Composing Adaptive Video Game Music - Part 2: FMOD

[@Markrspooner]

Great video Louie!

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Thanks again, Mark!

[@john-henri]

Hi Louie, firstly great videos, I have been learning a lot from you. Your music and thought process is wonderful to experience! I could potentially offer advice on how to avoid the "cut" in audio for when you are looping your tracks. Within your DAW, whatever reverb tail you have in your produced composition, export 1 version of it with a pre-roll and the tail. Afterwards, pull that track into you DAW, cut off the pre-roll and delete it. Followed by that, cut the reverb tail, and paste it at the beginning of when the music starts. If your export starts on Bar 1 and the music at Bar 2, cut off and delete Bar 1 - Bar 2. If your music ends at Bar 16 and the reverb tail (export) at Bar 20, cut at Bar 16. Paste the audio from Bar 16 to Bar 20 and past that at Bar 2 where your music starts. To avoid artifacts or cuts in audio, add the tiniest smallest fade just to avoid that jolt of silence in the track. Now you can export that as a track and the audio will seamlessly loop. With that said, I hope this helps you and I appreciate the time you took to make these videos. Best of luck Louie!

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Hi John! What a lovely and thoughtful comment. Thank you for this! I’m going to try that as soon as I start the next track for this game :) thanks so much for your support and generous comment. All the best!

[@john-henri]

@@LouieTaylorMusic all a pleasure! Let me know how it turns out via this comment!

[@SidBarnhoorn]

I recently started learning FMOD. Your videos have been very helpful. Thank you! :)

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

That's great to hear I'm really glad they were helpful!

[@Markrspooner]

This is my first time seeing FMOD so would happily see more on how to use it.

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Thanks for the comment Mark! I'm really happy you liked the video and I plan to upload more on FMOD soon!

[@merklekerner6182]

Great video. I have one question. Do you render the audio files with master bus effects on them, such as limiter, compressors, etc.?

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Thanks so much! I actually do yes, but sometimes I notice it makes a big effect on the overall mix, sometimes it’s best left unmixed other than levels and fx, you can apply any mix processing in fmod. I think cubase is better for this as it gives you an easy option to batch export tracks with bus effects as they would sound as summer stems, whereas i find it harder to do in logic. Hope this helps !!

[@merklekerner6182]

@@LouieTaylorMusic Thanks so much. You helped me alot

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

@@merklekerner6182 very glad to hear it!

[@BenRandall-p6j]

Here is my question, do you then just hand the FMOD files to the game devs and have them integrate it?

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Great question, I used to, yes. The process once was that I would prepare it to the best of my ability and then hand it to them to implement into their project. However, since about a year ago I started doing all the implementation, sound design and in-engine implementation myself. I'd love to make a video about this one day, as soon as I'm able to share more about the project.

[@BenRandall]

Thank you for such a speedy response, currently sketching ideas on how to implement it so it’s as easy for game devs to use, knowing that typically composers may send off a packaged up file makes things clearer, thank you

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

@@BenRandall More often than not, top composers, like Joris de Man, for example, have assistants and teams that prepare all the files and a sound designer/music designer that will implement it, once he's written the loops etc... But at lower budgets it is either the composer or the devs, so yeah it is totally acceptable to have a package, I think if you design it with a music system in mind and hand them the files, instructions and tempo/time info, you should be fine :)

[@renatoe3417]

Something that i still don't get is this: all those sections can be interrupted? like.. if you are in loop 1 and something triggers loop 2, you can suddenly change between these 2 sections or loop 1 has to finish first or reach a strong beat of the measure. Or this is just a system to add variation to the performance of the music? without external triggers?

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Great question. The answer is both: It is both to add variation to the performance, but also the loops can be triggered at the start of any bar during certain parts of the track. for this particular track, there are less places where it can be interrupted because it doesn't have many triggers to interrupt it as this i mainly ambience, but in the conflict tracks it can a new loop or section can be triggered much more easily. Does that make sense?

[@renatoe3417]

@@LouieTaylorMusic Totally, so, to be clear, this certain parts of the tracks in which the "A" loop can be interrupted are determinated by you right? like it is you who say "here, here and there can be interrupted" or the change could be made in any random part? I ask this cause my concern is what happens if the change from loop A to B is produced in the middle of a bar or, even worst (?), on a week time. In this case the meter and rhythm could be felted a little bit weird Im currently working on a game but the music in this game works only vertically, you can trigger the music of certain level in his "memory" version or his "normal version" so, both tracks are similar in length, melody, harmony, etc.. I'm avoiding horizontal changes cause I'm still afraid of it hahahaha.. Question 2: Can I use FMOD by myself? my team doesn't use it but I want to learn. It is there a way to download it for personal learning for free? Thanks for your answer Louie! PD: I'm from Chile so my English is not quite good.

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

@@renatoe3417 Thanks again for your comment. Yeah that is correct, interruptions and triggers are pre-determined by myself or the game developer and are linked to things in the game that can cause it to be triggered. I understand, it's good to try out new things! Why not give it a try! Yes you can use it by yourself. If you go to the FMOD website you can download it for free there. Wow! Great to hear from people so far away from me. Thanks!

[@renatoe3417]

@@LouieTaylorMusic Thanks for you time !

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

@@renatoe3417 my pleasure

[@MusicDirectorOnline]

Really interesting as Ive never fully understood how music for gaming needs to be considered and applied. Just one comment, are you able to put your camera on your desk so we can see you rather than a wider side shot all the time? Thats a minor point, good video :)

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Thanks for your comment! I appreciate you watching the video and i hope you were able to learn something :) Absolutely, I actually used to put my camera on my desk, but I decided to try out a new angle. perhaps it would be good to have two cameras set up to alternate, what do you think?

[@gertklark5029]

Thanks for expanding my knowledge about adaptive music. I have one question. Which files do I have to send to the developer after finishing the work with FMOD?

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Thanks for watching! I’m glad I could help :) I usually would send them the fmod file itself, it contains all the assets (wav files) and events so they can import those into a larger project if needed. However if you’re working on the game more long term, it might be worth discussing downloading the game engine and plugging in fmod to that and staying up to date with things via GitHub. I’m sure they’d be doing that anyway and it would be a good way for you to contribute. I’m working on a new game currently and this is what I do now. Hope that helps and please ask away should you need any more help :)

[@gertklark5029]

@@LouieTaylorMusic Thank you very much for helping me

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

@@gertklark5029 anytime!