you should experiment more with it.

I'm going to disagree there, not on the tie to the village point, but to the duration thing. I want people when off the village to have that baldur;s gate thing I felt.

Castle Theme: ~~Hey, that's not very me-~~ Sorry, Painkiller flashback, woah... Anyhoo, again, it feels awkward to have a chiptune, especially in a RPG game where you've had orchestral stuff. They're nicely done chiptunes, mind you, but I think you should stick with the orchestral.

Here's an orchestral version of it, but I think it;s inferior

http://ledzepforever.googlepages.com/castlethemeNormalVersion.ogg

Also, Dualnames, do you play any instruments?]

Guitar. Why?

ShiverMeSideways · Tue 08/09/2009 09:34:54

Alrighty, yes, the orchestral castle theme feels awkward, but I think that that is due to the main form (the one with which the tune starts out) is done with the wrong instrument. Try using that as a bassline, and keep the strings flowing... Just a thought.

Well, if you think the soundtrack'll work regardless of the chiptunes-mixed-with-orchestral, ok, then.

I was just asking about the do-you-play-instruments thing, out of curiousity.

InCreator · Fri 11/09/2009 16:46:12

Basically... you have too much chipping, short notes and pizzicato everywhere. Beginnings of a track make me wait for fuller sounds and longer notes to kick in or tempo would rise... and it never comes :'( Also, I'd up the tempo on most songs a bit.

Boss fight track is obviously weakest and most odd-sounding of the bunch. Bossfights must be all action-jackson, hi-tempo adrenaline tracks, not some strange voodoo-making ambient. I like "outdoor" though it could have more variety and main melody could shut up and make room for others sometime, but that's what I would say about every track in this list!

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 11/09/2009 22:07:51

I love chiptunes and the beeps and bloops, so it's a definite plus from me that you're going with something more retro. As far as the actual tunes go, I have to say in all honesty that they're a bit too samey, even the battle theme. You might try what I did and do a creative merge of chiptunes with more modern electronica sounds:

http://www.mediafire.com/?vjyd0nmjhtt

This is a tune I made for one of my games, but unfortunately this is a rough-cut (you can hear a couple of the pulse generators humming in the backdrop, which isn't horrible but it definitely wasn't intended) and I'm unable to revise it as the project file was somehow lost along with a bunch of others (I'm still not sure how!). Still, you can hear some nice chippy drums and waves mingled with newer sounds, drums and generators, and I was quite happy with the result -- maybe you will be, too!

The best advice I can give is amp up the tension in a battle theme as you go, add instruments and give it a nice quick flow like an old shooter level tune.

ShiverMeSideways · Sat 12/09/2009 13:54:50

Sorry for the off-topic, but that is a wicked track, ProgZmax!

Dualnames · Mon 14/09/2009 07:54:04

Quote from: InCreator on Fri 11/09/2009 16:46:12
Basically... you have too much chipping, short notes and pizzicato everywhere. Beginnings of a track make me wait for fuller sounds and longer notes to kick in or tempo would rise... and it never comes :'( Also, I'd up the tempo on most songs a bit.

Boss fight track is obviously weakest and most odd-sounding of the bunch. Bossfights must be all action-jackson, hi-tempo adrenaline tracks, not some strange voodoo-making ambient. I like "outdoor" though it could have more variety and main melody could shut up and make room for others sometime, but that's what I would say about every track in this list!

The weird thing with my music is that it is made to fit in the game, more like the other way around. On topic, I do agree that yes they give that feeling, and I promise to work on them a bit more, as yes, they do need it.

AnalogGuy · Thu 24/09/2009 21:32:41

Hi dear friend. I haven't seen you for a long time online... busy?

Anyway, you know I have listened your songs and reviewed them some time ago, but maybe it's better if I make them public.

Intro:

Sounds great. Nice and atmospheric, have even some level of being epic too! Negative point is only that the ending repeats too many times same cue. Just add something there and it will be great.

Village:

Hmm... sounds like the melody is somewhat a bit awkward. Honestly this one sounds like happy/comedy tune. Try to make something different... more mysterious. The pizzicato feels also wrong instrument for this song... or maybe it's just my own opinion. :

Outdoor:

This is something like sweet spot on your soundtrack. You did exactly correct feeling! Also, this track being short loop, can be both good and bad thing. It's good to be short and this song is done so correctly that I can't imagine that it would be too short to annoy players when being looped in a background. In the other side there is always more demanding players wanting more than short tunes... but I think maybe that's not yet so topical question.

Castletheme:

Honestly, this sounds horrible. Don't get me wrong.. i like cheesy tunes and NES games (I own real 17 years old 8-bit NES and still works!) but this song is just so.. umm.. incorrect. It sounds IMHO ridiculous... but then I heard the normal version and what a difference!!! I... um... liked it! It's actucally good and it's feeling fits almost perfectly to the theme when you are wandering around castle! I have no idea why you ruined such a song with very static NES square waveforms.

Battletheme:

This cheesy tune might actually fit along with other orchestral songs. It's simply neat. Nothing else to say.

Bossbtheme:

The violin sequence playing whole track is pretty boring and needs more changes (funnily sounds like toccata! xD) the string pad sound good and fits there too, but that boring sequence is just annoying me... just add some variations or change it's pitch. As being boss theme, I think this slow pace will be just fine. Boss themes do not always need adrenaline spilling song. This slower pace actually describe pretty well how desperate you are against bigger enemy.

Credits:

This is the gem of the soundtrack. Honestly, it's simply outstanding!!! And I completely disagree about having too much bass... it makes it actucally more haunting and epic and less bass would just make it more static and dull. This bass adds really a big depth to the song!

Regards!

Dualnames · Fri 25/09/2009 10:50:43

Thanks for the comments, and yes, lack would have it and I'm busy indeed. I want to enter, but barely time to post on the forums..