Music

I thought I'd contribute to those making Mega Drive-style music.
Here is a zip file containing all the FM voices from Sonic 1 (and a few square wave voices too, I think) in opm format. To load opm files into VOPM, use the import function. If you want to use these voices in something that uses tfi files, look for vopmxtfi. Thanks.

 

Moved the entire thread over mainly for the discussions going on. And for reference of any previous material or suggestions submitted. If you have the time, would you kindly read what you can.

Right now though, let's get on track. What I want to hear is some concepts of what you think the next Sonic game should sound like.

Like so!

(I think that's by Twaker.)

 

That first one is ok, but it makes me think "end credits" more than it does "first tropical zone"

I sincerely hope we aren't using these kinds of instrumentation. The first one just sounds poor quality and in the wrong style. The second one, The melody might be ok, but I can't get past the sound. I don't know what that is in the front, but it sounds like the universe itself took a cosmic dump

 

I am going to beat your ass if you post it one more time.

 

And I'm still asking what is the target format, since there hasn't been a decision yet. Each format has some features but also some downsides.

MIDI:
+: probably the most widely used format, a whole lot of people (including Tweaker) are familiar with it
+: can be speeded up and transposed in real time
+: files are tiny
+: although not part of the MIDI standard, it's easy to set up a loop point (see Sonic & Knuckles Collection)
-: not very flexible
-: their outcome is hardware depending (though most computer nowadays just stream MIDIs through the Microsoft Synthetizer)

Modules:
+: highly flexible, with a module you can recreate everything, from a chiptune, to a MIDI, to a 2612, to... whatever you want
+: can be speeded up and transposed in real time
+: support looping and jumping natively
+/-: files, while being usually bigger than MIDIs, are always much smaller than WAVs, and often smaller than MP3s
-: not everyone is familiar enough with trackers to completely use their potential. Picking module files would restrict the number of eligible composers

MP3:
+: just like module files, mp3s can sound like whatever you want, with the additional benefit that you can use any program to make them, thus giving everyone the chance to contribute songs
-: files tend to be big
-: a complex FFT algorithm is needed to indipendently alter speed and pitch
-: hard to loop

WAV:
No.

This is a start, if anyone wants to elaborate from here, feel free to.

 

I would go for modules, or perhaps OGGs when you have music that's a bit too much trouble to represent in modules. MP3 sucks.

Simon Stalenhag kicks @$$

 

OGGs are the jam. I use 'em.

 

And what if someone wants to port to Sega Genesis? Or to MS-DOS? Obviously the two won't work right; Genesis can't read from any of these types, and MS-DOS needs drivers.

 

Snowball's chance in hell with E02. Let's not have this discussion again!

For what it's worth, I'm vouching for modules. Sure, Nineko is the only person around here who's familiar with them, but there's no reason why you people couldn't work with the format if you actually tried. I'd never done anything music related in my life, and even I was able to wring something decent out of Modplug in half an hour.

 

I've been using XM files for what it's worth* (though the tracker doesn't seem to like to save the panning and volume set in the general tab though, for some reason). ModPlug is very easy to use; I just wish I had better samples to work with.

If we could get some good (and fairly diverse) sample sets for the project then that would be awesome, and could go a long way


Another thing I like about XM or other tracked music is that they're a HELL of a lot easier to edit and modify.


*If anyone actually wants the original XM files I can put them up, too.

 

..What?

I'd like the XM versions, if you don't mind

 

You can't set a default panning position for XM files. You can do that for S3Ms and ITs.

 

Ah, well that answers that then.

Anyway here's the zip set; as noted there are volume balance issues abounding in these, though so it may take a little fooling around with to sound good:
sonic4xm.zip

 

Thanks

I had noticed this the first time you uploaded "boss4.xm" but hadn't gone on to figure out why at the time - It plays fine in modplug, but it crashes Winamp. That problem is apparently common to all of the XMs that make use of "effects plugins". I really don't know what exactly they are, but I do know they're not part of the basic XM standard, and seem to be more-or-less tracker-specific. I imagine they're pretty much just for listening to in specific tracker programs and/or modifying the sound strictly for output to wav or some compressed PCM format, but in either case, you won't be able to use them in XM audio for the game

 

Crappy title screen music.

http://www.megaupload.com/fi/?d=K08JQHNV

 

Hmmmm, I wouldn't say it's crappy. I'd say it's not as Sonic-like.
But it's a good start, keep at it

I think the main tune voice is abit droney, not really when we're used to in classic Sonic games. Perhaps if you tried a different voice for it, that might give it a different effect

 

Ok. I try fix things up.

 

Not what I'm looking for, sorry.

You gotta remember, the title screen theme wasn't just used for the title screen but also as the invincibility tune.

Sonic 1
Title Screen
Invincible

Sonic 2
Title Screen
Invincible
Super Sonic

Sonic 3
Title Screen
Invincible

Sonic and Knuckles
Title Screen
Invincible

Shit's gotta be IN YO FACE catchy.

===========

Also, how many of you are familiar with modules?

 

Yeah, I know about that thing.

I did extra life and Invincible theme
but they are currently in other use.
(Also song what I posted)

I try to make something up later.