Task 1: Music Production Project

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Task 2: Supporting Documentation

Synopsis

This project is a production portfolio targeting an original synthwave soundtrack that draws inspiration from 1980s video games. Using modern ‘in-the-box’ production techniques within Logic Pro, this soundtrack emulates the tone, structure, and texture of retro-style game music. The project involves researching classic and contemporary inspired soundtracks, designing from-scratch synth patches, and integrating period-appropriate samples from synthesisers. I have sourced several sonic reference points to compare against (See Sonic References) and used these to choose effects and compose tracks that together produce an appropriate and cohesive portfolio.

The tracks, while intended to be accompanied by and part of a video game, on their own are composed to take the listener on an emotional journey and portray a similar arc to the “Rags to Riches” story arc found in literature[1].

Project Management

The timeline of this project, from start to finish largely breaks up into four discrete sections spanning September through May:

• Gathering Samples and Creating Patches,
• Composition,
• Mixing,
• Finalisation and Submission.

Throughout the project I made use of a Gantt chart to plan out tasks and monitor the progress of the progress and visualise the project timeline more clearly. I started with an original plan and updated the chart throughout the course of the project. I also had semi-regular 1-1s held with my project tutor over the course of the project to discuss the projects progress, discuss demo audio shared over a Teams channel and ensure the project would adequately fulfil my brief and assignment objectives.

Contingency Planning

As this project, did not involve any third parties my contingency planning was focused on ensuring that the project files would not be lost or become corrupted throughout the course of the project. To make sure of this I made use of backup versions of the project stored on a redundant Network Attached Storage device and also backed this up to my personal OneDrive account. This would ensure that should something go wrong with the files or them being lost for any reason that there would be a backup stored somewhere that would allow me continue the project without issue.

Track-by-Track Overview

Track 01: Introduction

This was the first tracks to be composed for this project and set the tone for the creative vision I was targeting. This track contains all the melodic themes and tags that would be later used in all the remaining tracks of this project in some form, using a repeated arpeggiated sequence in a tightly quantised, robotic way.

This track is mixed to be slightly brighter and melodically sharper than the other tracks in this sequence and is also tuned more sharply than the rest to a varying degree. This was intended to give a more aggressive, edgy tone to this piece fitting the powerful opening you would expect in a prospective game that may feature a track of this style.

Track 02: Ambience 01

This track is composed as one of the two underscores of this project that incorporates a more simple, but dynamic soundscape using a variation on the original theme established in Track 01. It is intended to sit underneath an interactive sequence of a game that may include dialog or other sound effects and deliberately leaves space so that these could be added on-the-fly by a game engine instead of featuring directly in the soundtrack.

Track 03: Reflection

This track is composed to be darker melancholic, aimed at portraying a moment of realisation. Again, featuring a variation of the established theme. This track begins to set stage for Track 05, seeding a chord structure and melody that would be reused again become familiar to the listener, or in this context, prospective player.

Track 04: Ambience 02

Similar to Track 02, this track is composed to be an underscore and would feature in a game in the same manner. Its mix and intended purpose are the same.

Track 05: Sequence

This track is composed to accompany a story sequence, building on the precedent setup during Track 03. The melody and chord structure featured in Track 03 continue to be developed here following the story element that would have been accompanying this. This track was composed such that it directly precedes Track 06, finishing on the same note and chord to facilitate this transition; it also begins to introduce faster glissando-like sequencing allowing Track 06 to feel less out of place compared to the otherwise established slower-paced format used in all track up until this point.

Track 06: Action

This track is composed to be the emotional peak during the listener/players experience. Its composition features faster arpeggiation and a more aggressive tone throughout and, in places, an almost glitchy feel. This composition is intended to portray an element of anger or heightened emotion.

Track 07: Credits

This track brings the portfolio of tracks “full circle” and returns the listener/player back to the start with the opening to this track and Track 01 being largely the same, featuring the same melodic riff albeit in a differing key signature, tempo and tuning. This track pulls melodic elements and motifs from previous tracks to underscore the closing melody. Retaining the melancholic feel it bring a feeling of finality that would accompany a closing scene, sequence, or perhaps simply a credits screen.

Creating Synth Patches

This portfolio project makes extensive use of custom-built synthesiser patches like the ones shown in this section. Some examples of this are as follows:

The Bass Synth

This sound was created using two instances of Logic’s RetroSynth VST. The sound consists of two waves (Triangle and Square) with a slightly filtered ADSR and a small amount of LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) controlled vibrato. Each instance uses the same settings using two unison voices, each with two oscillators, one of which is slightly detuned from the other for a larger sound and chorus-like effect. These form part of a summing stack which sends both instances the same MIDI input. The second instance is transposed by an octave, so overall this sound uses a total of 8 audible oscillators.

The Lead Synth

This lead synth sound was created using Logic’s ES2 VST. The sound uses a 50/50 mix of different wavelength PWM waves that are detuned from each other by 2 cents, the midpoint of this detuning is the MIDI input note. The ADSR uses a velocity based variable attack and a relatively long, softer release. Sine wave is added to the primary oscillators to aid in the softening of the resultant patch.

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Sonic References

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Other Appendices

Bibliography

1. Thomas, P. (n.d.). Rags to Riches. [online] www.thestoryisthestrategy.com. Available at: https://www.thestoryisthestrategy.com/p/rags-to-riches.

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