[sandwichbars]

God, the original Sweet Dreams sounds hilariously lame.

This post has been edited by sandwichbars: 21 October 2011 - 06:39 AM

[Shade]

As far as I'm concerned, this is the best Sonic related release in pretty much anytime. Absolutely awesome.

Edit: Man, it never struck me before how much more ambitious, atmospheric, and layered Sonic 2's soundtrack is compared to the first game. It goes for a much more grandiose feel. A lot of the tracks have some serious dissonance to them as well. Very interesting stylistic shift.

And geeze, the Hidden Palace track really doesn't fit with the structure of the level music, with less sections and the very deliberate ending. Almost as if it were for a cutscene or something (I always envisioned it as a bad ending of sorts, hearing it as a kid). I wish we could find out what it was originally written for. If it was written for Hidden Palace as we know it, just going by the music I'd say the level was not going to be structured traditionally; perhaps instead used as some sort of transitory or single act type situation.

This post has been edited by Shade: 21 October 2011 - 08:08 AM

[Chibisteven]

According to my study of the original Sweet Sweet Sweet, it's about 25% louder in this album than the original release. Possible Loudness Wars? Or just mastering to balance the rest with the 06 versions? That's about a 3 db increase in something like audacity for reference.

This post has been edited by Chibisteven: 21 October 2011 - 08:16 AM

[sonicthesnot]

ICEknight, on 21 October 2011 - 04:12 AM, said:

sonicthesnot, on 20 October 2011 - 10:29 PM, said:

When I asked the sound programmer "How was the music programmed in the game? How long did the process take for each song?" Here is the answer he gave me (my Japanese buddy tried to give me his best translation, so it may not be perfect -- also I don't know if I'm remembering it correctly):

First, I received the demo on a DAT from Masato Nakamura. I listened to the music and wrote down the transcription. Then, I inputted it into the computer, and finally created the Genesis version. Afterwards, small corrections and changes were made. It took anywhere from a few days to a week per song. Of course, music was not the only part of my work. I also did sound effects, had meetings with Masato Nakamura, game checks, and other meetings. The whole project took about 1 year.

Here is his original reply if someone can provide a better translation:

音源はカセットテープかＤＡＴか、その類でもらいましたので、
まず音を聴いて、それを採譜して、パソコンに入力して、
それをセガのゲーム機器用に移植して（音符や音色）、細かい修正をして、
という作業でしたので、１曲１日で可能であっても、
結果的な総合時間は１曲あたり、数日～１週間以上はかかっていると思います。

ソニックのサウンド作業の総合日数はなんともいえませんが、
プロジェクトは約１年間でした。
作業したのは、曲だけではなく、効果音や、その他のプログラムや、
中村正人さんとのやりとりや、ゲームチェックや、ミーティングや、
その他諸々の作業を含めてです。
曲だけの作業日数は、当時の作業日報か何かを見なければわからないです。
（もうそういった物は残っていないでしょうが）

Please, post the whole interview in its own topic. I'm sure many of us will be interested in reading it.

Is that sound programmer Masaru Setsumaru? He composed the drowning countdown and emerald jingle, didn't he?

Give me a few days to see if I can get a good translation before posting it. Last time I just printed off his responses and my friend quickly translated it for me in person.

Or if someone else can translate, I can just send them the original Japanese replies.

[LOst]

sonicthesnot, on 21 October 2011 - 09:28 AM, said:

ICEknight, on 21 October 2011 - 04:12 AM, said:

sonicthesnot, on 20 October 2011 - 10:29 PM, said:

When I asked the sound programmer "How was the music programmed in the game? How long did the process take for each song?" Here is the answer he gave me (my Japanese buddy tried to give me his best translation, so it may not be perfect -- also I don't know if I'm remembering it correctly):

First, I received the demo on a DAT from Masato Nakamura. I listened to the music and wrote down the transcription. Then, I inputted it into the computer, and finally created the Genesis version. Afterwards, small corrections and changes were made. It took anywhere from a few days to a week per song. Of course, music was not the only part of my work. I also did sound effects, had meetings with Masato Nakamura, game checks, and other meetings. The whole project took about 1 year.

Here is his original reply if someone can provide a better translation:

音源はカセットテープかＤＡＴか、その類でもらいましたので、
まず音を聴いて、それを採譜して、パソコンに入力して、
それをセガのゲーム機器用に移植して（音符や音色）、細かい修正をして、
という作業でしたので、１曲１日で可能であっても、
結果的な総合時間は１曲あたり、数日～１週間以上はかかっていると思います。

ソニックのサウンド作業の総合日数はなんともいえませんが、
プロジェクトは約１年間でした。
作業したのは、曲だけではなく、効果音や、その他のプログラムや、
中村正人さんとのやりとりや、ゲームチェックや、ミーティングや、
その他諸々の作業を含めてです。
曲だけの作業日数は、当時の作業日報か何かを見なければわからないです。
（もうそういった物は残っていないでしょうが）

Please, post the whole interview in its own topic. I'm sure many of us will be interested in reading it.

Is that sound programmer Masaru Setsumaru? He composed the drowning countdown and emerald jingle, didn't he?

Give me a few days to see if I can get a good translation before posting it. Last time I just printed off his responses and my friend quickly translated it for me in person.

Or if someone else can translate, I can just send them the original Japanese replies.

Emerald jingle was composed by Yukifumi Makino according to Sonic 3D Blast.
I would say that no one knows the true composer of the drowning countdown jingle.
Setsumaru was working with Sonic 2. I don't see any credits of him working on Sonic 1.

[Black Squirrel]

The demo of Mystic Cave Zone 2P is sounding an awful lot like a prehistoric-esque level. The type of level you'd expect to find dinosaurs in. A level such as Hidden Palace Zone.

As opposed to this, which doesn't even sound like it was intended to be a stage.

I think it's one more point to the "final hidden palace zone music is not correct" arguement

[Chibisteven]

Black Squirrel, on 21 October 2011 - 10:49 AM, said:

The demo of Mystic Cave Zone 2P is sounding an awful lot like a prehistoric-esque level. The type of level you'd expect to find dinosaurs in. A level such as Hidden Palace Zone.

As opposed to this, which doesn't even sound like it was intended to be a stage.

I think it's one more point to the "final hidden palace zone music is not correct" arguement

Strangely enough, I do remember in the Simon Wai prototype that was exactly the stage's song, too.

[E102]

LOst, on 21 October 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

Emerald jingle was composed by Yukifumi Makino according to Sonic 3D Blast.

Correct.

LOst, on 21 October 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

I would say that no one knows the true composer of the drowning countdown jingle.

Sonic Colors OST scans say otherwise.

—From Booklet pg. 7---
08. Out of Breath
Performed by Amsterdam Session Orchestra

Music by Yukifumi Makino
Arranged by Fumie Kumatani & Kenichi Tokoi
Conducted & Orchestrated by Larry Hochman

You can thank Ashram for that information.

That only leaves the "Continue" sound effect (as opposed to the "Continue" music).

LOst, on 21 October 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

Setsumaru was working with Sonic 2. I don't see any credits of him working on Sonic 1.

True, but he was the composer of Sonic Eraser's music (as Bosanova Oyz), as Oyz was his alias in Sonic 2.

This post has been edited by E102: 21 October 2011 - 12:41 PM

[Eggomaticwaffles]

The final version of 'Unused Song' (looped) sounds like it could definitely work within Hidden Palace, especially if it was composed when they were going for a more dramatic/ethereal feel..perhaps when the level existed as a special One Act/cutscene...?

That said, the track that eventually became Mystic Cave 2 Player - and was used initially in Hidden Palace (when it existed as a seemingly regular, 2-act, zone) works equally well if not better as traditional zone music. It definitely does have an otherworldly/prehistoric quality. And although it's uptempo, the piece really has a subterranean/cavernous quality to it. The melodic 'run' that repeats really evokes imagery of shimmering emeralds...in fact, I've always felt that that quick musical 'run' in the piece timed perfectly with Sonic running over the shimmering green-gem bridges (if that makes sense)

Although we're treading dangerously close to the kind of theorizing that was popular over a decade ago (before all the interviews/additional protos emerged) I really feel some of these music theories still might hold a lot of water. For instance, it would be VERY telling to have a side-by-side comparison of Masa's and Sonic Team's development timelines - ie. when did Masa start and finish each track in relation to ST implementing/finishing each stage. I still think both Emerald Hill Zone 2P and Hill Top Zone sound VERY much like Western/All American pastiches - tracks that could definitely have been inspired by the original Dust Hill Zone concept.

When you think about it - you've got to think that Masa would have had to start working on these tracks quite early in the dev cycle for them to be fully present in the the Beta's sound test. Certainly on the front-end, Masa would've had a small window, given that they needed to be composed then given to the sound team to program - these guys saying that it took almost a week to program each song.

When you start adding up the number of songs in the game, and it becomes clear that a lot of this music would have been started (and maybe even completed in some instances) based around ONLY the initial concept artwork. Of course, finding an Alpha would confirm a great deal!

This post has been edited by Eggomaticwaffles: 21 October 2011 - 12:50 PM

[ICEknight]

LOst, on 21 October 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

Emerald jingle was composed by Yukifumi Makino according to Sonic 3D Blast.
I would say that no one knows the true composer of the drowning countdown jingle.
Setsumaru was working with Sonic 2. I don't see any credits of him working on Sonic 1.

Oops, my mistake! I saw "M.Sets" so many times in the 3D Blast music headers that I thought he was responsible for that.

[ultima espio]

Oil Ocean's demo sounds more like a Desert to me.

I can feel a sort of 90s vibe from most of this :P

[Eggomaticwaffles]

ultima espio, on 21 October 2011 - 12:54 PM, said:

Oil Ocean's demo sounds more like a Desert to me.

I can feel a sort of 90s vibe from most of this :P

While I don't disagree, I would offer that it sounds far more like an Eastern Oil Desert...more Arab/Persian in sound, whereas the Hill Top and EH 2P sound decidedly more Western/American.

This post has been edited by Eggomaticwaffles: 21 October 2011 - 01:09 PM

[Chibisteven]

A real instersting peice is the Sky Chase's demo sounds like it could be used for a winter type zone as well. Which in an interview with Brenda Ross was scrapped.

This post has been edited by Chibisteven: 21 October 2011 - 01:12 PM

[Kiddo Cabbusses]

Apologies if this is rude to ask, but is a lossless rip possible/available? (FLAC or APE or... whatever?)

This post has been edited by Kiddo Cabbusses: 21 October 2011 - 01:14 PM

[Eggomaticwaffles]

Chibisteven, on 21 October 2011 - 01:09 PM, said:

A real instersting peice is the Sky Chase sounds like it could be used for a winter type zone as well. Which in an interview with Brenda Ross was scrapped.

I totally agree. There's something very 'winter-y' about it...it sounds like the whole level could be glacial (it evokes that distinctive echoey silence that you get during the winter, especially at night)...you've got to wonder when it was composed. It's clear they always wanted a sky type level to bridge MPZ and WFZ...but whether or not that came after the Winter Zone concept (and after they approached Masa to start writing the music) would be interesting to know...

This post has been edited by Eggomaticwaffles: 21 October 2011 - 01:17 PM