Universal Plan [Ambient, Soundtrack]

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https://youtu.be/JN5HF01araY
https://soundcloud.com/infravolt/universal-plan

This track made specifically for Songwriting Competition 047 - "Video Game Soundtrack - Strategic Resources".

Mix Challenge forum: https://mix-challenge.com/
Songwriting Competition: https://mix-challenge.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
Thread, related to this contest: https://mix-challenge.com/forum/viewtop ... dd01638cef

FLAC: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BUlxKe ... sp=sharing
MP3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a8IBhD ... sp=sharing

Created as a soundtrack for an imaginary turn-based strategy videogame (think of Masters of Orion, Galactic Civilizations, Endless Space etc.)

This theme is propoused for an early-to-mid game stage that usually occurs in 4X strategies when you explore the space around your homeworld, gather resources, research new technologies and anomalies, build new ships, establish new colonies and diplomatic relations with other civilizations. You know there are highly like a massive conflict ahead, but you still have time to enjoy what you have built.

Instruments and techniques:

1. Repro-1 used for two sounds:
- A pulsing bassline that goes though the whole track;
- A trumpet-like patch that used for the solo.
2. Several instances of SampleSciene player:
- Two cellos playing slightly different sequnces and articulations in the middle section;
- A large string section from "Cinematika" pack, playing chords in the last section.
3. A synth-choir sound from SampleSience "Vaporwaves" with shimmer reverb adding high register harmonics.
4. A stacked pad from SampleScience's "Synthetic Vortices" in the outro.
5. Full Bucket "ModlAir" used to create soundscapes:
- A glittering/chimey texture based on two differently clocked S&H modules picking harmonics of a two resonant bandpass filters, layered on top of the strings in the last section;
- An eerie texture in the outro, made with resonant filters modulated by differently clocked LFOs;
- A randomly clocked arpeggio sequence that plays the same chords as in the first section, with sample rate reduction and modulation for amplitude and panning by LFOs;
- A simple filter sweep that goes into a middle section;
- A transition between loop points made with 4 FM Oscs and resonant filter.
6. Full Bucket's newly released "WhispAir" used in the middle section to create evolving eerie texture with the wavetable scanning feature and high resonant filter modulated by LFO.
7. Valhalla "Supermassive" used as a main reverb send.

Produced in FL Studio 20.7
"Some people don't like music created on a PC and declare it as "fake". I don't care. The only thing matters to me is the end result."
SoundCloud YouTube Patreon

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Really good stuff, some excellent sounds also. :tu:

I think it suits the theme as well, good luck with the contest!
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synthgeek wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 9:10 pm Really good stuff, some excellent sounds also. :tu:

I think it suits the theme as well, good luck with the contest!
Thank you! Glad you liked it...
"Some people don't like music created on a PC and declare it as "fake". I don't care. The only thing matters to me is the end result."
SoundCloud YouTube Patreon

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;nice atmo, well chosen sooundset. i like phased pads,when the plucks come in and
the switch to the horn lead. end is a little sudden. good job :tu:
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layzer wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 4:16 am ;nice atmo, well chosen sooundset. i like phased pads,when the plucks come in and
the switch to the horn lead. end is a little sudden. good job :tu:
Thanks a lot!
"Some people don't like music created on a PC and declare it as "fake". I don't care. The only thing matters to me is the end result."
SoundCloud YouTube Patreon

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Good listen!

5 mins 20 secs mins onwards - love the Vangelis style lead synth sound.

In terms of the contest - always hard to judge this sort of thing without an actual game / video to actually compose alongside, but I think you've ticked a lot of the requested 'boxes' pretty well!

Maybe not the 'traditional orchestral' suggestion, but it is all quite 'orchestral' in a more general sense.

Best of luck!
Mark Taylor, Chameleon Music - Professional composition and sound design for all media since 1994.

https://www.chameleonmusic.co.uk/

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ChameleonMusic wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:32 pm Good listen!

5 mins 20 secs mins onwards - love the Vangelis style lead synth sound.

In terms of the contest - always hard to judge this sort of thing without an actual game / video to actually compose alongside, but I think you've ticked a lot of the requested 'boxes' pretty well!

Maybe not the 'traditional orchestral' suggestion, but it is all quite 'orchestral' in a more general sense.

Best of luck!
Thanks for your comment!

I'm kinda bored of today's generic orchestral game/movie soundtracks. It usually all done with the same libraries/templates, arrangement, chord progressions and over the top epic that sometimes feels cartoony. There is some interesting soundtracks today, but the mainstream is all about copy/paste like in any other media industry.

There is something special about late 90's to early 2000's videogame soundtracks. I think in that era people had enough technology to bring their ideas to life and also enough limitations to engage creativity.
"Some people don't like music created on a PC and declare it as "fake". I don't care. The only thing matters to me is the end result."
SoundCloud YouTube Patreon

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VCA-089 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:14 pm
ChameleonMusic wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:32 pm Good listen!

5 mins 20 secs mins onwards - love the Vangelis style lead synth sound.

In terms of the contest - always hard to judge this sort of thing without an actual game / video to actually compose alongside, but I think you've ticked a lot of the requested 'boxes' pretty well!

Maybe not the 'traditional orchestral' suggestion, but it is all quite 'orchestral' in a more general sense.

Best of luck!
Thanks for your comment!

I'm kinda bored of today's generic orchestral game/movie soundtracks. It usually all done with the same libraries/templates, arrangement, chord progressions and over the top epic that sometimes feels cartoony. There is some interesting soundtracks today, but the mainstream is all about copy/paste like in any other media industry.

There is something special about late 90's to early 2000's videogame soundtracks. I think in that era people had enough technology to bring their ideas to life and also enough limitations to engage creativity.
Music for media always goes through cycles and hopefully the OTT 'all guns blazing' approach is nearing the end of it's run? truth is that the public will decide to some extent - if they keep responding favourably, then it will continue! :)
I'm kinda bored of today's generic orchestral...... soundtracks.
Me too, but remember that the orchestra is just a tool like any other sound source...it can create an extraordinary range of sound worlds, especially when used intelligently in fusion with electronica.
There is some interesting soundtracks today, but the mainstream is all about copy/paste like in any other media industry
.

I agree, but not 100% - there are some exceptional scores in some mainstream films and games, especially over the last couple of years (the tide has been starting to turn for a while now). JOKER - that score is extraordinary - powerful yet restrained...subtle yet quite intense - some extraordinary sound design from Hildur Guðnadóttir in there.
There is something special about late 90's to early 2000's videogame soundtracks. I think in that era people had enough technology to bring their ideas to life and also enough limitations to engage creativity.
Again, I take your point and agree to a large extent, but having lived and worked in the industry throughout that period, there was also an awful lot of dross as well...every phase quickly develops it's own musical clichés.

Limitations - any decent, well -organized, thoroughly trained composer creates their own limitations / structure for a project...that's if the limitations of the director's instructions aren't limiting enough! :) Yeah, too many high quality library options can be an issue for some, maybe, but that's not the BIG problem whatever the style of music...

The serious complication has always been that you have to do what you're told! if the studio / producer / director says "give me a score in the style of Avengers Endgame" then you have to go there if you're getting paid or they'll just replace you with one of the many 1000s of others waiting in the wings! :)
Mark Taylor, Chameleon Music - Professional composition and sound design for all media since 1994.

https://www.chameleonmusic.co.uk/

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I think the composition and arrangement was a great fit for the soundtrack scenario that you outlined. It was a great listen from start to finish, and had some of those "old-school" soundtrack qualities you mentioned earlier. I really like the vocal synth sound, the "arpeggiated" synth that appeared at 3:15 and the "Greek-style" lead synth solo :wink:

Good work :)

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Very nice sounding track. like it alot

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seismic1 wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:40 pm I think the composition and arrangement was a great fit for the soundtrack scenario that you outlined. It was a great listen from start to finish, and had some of those "old-school" soundtrack qualities you mentioned earlier. I really like the vocal synth sound, the "arpeggiated" synth that appeared at 3:15 and the "Greek-style" lead synth solo :wink:

Good work :)
Zyberbob wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 2:33 pm Very nice sounding track. like it alot
Thank you guys for your comments!
"Some people don't like music created on a PC and declare it as "fake". I don't care. The only thing matters to me is the end result."
SoundCloud YouTube Patreon

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ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 pm Music for media always goes through cycles and hopefully the OTT 'all guns blazing' approach is nearing the end of it's run? truth is that the public will decide to some extent - if they keep responding favourably, then it will continue! :)
I hope so! It will be intersting to see where it all goes. There is a kinda "real music revival" thing going on quietly, but I'm still afraid for younger people spending all their time in TikTok.
ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 pm Me too, but remember that the orchestra is just a tool like any other sound source...it can create an extraordinary range of sound worlds, especially when used intelligently in fusion with electronica.
Sometimes I realize how good is to live in 21st century where many tools available nearly for free and different sounds could be achieved in a bedroom, so you can select them like a colored pencils.
ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 pm I agree, but not 100% - there are some exceptional scores in some mainstream films and games, especially over the last couple of years (the tide has been starting to turn for a while now). JOKER - that score is extraordinary - powerful yet restrained...subtle yet quite intense - some extraordinary sound design from Hildur Guðnadóttir in there.
Someday I will find a time to watch that movie.
ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 pm Again, I take your point and agree to a large extent, but having lived and worked in the industry throughout that period, there was also an awful lot of dross as well...every phase quickly develops it's own musical clichés.
True. It was an unpleasant experience bringing back some games/movies/music that were considered as "uotstanding" yet "masterpieces" at their time, but today it feels kinda OK'ish and mediocre. Time always tells the truth and things can get worse than you remember.
ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 pm Limitations - any decent, well -organized, thoroughly trained composer creates their own limitations / structure for a project...that's if the limitations of the director's instructions aren't limiting enough! :) Yeah, too many high quality library options can be an issue for some, maybe, but that's not the BIG problem whatever the style of music...

The serious complication has always been that you have to do what you're told! if the studio / producer / director says "give me a score in the style of Avengers Endgame" then you have to go there if you're getting paid or they'll just replace you with one of the many 1000s of others waiting in the wings! :)
Exactly. Today we have a standards that many producers follow to be legit. For better and for worse. The thing is that 20-30 years ago there wasn't standardized approach to make things, people were kinda "pioneers" in their field. Perhaps they had more "creative freedom" compared to nowdays, because even their employers didn't knew exactly what they want...
"Some people don't like music created on a PC and declare it as "fake". I don't care. The only thing matters to me is the end result."
SoundCloud YouTube Patreon

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lovely piece of work 8)
builds up the atmosphere really nicely and transitions through the parts well, has continuity but enough change to keep it moving along.
and that repro patch that comes in :o lush!
very sci-fi so fits the contest theme well too! good luck!!

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