[Game/Soundtrack] Widelands-1 (MP3)

[bvanoudtshoorn]

I've been drafted to write some music for the open source game "Widelands". It's very similar to "Settlers II", and is set in a medieval-ish time. This track is a simple market-like track, probably for the "Empire" tribe on "grassland" maps.

Get it here (source)

Coverart:

[älskling]

I loved Settlers II so I had to give this a listen. This track fits perfectly as medieval background music, the only bad thing I can say is that I think the guitar chords are too loud compared to the rest of the music (and because of that the whole track kind of "leans" to the right when listening with headphones).

[bvanoudtshoorn]

You're right, älskling - the guitar chords are too loud. I think that before I actually commit this track to the game, I'll take a look at that, and clean the whole thing up a bit, too. Glad you enjoyed it.

[LPChip]

The guitars are nice, but I think you can improve them by adding a little bit EQ to the lower frequencies. It'll make the sound warmer and thereby more natural.

Due to the lack of a bass it would even compensate for that too.

Overall its a very basic theme. 2 Chords rotating with some percussion and a melody played by a flute. Keeping in mind that you'll see a market with people moving and stuff, it will suit that scene very well. So good job on that. And I think by giving the guitar a little bit more EQ on the say.. 200-300 hz range, it'll give it more warmth and depth which will add to the overal value of the song.

I also agree that the guitar is too loud.

Good job though.

[Sam_Zen]

Guitar is prominent, but not disturbing. LPChip is right about the 'thin' sound of it.
(As far as I can judge that at the moment. As said, still listening things with a 2x4 watt set..)
If the word guitar hadn't been there, I would have thought it was chords on a harpsichord.

'Leaning to the right' according to älskling.
Maybe this is due to the quite modest position at the right of the flute.
It could have been more centered. And maybe with a little more 'air-blow' sound.

[mrvegas]

Very hypnotic, will work well with the scene you described.  And, unfortunately, the others are right, the guitar sort of overwhelms the melody.  With regard to EQ, you could go the other direction and thin out the guitar to give it more of a dulcimer sound, and then add a simple low tom on the beat to give the track some bottom.

It's always easy to design everyone else's tracks.