Special Levels Music for String Quartet!

[ccexplore]

The problem I think namida is trying to articulate is what you did with the bass line (the cello part).  You kind of simplify it too much to the point of losing the critical harmonic progressions in some places (particularly in theme A).  Also in your arrangement the bass line is often not quite loud enough and tends to get lost over the other parts, and since the bass line also provides a counterpoint rhythm against the melody, the bass line getting lost would also weaken the rhythmic structure (though adding percussion may help offset this a little).

Here's the Amiga version for reference.  It's not really that different from SNES version, I think either version's bass line will work if you stick closer to the original notes and make the bass line stand out more.  It's also quite possible that this is just one of those tunes that are harder to adapt for string quartet similar to my concerns with Awesome for example.

[namida]

The Master System version might be well suited to this, actually. The downside being it doens't include the full normal track; only the "main" part of it (I may be biased in considering it this, since this is the first version I knew of the track).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6sJpJklWxI&list=PL3ADEFF9336CC2B12&index=7

[RubiX]

Great stuff!

[Hypotenuse]

Very good point about the way I kind of pushed the cello part to the back at times. I'll give that another look and see how that changes it. I also feel like what's really missing from this one (in contrast to the other one (Tim 3? Tim 2?) is that nice counter melody. Tim 3 (?) had a viola part in their that really filled out the puzzle; perhaps I can work something like that in there. Maybe I can layer the two melodies on top of each other at some point (spoliler alert: I did this in "Beast").

[Hypotenuse]

In a slight change of style, and primarily thanks to my laziness when it comes to going back and revising, I took to arranging the SNES title theme for piano. (The one real perk of piano arranging on NoteFlight is that its piano audio track sounds a lot more realistic than its string instrument audio track.) Enjoy!
"SNES Title Theme for Piano:" https://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/5ae138aee84f2a32e4561a3ddde4822732f85ef1

[ccexplore]

I played around with Ascending Pillar Disco a little, and I think your idea of percussion is spot-on.  Attached MIDI's a slightly modified version, where instead of percussion, I made the viola part basically emulate what the percussion would do.  That little added bit of steady rhythm seems to be enough to make it work.

[namida]

It sounds nice, though it feels like the main melody should be a tad louder relative to the rest.

[Hypotenuse]

Oh yes, I highly approve of that tweak there, ccexplore! As an arranging traditionalist who really doesn't like having to add percussion, I definitely like what you did there with the viola part. Also, whatever software you are using there has a far more accurate audio playback of string instruments than cheapy ol' NoteFlight, lol. Would you mind sharing the score for your version, so I can compare on paper?

[ccexplore]

Also, whatever software you are using there has a far more accurate audio playback of string instruments than cheapy ol' NoteFlight, lol. Would you mind sharing the score for your version, so I can compare on paper?

Actually in terms of audio playback, the software used to compose doesn't really matter in this case, as I saved/exported it as MIDI file format, which does not contain instrument sounds on its own.  For most Windows PCs, MIDIs will be played through a software MIDI synthesizer that comes with Windows since XP, thus using whatever instrument sounds that provides.  It's not bad, but undoubtedly one can probably find more professional software out there with much more authentic instrument sound samples than whatever comes with the MIDI synthesizer (especially if you pay).

The software used to compose it is Noteworthy Composer, more precisely, an unregistered free trial version from over 10 years ago.  Honestly it's not all that better than NoteFlight, it's just happened to be something I found back in the day and still have a copy of.  I've attached PDF of the score.

[Hypotenuse]

I noticed something today. I left my score of the Special Levels Quartet public and open to search because I am terrible at editing and viewing settings. I suppose some of you may have already found it by this point. And, that, combined with my continued inability and general laziness when it comes to contacting people and rehearsing has led me to indefinitely put a live recording of that on hold and (drumroll, please) post a link here. I am, as always, open to feedback, but this one is pretty set in stone. Nonetheless, all comments appreicated. Noteflight got a new format recently, so you might have to hunt for the play button, but I trust you all to find it. Enjoy!
-Hyp
"Special Levels for String Quartet:" https://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/8f8b948274d51b016eaeff01c750f23272a3fdcb
P.S. (Purely for "legal" purposes) I just listed the composer as "Psygnosis," this should really say "Tim Wright and David Whittaker" but that took up too much space.

[namida]

Beast: There are a few parts where there's noticable awkward silence before a new note starts. I don't know if this is avoidable at all, but may be worth looking into (perhaps start the new note a fraction of a time unit sooner?). It definitely has a very creepy feel that would suit the level well!

Menace: Sorry to say, this one sounds a bit off. Some of the timings don't seem quite right, some parts have too much silence again, and some "double notes" (I'm not sure what the technical term is - two of the same note quickly in succession) sound excessive. I think this music just isn't generally suited to strings, though. I like some of the creative freedom you've taken throughout it though.

Awesome: The start bit (with the four long rising notes), the 3rd note seems to cut off early in both iterations. Overall though, this one is very nice! I feel it'd be even better with some drumming, though...

BeastII: The very first section of "background" notes sound off-key (a bit high, I think)? A few background notes near the end sound a tad off too, very minorly though. Aside from those small detail though, this one is simply AMAZING!

[ccexplore]

Overall I think they all work reasonably fine for me, even Menacing works okay for me.  I've heard versions from at least 3-4 different ports so in some cases, I wonder if it's just a matter of you basing sections off from a different port than one namida's used to hearing?

Beast:
  - measure 12, cello part: it really shouldn't go to C# on the fourth beat, leave it on F# for the whole measure.
  - the staccato notes often seem a little too short and barely audible against the melody and bass line, feel like it could either be a little louder or not as short.
  - measure 33 etc.: in many if not all ports, the harmonic progression there starts with 4 measures of F# follow by 4 measures of C#.  In your viola part there you basically leave it on C# throughout that whole section.  That's a fairly long time leaving the harmony completely static, I think the 4 measures of F# will work better.

Menacing:
  - I think the "double note" is okay, some ports like the Amiga are actually a little more like that (although typically not quite as prominent as this arrangement, because of the percussion and bassline).  I'll accept it as a creativity choice.  It is a fair point that having it mostly in double notes will probably create a slightly different rhythmic feel than the original with less doubling.
  - measures 76-79: this may be the part where namida hears too much silence.  There are no sustained notes in those measures, maybe there should be some (on C)?
  - measure 114, 122: those two measures lack sustained notes and stand out oddly against surrounding measures that have them.
  - measures 123-127:  this transition just doesn't make much sense to me, sorry.  Granted, it's perhaps not easy to come up with a good one going from Menacing to Awesome.

Awesome:
  - Yeah, I heard the same "3rd note cut off early" as namida, and it is as notated in the score.  I have to say like namida I don't agree with the choice.  At the very least, the cutoff should be shorter (try an 8th or 16th rest instead of the current quarter rest, if you still want a cutoff there).

Beast II:
  - namida points out that, relative to a number of ports including Amiga and Genesis, the viola notes in measures 174-176 is higher than usual (usually G#, you have D#).  But there are also other ports that play that part with percussion of indeterminate pitch, so I don't think it matters too much what pitch you choose there.
  - the staccato notes are once again too short and too soft for me (can you really even make them sound that short on a real violin/viola?)
  - I feel like having only the cello play a soft (mp) note as the final closing measure is a little too wimpy?  At the very least, feels like every instrument should be playing something there.

[Hypotenuse]

I don't have a ton of time to address stuff right this minute, but the awkward transition you reference from menacing to awesome was actually not a transition. It was meant to imitate "danger, danger" at the end of the menacing music. Also the "overly-short" nature of the staccato notes is just a lame facet of noteflight as a whole, real staccato doesn't sound that ugly. (Also, yes the double note exists in the Amiga version, and that was the primary track I used.) Couple of other things: the dramatic pauses in Awesome at the beginning were intentional, as was the little jumpy-section in menacing. Ccex is dead on about the C#-forever viola bit in beast, I just got lazy there. As for the BeastII beginning bit, those pitches are dead on with whatever version I used, I think Amiga, but yes I think it varies by port.

[Hypotenuse]

Ok, so it's been awhile hasn't it? Well, I have some exciting news. Live performance tonight (in about 2 hours) of something you have heard part of. As for the rest of it, those of you who played Pieuw's PimoLems will probably recognize it. (I'll go ahead and spoil that this is not the Special Levels Quartet. That one is still in the works.) I will have it recorded and will post a link to it on YouTube as soon as we are done. Be on the lookout for it later tonight.

[ccexplore]

Awesome (no pun intended or whatever ), looking forward to it!