Critic on A Main's theme song.

[Dualnames]

I'm working on Hitchhickers Guide To The Galaxy and I wrote a song. I really enjoy it.. the question is do you? What should I change?

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

[Ghost]

As far as I'm concerned, just leave it as it is. This comes, however, from a man who couldn't distinguish a MIDI keyboard from a blowdrier, so I'm not the best to point out flaws in the production. It's not perfect but suitable, and it doesn't hurt after hearing it the fourth time.

And, like, a Hitchhiker game? Good on yer!

[Moresco]

Seems like there's lots of clipping, try not to go into the red in your mix, might have to lower some things or remove whatever instrument it is that's causing the clicking sound.

Also, the very end, there's a drum bit at 1:42...doesn't fit there IMO, I'd take it out and leave the rest of the piece alone otherwise.

[Galen]

I still feel deeply violated by a midi saved as an ogg/mp3/etc. with only a bit of reverb added. But I've given up trying to argue.

[Dualnames]

Ghost: You heard it four times? Anyway, I can;t help myself either.
RedPress the song is going to be used for an intro which will last 1.20 max so the drum part won't be heard.
Crazy: Yes, it's a midi. Is it any good as a midi as an ogg was more of a question I was waiting for an answer. And you answered secondly worst than you could. Try posting 42 for an answer 8)

[EldKatt]

I can't listen now since it's in the middle of the night and my headphones are not here, but I'll offer my thoughts on the midi vs. ogg issue.

I don't feel violated at all, since I don't really have any reason to care at all, but I do agree that a midi file is a far better choice in a case where the original is a GM midi file, and there is little or no postprocessing. I hold this opinion for a very practical and sensible reason: The critique and advice I can give you will be better, and it will be easier for me to think of it, meaning I'm more likely to actually do it in the first place (which I am in no way obliged to anyway).

On the other hand, not everyone wants thorough and detailed critique to begin with, for some reason, so it's up to you. Make my voluntary job easier, or don't.

Just felt it warranted to point out that there's some sense to Crazy's talk.

[SpacePirateCaine]

Ahoy there, Dualnames;

Well, first-off, It's a good composition - very simple, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. My major gripe, if anything, with the song is that it's lengthened without a whole lot of due cause in the middle by repeating the same phrase all of eighteen times. You could cut out a fair sample of that track, and fit your drum bit at the end (Which I disagree, it sounds just fine to me - perhaps could be precluded by some other drums elsewhere in the track, however, as it seems a bit tacked on otherwise) without losing much of anything. As it is, the song is generally quite repetitive in the middle.

Now, pardon my uncouthness in pointing it out, but isn't The Eagles's Journey of the Sorcerer generally accepted as the canonical themesong to Hitchhiker's Guide? I don't mind it being replaced, especially in a fan-game, but assuming it's freeware, I doubt Bernie Leadon is likely to beat you about the ears with his banjo for making your own rendition thereof. This track could play well when doing a dramatic reveal of a new spaceship, or something of the sort - perhaps when Arthur and Ford are launched out of a Vogon Airlock and subsequently picked up by the Heart of Gold?

On the topic of midi file versus .ogg - the main issue I see is primarily in the fact that ultimately, if it's simply a midi song, without a whole lot of post-processing done to it to warrant the necessity of converting to high-quality format, the filesize is bound to be unnecessarily large, considering what it is. Unless it's meant to be part of a video.

Anyway, my two cents. Do with them what you will.

[EldKatt]

When percussion and stuff enters, it sounds rather odd to me. It sounds to me somewhat like you've used a timpani sound (a fairly harsh one at that), at a pitch where timpani normally wouldn't play. If this is the case I would suggest maybe writing a more timpani-like part (lower and less percussive?), and adding a snare drum to fill that more "percussive" role. That whole section is also very lacking in the low end, very much preventing the kind of majestic feeling you might want. Better timpani will help, but not enough, so I would add some low strings (and maybe brass).

I would also contemplate adding some kind of pad at some point in the intro. Even just at a barely audible level, it might help glue the thing together.

Disregarding the fact that you're staying on the same chord forever (I'm sure you're aware of it), the very ending seems to me to be lacking direction and coherence. I'm not sure at all what you're trying to accomplish.


The practical side of the mid/ogg issue (which I might not have made clear in my previous post) is already making itself apparent to me, by the way. The issue isn't file size. The issue is that in the orchestration points I make above, I have to rely on basically guessing how it was actually written. If I could actually look at the notes, I might be useful. Now, if all you want to know is whether I think it sounds good or not (and a lot of people don't want to go beyond that), that's fine, but if you want to know how I think it could be improved... well, you get the idea. It's just odd, when everyone is posting helpfully zoomed-in versions of their sprites, that nobody wants to give music the same treatment.

[Galen]

Now, pardon my uncouthness in pointing it out, but isn't The Eagles's Journey of the Sorcerer generally accepted as the canonical themesong to Hitchhiker's Guide? I don't mind it being replaced, especially in a fan-game, but assuming it's freeware, I doubt Bernie Leadon is likely to beat you about the ears with his banjo for making your own rendition thereof.

Perhaps even just working out the erm "chorus" into it (I'm not to knowledgable about musical terminology).

[Andail]

I don't really hear much of a composition or melody or theme or anything, just a chord progression, where every instrument plays in unison.
The instruments sound good for being midi, but you should definitely distribute it as a midi-file, that would make it much cooler.

[Dualnames]

Ok, I wasn;t trying to be any harsh to Crazy. Having clarified that, I'm aware that I posted something that needed critique and I was prepared to accept any type of it. So i'm not like tell me that's its perfect or whatever. Anyway, I have to say that changing a midi to an ogg is sure one of the stupidest things in the whole galaxy. And ok , I;m not planning to swap this or any other song to the tremendous theme song for HHGTG. Since I'm a fan as well. I just think I got the style here.. So more important question did i get the style or will this song never fit in my game?

SpacePirateCaine: I agree that it's length should be quite less in the final version.
Andail: I'll do that.
EldKatt: I used Timpani that';s right. As well as brass..The idea of a pad at the intro isn't bad though..

And to all, I might sounded Harsh but I didn;t mean it not then not even now.I will try and follow your tips/critique and make this sound better.

[yukonhorror]

How do I open the file on a Mac.  What applications can read it??

[Galen]

http://www.vorbis.com/software/#macosx

[yukonhorror]

I think it is nice minus a couple of things.  There is a part from 1:00 to 1:30 that is the exact same thing repeated.  I would either shorten it, lengthen what is repeated, or add in a change in tone/tempo/etc... at 1:15 before the transition to what's at 1:30.  I know nothing about music, but it feels like it drags on and the record is broken at that point.