In game MIDI music

[m0ds]

I'm still continuing work on the soundtrack for Poom, and still owe a Chronicles theme... None the less, here are several new and updated tunes from Poom.

The key to successful background music IMO is to keep it changing. I'm getting better at that, there's still a LOT of repetition in my tracks and that works to a degree, but I'm trying now to break away from that and keep things moving. I hope to write a piece soon with no repetition. But that's harrrrrrd!!

For the tunes that loop, try them in AGS or on Windows Media Player with repeat on to see what you think.

Streets (looping) - for a map screen, perhaps a little bit over the top? Oh well - gives people something to sit around and listen too If you can look at MIDI files you'll see how I seperated each 'part' of the tune up, leaving, crossroads, cruising etc... Poom's "original" theme plays at about 37 seconds.

Steffan (standalone) - the annoying work guy turns up and tells you about a meeting. This is the "Steffan" theme. The themes of Poom are absent in this piece.

Arack's Apartment (looping) - fairly chilled, this one plays the "main" Poom theme quite slowly on the strings. See if you can hear the single bendy piano note in there. ^_^

Late 4 Work (standalone) [updated]

Main Menu (looping) [updated]


m0ds

[Synthetique]

I be crappin me pants cus them here tunes are really good.
I especially liked Main menu, Steffan, Apartment and Late fer work. The late parts of Streets were nice too.
Nicely done, m0ds. Now hand over the game wichill be featurin them songs.

[BerserkerTails]

Wow, these are very good Mark! As always, your music is inspirational and makes me want to run to Cakewalk, haha.

I know what you mean about repetition being a constant threat. I'm always self-concious that my peices are too short, and that the repetition of looping will bore the player, but I see this is definatley not the case with these tracks.

My favorite track was the main menu. The driving pulse of it gives it a really fun feeling while listening. A paricular point of interest were the dynamic changes (Forte to piano, then a gradual crecendo) in the horn part playing the Poom theme (I love reoccuring themes!) The track really reminded me of the music from "Back to the Future" (Which is an example of how to do reoccuring themes right), which is definatley a good thing.

[[Cameron]]

...and still owe a Chronicles theme...

Yesh you do
Anyways, great music. I'm not that good a critic, so yeah. I like it, and thats what counts.
Regards,



Alec

[Pet Terry]

Excellent stuff, m0ds, as always.

I also agree about the repetitious tunes, I usually get a great idea for a song and then it's hard to get the tune to be not to repetitive. However, as Tails said, these tunes are certainly not too repetitive.

I love the streets-tune especially. Also the original Poom theme is something I could listen to over and over again.

Oh, and I remember you asked if I had any ideas for the Chronicles theme! Sorry, I forgot all about it!

[BorisZ]

Great tunes.
By the way, if you want, I could process these midis trough Reason to get much better (more realistic) sound. Off course, you would get *.mp3 files that way.
PM me if you'd like that.

[n3tgraph]

Teh hey M000ds, great midi's!!

Some midi's remind me a lot of DOTT! especially the Steffan theme. You can hear that you're inspired by lucasmusic. Which ofcourse is a great thing.

I really like the way you use the odd instruments together! No comments from my side, this will work perfectly in a gayme

[m0ds]

Haha! Thanks for the comments people!

@ Synth; the game is already available (perils of poom) but it doesnt feature much music at the moment. The deluxe edition is set to feature this full soundtrack + some brand new features, woo! Go M

@ Beserker; Thanks for the comments. I love the menu track too because it has a lot of feeling and induviduality. I'm not surprised you get a BTTF feel from the music -Ã,  one of my main inspirations for this project is the BTTF 3 score! LOL. Silvestri's punchy scores (ala BTTF, Predator... after that they get a bit shit) have really grown on me. It's the style I plan to adapt and stick too from now on with MIDI music. That is the only tune that uses crecendo's and volume changes. I should add more into other tunes, certainly.

@ Petteri; hahaha! Don't get too addicted After I finish a tune I usually listen to it 50 times or so to make sure I'm happy with it. You can get sick of themes that way lol, but, again, I hope its another one of those melodies you'll find yourself randomly whistling at some point

@ Boris, thanks! Though the game doesn't require it - I'd still like to hear them mp3afied!

@ teh N3T; It's impossible to do anything with the vibraphone instrument without it sounding like DOTT

Thanks again, more tunes soon

[m0ds]

Here are two new tunes;

Falling For It - Mac is tricked into entering a cupboard at work. D'oh! I'm pretty happy with this tune, it's simple. The "Steffan" theme is used at the beginning, an organ plays the "main" theme. Not made to loop so it only runs through once.

Cola Room - He then finds himself stuck in a room with a Cola machine. I've turned the volume down on this one. I've carried over a dominant instrument from the previous track (falling) to the beginning of this one - the slap bass. Listen to falling and then colaroom and you'll see. This tune is actually a rendition of one you hear 5 minutes or so before, when you work out the first puzzle by the lockers. This is the "figuring out" melody as such. I don't like the last ten seconds, either!

[Drugster (Yufster)]

Absolutely awesome. They have a really professional, Lucasartsy kind of feel. Pre-Star Wars LA, that is.

Excellent.

[m0ds]

Thanks Drugster - say, got any smoke? ^_^ I've tried to keep it as much m0dsie as I have LucasArtsy but I'm glad the tunes reflect that nostalgic feel.

I just made this one too, another background tune for Poom.

harder.mid

Some foy tunes soon

[Einoo]

I'm sorry, m0ds, but I like the version that's on the Poom game currently a bit better. My favorite is the John Wrath theme, I'll be really mad if you cange it!!  I think the Streets theme that you have now isn't as good as the one on the "unfinished release". I think you did an excellent job with that theme there, especially since you don't get tired of it even though it's almost the only thing you hear in the entire game. I agree with Petteri, too. The Poom theme is something I could listen to all day. I think I HAVE hummed it  a lot, too.

PS: What's that "Track 4" for, anyway? You don't hear it at all except in the "sterio" section.

[Einoo]

PPS: Not that I'm criticizing you personally, m0ds, your music is awesome. The "rob Blanc" theme (remember that one?) was very good.

[Einoo]

Wow, these are very good Mark! As always, your music is inspirational and makes me want to run to Cakewalk, haha.

I know what you mean about repetition being a constant threat. I'm always self-concious that my peices are too short, and that the repetition of looping will bore the player, but I see this is definatley not the case with these tracks.

My favorite track was the main menu. The driving pulse of it gives it a really fun feeling while listening. A paricular point of interest were the dynamic changes (Forte to piano, then a gradual crecendo) in the horn part playing the Poom theme (I love reoccuring themes!) The track really reminded me of the music from "Back to the Future" (Which is an example of how to do reoccuring themes right), which is definatley a good thing.

Yeah, the main menu theme is VERY reminescent of BTTF. And that's a good thme.

[[Cameron]]

Some foy tunes soon

And some KC ones perhaps?

[m0ds]

Sure, Alec. Is your game first person or third person? What I saw on the ss suggested it was a first person adventure. Or is there room locations? Can't wait to see some room art bgs, but

If you have SoundMAX Digital Audio (and if you have a Dell Dimension 4500) you probably hear it the same as me. It's a lot different to the soundcard on my old machine, SB16. Instruments actually sound like instruments to me now, lol. I checked these tunes out on the SB16 the other night and they still worked well, to me. I agree I might overkill the amount of bass instruments a little sometimes. I compose using headphones. To be honest, I haven't heard my midi through PC speakers for a while - which is why I'm getting a sub woofer system this christmas - hopefully 2005 will see a lot more dedication to adventure game music.

Here's a little word about Streets & John Wrath, Einoo - the John Wrath is going to remain the same, for real. I sing that tune to myself sometimes. But I think I can make a must more textured version, using MIDI with the capabilities of this machine. Naturally I'll be bigging that theme up, and keeping it in style with the game.

Streets is similar. Similar in the sense it's not the original tune you heard but is not dissimilar to it. The old tune you heard is going to be re-made, simple as it was the first time round, (there are some simple tunes in the game, lockers is one of them) and will accompany the actual street scenes, where the bums are with the bin on fire for example. The most recent version is for the map screen

I showed the John Wrath theme to Bill Tiller and he was pretty impressed. Now I can make an even better version, I swear!

Thanks for your comments though Enioo LOL, yep the poom theme gets on your mind sometimes lol doo da de de deeeeeeeeee de da do do dooooooooo



!

[Pet Terry]

Heh, I had SB 128 PCI on my old computer and I liked how the midis sounded on it. Then I got the new computer and it has the same soundcard as on your new comp (or actually SoundBlaster Live! now, I got a new card), and some of the midi instruments sound very good. But overall my older tunes sound bad because some of the instruments sound louder or quieter than earlier and especially the drum sounds are very different. So I found a setting that allowed me to change the midi to sound the same as on my old soundcard.

I must say, though, that your new tunes sound better on "the new setting", but your older tunes sound better on "the old setting"...!