Music Production
Task: Produce music for game levels and other content for Tale of Two
For music production, I will be using Garageband, Cubase 5 and FL studio.
Garageband serves well to produce rough compositions to determine the feeling and mood you want to convey to the audience. As an artist who learns by ear and cannot read music, it is a perfect tool for me.
Cubase 5 I believe has a much simpler interface and better quality VST instruments in comparison to FL Studio, so I use this mainly for instrument recording.
Finally FL Studio I tend to use effects and plug-ins such as reverb, delay, echo and compression.
Idea's
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The music builds up as you progress through the game level: Create layers of instrument's, apply trigger code at certain points in the Game level that will activate each layer, thus making music intensify as you get closer to finishing the level.
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Create music that will give the audience different emotions, for instance using major chords for more happy and uplifting moments and minor chords for the more serious and intense.
Music production pipeline
1.Pre-production: Produce quick compositions on guitar or keyboard for inspiration
2.Production: Translate the inspiration into digital audio Workstation, this will allow me to edit the tracks Key, tempo, quantization and other effects. (Garageband)
3.Post-Production: Arranging instruments, mixing and mastering, converting to suitable audio format.
Quick compositions
The videos below demonstrate quick sketches of songs I had in mind for the game.
I normally use keyboard/piano to create quick compositions, however, it was faulty and had to use my guitar.
These will be my reference when I compose digitally in Garageband where the sound quality is much better and music is easier to manage.
This song was composed for the Forest environment in Tale of Two.
It was composed in B minor which is the same key as the Mining environment and the Wizard King.
Therefore, when Olga and Vasilisa pass the bridge in the game level there will be a trigger point that will activate the next song in the queue (The Wizard King) and since they are in the same key the transition will be seamless.
The Pitch of the song is higher, making the instruments sound brighter as well as giving a colder feeling which fits well with the Forest Environment’s visual style, where there is snow, ice, and cold hues like green, dusk, white, and blue.
Track: Forest
environment
Layer 1: Guitar
Layer 2: Strings
Layer 3: Piano
Layer 4: Drums
(00:50) & (02:34)
(00:16)
(01:24)
This song was composed for the Mining environment.
It was further developed from the Wizard King OST by increasing the Tempo and changing the root key of the song.
Was composed in a minor key to give a more tense mood, which goes well with the game level after Olga and Vasilisa fall through the crack into the mining environment.
Track: Mining
environment
Layer 1: Guitar
Layer 2: Strings
Layer 3: Drums
(01:06)
(00:46)
The song was made for the cutscene in the game.
It is arranged according to the Voice recordings provided by Aimee and fits well with the voice actors.
By having multiple layers of instruments, I could manipulate them by intensifying certain parts in the cutscene for the dramatic parts and muting instruments for the calmer parts.
Instruments: Strings, Piano, Guitar and Drums
Tempo: 110
Key: F Major
Track: Cutscene
Layer 2: Strings
Layer 1: Guitar
Layer 3: Drums
Voices + Reverb
(00:22)
(05:35)
This song was created for the Wizard King and can be used whenever he appears in game.
When Olga and Vasilisa encounter the Wizard King in the village, this song will play.
The pitch of the song is lower in B minor key and is the second song to play cued after “Forest environment”.
The lower tone fits well with the Wizard’s wicked personality and is the slowed down version of the “Mining environment”.
Cued in game after Olga and Vasilisa fall through the cracked floor in the Village.
Instruments: Guitar, Strings and Drums.
Tempo: 90
Key: C minor
Track: The Wizard King
Layer 1: Guitar
Layer 2: Strings
Layer 3: Drums
(00:18)
(01:08)
Rising Tension was composed for the sad and tense scenarios in the game.
The song initiates with strings that gradually build up revealing a piano melody.
Composed in a minor key to portraying a sad mood.
Instrument: Strings, Piano and Drums
Tempo: 130
Key: B minor
Track: Rising tension
Layer 1: Strings
Layer 2: Piano
(00:43)
(00:44)
Layer 3: Drums
Song name: Vasilisa
This song was created for the more uplifting scenarios in game.
It is composed in F Major which gives the song a more positive mood.
The song starts with guitar and gradually builds up with layers of strings.
Instruments: Guitar, Strings, Piano and Drums
Tempo: 105
Key: F Major
Track: Vasilisa
Layer 1: Guitar
Layer 3: Piano
(00:36) & (00:58)
Layer 2: Strings
(00:10)
(01:03)
Layer 3: Drums
This song was composed for the main character Olga.
It has a courageous yet serious tone which suits her well.
Instruments: Guitar, Piano, Strings and Drums.
Tempo: 90
Key: G Major
Track: Olga​
(00:21)
(00:43)
(01:03)
Layer 1: Guitar
Layer 2: Strings
Layer 3: Piano
Layer 3: Drums
How did I produce the music?
Firstly I open Garageband with an Idea of what I would like to compose, using my own quick compositions as references.
I focus on one instrument at a time In 4 bars and set it to loop continuously. This gives me a chance to test melodies as well as prepare what to compose next.
I can change the key, quantization, tempo, draw and delete notes or even increase the pitch of certain instruments.
​
Once the composition of all the instruments is complete in 4 bars, I arrange them into a complete track by extending the bars and placing the instruments at specific parts.
