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FamiTracker
Hey all, I'd like to mark my arrival with a cover I just finished. Doom Troopers on SNES is one of my favorite games, and the music for Pluto seemed doable. Keep in mind, I've never composed a piece in my life, though I've been dabbling with FamiTracker. So there's bound to be some sour notes in there Also, could someone lend some pointers on how to get the timing right on Patterns 1 and 2 for pulse 1? I couldn't get it right, so I flailed around until it didn't sound stupid.
Criticism is greatly appreciated, and I'll take any suggestions anyone has. I can't wait for feedback, and greets to everyone on FamiTracker
(Disclaimer: I do not know what song this is covering)
Unless you are intending to deliberately create dissonance, or using passing notes, all your notes should be in the same key at any given point in the song. So for example, if you use all seven white keys in one part of your song, that implies you are in C major and you should avoid keys outside of it without good reason. Every sharp or flat you throw in implies a white key next to it is no longer part of the key.
[quote=Patashu]if you use all seven white keys in one part of your song, that implies you are in C major[/quote]
Or D Dorian, or E Phrygian, or F Lydian, or G Mixolydian, or A Aeolian, or B Locrian. But I'm getting pedantic and your point about staying in-key still stands.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nr9Y8UOyUM]Here's the original btw.
While some dissonance is used, this cover has quite a few sour notes. That being said, I'd say it's still pretty good for a first attempt. Just pay closer attention next time.
You know, you're allowed to edit your thread title to reflect that (or I can do it for you if you like).
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Gah, I always get VRC6 and 7 mixed up somehow, but I changed it. When I went to show the cover to my brother I played it over the speakers. I think my ears started bleeding, I swear it sounded good with my headphones (well, maybe not good,but better)I was pretty proud of it before I released it, but then again most people ARE proud of the dump they just took. The difference is they flush it afterwards. Sorry if it was that bad guys, I hope I didn't hurt someone with it
Yeah, you have to be careful for things like that (for instance, I have some headphones which have weak bass compared to my speakers, so if I compose for them I overcompensate on my triangle kicks)
Well, the second half of the song is supposed to have electric guitar for support. That's what I was attempting with the VRC6. That and the second half also incorporates this sort of jingle bells sound. I can incorporate that into noise, but it robs the punch from the percussion. I found it's actually better to loop before it even gets that far, so at least the train-wreck portion doesn't have to play.
It's probably best to get yourself well-acquainted with standard 2A03 (making the best of 5 channels) before adding three extra channels.
Furthermore you should get more comfortable writing music in general before you put yourself in the kind of position where you feel pressured to add extra elements.
For a newbie, though... I've seen some really horrible things.... this is not one of them. Don't give up; perseverance is key.
On the other hand, this is a cover, and so it's mostly a matter of transcription...
Maybe some ear training is in order? [url=http://www.smwcentral.net/download.php?id=386&type=tools]This is an option. Being able to hear each channel individually helps to remove all the guesswork.
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Thanks for the advice. I actually used J-Com to reference the song (I love just listening to SPCs). However if you ever listened to the different channels of doom troopers music, you would discover that the instruments aren't always isolated. They sometimes jump around (most likely to alleviate interruption from sound effects). Fletcher Beasley just did that, his score for Spiderman does it too, and it sometimes makes isolating instruments difficult . But yeah, I DO need ear training, or any kind of training for that matter. Any tips for starters?
*edit*
You guys are probably tired of hearing from me, but bear with me.
I've gone over the entire piece, I think I improved it quite a lot. Please give it another listen and tell me what you think
I can't judge your piece because I have Touhou 2 open in another window and opening Famitracker will kill my computer, but based on what other have said I can give some tips.
http://www.musictheory.net/lessons
For starters, you can go through the "basics" lessons. And, hell, go though the whole thing. Advance when you are comfortable with the previous lesson until you've got it.
Why I say to just get the basics over with is because you said you want to improve your ear. Learn the intervals, and then head on over here: http://www.8notes.com/school/theory/musictheory/files/trainers/html/id90_en.html. One of the better ways to train your ear.
edit: I gave it a listen. My computer survived!
Yeah, I heard some sour notes in there. You'll benefit a great deal from learning diatonic scales and triads. You had a lot of dissonant notes that clashed. Still, good first attempt. I wish mine was at least as good as that!
[quote=Doxic]My advice would be to cover a simpler song ... keep working on new projects though[/quote]This.
If you want to work on your ears, covering things with fewer and simpler elements is a good start.
When covering SNES songs there's a lot of decision-making based on the stark difference in SNES/NES audio hardware you'll need to do; being fairly familiar with your options is a good idea. Simpler songs, or even NES game tracks are a really good start.
The only real experience I can speak from is singing, though. As long as you're honest with yourself and have a clear goal in mind, singing will definitely help hone your hearing. Beyond that... I'm really not qualified to say... maybe someone else will have better ideas/pointers. :\
A note on your cover - the first thing that pops right out to me is the tempo/rhythm being off; If you don't get the time signature right, the whole song will suffer as you attempt to stuff things where they don't belong.
The next most significant thing is what you have going on in 2A03 Square 2 - you might want to triple-check channel 5 in the SNES version.
[quote=Turbochop]the instruments aren't always isolated[/quote]This happens more often than you'd think; it makes SNES covers more difficult than they need to be. Lots of pre-planning is always a good idea.
Here's what I came up with... maybe it'll help.
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The only things certain in life are death and uncertainty.
Also, could someone lend some pointers on how to get the timing right on Patterns 1 and 2 for pulse 1? I couldn't get it right, so I flailed around until it didn't sound stupid. 
