Sil

I haven't played Mario Galaxy, but this theme sounds very familiar, like I've heard it in a movie soundtrack. You don't have to worry about transitions to a new theme if you can do something with this existing theme that is fresh and innovative. Probably the most underestimated form of arrangement is the theme + variations model, which by its very definition is so simple I often want to slap people across the face until they learn it (not you... other people.) You need to hammer this theme home before moving on, or risk leaving people confused and panicked when they can't follow along. Right now you have ample opportunity to establish some kind of bass presence besides just keeping rhythm. Stack your cellos, basses, bassoons and what have you in octaves and let them do their thing melody-wise. But don't take my word for it. Look at any orchestration by Shiro Hamaguchi on a theme by Uematsu and see how he shifts the melody around the orchestra forcing the accompaniment to other voices. If you need ideas for transitions, check out Dvorak's Slavonic Dances. Each dance has at least one transition and re-transition, but sometimes he can become a bit repetitive (single note in the horns aaaand.... next theme!)

Theoretically, wouldn't you be able to run music through this program, isolate individual notes of certain instruments, and create a chromatically sampled library of those instruments? For example, let's say I want the New York Philharmonic to perform something I wrote...

I don't think game music is becoming less melody-oriented, it's just becoming harder and harder to midi-rip. For example, the soundtrack to Lair had some awesome melodies that I'm sure people would be more inclined to remix if they heard it played by two 8-bit synth pads. Maybe the newest trend should be reducing fully orchestral scores into chiptunes. You could call it "unmixing."

I thought the orchestra they used sounded typical of a small studio orchestra the Japanese often employ for anime soundtracks, but then I looked at the credits and apparently they have this Mahlerian-sized orchestra listed. So either they used different musicians for different recording sessions, or they need to find a better recording studio. For example, they list 25 musicians for brass alone!! Another explanation is that in order to book the orchestra they had to pay/credit everyone in it (unionized?) even if 3/4 of the brass players didn't have to show up (but they would anyway, just sit there and not play.)

Why does this page http://www.ocremix.org/game/tetris-gb/ list the Tetris type-B music as "Csikos Post" when it isn't? That's a completely different tune!

Sometimes it helps to listen to real orchestral music to get a sense of how samples are supposed to sound. That said, I don't think this piece conveys that understanding as much as it should.

When I was reading the article I read that line "You don't have to be a well-known working professional to be a game music com-poser" as "You don't have to be a well-known working professional to be a game music poser" and I thought to myself "You got that right!"

Uematsu reminds me of Bill Watterson so much it's not funny.

Starting at 0:36 there should probably be trombones playing in octaves (tuba doubling the lower octave) where there is timpani, and while I think modern timpanists could play what you've written, you don't want to oversaturate the bass range with it. 1:08 Never forget to use pizz bass during the "softer" moments where other bass instruments drop out. 1:27 The ostinato in the violins sounds good, it'd work with a real orchestra, but it sounds like you're using a staccatos sample when tremolo usually works better for this sort of thing. This is a good part to have runs in instruments like the piccolo. It sounds like you're using xylophone here, but maybe an octave too low. Also, the timpani should have some help from lower staccato strings, similar to the next bit, but... 1:42 The bass here sounds a bit simple rhythmically. Maybe you could have low cellos playing something similar to the violins, also tremolo (trem is good for ostinatos.) The trumpets samples sound really good, but I'm wondering if chords would work better. 2:13 Yes, you have the right idea with the bass line here, I like it. I'd still emphasize it with cellos and double basses playing in octaves with the trombones, but maybe you want it brass-only, so see if you can get a deeper bass with a tuba or bassoons even. Again, tremolo violins might work better here too. The ending sounds good too.

Hmm, it still sounds like the bass isn't deep enough. It should be playing A2 instead of A3. The beginning 7 notes each have a chord/triad in the piano (6 = first inversion): Am6 C6 Am6 C6 Am6 G C6

0:00 -the glockenspiel seems a bit weak, can you use celesta instead/in addition? if you want, I can send you a free celesta that SAM released as a promo (could easily be mapped beyond the limited range) 2:08 -nice bass 2:11 -the clarinet is a bit weak here, double it with flute, oboe, or violins 2:38 -for this build you want the timpani roll to be doubled by low strings and brass (trombones), and really double up those bass octaves (cellos and basses in octaves can never miss) 2:40 -continue to harmonize with trombone chords as long as the horns carry the melody 3:10 -the timpani roll here sounds a little weird, so maybe it's an octave too low or needs some trombones/basses to help it Also, if you want a better timpani, I can send you the free one SAM released like 6-7 years ago. 3:14 -this portion sounds like you need a model to follow in terms of stylistic arranging, especially since i can't detect what you're doing here 3:56 -again i'm not sure what you're going for here. you seem to be stuck harmonically trying to shed the previous section and the instrumentation just isn't working for what you're attempting to do If it were my piece I'd start again from 3:14 and this time, in order to keep the thematic continuity, restate the clarinet theme in a new key with a new feel, probably as a fully orchestral climax.

Well, for one it sounds like you need a stronger bass. Yours seems to be an octave too high at the moment. Also, double the bass with low piano notes to fill out that ostinato. While I don't hear it in this particular segment, a major part of the Gundam brassy sound is 3 trumpets playing triads. The top trumpet usually carries the melody (or counterpoint) while the others harmonize below it. The trick is to not harmonize the "right" chord all the time, so there's some trial and error involved. I'm trying to hear why your version sounds thinner at the beginning and the only explanation I can think of is that the real version has piano chords below the trumpet/above the bass... jumps back and forth between first and second inversion A minor. Last, it's possible the trumpet is doubled with a saxophone to make it louder.

They sound pretty typical of a lot of pieces for band, but that's actually a good thing in this case. I guess my expectations weren't very high to begin with, and they have a first-class arranger doing these. I like them better than the VGL versions. edit: oh yeah, using a harp in a band arrangement is cheating, I mean, come on!

Happy Birthday, Derek. Can't wait to hear the new piece!

Thanks! I'm going to make this a truly Canadian birthday: beer, cake, and a free trip to watch the Leafs lose at the ACC.

$10 might not be enough.

Umm, I can't find anything on your site that mentions how you are compensating the original composer(s). Mega Man 2 isn't public domain just yet...

Arranging game music here has given me the opportunity to use practices and clichés in my music that I would never have been allowed to show to my professors. All that did is serve to make me a better orchestrator and arranger, and all that did is serve to make me a better composer overall. Plus, the feedback is pretty good too.

Wow, the synth in that endless battle track is pretty terrible. The rest is decent enough. What was that other Korean MMO that had a fully orchestrated score? They had the soundtrack available for free on their site but I never got a chance to download it.

Phantasmagoria (1994) had chorus. A big one. But like FF7 the accompaniment was mainly synthesized. Maybe FF8 was the first to feature an original work for live chorus AND orchestra.

I'm done. Let's get this over with!

There's not really anything orchestral about it except that it uses instruments commonly found in a classical orchestra, but could also be found elsewhere. While it's easy to throw around terms such as "orchestral" or "symphonic" to describe the unique instrumentation, it really doesn't suggest what I had in mind when I think of orchestral music on an epic scope. It doesn't sound like rock music either, except that again it uses some rock instruments. To me it just sounds like electronica.

You'd think that.

Maybe they're like pokemon. Let me know how it sounds (giga format): http://rapidshare.com/files/75723722/Suzu.zip edit: here's an example of how they can be used in a kind of orchestral setting: http://jeremyrobson.com/suzuexample.mp3

Found! They're called Suzu: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/09/eaj/hod_89.7.94.htm and can be heard here: http://www.ise-miyachu.co.jp/item_suzu/suzu.html They're a lot like sleigh bells (so it's easy to see the confusion with them) but definitely darker and not as striking a sound. I'm going to use the recording to make a sample (in gig format) and I'll post it if anyone's interested.