Jormungand

Still recruiting! Tell your Chrono-adoring musician friends.

Hello OCR community! Some of you know me from a single OCR remix (Dark Star Scherzo from Secret of Mana... it's ancient history) and others know me because of my activity in the VGM scene. I am searching for a wide variety of instrumentalists (and 2 or 3 vocalists) for my Chrono Trigger project, a 12-track album of arrangements dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Chrono Trigger (which was back in March 2020!) Recruitment is happening early due to anticipated difficulty of finding performers for certain instruments. Requirements: -be able to record your instrument/voice in high quality, and can provide examples of your HQ work -be able to perform your part from the files provided: you will receive 1) midi file, 2) a full mp3 synth mock-up of the track, and 3) an mp3 of your part in isolation. -be OK with multi-tracking as needed (the parts will be aligned for you) -must love the Chrono series! List of performers needed: (Red = Still needed, Green = already recruited) KEYBOARD Piano Keyboard/Synthesizer (mainly for 1. a smooth, full, rich "warm pad" patch, and 2. Hammond organ, something approximating the sound of this example or this example (Korg CX3?)) Kalimba (mainly tuned in D, but others as well--multitracked) Accordion WINDS Low Whistle Quena Zampoña Shinobue Dizi STRINGS Violin Viola Cello Double Bass (jazz) Acoustic Guitar 12-String Guitar Electric Guitar Electric Bass Dulcimer (hammered) CHORUS/VOICE (Female) Ability to sing in the style of Japanese folksong, as performed by: -the late Eri Kawai (example Kirite) -Eri Ito (example Panzer Dragoon Orta) CHORUS/VOICE (Male) Ability to sing in the style of Arabic or Indian folksong (example) PERCUSSION Drums (multi-tracked as necessary--must be able to perform part exactly as heard (within reason) from provided audio files, including midi. Sound: I need a set that approximates the sound heard in this example; of special importance is the snare, seems to have a really loose belt with a very wide attack) Miscellaneous percussion (maracas, egg shakers, triangle, wood block, congas, djembe, etc.--message me first, there are a lot) Marimba ------------------- Other roles requested: Artist Cover art that is Chrono-series-related Mixing consultant/engineer For consulting purposes, AND/OR mixing. Experience with world/folk music desired. This role may not require any actual engineering, but a willingness is appreciated. Please contact me for details. TIMELINE: Roughly until the end of 2020. It seems that many of us have plenty of time now, whether we like it or not... but the constant state of things may require changes. Interested? Please send me (via PM or email) an HQ example of your work. Please also write a little something about why you love the Chrono series! (that includes Trigger, Cross, or Radical Dreamers) Also, ¡se habla español! If you know of someone who plays quena or zampoña and can record in HQ, but isn't involved in online activities, please let me know!

Mega Man XA is an alternative retelling of the original Mega Man X--somewhat of a "reboot", if you will. The entirely fictional game contains the same basic characters and premise of the original, but with a different plot. This album is the imagined "original soundtrack" to Mega Man XA, featuring the music of several video game music composers arranged by myself into a Mega Man X "style". An essential part of this was my use of the Mega Man X soundfont by Dave Harris. With instruments pulled straight from the original MMX, I aimed to create an authentic-sounding soundtrack using a wide variety of VGM tunes. While the instrumentation and arrangement stay true to the MMX style, I definitely cheated in terms of hardware: my work for MMXA goes beyond the 8-channel limit of the Super Nintendo to provide a "fuller" sound. A word about the arrangements, some are very arranged, and others will almost sound like transcriptions and stay extremely faithful to their sources. Again, my goal for this project was to create an "original soundtrack"--something suitable to be heard in an alternative MMX. So it really should be thought of that way, instead of an "arranged album". The tracks here loop and fade-out, and there's a full selection of music needed to fill (most) parts of a Mega Man game: intro and ending cutscenes, stage themes, boss battles, etc. Website (with link to complete mp3 album zip file, includes liner notes and cover art) Bandcamp page (for lossless audio of your choice as well as streaming) vgmdb page Arranger: Joe Schwebke http://music.projectvgm.net Mega Man X Soundfont: Dave Harris http://www.iridescentaudio.co.uk/ Album Artwork: The Coop http://the-coop.deviantart.com Please enjoy the album! Leave your comments below. Tell me about your favorite track!

My sudden inspiration was helped along by the miraculous revival of my music PC, which had seemingly died months ago. In any event, I once again have the capability to produce high quality audio files and I'm taking full advantage of the fact. That said, I'd like to introduce "Ignis' Theme", the first composition in a small project I've begun: an unofficial OST to FFXV. I'd love to hear your comments! Let me know how the track makes you feel, whether or not it fits the character (what little we know if him), if you'd like to hear it in-game over and over again, what it reminds you of, etc. Also, help me decide what to work on next: a) world map theme boss battle c) Kingdom of Lucis, 'walking around the city' theme d) other (please specify below) Enjoy!

Cover art designed by Kayin In the Spring of 2011, I came up with a crazy idea. I wanted to make an RPG soundtrack--a big RPG soundtrack. Like those big three and four-disc sets we became accustomed to beginning in the mid-to-late 90s. Final Fantasy VII, Breath of Fire III, Genso Suikoden II... you get the idea. It started with a modest thread over at rpgamer.com where I asked the community to hit me with their original RPG ideas, from characters to places to plot concepts. The collaborative brainstorming yielded a wide variety of ideas, which I then compiled, revised, synthesized, and organized into a full scenario outline for a fictional RPG. Following the creation of a 100-track long tracklist, I went in search of composers who, like myself, loved RPG soundtracks. It didn’t take long to fill up the roster, and thirty-five composers and 100 compositions later, we're finally ready to tell the story of A'deo Chronicle. A’deo Chronicle was conceived as a Japanese-style, traditional turn-based RPG. That said, the things you will hear on this soundtrack are highly influenced by that particular genre’s wide range of music. Our collective influence takes pages from the old-school and modern era alike and includes both Japanese and Western flavors. There’s truly something for everyone! Please see our main website below where you will find a variety of ways to listen to the soundtrack: http://projectvgm.net You can access our SoundCloud group here to listen to the soundtrack (not ordered by track number). A YouTube playlist will be coming soon. Let this thread serve as a place to comment on our work. All of us are eager to hear your feedback. Enjoy! A’deo Chronicle Original Soundtrack COMPOSERS Zack Parrish, Jared Cowing, Kim Sanderhoff-KimCheolho, Joe Schwebke, Anthony Morgan, Aivi Tran, Daryl Banner, KungFuFurby, Alex Johnson-Buck, Rob Westwood, Tamsin Boldick, Daniel Joseph, Jonah Backfish, Aasif Chaundry, Stéphanie Desbourdes (Dentelle127), Sabrielle Augustin, Thomash Lee, James-Alan Nguyen, Kristijan Faust, Guifrog, Francis Gayon, Tom Gintoki Egan, Kayin, Shannon Mason (Pongball), Curtithird, Kris Troutman, Sean Hogan (seagaia), Sebastian Mielke, Callum Kennedy (Tuberz McGee), Jack Boldick, Roi de Janeiro, Angus Sheehan, Danny Morris, Rachel Peters PERFORMERS Anthony Morgan, Aivi Tran, Stéphanie Desbourdes, Jonah Backfish, Callum Kennedy, Tuberz McGee, Chris | Amaterasu, Daryl Banner STORY, CHARACTER, AND LOCATION CONCEPTS Strawberry Eggs, TG Barighm, dollssoulkirie, StormofSwords, nim22ama, Aurian, the_third_curry, bain_nick, and Jormungand SCENARIO & PROJECT DIRECTOR Joe Schwebke

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have found a cover artist.

Hi everyone. I'm hard at work on an arrangement project which I don't want to spoil too much of with details--but I will say that I am in need of a skilled pixel artist who is comfortable doing 16-bit era-themed work. In particular, I need someone who with the skill and desire to create Mega Man X-style cover art. The cover art itself will mimic a certain menu screen in-game. Timeframe is negotiable, although I'm aiming to release the album at the end of this month. PM me, post here, or email me via gmail: jschwebke Related vgmdb entry is here: http://vgmdb.net/album/22728

Finally, an update! In my last post, way back in October, I stated we had over half of the project done. Today, my "completed" folder contains 93 finished tracks. How's that for progress? I don't have an ETA for the project at this point, but hopefully it's apparent that we're making good time. Aside from those last seven tracks, I'll be setting up an official website along with a nice album entry at vgmdb.net. In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for a "demo" of the project to contain hand-picked samples from the soundtrack. Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in joining the project. I'm surprised by how far we've come considering when the project began (almost 100 tracks in 7 months!), and I apologize to those of you who wanted to get in but were unable to because all tracks had been claimed.

Wow! Progress has been moving along so fast I forgot to update this thread. Currently, all 100 tracks have been claimed. Of those, an impressive 56 tracks are complete. We have a lovely website at http://sjmmusic.de/projectvgm/tracks.php (which will switch hosts eventually--stay tuned). Here you can listen to completed music. Alternatively, our sound cloud group is also up-to-date and is open for comments & criticism: http://soundcloud.com/groups/project-vgm

EDIT: Next batch of available tracks will be listed upon reaching of the first deadline.

Thanks for the responses so far and offering your services! As of this posting, only 21 tracks are still available! So, if you read about this project and haven't decided yet, now might be a good time to do so.

Orchestral, folk, ethnic, prog rock, electronica, jazz, etc. is all fine. Or your own unique blend or style. Please listen to the music of the games/series I listed to get an idea. I'm only explicitly banning really heavy, hyper, grungy rock; electronic dance music (not all electronic music); chip tunes (best saved for a project dedicated specifically that genre); and vocal pop. Allow me to select a variety of tunes that would exhibit acceptable styles for this project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47qlL8fvMcE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZHUH2LE_zA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOXdBp7dB3M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1vVjbyc-_g&playnext=1&list=PL895F1AD0C4CF24F3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zyd8HBbj-4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5I6xdDglzk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNUaWwIY9oc So long as it fits the setting (which combines fantasy and sci-fi elements like many JRPGs), it is acceptable. If you have an idea but aren't sure, email me.

Welcome to "Project VGM"--official title TBD until we think of a better one! At the beginning of the summer, I came up with an interesting idea. I love RPGs, and I love RPG soundtracks--and lots of aspiring composers do too. I wondered: could we all come together with our various styles and visions and create an original RPG soundtrack? Of course we would need an RPG first, right? Gathering up concepts from forumers at RPGamer.com, we solved that problem. I compiled our various ideas and arranged them into the narrative framework of a typical Japanese-style RPG, represented by a soundtrack layout--that is, a simple tracklist you'd see at places like vgmdb.net. Have a look for yourself: http://project-vgm.blogspot.com/ We've made good progress so far, but have only just begun! We are still in need of composers to fill in the rest of the tracklist. The tracks that are already claimed are marked--everything else is free for the taking. So, how does this process work? I am interested. What do I do? 1. Select an available track from the tracklist. You may choose as many tracks as you like. 2. Send an email to projectvgm @ gmail . com with the track(s) you want. You MUST request a track first, and then I will confirm your selection via email. 3. Tracks will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. The sooner you send an email, the better chance you have to get the track you want! I want to participate, but I have no idea what track to pick/don't care which track I do. Send an email to projectvgm @ gmail indicating your interest. I will assign you a track. If you choose this option, please link me to some of your recent compositions so that I can make a good match. What style should the music be? The style is generally up to you, but please keep the following in mind: 1. This is a JRPG. In particular, a relatively serious RPG. Please familiarize yourself with the entire scenario to get an idea of the setting and mood. 2. The following are banned: heavy/dark/death metal; chip tune; electronic dance music (trance, eurobeat, etc.); and vocal pop music (you can implement vocals, but I won't accept a pop song). If there's any confusion about this, please ask. 3. Please see the list of JRPGs at the bottom of this post for acceptable game soundtracks to get inspiration from (the list is NOT comprehensive). 4. There is no "main theme", so don't worry about that. I thought to do this originally, then decided against it. How long should my track be? 1. At least a minute. The only exception here might be the [EVENT] tracks, which accompany scenes that may very well last less than a minute. It's up to the composer. 2. There is no maximum length. The track may be as long as you want. 3. You may decide to LOOP your tracks and fadeout (like most VGM soundtrack albums), or not loop and write a "proper" ending. It's up to you. What is the deadline? Deadline #2: November 6, 2011. We will operate in six-week cycles until the project is complete. To clarify, you only need to complete 1 track per deadline. What if I miss the deadline? Your track(s) will be "de-claimed" and opened up for anyone to claim. Should I send you WIPs? Please do! I enjoy discussing composers' music. If you have concerns about whether you are going in the right direction, feel free to contact me. I do reserve the right to request changes, although I wouldn't ask for anything major provided you kept the aforementioned guidelines in mind. What about synth quality? I've decided to be very lenient about synth quality. This will result in a wide range of quality which some may find detrimental. However, I don't want to exclude composers because they don't use top-of-the-line synths. Please do your best with arrangement, and please use the best synth that is available to you. What do I do when I'm done? 1. Email me the .wav file or a link to the .wav file of your track. 2. You may give the track an original title; keep it clean. 3. Please tell me how you want to be credited. Many composers are using their real names; you don't have to. Who owns the completed music? You do! You will retain the complete rights to your completed music, and you may promote it however you wish. However, understand that the music will be available for FREE download. This is a NONPROFIT project. Commercial usage of the music by users will be not be permitted. Story/character/location/etc. concepts are the intellectual property of their authors. What's the point of all this? 1. To promote you, the composer. 2. To give you, the composer, the opportunity to gain experience. 3. To spread the love of JRPG music. What happens when the project is complete? We will promote it on YouTube, BandCamp, SoundCloud, and whatever else people think is a good idea. We will also have a torrent of the complete soundtrack. If I can swing it with the administrators, we'll also have a listing at vgmdb.net. Has this ever been done before? Yes, although I'd wager this is one of the more ambitious at 100 tracks. However, large teams of professional composers have successfully done this in the past. Recent JRPG examples include Suikoden Tierkreis (11 composers, over 120 tracks) and Half-Minute Hero (20+ composers, 61 tracks). Have you done this before? I have indeed, although on a much smaller scale. It was years ago--a fictional racing soundtrack, all MIDI. It had 24 tracks and 6 composers including myself. It was awesome. I just can't think of any ideas. Help! Send an email to projectvgm @ gmail . com. I will consult with you. I am happy to help anyone with getting ideas, and will provide you with images and music for inspiration. Alternatively, you can listen to the soundtracks of the following games for inspiration: Final Fantasy series, Suikoden series, Breath of Fire series, Dragon Quest series, Seiken Densetsu series, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Arc Rise Fantasia, Xenoblade, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, Arc the Lad series, Atelier series, Vandal Hearts series, Drakengard series, NIER, Threads of Fate/Dewprism, Resonance of Fate/End of Eternity, Sakura Taisen series, Skies of Arcadia, Front Mission series, SoulBlader, Terranigma, Illusion of Gaia, Granstream Saga, Langrisser series, Growlanser series, Hoshigami Remix, Inazuma Eleven series, Super Mario RPG, Parasite Eve series, Live-A-Live, Legaia series, Zelda series, Lost Odyssey, Luminous Arc series, Lunar series, Ogre series, Ragnarok Online series, SaGa series, Shining Force series, Soma Bringer, Soukaigi, Uncharted Waters series, Vagrant Story, Valkyria Chronicles series, Shadow of the Colossus, Wild ARMs series, Xenosaga series, Fire Emblem series, Arcana, Alundra series, Paladin's Quest series, Lufia series, Nobunaga's Ambition series, Far East of Eden series I have a question that hasn't been answered! Please post your question here, or send an email to projectvgm @ gmail . com I don't compose, but this project is very cool. Anything I can do to help? 1. You know all those fancy websites that OCR's remix projects have been getting? I would LOVE something like that for Project VGM. Please contact me at projectvgm @ gmail . com if you have some ideas. 2. If you don't compose but play an instrument or do arranging/mixing, you might offer your services to the composers. 3. When the project is complete, I want to do some vicious advertising. Everyone can be apart of that step. 4. Help me think of a better title for this soundtrack. IMPORTANT INFO: CONTACT: projectvgm @ gmail . com TRACKLIST: http://project-vgm.blogspot.com/ DEADLINE #2: November 6, 2011 TRACK INFO: -.wav file -at least a minute long -can be looped with fade-out, or not -can have a "proper" ending -can have original title

Thanks Gintoki, I'll be in contact with you. The sound quality is adequate for what I'm looking for. dannthr and XST: I'm no stranger to paid work, and just recently finished work on a large-scale project (over 2 hours of original music, all composed and produced by myself). It was exhausting, particularly the production part of it. When taking on these new projects, I specifically went into a particular community knowing I wouldn't find paid work. And I'm enjoying it a lot. See, professional composition was originally going to be the Big Plan for my life. But, that changed, and for the better. My new career is infinitely more rewarding (though time-consuming and demanding on a variety of levels) and the best part is that I can still compose for games as a hobby. Thus, I entered this board seeking like-minded individuals. Believe me, I'd love to be able to pay for this work; and I'd like to be paid for my work as well. But I signed onto unpaid projects as a hobbyist, though I've done professional work in the past. That's OK with me. I'm hoping to find others that feel the same way. It's why I specifically marked the topic "unpaid".