Arcade-y music

[Nikolas]

Hellos,

It's been a very long time that I posted here, but I figured that you guys could provide some honest feedback. I'm working on an arcade type game, semi-old style, so I wanted a rather arcade feel in the music (which is not my strongest point).

Do have a listen bellow, please and offer some feedback.

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/catchus_v3.mp3

Thanks

[Corby]

I think it's fantastic!

[abstauber]

Yeah, can't help you either, to me it's really good.

[Dualnames]

AMAZING indeed, my only comment is that if you could make those drums chiptuny that'd make this an amazingly amazing song. 

[Calin Leafshade]

I think the drums are the main problem. Something glitchy might be nice.

Something like this track I did a long time ago. (Ignore the poor string samples)

http://www.thethoughtradar.com/songs/blinds.mp3

[Nikolas]

Dual and Calin seem to offer contradictory advices... I mean Dual is mentioning chiptuny drums (so more... bit like), while Calins' track (very nice), has some very realistic loops in there, very active and all that.

I'm not sure glitchy is the word I'd use Calin. :-/

[Calin Leafshade]

you're right, it's not particularly glitchy.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

The main rhythm, aside from the drums(?), sounds pretty muted as though you ran everything else through a filter.  My advice would be not to do whatever you did to make it sound that way and have all the sounds mastered individually like a traditional 'arcade' tune.  You're really not giving any specifics on what you consider to be 'arcade' music, however, or what genre you're going for.  I have quite a bit of experience making this kind of music, but until you give me some specifics to work with (as I've mentioned) I can't really help you beyond saying it sounds too muted and restrained and the (is that even a drum sample?) loud picking is out of place with the rest of the tune, which would sound pretty good otherwise!

[Something13]

Overall I think it sounds pretty good, but there are just a few pieces of advice I would offer.

How old sounding do you want this to be? The first section of music sounds like classic arcade music, but once you bring in the more electronic sounding instruments (specifically the drums and background sound effects) it starts sounding too modern. By the end of the piece I almost get the feeling that it is really a modern semi-techno piece instead of a "classic" arcade piece.
To make it have a more arcade-like feel it might be a good idea to have fewer sections in the music. Right now you have about 3 or 4 distinct sections that I can hear. I feel like arcade music really only had 1 or 2 sections in it and it just looped as long as needed. Also it would help if you could actually lower the audio quality too. (after all, in the days of arcade games they didn't have the best sound quality for the music)

Personally I would also like to have the balance fixed just a little so that the melody is slightly louder and the background stuff just a little quieter. At some points the melody is almost completely covered up by the stuff happening in the background.

Hope this feedback helps! 

[Nikolas]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Progzy: The game is a semi-arcade (new) game about blocks falling, catching, etc... So while the arcade feeling is there, the graphics are high resolution, and the game is for iphone, ipad and the such. So it's not a classic arcade, but a more modern take.

I think that I had in mind a little Jean Michel Jarre while working on the track...

I did had a lot of filters going on, and once I heard them on headphones I freaked out, so I removed all of them, added some more effects (something... ) and resubmitted it.

something13: You are semi-right. There are 3 different sections composition wise (since the first melody is played twice, but the drums enter). I don't want a too old arcadey feeling, just a reminiscence of that. As I said it's a new game and not going after the old style in the graphics or gameplay.

On the comment about sounding older, I'll see, but in the end the quality will be brought down because of size issues... Thus I don't have to worry too much.

Here's a new version, if you please:

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/catchus_v3,2.mp3

[Something13]

I listened to the new track and the changes make it sound a lot better! (not to say it wasn't already good to begin with of course)

I don't want a too old arcadey feeling, just a reminiscence of that. As I said it's a new game and not going after the old style in the graphics or gameplay.

I see. In that case you did a pretty good job of getting that feeling across too. There are some arcade-y elements in the music (like the fact that there is just a melody with not too much accompaniment) to make it feel older, but it has enough modern sounds in there that it feels modern at the same time.

On the comment about sounding older, I'll see, but in the end the quality will be brought down because of size issues... Thus I don't have to worry too much.

Always nice when things work out like that, isn't it?

[Peder 🚀]

On the latest version I can only comment on the part at 1:02. I kinda dislike that the organ played has no higher tone on this first part while on the rest it does.. It just kinda makes it sound not right too me . (I am useless at talking music so I am sorry if I am not  making any sense.) Other than that I love this song! Makes me want to compose some chiptune music .

(To try and explain a bit better, the organ part at 1:02 seems like it doesn't sound the same as the one at 0:50 while it seems it is meant too? As if the darker tones are there but not the lighter ones.)

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I think it sounds better!  Seems like it would work for a tetris style block game.

[Crimson Wizard]

I am usually quite clumsy at describing my thoughts on music, anyway -

There's a strange sound somewhere during first 1-2 seconds, that sounds like "shk" (lol, don't know how to explain, maybe like turning paper page or pressing a mechanical switch button) that feels irrelevant to the track. Very similar thing happens on 00:26-00:27.

Also, personally I didn't like the low vibrating transition that takes place at 00:05, 00:12 and 00:18, which sounds like some instrument is broken. (well I am not a big fan of low vibration in general )

What feels really good is a change from minor to major mood in the midst of the track.