Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Henroid

Reaching for the dream - Making music

Recommended Posts

Over the last ten years I've been getting highly appreciative of video game music, to the point that I say crazy stuff like it's one of the most important backbones of video games and creating memorable moments (and it's the best way to recall those moments).

 

I'd thought a lot about making remixed video game music (especially since that's where a lot of this started for me), but over the last couple years I thought, why aim low? I want to get into making music for video games. With the indie level getting much easier distribution these days than ever, and just the general networking (between people) I've managed to wrangle myself into thanks to the internet (yay communication!), it seems like a reasonable thing to do. Not to suggest it's easy. And frankly, I have no academic background in music, nor can I read sheets of music. The most experience I have is playing the drums, though I haven't done that in almost two decades. Don't know if that hurts me or not.

 

I never jumped into at least practicing with tools though because my life has been in a very unfavorable, chaotic mess for the last several years. Right now, getting myself out, I feel like it's time to bite on. So I'm basically asking for help on how to get started. I don't know what tools are truly necessary at the amateur level, and I don't know what tools to expand into as I gain experience. I don't want to just pick one at random and run with it, because I'm afraid of picking a bad one and getting the wrong impression about capability. I certainly don't have infinite funds, but I have some, which is more than I can say for myself from the last few years.

 

All I have, admittedly, are ideas. Again, so far, no experience, but I want to build that up. This isn't about "someone help me find work!" I'll handle that when the day comes. For now, I want to test myself to see if I have the talent.

 

tl;dr - I wanna make video game music. What programs (free or paid) and equipment should I have?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Remixing is actually probably a good place to start. You can learn a lot about music by trying to recreate sounds and melodies on your own. I basically taught myself how to play the piano by memorizing what minor and major chord shapes were on a key roll.

 

I only ever stuck with the program I first learned on, so I can't claim to know which is actually the best, but have made all my music in Fruity Loops and have never felt restricted, whether I was making noise-driven drone tracks. percussive 4/4 glitchy techno, sample based rap beats, mash-ups or more poppy techno video game type stuff.

 

I actually redownloaded the trial recently and couldn't figure out something really really basic (I used an older version back then) so maybe it's not a good rec or maybe I am dumb. BUT I found it pretty easy to teach myself most things in it over the years. And I found plug-ins and sound files really really easy to customize.

 

Beyond that, I'd say I learned a lot listening to music I liked and trying to reproduce sounds in the program I was using. You learn a lot about how electronic sounds work going in and messing with wave shapes, attack, decay, sustain, etc. Actually, on that end http://www.bfxr.net/ is a cool place to start.

 

EDIT: Fruity Loops is not cheap but I am, so I never bought it. What I did do, however, is use the Trial version which has most the features but does not allow you to save projects. BUT you can export stuff you make as MP3's, so my approach was to just make something in a single 1-3 hour session and export it. I did two entire electronica albums this way

 

The downside to this method is that you can't go back and correct the mixing, but mixing things to sound good and professional has always been the hardest thing for me to do, as someone who, like you, started with no musical experience or training.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hm, it's hard to give recommendations -- I think many people, as you say, just pick a program and end up running with it. Personally I use Reason: All of the sound devices are presented as actual boxes on a rack, which is unnecessary but is a helpful learning metaphor for people who are used to more traditional rack setups. I actually use a pretty old version at this point, since I bought it back when I had an actual job and money, so I don't have much idea what the newer versions have to offer. The version I have now isn't good at any sort of recording or direct waveform manipulation, but gives you tons of control over how the synths and samples are played. I think Reason also used to be what Danny B used for Super Meat Boy and Binding of Isaac, but I think he may have switched to a more full-on DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) type setup since.

 

I think that in all likelihood you'll probably be able to do most of what you want with any of the major programs floating around, so it's probably mostly a matter of taste and what you can learn most easily. If you end up using Reason I don't mind answering any questions you might have, but again I'm like 3 major versions behind so probably wouldn't be able to answer much for the devices added since then.

 

Anyway, uh. Reason is rad, probably other tools are also rad, but the most important part I think is finding one which is fundamentally intriguing to learn and fun to use. TBH I might recommend just acquiring a few to play with via extralegal means, seeing which one you like best, and then buying that one if you want to be on the up-and-up.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Reason is the first recommendation aside from Fruity Loops I've ever been given so I'll probably give that a look. I mean, I'll look into Fruity Loops too. Technically I've used Fruity Loops before, but it was around the time I got out of highschool and it was probably very different then from what it is now. Plus, I was downloading it for some shits-and-giggles reason, rather than actually wanting to use it, and I have vague memories of being overwhelmed by the UI.

 

As for Reason though, the way you describe its layout sounds convenient. I'm probably going to look up YouTube videos / tutorials to see which interface grabs my attention and make my choice there.

 

Question for both of you - Do you find that software is enough for your needs, or have you found yourself needing any hardware like a keyboard or anything else like that?

 

Oh one more thing; as far as 'real' instrument sounds go, how good are Fruity Loops / Reason? Specifically, say, the saxophone? The first project I want to work on is saxophone dependent. Says guy-who-can't-grow-up-beyond-the-grunge-rock-era.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sax is IMO a straight-up problem to sample/synthesize well, just because there tends to be a lot of nuance to how the notes get played which is really hard to capture into playback data. Your best bet is generally to record a performance by a musician and then sample that in directly, or chop up an existing performance to achieve the same effect. You can use existing sample instruments if there's a lot going on to cover up the choppiness or if you take a lot of care to get the right sample for each note and get into the nitty-gritty and modify each note velocity and modulation, but yeah it's definitely hard. The same is true of most woodwinds, as well as several brass and string instruments.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sax is IMO a straight-up problem to sample/synthesize well, just because there tends to be a lot of nuance to how the notes get played which is really hard to capture into playback data. Your best bet is generally to record a performance by a musician and then sample that in directly, or chop up an existing performance to achieve the same effect. You can use existing sample instruments if there's a lot going on to cover up the choppiness or if you take a lot of care to get the right sample for each note and get into the nitty-gritty and modify each note velocity and modulation, but yeah it's definitely hard. The same is true of most woodwinds, as well as several brass and string instruments.

Are you talking about things like making the sax play on a note, then sharply jump / stop at a different note while being louder about it? I wish I knew music terminology.

 

If it's possible to do it - but complicated - then I can accept that. If it's not possible at all no matter how much layering / masking is involved, that'll destroy my idea really fast.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't play Sax so it's hard to articulate, but there's very subtle differences in the way a note can be voiced that are kind of unique to the musicianship of the person playing. Like, no matter how nice the sample, any one sample of a person singing a note will feel fake when it's used for them singing different notes: Even if you record them singing each individual note, playing those back from a sampler will still sound very different from the same person singing the same melody. The fact is, without creating a program specifically to model a human voice, a very detailed program, that sort of thing is just impossible to fully capture. The same is true of woodwinds, which capture some of the qualities of human voice.

 

However, that's only a big problem if you need it to sound really authentic. Sometimes, a completely obviously fake sax is still really interesting and cool! Authenticity isn't everything, and each tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Electronic music will never make performers obsolete, it's just another way of making music. So, if authenticity is super important, find a saxophonist to collab with: If it's not, learn to either love or conceal the flaws in the instrument you have.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was actually thinking that, yeah. It may be time to jump onto Facebook and track down some old highschool mates of mine. Because god knows it'll be a pain to find a saxophone player that's down with, "Hey wanna recreate this video game song?!"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In general synth instruments (and even plug-ins that use samples) rarely ever sound real, unless it's a plucked instrument like a harp or a large string section. Fruity Loops is definitely not good for this, it was always a pain making the piano sound like a real person was hitting the keys.

 

I've never used hardware. I had a couple ambient tracks where I played pads live, but I just used my laptop's keyboard. I find it much much easier to program music than to play it live, but then I'm not much of a musician. The upside to hardware is stuff like I was talking about with trying to get a piano to sound real, because not every single finger hits every key in every chord at the same time with the same force. A keyboard makes that way easier because you don't have to try to simulate tiny imperfections.

 

If it's a simple part, you could probably find a saxophone player on Craigslist for little money. But I would make sure you have a good recording set-up to get a clean high-quality recording, otherwise it's not gonna mix well with the electronic music. Unless you specifically want it to sound like a sample, like

.

 

EDIT: Also, while you're still learning I would try to focus more on experimentation than "MY EPIC SAXOPHONE TRIBUTE TO DIZZY THE ADVENTURER WILL NOT BE COMPROMISED FOR ANYTHING" because dragging the sound you dream of into reality is way harder than stumbling upon a sound you kinda like. But a trial by fire is also a way to learn, so, you know, it's up to you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh yeah, regarding a keyboard, I have one and can play it semi-decently but find I mostly use it for brainstorming and do all of the actual composition by putting the notes I want into the sequencer -- I actually use a graphics tablet to do that since it's a little bit easier to pick out the specific notes I want on the piano roll with that than with the mouse, but that's obviously a matter of preference.

 

I don't actually think it's as hard as all that to get a piano performance to sound real, mostly you just have to go in and tweak each note's velocity. Dequantizing the notes, so they're not all completely simultaneous, is sometimes helpful but actually most pianists have pretty good rhythm so usually doesn't add much. Reason does have some pretty good piano and orchestral libraries, though I'm not sure if all of the ones I use come with the standard edition, so that helps too.

 

Anyway yeah, as Patrick says you probably don't want to get the cart before the horse here. Get a program and make sure you can use it well enough to do your part in any collaboration, dummy in what you want with a cheesy synth sax, and you'll have a much better idea of what exactly you need when it comes time to collect samples.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yah most big known daws are pretty good, it really depends on what you want out of it. I use ableton which is great for in the box stuff and electronic music, Fruities is pretty sweet and I know plenty of people who swear by it. like ableton, fruities is electronic music orientated. I think fruitys has a free forever thing too so you can get version updates forever once you have bought it. 

If you want to ever get into recording you might want to think about more technical industry daws like Protools or maybe Cubase. Protools is great for heavy recording and more traditional audio roles while Cubase is somewhere in between that and ableton/fruity. 

Theres also logic which is mac only, I think its pretty good.

I cant comment on the libraries that come with any of these because iv only ever used customized versions of everything. 

 

So yeah just pick one and go with it, I don't think there's any real drawbacks to any except maybe protools which is expensive and doesn't cater to electronic music too well. 

 

Also go learn synthesis. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may99/articles/synthsec.htm

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I did half of a Coursera course on Digital sound. Unfortunately, i stopped right around the time that he started the hour long lectures on what programs did what.

It was pretty cool to see some of the maths and theory behind the constituents of a note/sound/noise.

 

 

You should also get electroplankton.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Making a note to myself here about two other recommendations I got: Reaper and Cubase (v7.5 and v8).

 

I might pass on Fruity Loops now that I remember it's more electronic-music oriented. I dunno if I care to do that style often enough to get a tool that's specialized in it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

well, like i said most daws are pretty all round good.

I think you would be fine with any, fruities can still be a very functional recording platform but is probably less so when compared with protools for example. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It's been a while but I wanted to say thanks to everyone for the recommendations. I've been busy and exhausted and haven't had as much time as I would've wanted for practicing with things but it's still slowly coming along. I feel like I got what I could out of Musagi for now and just installed FL Studio of all things (after saying I'd pass, derp).

 

I just got a kick in the pants of inspiration because a Lets Play video directed me to listening to the Pacific Rim theme (a film I haven't seen), which lead to me finding out it's by Ramin Djawadi, whose work I've already been growing to love. That guy is weird. He wields classical music instruments like he's making rock music.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Progress report: My new year resolution was to transition my income from working a typical hourly job to getting paid for my music stuffs by any means (Patreon or an actual paid gig making music for things). So I've been actually focusing on this a lot more.

 

I've decided to stick with FL Studio for now, because there's a LOT of recommendations on it being a learning tool for music production. And there's just a lot more in the way of tutorials and people experienced in it. A friend of mine found out I was starting into this stuff and told me that he's been using FLS for 15 years so now I have a tutor.

 

I decided to step things up and look up formal education in music resources as well. The OCRemix site has some sites linked to for that. I'm, at the moment, writing in my notebook (it helps me to remember everything) about sheet music and how to read it. I learned this stuff in 8th grade but because it was public education, and because I was however-old back in 1998, it didn't, uh, stick. STILL. It feels very useful.

 

One thing I'm gonna have to work on is plugins for FLS, now that I understand what they are exactly.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×