Extonics
PokéMusic Grunt
actual rescue team leader
Posts: 25
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Post by Extonics on Jan 22, 2015 17:15:09 GMT -5
Hi everyone. A few friends and I are working on a fan game and I decided to take battle music. I wanted to start out small, being my first time doing Pokemon music, so I'm using the BW/B2W2 sound fonts. As much as I want to say I've "finished" the song, it sounds like a mishmash of random ideas that I'm not sure where to take forward. I'm mostly just looking for thoughts and opinions on what I should change, if anything. app.box.com/s/fkai49uue1ytxu54wgwsczk2z1i0l1neIt also lacks that feeling of fullness I hear in songs from the main games, so any suggestions on how to work on that are greatly appreciated. app.box.com/s/lb3cls2ct8h9uurczrfi0083n3jelhhm (and a bonus low health version)
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Post by MorningCoffee on Jan 22, 2015 18:19:01 GMT -5
Personally, I like the theme quite a bit-- it's got a nice mix and is structured in a way that reminds me of the main games. I'm definitely no expert at music myself, though, so I feel a bit hesitant to make any big suggestions. If it's fullness you're thinking about, I find that the backbone of any powerful track is in a strong melody. There is one point that really stands out with me, though: the way you weaved the low health beep into the low health version. I thought this was a really clever way to make use of a sound that I found pretty darn annoying when playing the Pokemon games. It's a cool touch that compliments the track surprisingly well. Hope this feedback was helpful!
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Extonics
PokéMusic Grunt
actual rescue team leader
Posts: 25
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Post by Extonics on Jan 22, 2015 19:09:31 GMT -5
I probably should have elaborated on that a bit. By fullness, I mean... it sounds like the sound's really filling your ears? I'm not quite sure how to explain it. I could say that it feels like it's not as bass-y as music in the main games, but that doesn't sound totally right. It just sounds kinda compressed. I have no idea what I'm talking about. I can't take credit for the idea on the low health version. The Unova games made the sound into a song but I really wished it was incorporated to each battle theme instead of just getting taken out of it immediately, and I wasn't the first one to do it either: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCiHSZzuwdc
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Post by EternalSushi on Jan 22, 2015 19:23:20 GMT -5
I'll give it a listen when I can! Curiosity is taking over though - what game is this?
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Post by MorningCoffee on Jan 22, 2015 19:29:00 GMT -5
In that case, it sounds like you're more concerned with the complexity of the song? Like there's not enough going on?
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Extonics
PokéMusic Grunt
actual rescue team leader
Posts: 25
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Post by Extonics on Jan 22, 2015 19:34:18 GMT -5
I'll give it a listen when I can! Curiosity is taking over though - what game is this? We're calling it Sandstone and Limestone. Just something we thought would be fun to do in RPG maker, nothing big.
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Extonics
PokéMusic Grunt
actual rescue team leader
Posts: 25
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Post by Extonics on Jan 22, 2015 19:39:44 GMT -5
In that case, it sounds like you're more concerned with the complexity of the song? Like there's not enough going on? No complexity, but it's sound. It just sounds more dull and muted.
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Post by EternalSushi on Jan 22, 2015 20:12:17 GMT -5
I'll give it a listen when I can! Curiosity is taking over though - what game is this? We're calling it Sandstone and Limestone. Just something we thought would be fun to do in RPG maker, nothing big. So it's in concept stage? o3o Either way, good luck with it!
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Post by MorningCoffee on Jan 22, 2015 20:25:51 GMT -5
In that case, it sounds like you're more concerned with the complexity of the song? Like there's not enough going on? No complexity, but it's sound. It just sounds more dull and muted. I think that would pertain to the soundfont itself, then. Likewise, whether it's a good thing or not probably comes down to personal preference. Could also be subtle sound quality, but I won't trod on a topic I'm not knowledgeable of. I don't particularly think that this is it, but I'll toss it up anyway.
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Post by lala19357 on Jan 22, 2015 22:24:02 GMT -5
Hi everyone. A few friends and I are working on a fan game and I decided to take battle music. I wanted to start out small, being my first time doing Pokemon music, so I'm using the BW/B2W2 sound fonts. As much as I want to say I've "finished" the song, it sounds like a mishmash of random ideas that I'm not sure where to take forward. I'm mostly just looking for thoughts and opinions on what I should change, if anything. app.box.com/s/fkai49uue1ytxu54wgwsczk2z1i0l1neIt also lacks that feeling of fullness I hear in songs from the main games, so any suggestions on how to work on that are greatly appreciated. app.box.com/s/lb3cls2ct8h9uurczrfi0083n3jelhhm (and a bonus low health version) These are actually pretty darned awesome, great themes! It seems like you have a couple great songs! I am definitely not a remastering pro, but I think I can try to steer you in the direction you are looking for. Maybe. Solely suggestions, take them as you will! First off, are you using FL Studio? Stereo separation is a wonderful thing if you are, it's the little knobby thing shown below: I *believe* this is called stereo separation. It is delicious and allows the right-panned stuff to pan, well, more to the right, and likewise for the left. Utilize panning in your composition, and then hammer that knob to the left to adjust separation. It is beautiful. Opportunities for panning could include that piano piano and music box accents and arpeggios, the hi hats (to a lesser degree), and even the french horn. Play with it to your liking! Also, I am quite naughty and break like 50 remastering rules in doing this, but I use an FL Parametric EQ 2 plugin in the master channel of my songs to help spice things up a bit: Feel free to load the plugin and create a similar configuration, or one to your liking. A couple other suggestions - - You seem to be like me with the soundfont oboe when you use the french horn - I would encourage you to use a little bit of another brass instrument in the melody instead of just the french horn. Try playing with some panning, doubling of instruments, and harmonies. You might be surprised at what you come up with!
- Select the kick notes and pump up the velocity just a bit - a little more kick goes a long way. And nice job on creating an interesting percussion line, that's something that I always find REALLY hard to do and that I try to work hard on.
Just a couple suggestions, nothing major. I am definitely not the remaster chief on this, but let me know if you have any questions. I was initially weird about using plugins at all, but you have to remember that the DS uses live sound synthesis from song banks, meaning that whatever engine it uses to shape the sounds will do so in a quality that the soundfonts may or may not have. Because of this, I think it doesn't hurt to give a little help here or there. Most importantly, make it your own! That's the crazy part about music, you get to actually do whatever the heck you want. Best of luck, and keep us posted!
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Extonics
PokéMusic Grunt
actual rescue team leader
Posts: 25
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Post by Extonics on Jan 22, 2015 22:50:41 GMT -5
This is a lot of really helpful information, thanks!
I use Reaper, but I think I understand a lot of what you're doing and will try to translate it to the best of my abilities. I'm always afraid of panning because I feel like I can never get that balance, but how you're saying to use it makes a lot of sense and is giving me some ideas so we'll see what I can get out of that. And, yeah, I should probably stop holding onto that french horn so tightly, haha. I appreciate you taking the time to give me these pointers, I'll see what more I can do!
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Post by EternalSushi on Jan 22, 2015 22:52:06 GMT -5
I don't separate the Master knob though, a bit in Maximus on mid/highs and on other instruments. ^^ Just how I do things.
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Post by lala19357 on Jan 22, 2015 23:19:52 GMT -5
It is totally intimidating, I hear you! I think you'll find that you like it once you use it a couple times, you can do some really nice layering if you adjust things a bit. I don't separate the Master knob though, a bit in Maximus on mid/highs and on other instruments. ^^ Just how I do things. I knows, I'm naughty. In poke-soundfont tracks I find that it's easier to get away with than other songs. But hey, whatever works, right?
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Post by briman0094 on Jan 23, 2015 15:11:27 GMT -5
It sounds really good so far! I always struggle coming up with melodies for battle themes but this is really good. I think the problem is that the lead instruments are too smooth and too far back. If you can bring up some sharpness (raise highs on lead instruments slightly) and adjust reverb to bring the leads closer to the listener it should feel a little better. As a side note, would you be upset if I borrowed your idea of "low health" versions of music for my fangame? I really liked that in B/W (one of the only things I liked about gen V, actually...) but it was only one song instead of a new version of every song.
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Extonics
PokéMusic Grunt
actual rescue team leader
Posts: 25
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Post by Extonics on Jan 23, 2015 16:44:34 GMT -5
Yeah, working on the lead melody and making it more than just "HEY LOOK AT MY FRENCH HORN" seems to be the consensus here. I'm not sure about making sharper, but I'll see what adjustments need to be made. As a side note, would you be upset if I borrowed your idea of "low health" versions of music for my fangame? Go for it! It's really not my idea at all, I just expanded on Unova's implementation and I wasn't even the first to do it (one of the only things I liked about gen V, actually...) ill fite u
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