Criticism of Freedoom soundtrack

[uhbooh]

On 2/19/2017 at 0:57 PM, JohnnyTheWolf said:

Well, except for C1M2. I will be honest and I mean no disrespect to its composer, but it just does not feel right: it is not catchy, it does not help create atmosphere and it just sounds like bad elevator muzak.

 

4 hours ago, axdoomer said:

It's almost elevator music. 

My thoughts exactly, it sounds like a song you'd hear on the radio in a grocery store.

 

EDIT: I just listened to the new C1M2 song, it's worse than the old one IMO. The old map02 song that voros just posted would fit better.

Edited April 28, 2017 by uhbooh

[Voros]

12 hours ago, Viscra Maelstrom said:

i also contributed one track to this project. i don't know if anyone put it to use, though; i offered to put in some more tracks, but they got rejected on the grounds that they were originally composed for Doom, and not Freedoom.

Map29.

 

Also, what more tracks? I only remember seeing you posting one track and one track alone, then posting something about how your other tracks are too Doomy for Freedoom so you won't share/make them, or something along those lines.

 

12 hours ago, uhbooh said:

 

The old map02 song that voros just posted would fit better.

That's a fantastic idea. 

[Varis Alpha]

On 2017-04-28 at 0:06 PM, Voros said:

Map29.

 

Also, what more tracks? I only remember seeing you posting one track and one track alone, then posting something about how your other tracks are too Doomy for Freedoom so you won't share/make them, or something along those lines.

honestly, i don't even remember at this point. the track i cobbled together for the project was kind of garbo, and whatever music i decided to offer back then probably sucked in hindsight.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Is it just me or does E3M6's track sound a lot like TeamFourStar's Broly Chronicles?

 

I mean, do not get me wrong: it is an excellent track, but I cannot help but hear the song's lyrics whenever I play the level.

[Voros]

Why don't you ask @Blueworrior himself via email: BlueWorrior@hotmail.co.uk ?

[Blueworrior]

I hate to resurrect a dead thread, but I've not been online for quite sometime and I've been hearing people praising my work in here. I'm really happy my work is up to scratch! I'm on summer break rn so maybe I could squeeze in a few more tracks if I'm in the zone and if there's any need :3

and to answer @JohnnyTheWolf, any similarities are entirely coincidental, I've not heared that track before, but i can see where you're coming from, the chords are rather reminiscent... weird :L

[Voros]

Look who's back! Don't mind similarities. There's always going to be at least one song out there in world that sounds like another song.

I still find myself listening to all the Chapter 3's new music a lot :P

Again, FreeDM needs some good upbeat tracks. Feel free to look into that.

[Blueworrior]

Yeah it's been too freaking long, but i'm back, at least until the next huge hiatus i will inevitably do again :L

I do remember you saying about FreeDM's music, I'll definitely take a look into that!

[Voros]

Feel free to look into FreeDM's map13 first. It currently shares Phase 1's c1m1 track.

Edited June 27, 2017 by Voros

[Teivman]

I would like to see some new music for episode 4. Because some of the music in that are from other episodes and i think some are also from phase 2.

[Voros]

You can't assign E4 music. In vanilla, the music is hardcoded in the executable so that it reuses tracks from specific slots. And Freedoom isn't aiming for ports with MAPINFO support, so tough luck.

[Voros]

Might as well post something. All are IMO.

C1M1

This midi has a very nice and catchy beat to it. It encourages players to move forward and mow down the monsters. At the 57th measure, the change in instruments creates a melody that acts as a climax and resolution.

C3M1

There is an evil vibe going on here. The organ, guitars and bell creates a a haunting and actiony atmosphere. The guitar harmonics serve as a good instruments for the intro.

C3M3

The guitars and drums mixes very nicely. At the 29th measure and onwards, there is an upbeat rhythm going on with guitars, which is great. Then at the 41th measure and onwards, the rhythm changes into something more dramatic and climatic.

C3M4

The initial build up has this happy ring to it, which then gets a dose of some simple and catchy guitar riffs. The Lead 1 (square) instrument from the 33th measure is basically the main part here and has a neat tune, with the high-ish and low-ish notes synchronised.

C3M5

A very strong guitar riff starts off the midi, and at the 9th measure and onwards, the main part begins. This part isn't that big, but it feels right when you feel like getting into a normal fight. The midi puts an emphasis on power, and that's cool.

C3M6

The midi starts out with this evil tune via guitar, but quickly becomes a more action-oriented at the 9th measure. I specifically like how the guitars and drums create this rhythm that feels just right. At the 33th measure and onwards, those two instruments seem to work even better. Personally, the I like how the 46th measure sounds.

C3M7

A surprisingly powerful start with the overdriven guitar, followed by drums. The quick build up in pace is suitable for a penultimate level like C3M7. There are essentially two parts of the midi: the action and the tension. Before the 45th measure, the beat is pretty fast while from 45th and onwards, the beat changes into something more "scary". After the 76th measure, this "scary" beat gets more tense. The changes in the rhythm, instruments etc in this midi is quite interesting.

C3M8

Different from all the other Chapter 3 music, this one has a dark/sad theme. The piano and string ensemble work well to deliver this feeling dread and unhappiness. The tremolo strings are probably not needed though.

MAP03

This is one funky midi. The instrumentation is unique here. It's pretty upbeat. If you listen closely (or isolate all the other instruments) you'll hear an E2M1 reference from Doom, which is a nice easter egg, and kinda goes well with the midi. Plus, Jimmy liked it, so that's probably a good sign.

MAP04

I like the slow-ish theme here, it's quite atmospheric at times. But the sitar seems to take over all the other instruments, making them barely audible sometimes. Possible alternatives might be a violin or piano or brass section or trumpet/tuba/trombone/related instruments. Although, I really the melody the viola makes at the 58th measure and onwards.

MAP05

I like the relaxed pace here. The build up is smooth, the usage of synth (I think this is the correct term) instruments is interesting while at the same time, simple. The guitar-related instruments are also used this way. The midi itself seems to prefer synchronisation over power.

MAP06

This one has a very high tempo. What's most interesting about this one is the brass section being used to create a actiony atmosphere alongside the drums. But then the guitars come in, and they make the midi sound a bit moody.

MAP10

A dark-yet-happy track. Every time a new instrument comes up, the midi seems to get more and more tense.

MAP15

Gets off with an adrenaline-fueled guitar riff with background instruments, then slows down only to get back into pace with some synth instruments. And those synth instruments create an unique tune. The overall pace of the midi is fast.

MAP16

This track is ancient and surprisingly good. The guitars have this echoey effect, and mixed with that beat from the drums, creates a tune that can relax the player and make them feel happy too.

MAP17

Another fast-paced midi. The intro alone promotes action, with that guitar build up going on. The sawtooth adds a creative melody alongside the guitars. It's well suited for action-based maps.( fn

MAP24

Has an evil-like theme going on here. While the rhythm changes from dark to not-that-dark, it's still pretty cool. The guitar contributes to creating a dark atmosphere while the harp seems to help create a happier atmosphere. The tubular bell contribute to both.

[A Nobody]

What happened to this? 

 

[Spie812]

IIRC that song was replaced because it is an absolute disaster if you use OPL for music.

[A Nobody]

23 hours ago, Spie812 said:

IIRC that song was replaced because it is an absolute disaster if you use OPL for music.

D:

[Asure]

deleted

Edited November 29, 2018 by Phoenix Wright

[A Nobody]

At least the song for the last map in phase 2 is still there.

[SOSU]

On 3/12/2017 at 1:19 AM, The-Heretic-Assassin said:

What happened to this? 

 

0_o; i think i know this song...BUT I NEVER PLAYED V0.7 :O!!!

[A Nobody]

1 hour ago, SOSU said:

0_o; i think i know this song...BUT I NEVER PLAYED V0.7 :O!!!

Aw.

[Teivman]

11 hours ago, SOSU said:

0_o; i think i know this song...BUT I NEVER PLAYED V0.7 :O!!!

You can still find it if you look for the freedoom sourceforge.

[kb1]

On 4/27/2017 at 5:56 PM, axdoomer said:

It's almost elevator music. 

That's a bit harsh, but I get where it comes from. Personally, I like it - however, I would make this one change:

The song includes a lot of groups of repeated notes. I would break up each instance of the repeated, using the following techniques:

• Apply some vibrato tastefully
• Slide to the first and/or last note of each repeated group of notes
• Use a instrument with more sustain
• Double-up some of the notes (turn 1 quarter note into 4 16th notes)
• Trill some of them

When I identify a song as being "elevator music", there's a reason for that. My definition is when someone does a cover of a song, and they replace a instrument capable of vibrato and bends, and replace it with an instrument that's not capable of reproducing these subtle effects.

 

For example, they take a sung passage, and recreate it with a piano. Any vibrato or bend information is lost. It feels as if someone is playing the piano with a single finger.

 

This c1m2 song has a lot of feel, a very cool groove, and some neat chord progressions. But it suffers from this "single-finger-piano" thing (in my opinion). The issue is prevalent, as it occurs with the instrument responsible for the main melody of the song. Modifying that melody, using some of the outlined techniques, would really bring its true potential out. Use the same pitches, just add some of these subtle inflections to those notes, and it'd really come alive!

 

Or, leave it as-is: It's pretty darn cool!