Live recorded music, Poll 2.0

[Ieo]

There hasn't been any announcement about the music yet...

 

Live or synth?

 

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

 

(I admit that I particularly love the idea of live period tavern/street music; anyway, small-scale stuff would be great in the big city especially, or seeing a random NPC or two in a village performing, IMO...)

[Sensuki]

Probably too many naysayers in the polls

[Justin Bell]

[...]Yo-Yo Ma`s Ensemble sounds great (as always), so I`m all in favor of something like that in PE soundtrack!

This sounds great. Just goes to show how atmospheric and versatile chamber music can be. Funny you should mention it though, this something I've been talking about doing for a long time. Maybe PE is the project for it, but we'll see!

 

[...]It was crazy neither my Hubby or I felt anything for the characters at all and yet it was a film we'd both really enjoyed before, it was just a completely flat experience).

There's a pretty famous (infamous?) quote from Steven Spielberg where he talks about the importance of sound. "[...]music and sound represent at least 50% of the entertainment value of all my films” Perhaps I'm biased, but I wholeheartedly agree. Still with games, and film, it's very much a collaborative effort. No one works in a vacuum. Francis Ford Coppola says basically the same thing in this documentary. Check it out, its interesting stuff:

 

!

 

[...]It was mostly her voice rather than the song. I just think she has a haunting quality to her voice that might work.

I remember when she did that Skyrim cover. Mesmerizing to say the least.

 

[...]One theme that really surprised me was the theme song to Legend of Grimrock. If you haven't heard it, check it out.

Great music. What you hear there is a mix of sampled (i.e. computer based) and live instruments. Not bad right? The song itself reminds me a lot of the opening of Balder's Gate 1 (up to :12) and afterward reminds me of a blend between the Trine soundtracks with a hint of Elder Scrolls. In other words I think its good

 

[...]I think it would be cool if the larger cities had street musicians sprinkled here and there, near markets or around taverns, playing guitar, vihuela, lute, recorder, crumhorn, or viola da gamba sorts of things. I always loved those little instances of diegetic music/sound you would encounter while running around in the IE games, like the monks chanting prophecies at the beginning of Baldur's Gate. It made the world feel alive.

Definitely. It's really a matter of whether or not we can get it to work right. It would have to feel right, otherwise it wouldn't be worth it. But its something I would love to do.

 

I mentioned in one of the threads that there's sure to be a bunch of professional musicians in the 55K people that have backed so far, why not have some of the pieces of music for the environmental sound (at least) performed by the fanbase?

Not a bad idea.............

[Kopi]

There hasn't been any announcement about the music yet...

 

Live or synth?

 

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

 

(I admit that I particularly love the idea of live period tavern/street music; anyway, small-scale stuff would be great in the big city especially, or seeing a random NPC or two in a village performing, IMO...)

 

There needs to be tavern music in PE similar to the ones you listed. It doesn't sound perfect but that's the point of it. A music of ragged tavern musicians and drunken bards. It immediatly conjures an immersing atmosphere.

[Cantousent]

Any word on live performers, Justin? If that's been answered already, then I apologize, but I haven't seen it yet. Maybe my poor reading skills, but I'm curious if you guys have made a decision or if you're putting off the decision until after the Kickstarter campaign, which might be wise at any rate.

[Sensuki]

Not a bad idea.............

 

I'm sure people would love to contribute to the game, even if it was something simple as a live track coming from a commoner sitting in a street playing a lute, included in the environmental track for the map.

 

That's certainly one way to save money and probably get good quality and a good amount of music into the game.

 

There is probably a way to fit some of your own guitar playing in there too as from the lore update it sounds as if one of those places is kinda Italian/Spanish.

 

edit: Wasteland 2 put up a contributors thread where you could post your skills and a contact email address. Lots of people volunteered. You could do the same except in a post-campaign kickstarter update.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Sensuki

[Justin Bell]

There needs to be tavern music in PE similar to the ones you listed. It doesn't sound perfect but that's the point of it. A music of ragged tavern musicians and drunken bards. It immediatly conjures an immersing atmosphere.

Those are live musicians without a doubt, and of course, it sounds great. That's what we call "source music" in the audio field. Meaning, it isn't a sound track superimposed over the presented material, but rather it comes from an actual source from within the scene (radios and bands are a good example of that).

 

I agree, it would be great to have. I can tell you this is a subject that's come up several times over many projects at Obsidian and people are usually receptive to it. It just needs to make sense in the world of PE...

[Sistergoldring]

Justin - thanks for the clip it was really interesting.

 

Also (and I can't believe I'm saying this) but I'm a trained soprano if you do in fact have to scrape the budget barrel for your musicians you can add my name to your list of fan volunteers.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Sistergoldring

[Justin Bell]

[...]trained soprano[...]

!!! That's awesome!

[Kopi]

There needs to be tavern music in PE similar to the ones you listed. It doesn't sound perfect but that's the point of it. A music of ragged tavern musicians and drunken bards. It immediatly conjures an immersing atmosphere.

Those are live musicians without a doubt, and of course, it sounds great. That's what we call "source music" in the audio field. Meaning, it isn't a sound track superimposed over the presented material, but rather it comes from an actual source from within the scene (radios and bands are a good example of that).

 

I agree, it would be great to have. I can tell you this is a subject that's come up several times over many projects at Obsidian and people are usually receptive to it. It just needs to make sense in the world of PE...

 

I see, that means you could sneak yourself in as a Lute playing street performer! Yes?

[Sistergoldring]

Yeah - Rusty trained soprano!

[Silver6986]

Whenever I think of Tavern music, I always harken back to BG2, where my fondest memory concerning music with Inns or Taverns is the music played when entering The Vulgar Monkey in Brynnlaw, it was such a simple melody that inspired such a wonderful emotional response from within me.

 

a very beautiful piece of music to be sure

[Ieo]

Not a bad idea.............

 

I'm sure people would love to contribute to the game, even if it was something simple as a live track coming from a commoner sitting in a street playing a lute, included in the environmental track for the map.

 

That's certainly one way to save money and probably get good quality and a good amount of music into the game.

 

There is probably a way to fit some of your own guitar playing in there too as from the lore update it sounds as if one of those places is kinda Italian/Spanish.

 

edit: Wasteland 2 put up a contributors thread where you could post your skills and a contact email address. Lots of people volunteered. You could do the same except in a post-campaign kickstarter update.

 

I'm personally much more open to amateur volunteering for music input (e.g. those people who wander around Renaissance faires performing) than untried voice actors because the immersive quality is different. Minor imperfections in live music definitely lend a different feel of authenticity to a setting, but imperfect voice acting kinda just breaks everything.

 

Cool idea. It'd be nice to give air time to people who devote themselves professionally or by hobby to rarer instruments because we need more people learning that anyway.

[Sensuki]

Voice acting =/= Music

[Justin Bell]

edit: Wasteland 2 put up a contributors thread where you could post your skills and a contact email address. Lots of people volunteered.

Nice! I didn't know about that. Passed it along to the team for them to consider, thanks Sensuki.

 

 

Yeah - Rusty trained soprano!

Very very cool, thank you for your offer!

 

I see, that means you could sneak yourself in as a Lute playing street performer! Yes?

Sure, especially if we need an NPC that sends people screaming in all directions. Joking aside, who knows? But I think its a cool idea.

 

 

I'm personally much more open to amateur volunteering for music input (e.g. those people who wander around Renaissance faires performing) than untried voice actors because the immersive quality is different. Minor imperfections in live music definitely lend a different feel of authenticity to a setting, but imperfect voice acting kinda just breaks everything.

I think I can agree with you there, but it all depends really. Honestly we will just have to see. It would have to make sense for the project and for the person volunteering. I can't guarantee we'll do something like that, especially since it isn't really up to me, but I have passed it along so we'll see!

[Cantousent]

Voice acting =/= Music

And vocals count as music, right? I mean, singing isn't acting. Acting requires a different set of skills. Soooo, you're going to use actual performers? :Cant's **** eating grin icon: ...And Sister is going to sing? I was in madrigals in high school and college... years ago. I sing in my church choir. I was in the choir in basic training in the Navy. Ummm..... I'll sing really soflty? :Cant's shifty eyed desperate smile icon: I promise not to get in the way of the real talent? lol I kid I kid. I wouldn't dream of dragging down the effort with my sad attempts. I want the quality to be good.

 

EDIT: Hey, there's an idea. Create a thread for folks to post samples of their performing skills. hehe That could be entertaining in and of itself. ...And I'm joking, but I would have great respect for folks who're willing to put themselves out there for an effort like this. Might take up a lot of space for the video and audio files, though.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Cantousent

[Sensuki]

Those kind of things would also want to be announced in a Kickstarter update so everyone receives the info, there's only a small percentage of us on these forums.

[Hormalakh]

I really would enjoy some different instuments being used in this game, especially some used in different cultures with interesting tones. One would be the

, the sitar, the

. The TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender really did a great job with using the Neynava and adjusting it digitally to make a very interesting new sound and named the instrument the "

," an instrument that does not exist in the real world but just sounds so perfect. I am not mentioning the more common instruments just becaue I know that they will be found in the game (lute, flute, horn, trumpet, etc) but I am really hoping that the devs consider music instruments worldwide and allow them to influence their creativity whe it comes to locations and themes that can be found in PE.

 

I think that music can really bring depth to any game: it's one of the reasons that games can become so immersive. I think it would be a big mistake to skimp on music for "more" content. Sometimes the right tone and atmosphere can be better described without pictures or words and with the right song. Just imagine your own favorite songs and the wonderful imagery it evokes in your mind whenever you hear it.

[elenuial]

I personally don't mind anachronistic music too much, considering that the majority of authentic period music from before 1700 or so would likely sound horrible to contemporary ears--especially if you get into secular music. Go back a few centuries and look at what most people in Britain were singing, and you'll find soccer hooligan songs instead of Ralph Vaughan Williams.

 

In some sense, all of this music is anachronistic. Comparing western rpg scores to renaissance-era music is like comparing renaissance fairs to the renaissance. And when you consider the fact that this is a fantasy world with multiple inspirations, your palette can open up considerably. So use whatever you'd like (especially if you can get live musicians!) so long as it is works emotionally and evokes the setting/mood you want. Just not another LoTR score clone. XD

 

Actually, rather than spouting off at the mouth like I know what I'm talking about, I'd love to hear more about some of the alternate instrumentation being considered! I know it's kind of the trend right now to hit up the middle east for that sort of thing now, which is totally a direction I'm okay with. I'm just wondering if we should expect stuff like the orchestrated chanting in the trailer, or a more eclectic mix.

 

I'm looking forward to the theremin/sanshin/didgeridoo trio most! XD

 

ETA: I second the thoughts about Avatar: the Last Airbender! There was some pretty great sound work on there.

 

Actually, maybe more relevantly, I think whoever worked on Planescape: Torment did a good job of creating a different kind of feel more often than not with their music, but still being appropriate. If I'm remembering correctly, that is.

Edited October 12, 2012 by elenuial

[Sensuki]

Didgeridoo ? You mean like this?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02hYWJBZms

[Justin Bell]

I'm just wondering if we should expect stuff like the orchestrated chanting in the trailer, or a more eclectic mix.

It's still pretty early to know for sure. Whatever we do decide to use, it will be unified and cohesive. I'd rather focus on a set group of instruments and use those throughout the score than using all the possibilities. I think doing so will help define the musical "voice" of the score. I'm very interested in the possibility of using a unique/eclectic ensemble of instruments, similar (but not exactly) like the silk road example Emeraude posted.

 

As far as which instruments, again who really knows, but I could imagine it might be a mix of traditional western and non-western instruments as well as non conventional elements. What those are exactly, I have no specific idea, just a collection of vague impressions that I can't really put into words yet... South Park is taking up all my time at the moment, and I haven't really had the chance to sit down and think this through, though that day will come. It's really just a matter of time before those impressions inspire something more concrete.

 

I will say that the non western instruments I mentioned could come from anywhere in the world, and if they fit the narrative of PE we'll consider using them. So yes, conceivably they could come from the middle east, but I wouldn't limit it to just there. One thing about middle eastern instruments... some of them have been used to death in game scores (Duduk comes to mind) and I'm keen on avoiding things like that.

 

Back to the trailer, I did use a couple non traditional instruments in it's music! I wonder if you guys can pick them out? Listen to this one: http://soundcloud.co...ternity-prelude Can you guys find them? I'll give you a hint, there are three different ones.

[Monte Carlo]

If you ever need someone to sing rude songs, very badly, in an authentically drunken London accent then I'm free.

[Justin Bell]

Something very awesome...

You. Sir. Are. Hired. For. Ever.

[IndiraLightfoot]

I'll take a guess at two. As someone has commented there, at 0:32, there's something that sounds like a sample of buzzsaw or something (it's like 1980s and Depeche all over again). And then in the very beginning, the chiming sound doesn't come across as anything traditional - no real bell or metal xylophone. It sounds like something else (it could be a sample of a pling from some modern gadget).

[Justin Bell]

You got one right! The one at :32 is a Sitar through a guitar amplifier. Well done, and good listening! The bell that you hear is a

mixed with a glockenspiel.

 

Any takers on the other ones? There are three more (see below)...

 

(Oh and I lied, there are four non traditional instruments in total, though the fourth one is going to be tough to find...)