Topic: Tune contest! October 6 - 13-ish. Finally.

[EldKatt]

So there it is, finally. I'm really, really, really sorry it's taken some time, but I've been rather busy. Anyway, this week's theme:

Tragedy.

Yeah. Something really tragic in some way. Not a very good idea, perhaps. But I trust you people to make something really good out of it.

Good luck to you all.

[Migs]

I might be able to come up with something.  Good theme.  I like it.

[Fuzzpilz]

http://asdruihofvnuaeiorsz7iasnodfiaz7sd.com/tragedy.mp3

A while ago, I set out to make the worst, most annoying track ever. As some people actually LIKED it, it was a complete failure. The horrible melody thingy in my entry for this week goes along the same lines.

DISCLAIMER: These are generic goat samples off the web, and I don't know whether or not the goats are male; so this might *not* be tragic.

[remixor]

That is the most absurd domain name I've ever seen  :o

[Migs]

I'm not allowed to make 2 entries, am I?

[Migs]

Fuzzpilz, that goat song is the most awful, tragic thing I've ever heard.  

[Fuzzpilz]

It's a pun, silly.

Go look up the origin of the word "tragedy" somewhere, I'm sure you'll find a site on etymology. Maybe dictionary.com has it, I recall occasionally seeing that kind of information in entries there.

[Migs]

I was very much aware of the pun (I don't think it's technically a pun, though).  I still knew what you meant.  I was just giving you a sideways compliment.  That song rocks!  I laughed the whole time I listened to it.  

[Fuzzpilz]

Ah, the in your post confused me.

And thanks.

[Migs]

Yeah.  I don't know why I used that particular emoticon.  

[DNA]

im no master at midi sequencing but i figured id try my hand at it.

Tragic1 midi

[Migs]

I'm sure many of you are thinking of songs that are patently tragic: depressing violins everywhere, chilling oboes invoking tears...I just used this week's contest as an excuse to write a song for my game.  If I win, great.  If not, oh well.

The song IS played after a tragedy, but the game demands a not-so-typically-tragic tone.  Therefore, I was only going for a hint of tragedy in the background, overlayed with the regal splendor of a small castle's great hall.  The tune is intentionally simple, i.e., it's not a vastly multilayered orchestration.

I might make some changes to the song later, namely enhancing it with a synthesizer once I finalize it (that takes a long time, so I didn't do it for this contest), plus adding some reverb, and maybe slowing it down slightly.  Other than all that, the song is exactly how I want it.

Was that too much background?

The Hall

[Migs]

A while ago, I set out to make the worst, most annoying track ever. As some people actually LIKED it, it was a complete failure. The horrible melody thingy in my entry for this week goes along the same lines.

I did something similar awhile ago, too.  The idea was to make a song that was catchy at first, but quickly got annoying and corny (achieved mainly through overrepetition and square waves).  I don't think it's as annoying as your song, though.

[Gregjazz]

There's a lot of potential for that melody, migs. Mind if I fix it up?

[Gregjazz]

Oh well, too late -- I already did it. Here's my version of Mig's catchy song. So, what's the title?

http://www.sonic.net/~schlae/herculeaneffort/jazz3fixed.mid

Great, now you've got it stuck in my head!

[Migs]

Why'd you have to go and make it cool sounding?  Really nice job!  8)

The song doesn't have a title...feel free to give it one yourself, and I'll go with that.

Now you've sparked my interest...I'm going to take what you've done and fix it up some more.  

[remixor]

http://www.sonic.net/~schlae/herculeaneffort/jazz3fixed.mid

Whoa!  Can you say Xenogears?    Not accusing you or Migs of ripping it off or anything of course.  But man, that instrumentation--particularly the bending flute-thing or whatever it is that you added--and overall tone is straight out of that game.  Crazy stuff.

[Gregjazz]

Xenogears? Never heard of it.

Besides, I had nothing to do with the creation of the melody. All I did is modify the rhythm and spice it up with some flute/recorder articulation.

Sounds sort of like a Yellowjackets song now.

[remixor]

I know, as I said I wasn't accusing you of ripping it off.  But the flute articularion with the overal mood of the song sounds EXACTLY like Xenogears, moreso than in the original version.  All I was saying was that it was quite a coincidence.  If you'd heard the game's soundtrack, I guarantee you'd know what I mean.   In any case, Xenogears was a hugely underrated Square RPG for the PS1.

[Gregjazz]

Accusing me of ripping it off, eh, Remixor?

Just kidding. Anyways, don't give me any credit. The song is Migs's.

[remixor]

I know, I know.  I just meant your treatment of it was---arghgh!  Never mind!  



 

[EldKatt]

The time has both come and passed for me to judge, so here goes. This week (well, this one and more than half a week) was a bit difficult, there being a lot of good stuff.

Fuzzpilz was close to winning for a while, but then I decided I was too liberal with the theme I had set up initially... And what's more, I believe he and I have hosted a bunch of tune contests in a row by now, so it's only fair that the winner is...

Migs.

Well, this is really tragic (as well as, of course ). The only thing that disturbed me a bit was the choice of organ sound... For a peice like this, I'd expect (if at all an organ) a little more subdued and quiet organ... like some flute voice (or rank or whatever... I'm not too familiar with English organ terminology), if that makes sense to anyone.

But enough critique. It's tragic, and it's really good, and that's all I need to give next week to Migs.

Congrats to you, Migs, and of course to everyone else who fought boldly but didn't quite make it.

Whee.

[Migs]

Thanks for the comments on my piece...it's really helpful to have specific feedback like that.

This next contest is going to be fun.

[Gregjazz]

Congrats, Migs! I hope to participate in the next contest!