YLMIR'S PROFILE

I'm almost done with mine. I think I'll upload it tomorrow (still have the mixing/mastering to do).

@Anorax : Really good, although I don't find the wobble synth really convincing.
Also, it feels like it could have a lot more energy if you mixed it differently. You should put the drums louder, maybe turn down the volume of the lead synth a little bit as well.
You could also add some compression on the master track in order to make the overall track sound louder (especially for the "metal" parts). Then, turning down the loudness a little bit on the "electro" parts of your track could create some more contrast between these sections.
Oh, by the way, it's currently 3 am where I live, so maybe I'm too tired to even think correctly and these ideas are just plain stupid. ^^

author=clubfungus
Free to download but contact me if you want to use or license it in anyway at subwav@subwav.com

From the rules section :

Any work submitted to this event will be disseminated under a creative commons license as publicly usable in any way the end-user wishes as long as they attribute the work to the artist in their credits and that they also do the same themselves with any derivative work based on the artist's.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License

I guess there's a issue about the license then, since one of the goals of the event is to provide free music available for the community to use in their projects. (or at least that's how I see it)

Wow, thanks a lot everyone ! Actually, all of you are quite right with the intro being melancholic - I composed so many times for dark/sad situations in various projects I've worked on that I sometimes have issues to do something different, although in this case this nostalgia works well with the feeling the track conveys.

author=TungerManU
Not that I think it's necessarily the best one (although the instruments and mixing are very good), but it's very emotional, nostalgic even, and the kind of music I personally love.

Actually, having good instruments really helps a lot. When you have realistic instruments on which you can have dynamic layers, round robins, true legato and vibrato, it really helps to sound natural, and to emulate the feelings a musician can put in his instrument. Sure, I don't think it'll ever completely replace real instruments (or at least I hope it will never happen), but it makes quite a difference compared to the basic MIDI GM sounds.

There is a little negative point though in having high-quality instruments and using them for a music destined to be used in a RPG Maker game. If you forget the game's support, you might end up with something contrasting so much with the game that even if it sounds good, you will have a feeling of incoherence. This is especially true on action-based cues.

author=nhubi
I had an immediate image of Sam Gamgee returning from the Grey Havens to Rose and Elanor, that sense that whilst the story will go ever on, this chapter is closed and all is as it should be. It's a beautiful lilting piece.

Thanks ! Your reference actually made me smile, because I remember the first melody I ever played with this flute (the Shire Whistle from Embertone) was the Hobbit's theme from LOTR. It has almost exactly the same sound, and to express something as familiar as what I wanted to share here, it was just perfect. And actually, I love this instrument, so I HAD to use it here. ^^

It makes me think that if I could give a little tip based on my submission to everyone, it would be to think about your instrumentation and your sounds. It can seem obvious, but sometimes, the way you do it can really make a difference.
For example, I wanted this « familiar » sound, this is why I used this flute, but also the acoustic guitar (had to look around for a good freebie for this one, so if your host software can load VSTs, you may want to take a look to Independence Free), the solo violin, and the cello playing the pizzicati notes from 1:22 until the end.
Oh, and the music box-like sound in the intro is actually three instruments layered : A glockenspiel, a music box (for a sound a bit reminiscent of childhood), and a little instrument from Spitfire Labs called "Bike Bells", which gave some more brightness and character to the melody as well as adding to this childhood feel. It's maybe not exactly your typical orchestra, but what's the point in doing computer-assisted music if you can't cheat ? :p

I don't know if this advice will help anyone, but I hope so ! :)

Oh, and sorry for not giving feedback on anything, didn't had much time lately, and actually, I'm not really great at constructive criticism, especially on the composition part. I guess this is the backlash of being an autodidact, and a veteran procrastinator when it comes to studying musical theory. xD

Updated mine as well. I fixed some minor issues on the piano, and the first melody played with the flute felt a bit too rushed in the first version. It's maybe only details, but it was disturbing me. Sometimes I should really wait at least some hours before submitting something. ^^

author=Happy
@ Ylmir:Homely! Very well controlled mood and good volume details. Nice transitions. Love the flute around 1:30! Uh, pretty top notch work really. I like it a lot! Hits the theme spot on.

Thanks a lot ! :)

author=Happy
Are you two somehow connected? You both appeared at the same time with very good quality works!

Not at all, although I have already seen Azhthar on Newgrounds, and I have been surprised to see his nickname appear here too ^^