Sonic 4's Soundtrack(s)

[Agent York]

http://blogs.sega.com/usa/2010/03/15/sonic-4-spotlight-whats-in-an-intro-a-whole-lot-actually

Looks like we're getting more music soon.

[Tweaker]

So basically

is how Senoue meant to have Splash Hill's music sound.

[Indigo Rush]

So basically

is how Senoue meant to have Splash Hill's music sound.

Nope, that's how you wanted it to sound.

I for one think Splash Hill is fine as is. I can't see how people can complain for hours and hours about the bitrate and sample choice of a blasted DAC drum sample.

But apparently they can. Ah, how the mind boggles.

EDIT: It's a nice remix though, don't get me wrong. ;P

Edited March 19, 2010 by Indigo Dude

[Aquaslash]

I for one think Splash Hill is fine as is. I can't see how people can complain for hours and hours about the bitrate and sample choice of a blasted DAC drum sample.

Clearly, you're not into percussion (and bass) as much as I am =P

Dude, if I can't even stand bad quality DAC samples in my own hack, did I ever have a chance of approving them in an official game? =P

[DaBatGuy]

The thing is the vast majority of people won't notice these audio "issues" so it's a bit pointless tweak the whole soundtrack just to appeal to a niche of audiophiles.

[Indigo Rush]

Clearly, you're not into percussion (and bass) as much as I am =P

Thanks for judging me. Barely a minute goes by without my hands tapping to the beat of a song in my head.

Dude, if I can't even stand bad quality DAC samples in my own hack, did I ever have a chance of approving them in an official game? =P

That seems to be your issue. I'll be sure not to let it ruin my fun.

[Chooch]

I like Splash Hill Act 1. It's hardly my favorite Sonic song ever, but I still like it.

Very Sonic 2-like, I think.

[Tweaker]

Nope, that's how you wanted it to sound.

That's funny because it absolutely isn't. I wanted the music to sound good, not for it to change a few instruments. You seemed to have missed the point entirely.

I for one think Splash Hill is fine as is. I can't see how people can complain for hours and hours about the bitrate and sample choice of a blasted DAC drum sample.

It's not just the DAC. Compositionally speaking, the tune is very poorly structured and the melody is completely ill-fitting for the level it's meant to portray. Not only that, but the song is in 4/4 timing and cuts off like halfway through the middle of a measure to loop back to the beginning, without even finishing a chord progression. What the fuck is that? It doesn't make sense even for Senoue being the composer. It's just plain disorienting.

But again, it's cool to see that making assumptions holds credence over actual valid complaints.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Tweaker

[Dr. SEGA Monkey]

As much as I love the fact they're using Genesis sounds for the music, it'd be cool to see them release a CD that has all the songs with higher quality instruments. Like what Mega Man 9 did.

[Indigo Rush]

That's funny because it absolutely isn't. I wanted the music to sound good, not for it to change a few instruments. You seemed to have missed the point entirely.

Funny? I'm not laughing. I thought the point was you making it sound the way you thought Jun Senoue meant for it to sound like, which is a pretty bold assumption if you ask me.

It's not just the DAC.

Those are the only people I'm pointing out. Everything below...

Compositionally speaking, the tune is very poorly structured and the melody is completely ill-fitting for the level it's meant to portray. Not only that, but the song is in 4/4 timing and cuts off like halfway through the middle of a measure to loop back to the beginning, without even finishing a chord progression. What the fuck is that? It doesn't make sense even for Senoue being the composer. It's just plain disorienting.

...makes more sense. And yes, I've noticed those oddities too. Difference is I, and many many many people I'm certain don't really care about any of that though.

But again, it's cool to see that making assumptions holds credence over actual valid complaints.

And It's not cool to see people view sarcasm and cynicism as an effective method of debating. But whatever works for you, I guess. (Heh... and no, those complaints really aren't as crucial as you think)

Edited March 20, 2010 by Indigo Dude

[Blue Blood]

Indigo <3

People in this fanbase have been caught up in their own Sonic-based works so much that the official stuff is no longee good enough. It's annoying.

[BlueFlare]

So basically

is how Senoue meant to have Splash Hill's music sound.

I really hope Splash Hill's music would sound more like that! Tons better than the original. I don't mean the original is somehow bad, though.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Peter

[Indigo Rush]

Indigo <3

People in this fanbase have been caught up in their own Sonic-based works so much that the official stuff is no longee good enough. It's annoying.

Tell me about it. While I find that it's a wonderful thing that these fans were inspired to push their creative limits from these games, I'm not exactly convinced they should be using their talent as a standard. This is the world we live in, everybody, and this is one of the reasons no one can please everyone. Closed minds, hardened hearts and ignorance are all factors, and while I'm not pointing specific members out, I'll just say that I'm not the only one here that's annoyed at that. I'm sure I've been unreasonable myself, but come on people, I've seen Retro go so far as making fun of Iizuka's teeth. Wow guys. Would you make fun of your mother's mole on her neck while she was cooking you dinner, even if you knew it wasn't going to taste as good? I'm beginning to consider that maybe you would, but oops, then I'd be assuming.

Anyway, back on topic.

The use of synthetic instruments in this manner I find are very fitting to an older Sonic game. Back before they could really replicate real instruments, they'd use this kind of music, and I think it's a good direction, at least for the spirit of this title. I'll be honest and say I was hoping for something more along the lines of this for Splash Hill Zone in terms of sound, but I have confidence in SEGA's and Jun Senoue's decision.

As for the melody complaints, yes, I see how they could never compare to the original, and the absence of a catchy lead in are a little disappointing...

...but it is in no way a reason for me to not buy the game. If you guys don't like it, and you have the 360 version, use a custom soundtrack option or something and use your own music. Seems to be what they're planning anyway.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Indigo Dude

[Core]

Not only that, but the song is in 4/4 timing and cuts off like halfway through the middle of a measure to loop back to the beginning, without even finishing a chord progression. What the fuck is that? It doesn't make sense even for Senoue being the composer. It's just plain disorienting

Assuming I understand well what you're talking about, I'm pretty sure it's just the music on the website that's cut like that, and that it will not be like that in the game. The version you can download doesn't have that cut.

[Tweaker]

Assuming I understand well what you're talking about, I'm pretty sure it's just the music on the website that's cut like that, and that it will not be like that in the game. The version you can download doesn't have that cut.

It does. You can tell because the second half of the song--the part that appears to be sort of a loop, but isn't entirely--differs slightly from the first half compositionally, which means it was intentionally cut off. It was indeed just made like that.

Funny? I'm not laughing. I thought the point was you making it sound the way you thought Jun Senoue meant for it to sound like, which is a pretty bold assumption if you ask me.

Yeah, that was the joke. I just took 5 minutes to apply similar patches from most Senoue tunes in Sonic Adventure to make it sound like how he composed it. It's a lot more similar to his more recent guitar-based works structurally, and editing the song as such makes that pretty apparent. I made it after Chimpo pointed out that he could hear Senoue's guitar bits littered throughout the tune, and I totally agreed. I whipped this up to prove it wasn't just an idle thought.

Difference is I, and many many many people I'm certain don't really care about any of that though.

You and many other people don't care if the content in the game sucks dick and doesn't even make sense from a structural viewpoint?

Shit, I guess there's no arguing with that.

And It's not cool to see people view sarcasm and cynicism as an effective method of debating. But whatever works for you, I guess. (Heh... and no, those complaints really aren't as crucial as you think)

This is a debate? Man, I think we're on two totally different pages here.

People in this fanbase have been caught up in their own Sonic-based works so much that the official stuff is no longee good enough. It's annoying.

I hope you're not implying that I'm preaching superiority over official works with this particular tune, because I'm not. I only did that with my title screen remix, and that's because it was better. Again, I outright stated several times I did it in a 5 minute timespan. What the hell kind of serious effort is finished in 5 minutes? You people need to stop making mountains out of fucking molehills. It's a goddamned video game.

I also think it's ridiculous that I'm not "allowed" to dislike content in a Sonic game just because a lot of other people dislike it. I don't think all the music is bad, for example--the menu tune from that leaked video is pretty rad--but I feel that Splash Hill's music is structured weird as fuck and doesn't really fit the levels at all. I also think the title screen music is really not that catchy the way it's arranged. The difference is instead of whining about how much it sucks, I did something about it. I don't really care if you like it or not.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Tweaker

[Blue Blood]

I hope you're not implying that I'm preaching superiority over official works with this particular tune, because I'm not. I only did that with my title screen remix, and that's because it was better. Again, I outright stated several times I did it in a 5 minute timespan. What the hell kind of serious effort is finished in 5 minutes? You people need to stop making mountains out of fucking molehills. It's a goddamned video game.

I also think it's ridiculous that I'm not "allowed" to dislike content in a Sonic game just because a lot of other people dislike it. I don't think all the music is bad, for example--the menu tune from that leaked video is pretty rad--but I feel that Splash Hill's music is structured weird as fuck and doesn't really fit the levels at all. I also think the title screen music is really not that catchy the way it's arranged. The difference is instead of whining about how much it sucks, I did something about it. I don't really care if you like it or not.

You're always preaching superiority over official work, that's the thing. Always, always, always. And mountains out of molehills? BAW THE MUSIC COMPOSITION ISN'T PERFECT! I HAVE TO PROVE MY OPINIONS ARE RIGHT! I am so fucking fed up not with people disliking stuff, but people disliking everything and constantly going on about how it's wrong.

Rant over- I don't want to discuss any of this. So, looking forward to hearing the Casino Street music more than anything else. If it's anything like Casino Night it should be pretty awesome.

[Tweaker]

You're always preaching superiority over official work, that's the thing. Always, always, always.

Put up or shut up, bro. Feel free to find more than the one example that I just admitted to. Can't find it? That's because it doesn't exist. Shut the fuck up.

I'm of the opinion that a good 99% of fan works don't even hold a candle to the official works, and the arrogance of most people who believe they do is more annoying to me than you can imagine. Sonic Fan Games HQ instilled a good policy when they banned the promotion of fan games as "better than SEGA," because it points out that they're really, really not. Most of them just reuse graphics from other games! Gimme a fucking break.

And mountains out of molehills? BAW THE MUSIC COMPOSITION ISN'T PERFECT! I HAVE TO PROVE MY OPINIONS ARE RIGHT!

First off, you've already destroyed the credibility of your argument by pulling tired 4chan memes out of your ass to try and make it look like I'm whining. You're the one freaking out over an opinion, bro, so if anything you're the one who needs that phrase shoved in his face. Except I'm not going to, because I'm not an antagonizing douchebag who goes on an inane tangent just because somebody shared an offhanded fan work and dares have a valid basis for disliking something from a Sonic game. God fucking forbid.

I am so fucking fed up not with people disliking stuff, but people disliking everything and constantly going on about how it's wrong.

NEWS FLASH: PEOPLE HAVE SUBJECTIVE PREFERENCES. Most of them are fucking retarded. At least I put some thought, reasoning, and even an example work behind illustrating my point.

Rant over- I don't want to discuss any of this.

You're gonna be discussing a lot more if you keep making posts like that.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Tweaker

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

*dodges flames and snipers*

Splash Hill Act 1 does not inspire me with much confidence for the game's soundtrack. This is a problem for me as I've noticed in recent years that my ability to enjoy a game and clear it are contingent on the soundtrack and the gameplay being above average, with the soundtrack actually having a greater influence on my ability to enjoy a game than the gameplay. Unusual, sure, but that's just how I am. I've lost count of the number of high profile releases I've abandoned before finishing in recent years just because the soundtrack was uninspiring.

So that Splash Hill Act 1 is compositionally bland and uninteresting - the audio equivalent of "oh hey guys, Sonic's back (intro fanfare section) and to celebrate we're going to take a nice sedate walk across the local seafront, whee! (the rest of the track)" - is probably going to make the entire first act feel bland and disappointing. The arrangement is poor and speaks of laziness on Jun's part - that or being so paranoid not to destroy the intended classic feel that he takes literally no risks whatsoever with the composition and throws in the Sonic 1 drum sample as a good luck charm. It's not bad, just... there. There's nothing substantial to it, no hook... nothing. The definition of audio wallpaper.

In a franchise with consistently strong soundtracks dating back to Sonic 1, that's a really bad sign. Every Sonic game has had a soundtrack where at least one track, if not most or all of them, have been catchy and memorable. To break that tradition now would be incredibly disappointing. :/

[Core]

It does. You can tell because the second half of the song--the part that appears to be sort of a loop, but isn't entirely--differs slightly from the first half compositionally, which means it was intentionally cut off. It was indeed just made like that.

... Well, I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, but I don't understand what you mean. Maybe I didn't understand what you were talking about after all.

[Indigo Rush]

Jeez, Tweaker.

I don't even know what to say to half of everything you just said, except that you need to chill out and get this game off your mind for a while. I don't know. Do something that isn't involved with this game, because if anything it's making you come across as a big jerk.

That's all I have to say.

[Pelly <3's U]

Chilll out people.

[LATER BUDDY]

Alright guys, can we get off each others' backs now? Can't people just be cool when they say the do or don't like something? Plus, with most of the speed demons here, all of you will fly through the Acts of Splash Hill in 30 seconds flat each and then move on to the next level.

-Blur

[slam422]

I hope you all don't hate me for saying this. I've never been one to enjoy the music of the first zone of a Sonic game, as they usually tend to be not all that exciting to begin with (with very few exceptions scattered here and there). Splash Hill, to me, is yet another example of this; mostly due to the fact of the direction the musical style has taken (a pseudo-genesis/synth-ish sound). I'm not saying that it's horribly bad, of course; it's just not my cup of tea. I'm sure that other tracks in this episode & future episodes will probably be good, though.

Edited March 31, 2010 by Chris
Link begone!

[Tweaker]

Jeez, Tweaker.

I don't even know what to say to half of everything you just said, except that you need to chill out and get this game off your mind for a while. I don't know. Do something that isn't involved with this game, because if anything it's making you come across as a big jerk.

That's all I have to say.

You two are the ones that insulted me for posting an offhanded fan work and I'm the jerk. Right. Do you have a self-entitlement complex or something?

[Sean]

Okay, enough. We've already had two mods step in, so everybody drop it already.