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Discussion in 'Critique & Feedback' started by Duncan Formosa, Jan 23, 2022.

  1. #1 Duncan Formosa, Jan 23, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2022
    I've had this idea stuck in my head for a few months now so I've tried to get the piano sketch down.

    I really like the A theme, the B theme I think's alright and I'm struggling to find a decent ending. Would like to know what other people think.



    And just for fun I copy paste the main melody onto an 8-bit track just to get an idea on how it would sound roughly.



    Also, I'm having a debate with my brother at the moment about how to go about this piece. My initial idea was to have it start all retro and then by 0:16 it explodes into a retro/orchestral hybrid kind of thing. As if someone just got sucked into the game and it's became real. My brother on the other hand thinks it should stay retro the whole way. What does everyone else think?
     
    Mark ELvin, Marko Dvojkovic and David Healey like this.
  2. #2 Marko Dvojkovic, Jan 25, 2022
    Duncan this rocks, I really dig it. It already greatly encapsulates the style of for example jrpg/anime kind of battle music I would say. With taking all that I have said, this is, at least in my mind a pop/rock band maybe mixed with some orchestral instruments and or synths since that kind of hybrid arrangement is very much in that style. I have been a lot in that recently since I am currently working on an jrpg game.
    I think those 8/16 bit sounds were kind of unfortunate necessity back then due to limitations of technology so I don't know I personally would never choose to go with that unless someone specifically wants it and it is for a pixel art game exactly going for the retro vibe. It is hard to do justice to music with those sounds but I am sure that back then those limitations forced the composers to make the best music they can since it was destined to have a poor rendition so the music had to be good because otherwise there was nothing left. And a lot of the classic video game music is from that era.
     
  3. #3 Duncan Formosa, Jan 25, 2022
    Interesting that you mentioned that. I started working more on the track yesterday and this is as far as I got. One note that I got from one of my friends was that when the rock stuff kicks in he was a little confused why the 8-bit sound was still there and would much rather it was all 8-bit or switch the sound over to something more modern. Curious if you agree?

     
    Marko Dvojkovic likes this.
  4. #4 Marko Dvojkovic, Jan 25, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2022
    Well I could imagine a context where that could work but I would personally just altogether choose a more contemporary sounding synth and would still swap it for something else to take on the melody when the guitars and drums kick in. Maybe also electric guitar or a solo strings instrument (violin/viola/cello, I am not at the piano so not sure about the range of your melody), with nice wide and intense vibrato as you already have on your 8 bit synth. That is a safe and good bet for melody if you will go for that japanese video game battle style. Play with harmonizing the melody and when to leave it monophonic. Also regarding guitar riff, play with long held power chords and more rhythmical staccato groove, palm mute and without palm mute I think palm muted eighth notes could do already at 0:25 for example. And I would choose something else for a pad rather than having both melody and pad contained in the 8 bit synth sound. And then build around that.

    I hope that there are some ideas to propel you forward, I am curious to hear again how will you finish it.

    Cheers.
     
    Duncan Formosa likes this.
  5. #5 Carlos Riesco, Jan 25, 2022
    I agree with Marko that you should move the melody to another instrument when drums kick in. Even so, I would make the 8-bit intro mono, or at least reduce the stereo field, so when the band kicks in you open the stereo image and have a bigger impact I think.
     
    Duncan Formosa likes this.
  6. #6 Duncan Formosa, Jan 25, 2022
    Do you think I should ditch the 8-bit entirely then? My thoughts were keep the 8-bit synth in until 0:25 then maybe switch it to an electric guitar solo for when the A theme is repeated, that way the synth isn't just ditched quickly as soon as the drums and rhythm guitar are in.

    Then for the B theme have another instrument take the melody (haven't decided what yet) and have a synth (maybe 8-bit but a different sound from the previous one) doing a counter melody.

    Not sure about the ending yet.

    I don't know, I'm still experimenting at this point. Part of me wants to try and get out 3 different versions of the same thing out just for the fun of it. One completely 8-bit (or maybe 16 bit instead just so there's more variety of sounds) one that's just completely pop/rock and maybe an orchestral one?

    I'm still having fun with the idea. I just hope that the final product(s) will be worth it in the end because I think the melody is pretty good (least for the A theme) so it would be a shame if it was let down by the sound.
     
  7. #7 Michael Lückgen, Jan 26, 2022
    Just to confuse you entirely now: I really like the 8bit sound with the drums and woukd keep it throughout!
    But I dig that sound no matter what so maybe don't listen to me.

    Anamanaguchi did that a lot. Here's a song with 8bit, drums and guitar:


    And in older albums they use 8bit sounds only I believe.
     
  8. #8 Duncan Formosa, Feb 2, 2022
    I think at this point I'm going to end up writing multiple versions haha the opinions always go one way or the other. Might be a good excersise though. Just trying to think of how to change up the instrumentation. At the moment I've got the 8-bit carrying the melody till 0:25 cause I really dig the sound of the 8-bit with the drums and guitar.

    Then I thought of switching it to the guitar when it repeats but I didn't like how it sounded there, I prefer it when the key changes and adding violins in octaves on top of that. Has quite a nice sound to it and maybe have the solo guitar introduced as a counter melody in the B section.

    The part I'm struggling with the most now is what instruments to have take over when the A theme is repeated and the B theme is introduced.

    Was thinking maybe Brass for the repeated A theme and then strings and woodwinds for the B theme. But then I'm not sure what to do with them in the other sections. Seems weird just to have them come in and out randomly.

    This project is a lot harder than I had anticipated!
     
  9. #9 Mark ELvin, Feb 5, 2022
    Oh god - the original 8 bit version took me back 40 years! Good to hear how this piece has developed
     
  10. #10 Duncan Formosa, Feb 17, 2022
    It's been almost a month now and I still can't get this piece to sound good orchestration wise!

    Does anyone have any ideas? Feeling very unsatisfied with the whole thing and it's bugging me because I really like the melody and think it could sound awesome.

    Still lots to fill out like the drums in the B section and there's instruments that appear then are never heard from again. Agh! I hate it when this happens.

     
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