Fractal Softworks Forum

Starsector => Lore, Fan Media & Fiction => Topic started by: Cycerin on December 09, 2012, 06:06:44 AM

Title: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 09, 2012, 06:06:44 AM
Not sure where else to post this, but I decided I had postponed working on music due to Starfarer for too long. Ironically enough the inspiration wore over and I started on some dark electronic *** inspired by a certain megacorporation... consider the first half the only part I'm sure about keeping thus far. Re-watching Blade Runner might also have played a part in it

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32517861/tri-tachyon%20theme_2.mp3

(http://fractalsoftworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tritachyon-300x200.png)

Stare into the center of this while you feel the crushing hand of ultracapitalism squeeze the life out of your expendable husk, you pitiful layman.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Thule on December 09, 2012, 06:22:17 AM
Too short!!!

More more more
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Hyph_K31 on December 09, 2012, 06:34:23 AM
MOAR! Please make it longer, and make a looped version! I will play this music as I crush the heg fleet with a single paragon!

It makes me feel powerful and imposing.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 09, 2012, 06:51:40 AM
 ;D I will resume working on it a bit later. Just need a break, I made everything in one go and it's better to return to the keyboard with a neutral brain.

I think I just doomed myself into focusing my entire creative life on this *** game.

E: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32517861/tri-tachyon%20theme_2.mp3
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Psiyon on December 09, 2012, 11:17:40 AM
This is pretty darn cool, I must say. I love the power in the lower frequencies--the sound fits the TT quite well in my opinion. My only real criticism is the occasional samples used, like the one that comes in around 1:26 and 2:25. I think they kind of feel out of place. I might suggest replacing them with some more industrial-sounding machines, but of course, you're the composer.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cosmitz on December 09, 2012, 11:55:46 AM
Personally i think it could use a bit 'smoothened'. Sadly, i have no real musical knowledge to express exactly what i think would make it better imho, but i feel it's a bit too 'raspy' and 'hard', like the sound a peaked speaker makes.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Thule on December 09, 2012, 12:09:24 PM
Still to short in my opinion ;) really nice so far, nevertheless.

And i am secretly hoping you get inspired doing more faction themes ...
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 09, 2012, 12:15:46 PM
Haha, I just might make more fanthemes. ;D Guess I'd have to use orchestral elements for the Hegemony... hmm.
And yeah, I think I still have some more work to do on this track. But *** yeah, I'm glad you all seem to think it fits the bill.

Personally i think it could use a bit 'smoothened'. Sadly, i have no real musical knowledge to express exactly what i think would make it better imho, but i feel it's a bit too 'raspy' and 'hard', like the sound a peaked speaker makes.

Hmm, I tried to sort of mix vangelis-style synth soundtrack with something more industrial/dancey. Juxtapose smooth and gritty. Still, it will sound smoother (no aliasing) if you save the file instead of streaming it from the dropbox link.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cosmitz on December 09, 2012, 12:24:30 PM
I'm sorry, i'm just ***, i did open it up in BSplayer which i had set on +20db preamp for headphone-speakers. Nullified that and it sounds just gorgeous now. I was right on the money with the 'peaked speakers' comparison. :D
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Thule on December 09, 2012, 12:26:15 PM
Re-watching Blade Runner might also have played a part in it

You had me by Blade Runner ;)
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 09, 2012, 12:35:33 PM
I'm sorry, i'm just ***, i did open it up in BSplayer which i had set on +20db preamp for headphone-speakers. Nullified that and it sounds just gorgeous now. I was right on the money with the 'peaked speakers' comparison. :D

Haha, that reminds me of when I used to upload stuff on TinDeck and the site let you amp the volume slider way over 100% and totally ruin the track/your ears if you were unlucky
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: xenoargh on December 09, 2012, 12:38:37 PM
Needs a balance/eq pass; it's clipping quite a lot over here.  Really cool otherwise, although I'd like to hear more silence occasionally and stronger bridge transitions :)
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 09, 2012, 12:47:40 PM
The master is brickwall limited to 0dB, you sure you're not just hearing the distortion filter on the bass/the same stuff Cosmitz is talking about? I compressed the *** out of it though, because I was too lazy to do a long mixing pass. Either way, I totally agree with the latter part. Before I can finish this track though, I will pretend that it corresponds to Tri-Tach aesthetic preferences that the waveform resembles one long rectangle.. :P
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Aratoop on December 09, 2012, 12:52:41 PM
I think it sounds awesome  ;D
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: xenoargh on December 10, 2012, 05:32:25 PM
Quote
you sure you're not just hearing the distortion filter on the bass/the same stuff Cosmitz is talking about?
No, it's actually clipping, although it may just be compression artifacts.  I ran a normalization pass on it and recompressed it, check the difference (http://www.wolfegames.com/TA_Section/cycerin_tritachyon_theme_2.ogg).  On less-than-nice speakers, this makes a noticeable difference.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cosmitz on December 10, 2012, 07:30:41 PM
Can you recheck that link, it's pointing me to a htm page on two browsers.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: xenoargh on December 10, 2012, 07:35:01 PM
It's OGG.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 12, 2012, 03:00:21 AM
Hmm, thank you but I couldn't tell much of a difference, except there is slightly less dynamics at play and the bass distortion seems to only spill through when the lowpass filter on has had the cutoff pulled way up. I mean, you can remove artifacts from overcompression by compressing even more, but I'd rather just do the entire mixing process over again (which I intend to)
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: xenoargh on December 12, 2012, 04:04:18 PM
I didn't compress it any more, I just normalized it with a -0.2db cutoff to remove clipping :)

A proper remix and careful attention to eq is ideal, of course, this was just a quick fix to fix it since it made the Harman/Kardon desktop speakers I heard it though buzz in places :)
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 13, 2012, 02:05:44 AM
Ah, really? There were peaks above 0dB? The meter in my DAW didn't catch it. Maybe the final render introduced it. I should be more aware of this in the future.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Hyph_K31 on December 13, 2012, 11:43:23 AM
Wew.

I was just listening to the Tri-tach theme, when I noticed the very quite clicking sound... sent chills down my spine.
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on December 14, 2012, 10:38:02 AM
http://soundcloud.com/fastland/theme-from-blackrock

You could say that I've been... inspired. to refurbish and repurpose years-old projects
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Kurzak on January 25, 2013, 03:18:50 AM
deadly
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: ValkyriaL on January 25, 2013, 06:29:08 AM
That is an amazing piece Cycerin, however, there is no animated series called blackrock driveyards, atleast not one that i know off. ::)
Title: Re: Tri-Tachyon Theme
Post by: Cycerin on January 25, 2013, 06:15:06 PM
yeah, that's the joke! It just sounds too theme-like for anything else, and it uses an upbeat version of a melody I wanted to use as menu music in my mod.