Do you prefer MIDIs created by the map creator? Or MIDI covers of already existing songs?

I like both. But if I had to pick, I'd go for covers.

Definitely original music. It becomes part of the memory of the map when it’s original rather than being JUST background music.

i like midi covers more than original midis. because there's more of a sense of familiarity when you hear a song you know in midi version. vs hearing an original midi

Upon learning how to compose my own material, I started to feel this drive to write new music for (almost) every new map I create, and that's only intensified with time. Original work assists in giving a map its own identity separate from anything else, as well as a sense of discovering something new. If you're using a MIDI that's been used in a bunch of projects beforehand, it can result in the map feeling less unique. IWAD music usage is particularly frustrating to me, partially due to not finding it interesting at this point, partially due to how much it's cropped up in various projects.

Of course, I don't think you absolutely must compose new music for every single new map, though I do think one should look for lesser-used music from the community to pair up with their creations. Be more creative with your selections!

Both, I prefer well composed MIDIs (well translated songs for the second case). Also, they should really describe the feel of the map, or make you feel something about the map.

Doesn't matter if it's MIDI, .mp3, or live on stage. I'll choose original music over covers every time. Unique adaptations of songs can sometimes be pretty awesome, such as Deathcab's version of "All is Full of Love" by Bjork. But that's usually not the aim with MIDI covers, which are really just trying for the least-offensive rendition possible. Emulating non-MIDI music with MIDI can be impressive from a technical standpoint, but for a listener it usually just sounds like a cheap knock-off. I'd rather hear something that was composed specifically for the medium.

If a wad comes with its own music I'm willing to give it a listen, coming from the idea that it's probably all part of whatever experience the map maker was trying to create. If however a wad doesn't have its own intended music I have no issues with putting on other MIDIs instead. For example the KINDa megawad the club is playing right now just uses official Doom tracks for its levels, so for that I've loaded up a large pack of MIDI metal covers to rock out to. Meanwhile, back when I was going through Eviternity I let those gorgeous included tracks play as is.

Neither. I prefer tracker modules.

7 hours ago, AD_79 said:

IWAD music usage is particularly frustrating to me, partially due to not finding it interesting at this point, partially due to how much it's cropped up in various projects.

 

Be more creative with your selections!

I feel like i have to defend my usage of IWAD stuff, since i don't think there's anything wrong with using them.

There are certain maps I feel where the IWAD music is gives that sense of Either being Nostalgic and/or fitting the maps created.

A couple of maps in particular in my recent projects i went through midis from very prominent Composers in the community, only to find that D_E1M6 and D_E2M3 ended up the ones fitting in the most. it would have been less creative to have just gone with non IWAD stuff for the sake of being new and hip.

I find the question phrased kinda weirdly because it's not a guarantee that a map author will know how to make music, and even if they did, will even manage to make it justice. Same goes for musicians, they could make good music but ask them to make a map and they'll make you something like wow.wad.

I'm a big fan of original music myself, but in the end any music that you end up using which sounds good and fits the mood will make me happy. 

Finding the right music (Not MIDI, just music overall because we are not limited to just use that format nowadays) for a map which comes from an already-existing source can be hard unless you really know where to find or have an idea on mind from the start, I mean - It's not like you will easily come up with what song could fit for a map or WAD "set on an apocalyptic planet which is increasingly getting worse and worse due to a certain virus which is spreading throughout all the land blah blah", right? And if someone does come up with the right song, well, a miracle worthy of an applause because there's something fitting now.

However, that's why I would prefer to use original music, to get the best and greatest experience both for the creator and the player, because then the creator puts all their heart, love and effort into making a track which syncs with their ideas and visions of their OWN maps, instead of making it all easy turning an existing song into MIDI, which ultimately removes points of originality and I wouldn't really like that, being unique and having the right track coming from one's heart will make something thousand times better than using, say, another metal track or a jazz song.

Using existing songs as merely placeholders would be good, myself I can't do music like, at all, so I have to rely on using stuff that I know would fit with my map, especifically videogame tracks or such (Which will help me to make my idea better, however, if I could compose and all that, I could just use it as placeholders), instead of bearing with the hassle of doing a MIDI version of other song.

Basically, that's what I think.

2 hours ago, jazzmaster9 said:

I feel like i have to defend my usage of IWAD stuff, since i don't think there's anything wrong with using them.

There are certain maps I feel where the IWAD music is gives that sense of Either being Nostalgic and/or fitting the maps created.

A couple of maps in particular in my recent projects i went through midis from very prominent Composers in the community, only to find that D_E1M6 and D_E2M3 ended up the ones fitting in the most. it would have been less creative to have just gone with non IWAD stuff for the sake of being new and hip.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, as I'm simply bored beyond words of IWAD music. I can understand wanting to use it for the purposes listed, but at the same time I think there would still be other music out there that would fit your maps. Also, hard disagree on non-IWAD material somehow being less creative, I'm not sure I understand the thought process there. Would it not be more interesting to pick something underutilized and unexpected as opposed to tracks people have heard a hundred times over?

14 minutes ago, AD_79 said:

I'm not sure I understand the thought process there. Would it not be more interesting to pick something underutilized and unexpected as opposed to tracks people have heard a hundred times over?

My thought process for this was "D_E2M1 fits my map perfectly, but I'll just grab a Jimmy midi, because its not a Stock MIDI and i don't wanna be caught dead with stock resources"

those tracks have been heard a hundred times because its Good Music that fit certain moods and action.

Though apologies if the wording came out too dismissive.

I prefer original midis, or some midis by other community members. The iwad midis by Bobby Prince are also good.

Considering Doom’s MIDIs (and those found in many wads) had a huge impact on what bands I got into at a young age, it would be wrong for me to dismiss MIDI covers of existing music. Some of those MIDIs are downright iconic despite being covers, and some sound awesome in that “video gamey music” sorta way.

I think either option is just as valid - Original work from the mapper or the Doom community, or MIDI cover - both are great, so long as they actually sound good and match the vibe of the level! It’s impressive from a craftsmanship perspective when a person makes the music for their map, but who composed the piece neither inherently adds nor subtracts from the quality of the song itself, imo.

As an aside, I love finding MIDI covers of existing songs and improving them. So often the person transcribing the song clearly says “ah screw it, good enough” when they’re 80% done with the song.. it’s so fun to take that almost-done MIDI and finish it up, correct any wrong notes, improve the EQing of the tracks and so on!

OH also, non-MIDI music - generally - fits Doom about as well as a high-fidelity MP3 music would fit with... say, Mario Bros or Street Fighter. All the music of games from that era is somewhere between chiptune and MIDI, anything else often feels out of place.. There are of course numerous exceptions to this, and if a piece is really enjoyable, I kinda stop caring about wether it “fits” anyway.

(As a final thought, Doom without any music makes the game far less entertaining for me, same as most other oldschool games. It borders on boredom. Where the once was interesting music, there’s now.. silence! More realistic I suppose, but... snore)

3 hours ago, Doomkid said:

So often the person transcribing the song clearly says “ah screw it, good enough” when they’re 80% done with the song..

"Fuck it Bob, just use the pan flute!"

4 hours ago, Doomkid said:

Considering Doom’s MIDIs (and those found in many wads) had a huge impact on what bands I got into at a young age, it would be wrong for me to dismiss MIDI covers of existing music. Some of those MIDIs are downright iconic despite being covers, and some sound awesome in that “video gamey music” sorta way.

 

I think either option is just as valid - Original work from the mapper or the Doom community, or MIDI cover - both are great, so long as they actually sound good and match the vibe of the level! It’s impressive from a craftsmanship perspective when a person makes the music for their map, but who composed the piece neither inherently adds nor subtracts from the quality of the song itself, imo.

 

As an aside, I love finding MIDI covers of existing songs and improving them. So often the person transcribing the song clearly says “ah screw it, good enough” when they’re 80% done with the song.. it’s so fun to take that almost-done MIDI and finish it up, correct any wrong notes, improve the EQing of the tracks and so on!

 

OH also, non-MIDI music - generally - fits Doom about as well as a high-fidelity MP3 music would fit with... say, Mario Bros or Street Fighter. All the music of games from that era is somewhere between chiptune and MIDI, anything else often feels out of place.. There are of course numerous exceptions to this, and if a piece is really enjoyable, I kinda stop caring about wether it “fits” anyway.

 

(As a final thought, Doom without any music makes the game far less entertaining for me, same as most other oldschool games. It borders on boredom. Where the once was interesting music, there’s now.. silence! More realistic I suppose, but... snore)

Great post. I have fond memories of listening to cheesy MIDI covers of "Song 2" by Blur and "Jump" by Van Halen while playing through Bloodstain and Infinity respectively, likewise when hearing many excellent original MIDIs - I think both have their place in a wad like you said.

As for other music formats not working so well, I'd say it depends. For example, I don't think MIDIs would work well in Bloody Steel's wastelands compared to the awfully compressed OGGs which fit the theme like a glove, much akin to the tracker modules @Steve D uses in his levels nowadays that lend a peculiar alien-like feel which would be tricky to replicate with MIDIs. I agree that MIDIs are generally the "correct" choice for Doom music, but other formats can work just as well if carefully chosen. Just my two cents anyway. 

21 hours ago, Gustavo6046 said:

Is there any mapset that makes use of Boom's music change linedefs? Only example that comes to mind is Valiant's MAP30, but I mean using it throughout the campaign for a sort of dynamic music type thing.

Others that I can remember off the top of my head are Valiant MAP27, Dimensions MAP03 and Community Chest 4 MAP35 (this one barely counts since the music changes as soon as you move).

Both are great, the only thing that should be considered if is the midi in question sounds great. I remember once digging up a midi online of Nirvana’s “Rape Me” and it was pretty jank that it both got a laugh out of me and also got annoying 1 minute in to listening to it.

Custom midis, easily. Covers are mostly songs I could listen to out of the context, which isn't the case for most soundtrack music personally (with some notable exceptions).

When I use midis, I vastly prefer original music composed by our great community musicians. I like a good cover, too, but most of what I'd want on that end is hardcore punk or metal, and Microsoft GS Wavetable synth isn't very good with heavy guitar, especially when it gets into the higher "squealy" range, where it flat-out sucks ass. And when it comes to music, I vastly prefer having the music first, and then I map to the music. This guarantees that the map and music have a synergy, assuming I do my part right. I can even warp an existing map to more faithfully reflect the music, as I did recently when I got a killer, creepy tune from Varis Alpha. I then made the map darker, and concentrated more on set-piece arena fights in menacing areas to create suspense and a sense of dread. Someday I plan to make a new map around that BGM so it can fully reflect the song.

As @Andromeda said above, I like to use tracker modules when I can instead of midis, but this requires me to build up a collection of modules that actually work in Doom -- no easy task! The vast majority of modules from the Amiga community are rave-oriented techno from the '90s, meaning you have to make a very fast-paced map to go with it. Finding modules that are more pretty or atmospheric, even when you include the vast PC library, is extremely time-consuming, and I use 10% or less of what I download.

11 hours ago, Steve D said:

Microsoft GS Wavetable synth isn't very good with heavy guitar, especially when it gets into the higher "squealy" range, where it flat-out sucks ass.

A rule of thumb I've used for years is overdriven guitar for leads, distortion guitar for rhythm parts. In the microsoft synth, distortion guitar completely changes timbre above a certain point and becomes very abrasive but overdriven is fine up there imo, but overdriven guitar isn't as meaty in the lower registers.

In answer to the thread question, original MIDIs beat covers whether it's by the map creator or not, but for the sake of an anecdote, I once did both by making a MIDI of a Stratovarius song for a map I was making at the time. Even if a rendition of the song already existed it's the sort of thing I would have rather just done myself anyway because MIDIfied songs are pretty questionable in quality most of the time to be honest.

I like both