Castle Paradox

[msw188]

Okay, here we go.

For any RPG music composers out there, how do you usually compose your BAMs? Do you compose away from the computer first (as a trained composer probably would), or fiddle with one of the programs? What comes first? Melody? Chord structure? Are all of your songs made with an idea in mind of how they will be used in the game? Does anyone actually use classic music theory, Western or otherwise?

For myself, I usually go into Notate with some kind of idea of what I want the song to sound like in general, then I pick a key signature that doesn't require too many uses of the 'sharp' key (I think it's alt, or something like that) and start fiddling. I usually start by trying to get a chord sequence set up, then maybe a melody on top and then I start putting in other stuff around it. As I go, I usually end up rehauling the original chord sequence, but that's part of the fun, isn't it? I don't know any real music theory, but I have general ideas about how key signatures and chord progressions and the such work. I wish there was a smooth way to gradually change tempo mid-song, and volume.

[Camdog]

I usually write everything out with my guitar (melody first) and then plop the music into notate. As far as making the songs with something specific in mind, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Often I'll just feel like writing something, and then later I'll find a good place to use it. As far as using classic western music theory, yeah, I use it. I've had a good bit of music theory (I'm a music minor), so I can't help but use some of that stuff. Of course, it usually less complex than classical composing. No counterpoint for me!

I totally agree with you on the tempo and volume issue. No tempo change except for halftime and doubletime and no volume control at all is so damn frustrating.

[Setu_Firestorm]

Honestly, I just up and start composing on my keyboard through "MIDI Orchestrator". I never ever use NOTATE because I freaking hate it!

Whenever I write music, I normally write it to thematically coat the game.
In other words, I do game music as a movie composer would for a movie.
I base all pieces as though they are only meant to establish an atmosphere and never to just play while you're moving. That has been my biggest beef with games like Breath of Fire III; the game was extremely good and well balanced, but the music was only to play while you worked. Only several pieces I felt established good atmosphere.

But, then again, it just depends on the composer. I've been composing for years, so I tend to disqualify myself here in CP because I just have more experience and that's about it.
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[Uncommon]

I used NOTATE once, but only because MIDI2BAM wasn't converting the way I wanted to. For The Parson's Apprentice's Tale, I used Rei's Theme from NGE as the title music. I really just wanted the piano, but it wasn't giving me all of the piano, so I had to transpose the whole song in NOTATE. This took about a week of the four weeks I had to create the game, and it ended up a lot faster than the midi was, but I suppose that's my own fault.

For all of the original stuff in Magnus 17 (which only had three racks that weren't terrible or incomplete), I took out my syntesizer keyboard and played around until I got something nice, then wrote it down and transposed it into Noteworthy Composer. It's a pretty good program, good for anyone who doesn't already have one.

[Setu_Firestorm]

Ergh! That must've been a pain.
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[msw188]

It seems no one has any kind of set formula for how to write the actual song, which is good I think. I guess another question would be, do you ever write songs for specific scenes in the story, rather than just for atmosphere in certain areas? My computer at school doesn't play BAM, so I don't get to hear what you guys put in your games. My computer at home plays some BAM, but can't seems to get a lot of the voices; in fact, most of the voices sound identical. So here's another question: do some computers actually play all of the voices available?

[Setu_Firestorm]

I do understand that some computer platforms don't run BAMs well.

But to answer your other idea, I have written some pieces to fit a certain scene, but then find out that it also works good with another scene later on. It's an interesting cycle.
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[Sephyroth]

Well.. I usually start by creating some basic melodies on the violin, then I write it with Notate once I have it in my head. I usually do this for the first few music that I make, usually character themes. Afterwards, I make a lot of my music based on the first few character themes. If you look at the file for Legend of Terra that I uploaded, the boss theme, the Empire theme, and a few others are all based on a single theme that I made for a villain. What I like about this is that later I can recycle the themes and tweak them to fit the atmosphere of another theme. Example: I might change some basic chords, add percussion, stuff like that..
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[Eggie]

I used to use Piano, but that failed. NOTATE may be slow, but is very good. I just got into it. I am now pretty good. I'm making an awesome battle theme.

[LeRoy_Leo]

(Just cuz I act stoopid dont mean I aint no composer... I forgot who said it, but it hurt my feelings... I am a composer. I just wait till my game demos are done before I release da music.)

Usually I start out in that dark and mysterious labarynth know as MAH BRAINE, I fiddle with differnt notes in different orders there. Sometimes I get lost, but thats because its me, remember? Sometimes I use the start of another song I liked, then modify it to a point where I can no longer recognize the basic melody.

Next I might fiddle with the keyboard a little ( I am not very learned on the piano... )

I then use a nifty program called Anvil studio. That makes it easier. I then save it as a bam file and convert it in the Midi2bam program.

I use different instruments to make things sound more or less dramatic at certain points in the same song. ( making sure not to use one that the midi files cant handle, like goblin. YUCK! ) The result is coooool
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Planning Project Blood Summons, an MMORPG which will incinerate all of the others with it's sheer brilliance...

---msw188 ---
"Seriously James, you keep rolling out the awesome like gingerbread men on a horror-movie assembly line. "

[Shadowiii]

I put it in midi, and pray Midi2Bam doesn't butcher it.

A good recommendation is to not use too many electric guitar's, variety of drums, or stuff like choir aaas because they really get messed up.
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But enough talk, have at you!

[Me]

Guitars are usually too harsh to be used in any great numbers, percussion sucks (ARRRRGH!), the "voices" are way too soft, and most of the "effect" voices sound REALLY bad. Which is why I dislike some of the music that comes with the engine. The public domain stuff is fine, classical music is great for RPGs, but all those original ones . . . bleh. Too much of the "Metallic" voice (you know, the really annoying one that sounds like a toaster being run through a meat grinder with a live goat).
But if you pick the right insturments, BAMs can actually sound pretty good. I've become quite adept with the one-two punch of Notate and Midi2Bam.
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UP DOWN UP DOWN LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT A B START

[Uncommon]

If you listen to the BAM version of the Battle Theme to Magnus 17, the percussion works, right? The funny this is, it sounds pretty weird in midi. That's how I work. I consider (and test) how it will sound in the format it will be widely heard in and alter it accordingly.

[Me]

You have to learn to use the shotgun, melodic toms (?), timpani, and effects to great extent. Usually the toms can double as a bass drum, and the shotgun can be a hihat as well as a snare. The timpani are good in the lower ranges, and the effects can be used to sound like splash cymbals or cowbells.
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[Sephyroth]

Hmm.. for some reason Shotgun and snaredrum sounds the same in BAM.. Is it just my computer?
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