FreeGameDev

I was reading the other thread about characters' voice, and I was paying close attention to sounds. I noted that the default STK music (for menus etc, not tracks) is very slow and depressing, as noted on this other thread as well. Compare this (very lively, fast paced tune) with this (very slow and boring). The STK default music almost makes me sleep...

I think most people (at the very least, the main devs) are happy with the current title screen music... I personally think it could be a bit more fast-paced, but it does its job of establishing an accurate tone and mood for the rest of the game. I certainly wouldn't describe it as "depressing"...

I do like that you're using CTR as an example however... Probably the best kart racing game ever made. STK could learn a lot from it. It's also a big influence on the music I've written/co-written for STK (which does not include the title screen music)

I like the default menu music quite a lot. I actually have it set as my ringtone. I would be open to it changing because I like most of the stuff the composers on the team make and I can always change it back on my own pc if I don't like the new music.

I put together a demo for a new title screen song, based on comments about the current song not being upbeat or lively enough. There is a lot of room for improvement here, so please only consider it a demo. I'd be interested to hear whether people prefer it over the current song or not (if enough people see it in this thread).

There is a recurring motif that appears in many of the new songs by krobonil and I, where we reference and reuse a short phrase from the beginning of the mathclass song. I thought it would be a good idea to have this motif feature prominently in the title screen music, and actually establish it as "the SuperTuxKart motif" by having the title screen song be a full remix of the mathclass song. Also from 0:20 to 0:32 is a reference to the SuperTux theme, which is like a secondary motif and will also be used in the new results screen music.

I can provide a looping version if people would like to try the song out in-game.

Thank you a lot @0zone0ne, your demo is wonderful and 1000x better than the current music in the game!

I'm no music expert but, about 24" in there is a "calando" (sorry, don't know how better to define it) that imo just doesn't sound right. Also, at 19" the tune changes pace and it sounds like (to me at least) that a new instrument is introduced. Between 19" and 31" it sounds a bit weird to me, idk... like "off topic". I'm really sorry because I'd like to offer better input but my musical lexicon is very limited. Can you try removing that part, or replace it with something else? What I'm trying to say I guess, is that in that segment it's not playful like the rest of the tune.

A thousands thanks! You've done a super job with this new music =)

A really good remix!
+1

Krobonil {l Wrote}:It just feels a bit fast when you return from a race to the menu. I suggest to reduce the BPM but just a little bit.

I think the new remix is OK, and there's no need to reduce its BPM. On the other hand, I think it's the end-race-music that should be changed as well, to match the new music by @0zone0ne.
Take the video I linked above, at 1:48. The music at the end of a race sucks even more than the one in the title screen, it's totally stomach-churning. Compare it with this instead, about 4'30".

Krobonil {l Wrote}:The part at 24" (stroke 17) does a bit too much. It remains a bit of the XR-891 music

Just out of curiosity, what does "stroke 17" and "XR-891" mean?

Krobonil {l Wrote}:What would you expect at this place as a player? Or what makes that part sounding weird to you? Could you tell us maybe which sort of weird? (may sound weird too but it helps us)

Weird like... to me at least it sounds like a remix between two tunes that are too much different. The general tune is very lively and nice, but that segment sounds like a complete change of pace and pitch. It's just not smooth. I don't know what could fit there better, but anyway I think the real issue to me is the second 24. If anybody can change or cut it, I think the music would be fine. Hope this helps, otherwise feel free to ask me again

Krobonil {l Wrote}:The actual main-theme is not bad but - is it really this good or is it more a habit to protect it? A question I'm asking myself sometimes...

I think you might just be used to the current theme, therefore it sounds good to you because you have accepted it. As a player though, it makes a huge difference. The current theme is really very little lively, it almost sounds like a placeholder to me.

woompa loompa {l Wrote}:On the other hand, I think it's the end-race-music that should be changed as well, to match the new music by @0zone0ne.

Krobonil and I have written new post-race and results music that has been approved by the team, and is currently undergoing post-production. It is in a musical style very similar to this demo and uses some of the same motifs.

woompa loompa {l Wrote}:Just out of curiosity, what does "stroke 17" and "XR-891" mean?

You might know "strokes" as "bars" or "measures".
XR-591 is one of the tracks in STK (the city on mars with the toxic waste pools).

woompa loompa {l Wrote}:to me at least it sounds like a remix between two tunes that are too much different. The general tune is very lively and nice, but that segment sounds like a complete change of pace and pitch. It's just not smooth. I don't know what could fit there better, but anyway I think the real issue to me is the second 24.

This middle segment is relatively important, because it references the SuperTux theme, which is also referenced in the new post-race music that I mentioned above. I'll try adding a few things to this section to make it seem more lively. Kobonil and I are looking into changing the part at 0:25 because it's a bit weird

My personal opinion: that's a really good remix, and I think it would fit better than the current in-game menu title - good job!
Choosing some themes and using them all over in different fashions/remixes is what many acclaimed films have in common, interestingly
And I could clearly recognize the SuperTux theme
One Tux-related theme I really like is the one from TuxRacer ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vKRAWl90R8 ) but I guess this one is not one of those themes you're reusing?
The only thing that doesn't work for me is the fade out at the end, which would sound horrible when the music gets looped, but I guess that's WIP?

Funto {l Wrote}:My personal opinion: that's a really good remix, and I think it would fit better than the current in-game menu title - good job!

Thanks! I'm glad you like it

Funto {l Wrote}:Choosing some themes and using them all over in different fashions/remixes is what many acclaimed films have in common, interestingly

This happens in many video games too! We're hoping that having a few recurring motifs will bring the game together into a more cohesive whole. It's also nice to make references to other Tux games.

Funto {l Wrote}:And I could clearly recognize the SuperTux theme

Good

Funto {l Wrote}:One Tux-related theme I really like is the one from TuxRacer ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vKRAWl90R8 ) but I guess this one is not one of those themes you're reusing?

Funny you should mention that. You might like what we've done for the new Snow Peak music...

Funto {l Wrote}:The only thing that doesn't work for me is the fade out at the end, which would sound horrible when the music gets looped, but I guess that's WIP?

You are correct: The fade at the end was added to demonstrate how the music would loop, without making the listener have to edit it themselves to find out. If we get the green light to finish this music and add it to the game, we will make sure it loops seamlessly.
Also, thanks to Benau's recent work on the game's music manager, we can keep the drum fill at the beginning while still having a seamless loop. The drum fill would be heard once when the song starts playing, but would not be heard again once the song begins to loop.

0zone0ne {l Wrote}:Funny you should mention that. You might like what we've done for the new Snow Peak music...

Cool, can't wait to hear it!

0zone0ne {l Wrote}:Also, thanks to Benau's recent work on the game's music manager, we can keep the drum fill at the beginning while still having a seamless loop. The drum fill would be heard once when the song starts playing, but would not be heard again once the song begins to loop.

That's a nice feature indeed

Where are we on this one? Is there any chance the menu music would switch to 0zone0ne's proposal?

Funto {l Wrote}:Where are we on this one? Is there any chance the menu music would switch to 0zone0ne's proposal?

I'd like hiker's and samuncle's take on this before anything is done.

I think you know my take, I like the current menu music, I might keep this one for a track like mathclass though

There is however another issue : it has come to our attention that the original boom-boom-boom song currently in the mathclass track has an unclear license see https://github.com/supertuxkart/stk-code/issues/2577 ) This information makes this remix problematic, if it turns out the original is not open source we may not have the right to remix it anyway

I love it. In my opinion I think fit more for a beach track/summer festival/toy world/jelly world/candy world, something like this.
So i agree with Auria, it's too much enthusaistic to replace the title screen one. Btw it's more intesresting for the game to have both.

Auria {l Wrote}:it has come to our attention that the original boom-boom-boom song currently in the mathclass track has an unclear license see https://github.com/supertuxkart/stk-code/issues/2577 ) This information makes this remix problematic, if it turns out the original is not open source we may not have the right to remix it anyway

There's going to be a whole bunch of problems if Boom Boom Boom isn't open-source. The music for Gran Paradiso references the melody, and at least six unreleased songs contain remixed or referenced parts. :/

I think we need to address this issue before any other decisions are made.

Uh-oh... Look at the bottom of this page: http://wayback.archive.org/web/20120215 ... r/vim.html
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

0zone0ne {l Wrote}:Krobonil and I have written new post-race and results music that has been approved by the team, and is currently undergoing post-production. It is in a musical style very similar to this demo and uses some of the same motifs.

Is there anywhere we can hear it?

Personally I'm satisfied with the default menu music (as of 9.2, which I'm assuming is the same in the latest development version). I definatedly don't think that the new thing that 0zone0ne posted should replace it in the menu's; it's better suited to racing. However I don't like the original music in Olivers Math Class, and I'm happy that there are now newer songs in the game to make it feel more polished.

If you do change the menu music, then it should just be a new version of the current song. Don't raise the bpm too significantly, as I don't think the menu deserves too fast a tempo. If that song is improved, I would recommend adding (not too many) drums and up to two pitched instruments.

Is that song a MIDI file? If so, then I could try my hand at it myself.
Maybe I could also record a track on my electric bass guitar if it's appreciated.

I've forgot to say that the current menu music get on my nerves pretty quickly. I always want to launch a game mode quick.

I prefer something more sweet. Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xs2U41TkgQ

We don't obligatory have to compose a full new music. But we can adapt the current one one more time.