[Soundtrack] Battle in Koboldsburg (mp3)

cubaxd · September 27, 2007, 21:51:58

Hey ppl

I just finished my first soundtrack EP. This contains some of the best tunes i ever made.

UPDATED:
1 - Battle in Koboldsburg, 1.2M (new intro)
2 - All is fair in war, 1.4M
3 - A town under attack, 2.0M (formerly dance of the kobolds)
4 - In a deep forest, 3.9M
5 - The cave of frozen tears, 2.2M
6 - The war is over, 1.7M
7 - Dance of the Kobolds, 1.4M (this time they really dance :>)

I hope you have some fun with these pieces

Sam_Zen · September 27, 2007, 23:46:49

First play.
1~ It starts chinese, but turns into a celtic war-call.
2~ It's a soundtrack, so I suppose there are visuals with it. Because it's a fine piece, but I don't see the dancing.
3~ Only a productional note. Because it's a forest, the pano could be wider, so the instruments have more distance to each other. (I preferred playing it in some quasi surround mode).
4~ It's frosty indeed. Very nice withdrawal of volume at 2:00
5~ I'm distracted by the title. I expected a joyful happening. But the notes of some instruments are too slow to give that impression. So no triumph, but I think mourning for the fallen warriors the war had cost is more appropriate.
All in all : another high quality piece of work.

cubaxd · September 28, 2007, 16:21:16

Hi Sam,

First, thank you that you always find the time for a review

I've added two new tracks and the tracks 1-5 are now 2-6.

Quote2~ It's a soundtrack, so I suppose there are visuals with it. Because it's a fine piece, but I don't see the dancing.

neither do I :?. Thats why i renamed this track to "A town under attack"

QuoteBecause it's a forest, the pano could be wider, so the instruments have more distance to each other. (I preferred playing it in some quasi surround mode).

I did some changes in the panorama settings, but I'm not sure whether it sounds better now or even worse.

QuoteSo no triumph, but I think mourning for the fallen warriors the war had cost is more appropriate.

But it cries for a happy end: The Kobolds party in track 7, after being sure that all evil garden gnomes are defeated (sorry i have no better plot, so i leave the story to your imagination)

QuoteAll in all : another high quality piece of work.

THX

Sam_Zen · September 29, 2007, 02:15:59

You had me puzzling for a while how to replace the files in the correct order, because of the numbers.

The intro is a nice addition. It sets the scene.
And the pano of 4~ is definitely an improvement. I don't need the 'surround trick' anymore.
How did you get this 7~ dance so quickly out of your sleeve ? I'm amazed.

cubaxd · September 30, 2007, 12:49:40

QuoteYou had me puzzling for a while how to replace the files in the correct order, because of the numbers.

Yes, I should take more time before releasing an EP. But this is now the final composition.

QuoteHow did you get this 7~ dance so quickly out of your sleeve ? I'm amazed.

That song was already finished. I didn't want to include it because it sounds sometimes a bit to strange, but I didn't have another happy piece which could fit into this album.

Nahkranoth · October 01, 2007, 07:12:30

Great work, cubaxd!
The guitars and plucked strings are simply brilliant, but the cellos might be even deeper (or it's intended to be like that?).
There is nice ambient feel about these tracks, but I can't picture the war. It's more like sneaking into the sleeping town on a cold winter night.
But still, your EP is going to sit on my harddrive for there are many things to learn from these tracks.

cubaxd · October 01, 2007, 17:06:43

Thanks, Nahkranoth

Quotethe cellos might be even deeper (or it's intended to be like that?).

Probably not. I guess, I should have taken a violin for the higher notes.

QuoteIt's more like sneaking into the sleeping town on a cold winter night.

Hehe. Yea, i also think, that it misses some bombastic, and dramatic sounds with trumpets and a kettledrum. But i think for a free role play game or the like, the music would be o.k

BTW: I forgot to mention the sample source. It's once more the sound exchange at the website of the Philharmonia.

Saga Musix · October 01, 2007, 17:44:52

i enjoyed this album, it sounded really authentic. I think you have to practice a bit on mastering your tunes, though

Sometimes, there's a bit too much treble. This may sound "fresh", but it's also a bit too sharp sometimes.

KrazyKatz · October 01, 2007, 18:12:17

Bloody Good! I'll say that again... Bloody Good!

cubaxd · October 02, 2007, 14:32:55

Thanks for your answers.

As KrazyKatz asked for the IT source files, i've decided to make them available to anybody who may be interested in them.
I'll keep the archive file up for a few weeks or so.
You can download the rar archive here (32 MB!)

Quote from: "Jojo"I think you have to practice a bit on mastering your tunes

I know :cry:.
I am making the music with headphones. But when i listen to them via my speakers, there is too much bass and the treble is very low. So i tried to equalize it. But now, the treble seems to be too high

Saga Musix · October 02, 2007, 17:46:04

For mastering, you need "neutral" speakers / headphones, i.e. disable any equalizer. This does not work of course with some speakers, like those that are labeled with "q-bass" or something like that

For mixing, I use these headphones. Their frequency reproduction is quite good for the price (35 €) imo, there's not too much bass or treble.

KrazyKatz · October 04, 2007, 10:16:59

Personally, I wouldnt dare mix only on headphones ( let alone master! ). Sure they are a must for referencing, but even the most expensive pairs colour the sound. As for when it comes to mastering, only top quality equipment or VSTS (usually designed specifically for mastering ) are a must to give you the necessary magic.

bvanoudtshoorn · October 07, 2007, 11:38:51

Great work! I love these tracks.

In number 4 ("In a deep forest"), there seems to be a very low, quite loud hum which happens sporadically when the plucked instrument plays (the one which plays quickly). It might be that it sounds good on speakers, but it's a little disconcerting on headphones... It's also on 5 ("The cave of frozen tears"), and I think all of the tracks that use that instrument (it comes in at about 1.25 in 6).

I love the cello lines: personally, I think that a cello played in its higher registers is one of the most beautiful sounds you can get...

I also like the solo flute line at the beginning of 6 ("The war is over").

Nahkranoth · April 29, 2008, 08:21:53

No need to answer, I've just list listened again to your EP and I can say that either you're a genius or you were smoking something serious, cubaxd

You're totally killing my creativity, man, especially with "In a deep forest".
I envy you. In a good way though :evil:

cubaxd · April 29, 2008, 18:29:33

Hi Nahkranoth

Quote from: "Nahkranoth"either you're a genius or you were smoking something serious

a little of both :lol:

And there's no reason to envy me

I like your music too. For example "Past Regrets". Sorry that i didn't answer to your posting, but i almost never find the words (i'm just a shy guy :oops: really), and i don't like to write as response to every posting "This is great", "This sounds good", "I like this", so i think it's better to write nothing, instead of writing always the same :-/. Because, if i would do so, people would think: "Ah. cubaxd answered to my posting. but i already know what he wrote *yawn*."

My modplugforum folder is currently about 470 MB in size, and i have an older dir archived on DVD. I like many of the tunes that have been posted and i wouldn't see good music as a creativity killer, but rather as something that's fun to listen to, or in the best case as a source of inspiration

But thanks for the compliment