music in arma

[antoineflemming 14]

While what you said is mostly true, you'd be surprised what you can get away with synths these days. There's whole very complex instrument libraries that allow lesser composers to do rather realistic sounding orchestral compositions done entirely in midi. Those with enough time and knowledge can make with midi something indistinguishable from a real orchestra for "most" people with the right tools. Using these are very common now, especially in television where time, budget, and demands for a orchestral "sounding" score results in the use of these.

Yeah, well that hasn't the case with all ArmA music.

[2nd ranger 282]

I don't think the music needs to be orchestral to be good. The unique soundtrack is one of the things that makes Arma stand out. Certainly, apart from a select few tracks, alot of the Arma 2 and OA soundtrack is pretty poor (in particular the songs that were shoe-horned into Arma 2 from other games). But they were heading in the right direction with the EW and PMC soundtracks, and judging from that music in the Stratis video, that's where it's going in Arma 3.

I think a game needs to meet a certain set of criteria to properly accommodate an orchestral score (by which I mean typical game or movie scores, like most of the ones people singled out in this thread). Many user-made missions make use of soundtracks from other games or movies, and to me it just doesn't feel right. The gameplay just isn't suited to it.

[antoineflemming 14]

I don't think the music needs to be orchestral to be good. The unique soundtrack is one of the things that makes Arma stand out. Certainly, apart from a select few tracks, alot of the Arma 2 and OA soundtrack is pretty poor (in particular the songs that were shoe-horned into Arma 2 from other games). But they were heading in the right direction with the EW and PMC soundtracks, and judging from that music in the Stratis video, that's where it's going in Arma 3.

I think a game needs to meet a certain set of criteria to properly accommodate an orchestral score (by which I mean typical game or movie scores, like most of the ones people singled out in this thread). Many user-made missions make use of soundtracks from other games or movies, and to me it just doesn't feel right. The gameplay just isn't suited to it.

Well, once again, orchestra isn't a synonym for typical. It simply means real instruments vs synthesized music. Not saying that non-orchestral music is bad, but that if you take the same music done by a synthesizer, and have a live orchestra perform it, that it'd sound a lot better.

[CameronMcDonald 146]

Well, once again, orchestra isn't a synonym for typical. It simply means real instruments vs synthesized music. Not saying that non-orchestral music is bad, but that if you take the same music done by a synthesizer, and have a live orchestra perform it, that it'd sound a lot better.

Never a truer thing was said. Take a look at the latest iteration of the Legend of Zelda, for example.

[Choki 10]

is one of the things that concern me less. In all the games from operation flashpoint music has been excellent

[antoineflemming 14]

Never a truer thing was said. Take a look at the latest iteration of the Legend of Zelda, for example.

Yeah... Loved those games too (especially Ocarina of Time on the N64!). Oh, and, another example of great orchetral music? Just about all the Medal of Honor soundtracks, especially the WW2 soundtracks.

Take any great composer's music, and synthesize it. Would any of you say that synthesized music was better than the piano, or orchestral, version? Nope. That's my only point. And, yeah, Legend of Zelda is a great example!

Now, if someone can show me synthesizer music that can pull off the same amount of quality as live instruments, then I'm all for it. But no synthesizer will ever top live instruments. Not having live instruments because of budget limitations is understandable though.

Edited April 9, 2012 by antoineflemming

[zooloo75 834]

If it were up to me, I'd produce music for this game for FREE. :)

www.gavina.bandcamp.com

[EuroSlave 1]

I would love some traditional Greek music. At least in the single player, playing from the taverns or lightly heard from radios in houses.

[antoineflemming 14]

I would love some traditional Greek music. At least in the single player, playing from the taverns or lightly heard from radios in houses.

Man I hope so.

[Steakslim 1]

Now, if someone can show me synthesizer music that can pull off the same amount of quality as live instruments, then I'm all for it. But no synthesizer will ever top live instruments. Not having live instruments because of budget limitations is understandable though.

This is kinda cheating but, this is what I was mentioning before about libraries that sampled live instruments, all notes, transitions, levels in intensity and playing styles (crescendo, legato, spicatto, portamento, ponticello, and some other shit that ends with an "o"), and through some very good software coding, turned it into a very complex, but powerful fake orchestra. Oh and for the 2nd track, same with the vocals.

http://media.soundsonline.com/mp3/2462_Hollywood-Spiccati.mp3

http://media.soundsonline.com/mp3/2432_Allegro-Agitato.mp3

Again, it is technically synth, just very well produced synth.

Hans Zimmer himself has his own library of sampled instruments and custom software that he uses (all done in-house). You can find a mock-up he did with them back when he composed for Gladiator, called Gladiator Waltz, that became the battle music during the opening of the movie. However he uses his sample library strictly for mock-ups and to help get a better feel of the music for a film with a director while the movie is still being put together, since most projects he's with has a large budget and can be later performed live. Ridley Scott was actually re-cutting the the battle scene to complement Zimmer's music for it almost in tandem with him composing it. Some cool stuff indeed. Unfortunately for indie composers Zimmer will never share (make for sale) his stuff short of some guitar samples he released a long while back.

[antoineflemming 14]

This is kinda cheating but, this is what I was mentioning before about libraries that sampled live instruments, all notes, transitions, levels in intensity and playing styles (crescendo, legato, spicatto, portamento, ponticello, and some other shit that ends with an "o"), and through some very good software coding, turned it into a very complex, but powerful fake orchestra. Oh and for the 2nd track, same with the vocals.

http://media.soundsonline.com/mp3/2462_Hollywood-Spiccati.mp3

http://media.soundsonline.com/mp3/2432_Allegro-Agitato.mp3

Again, it is technically synth, just very well produced synth.

Hans Zimmer himself has his own library of sampled instruments and custom software that he uses (all done in-house). You can find a mock-up he did with them back when he composed for Gladiator, called Gladiator Waltz, that became the battle music during the opening of the movie. However he uses his sample library strictly for mock-ups and to help get a better feel of the music for a film with a director while the movie is still being put together, since most projects he's with has a large budget and can be later performed live. Ridley Scott was actually re-cutting the the battle scene to complement Zimmer's music for it almost in tandem with him composing it. Some cool stuff indeed. Unfortunately for indie composers Zimmer will never share (make for sale) his stuff short of some guitar samples he released a long while back.

Well that's great. But I never get that sense of "fake orchestra" from any ArmA music. But, that's good to know that live instrument samples can make that much of a difference with synthesized music.

[Steakslim 1]

To be fair the two tracks i posted were made with some very recent , and rather hardware intensive (or at least can be) libraries. Older one's don't sound as good without some time and attention to detail, and audio engineering trickery. And I have no idea really what the composer for ArmA's music uses anyways. I just posted one company's software as an example. There's several out there of varying quality and price.

[rolo87 10]

Thankfully ArmA is not a war movie.

Yes metalcraze... ArmA is not a movie... i know.. hehe.

Hans Zimmer is a composer, but he not only works in movies.

Anyway we are talking about music in the game, I have appointed some very good composers (they are not the only obviously ...) among them Hans Zimmer, he is a composer of quality in movies and in other specialties, however I said that the songwriting team of BIS is very good and sure they will do a great job in ArmA3, that are only ideas and suggestions for future musical styles ArmA3 solely hehe.

PS. I also like electronic music, such as dubstep and ambient electronic music for the game hehe.

Edited April 9, 2012 by rolo87
PS.

[antoineflemming 14]

Yes metalcraze... ArmA is not a movie... i know.. hehe.

Hans Zimmer is a composer, but he not only works in movies.

Anyway we are talking about music in the game, I have appointed some very good composers (they are not the only obviously ...) among them Hans Zimmer, he is a composer of quality in movies and in other specialties, however I said that the songwriting team of BIS is very good and sure they will do a great job in ArmA3, that are only ideas and suggestions for future musical styles ArmA3 solely hehe.

PS. I also like electronic music, such as dubstep and ambient electronic music for the game hehe.

I certainly hope there's no dubstep...

I'm all for some electronic pieces, but I honestly don't want an entire electronic soundtrack.

[rolo87 10]

I certainly hope there's no dubstep...

I'm all for some electronic pieces, but I honestly don't want an entire electronic soundtrack.

I agree, I also like the variety :P

You're right on the issue of dubstep, dubstep really is more for promotional videos, gameplay videos or things like...

I love the music that accompanies the various game situations, in campaign mode of course hehe.

Surely the BIS guys leave us with their mouths open as happened with previous ARMA.

[antoineflemming 14]

I agree, I also like the variety :P

You're right on the issue of dubstep, dubstep really is more for promotional videos, gameplay videos or things like...

I love the music that accompanies the various game situations, in campaign mode of course hehe.

Surely the BIS guys leave us with their mouths open as happened with previous ARMA.

Well my issue with dubstep is that it's been overused kinda like Requiem for a Dream was overused a few years back.

[mr. bravo 17]

Well my issue with dubstep is that it's been overused kinda like Requiem for a Dream was overused a few years back.

Meh, that's like saying rock-music was overused in the 80's. Dubstep is a genre, with many different styles and artists. Requim of a Dream is one song, which was indeed overused over and over for all kinds of video-clips.

I'm not saying Dubstep would be ideal for ingame music in ArmA3 :p But I'm sure it could be quite awesome in promotial stuff even for a game like this. As long as it's used correctly and in a tasteful way, it has a tendency of creating very intensive and thrilling sequences. Looking at it from a more artistic view, it's also quite fun and creative for editing :D

I know there are some nice example's in community-videos of ArmA2, but I dont have time to find them right now.

[antoineflemming 14]

Meh, that's like saying rock-music was overused in the 80's. Dubstep is a genre, with many different styles and artists. Requim of a Dream is one song, which was indeed overused over and over for all kinds of video-clips.

I'm not saying Dubstep would be ideal for ingame music in ArmA3 :p But I'm sure it could be quite awesome in promotial stuff even for a game like this. As long as it's used correctly and in a tasteful way, it has a tendency of creating very intensive and thrilling sequences. Looking at it from a more artistic view, it's also quite fun and creative for editing :D

I know there are some nice example's in community-videos of ArmA2, but I dont have time to find them right now.

Well, I know. Requiem is a song. But it's like at one point someone uses classical music, and then, within a couple of months just about everyone's using rock for trailers, music vids, and stuff, just using an example. That's what I'm saying. It's been so overdone for just about everything that it's kinda old. Kinda like the Skyrim meme (arrow to the knee). One person starts it, and then it's all of a sudden a fad that everyone has to have a part of.

Not really like rock, though, which hasn't gone away since the 80s. Plus I don't think dubstep makes for good soundtrack music, this coming from a guy who's listened to a lot of movie and video game soundtracks.

[Clarkey1 10]

I really don't want any dubstep in the actual game. I don't think it can hold it's own in a soundtrack, I imagine it would just sound out of place. I wouldn't mind if I heard it used in promo stuff, I actually agree with you Mr. Bravo in that it can add intensity to sequences in promo video's if it's done right.

If you haven't seen this video I think it's a good example of using dubstep to make an intense sequence. It was actually nominated for an award in a community competition a little while back. (can't remember if it won or not:confused:) The dubstep is only at the end of the video and other tracks are used in the beginning which IMO is a tasteful use instead of the entire video being dubstep.

The example starts at 3:26 for those of you that don't want to hear Barra Barra for the zillionth time (personally I can't get enough, Black Hawk Down ftw!):p

Edit: Rock? Overused? PFFFFT!

Edited April 10, 2012 by Clarkey1

[Phantom Six 25]

oh dear, please no dubstep >.< to me is a total turn off. I like metal in general but then for ARMA Music, I would like it kinda like those Rainbow Six intro songs, pretty catchy for tactical shooters and stuff :P

[antoineflemming 14]

I really don't want any dubstep in the actual game. I don't think it can hold it's own in a soundtrack, I imagine it would just sound out of place. I wouldn't mind if I heard it used in promo stuff, I actually agree with you Mr. Bravo in that it can add intensity to sequences in promo video's if it's done right.

If you haven't seen this video I think it's a good example of using dubstep to make an intense sequence. It was actually nominated for an award in a community competition a little while back. (can't remember if it won or not:confused:) The dubstep is only at the end of the video and other tracks are used in the beginning which IMO is a tasteful use instead of the entire video being dubstep.

The example starts at 3:26 for those of you that don't want to hear Barra Barra for the zillionth time (personally I can't get enough, Black Hawk Down ftw!):p

Edit: Rock? Overused? PFFFFT!

I kinda didn't think the dubstep went too well with the video... I kinda didn't think the video was that great?.... I thought it took away some of the seriousness of the moment, being a kinda black hawk down scene and all..

[Clarkey1 10]

I would like it kinda like those Rainbow Six intro songs, pretty catchy for tactical shooters and stuff :P

Yeah I agree, I like that martial sounding music in RS games, or any Tom Clancy game for that matter. I think it's the way to go with military games and the music in the new teaser trailer is just the right amount of that orchestral/martial sounding music and electronic ambiance. I think they're already on the right track with music it just always makes for great discussion though.:)

[EasyC 10]

I really hope this particular piece of music gets another look at, even if it's only in another teaser video ;)

Although it's short it's such a beautifully, calm sounding composition. It would be brilliant to hear a longer version of it, like a proper song if that were ever possible.

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