Dark Fantasy Lute Trio

A piece primarily for lutes I composed inspired by the aesthetic of games like Diablo and Blasphemous, but with a more classical approach to the composition. This is the non-looping version.

I wound up using entirely string instruments by accident. Even all the supporting parts are some kind of string lol.

Let me know what you think of it!

Also, if you're playing Diablo IV, send me a PM and we can play sometime.

Hey Chris,

23 minutes ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

I wound up using entirely string instruments by accident. Even all the supporting parts are some kind of string lol.

Let me know what you think of it!

It seems that this accident is totally a very good choice. I love the lute solo as it does portray the more antique style of music like the themes inspired by Diablo. The pizzicato bass is a great support to it. One thing I can think of is maybe to use viols instead of violins for the more antique sound in the melodic part? I don't know. The glissandos near the end is great. One more thing I enjoy is your heterophonic texture, when the lute and violin are playing the ornamented version of the same melody, and this really strengthens the Gothic mood of the piece.

31 minutes ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

Also, if you're playing Diablo IV, send me a PM and we can play sometime.

Sad I've given up playing games for so many years LOL... It's real fun to play with friends!!

Thanks for sharing!

Henry

19 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

One thing I can think of is maybe to use viols instead of violins for the more antique sound in the melodic part?

Well you see, the only problem with using viola instead of violin, is that my solo viola samples suck lol

19 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

The glissandos near the end is great

Thanks, yes I was quite happy with them also

19 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Sad I've given up playing games for so many years LOL

To be honest, gaming is kinda just a bad habit.

A fun one, tho

19 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for listening and feedback!

For the strings they should be balanced a little better, slightly louder in my opinion. However this recording sounds really realistic. Did you play the instruments and layer them in or something? What techniques did you use?

I love the tune though! Was this tune inspired by Greek folk music by any chance?

2 hours ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

To be honest, gaming is kinda just a bad habit.

A fun one, tho

Without moderation, it can be a bad habit. 

Also, I just finished teh campaign in D4. Let's get you caught up dude!! Sorc/rogue pwns

As far as the music, gahdamboi. You're so good at a logical tone color for what you're going for. Teach me your mixing ways. Dope music friend 

On 6/27/2023 at 12:27 AM, chopin said:

For the strings they should be balanced a little better, slightly louder in my opinion

Yes, these strings are a pain honestly. CS2

They are recorded and their default mic settings way too quiet, so I always have to fiddle with volume, which I have a policy of avoiding having to mess with volume faders as much as possible.

On 6/27/2023 at 12:27 AM, chopin said:

However this recording sounds really realistic

Thanks!

On 6/27/2023 at 12:27 AM, chopin said:

Did you play the instruments and layer them in or something? What techniques did you use?

I played them all in with the MIDI controller yes, but automated the tempo afterwards with markers in Reaper. The lute library itself comes from Era II: Medieval Legends. IMO one of the best sample libraries out there; all of Tarilonte's stuff is worth the money. 

The solo violin is the one from the old Symphonic Orchestra. It mostly uses the martele, expressive and octave slide up/dn articulations. 

Other than that, I just sent the tracks into different reverbs. In this track there is one for a "far" setting and the other for the closer reverb. Both are the same reverb, but the farther one is wetter signal.

The only other thing I guess I'd call a technique is that I have various CCs mapped to faders on my MIDI controller. So like, for the short notes on the string ensemble, staccato and staccatissimo are mapped to one of my faders; above 50% is longer staccato, and below gives you staccatissimo. I have most of my libraries set up so that the faders control different instrument parameters in real time.

You really cannot beat having real-time feedback on volume, expression, vibrato, articulation etc. IMO it really does make the whole process faster and easier to achieve realism when you have a tactile connection with the sound of the virtual instrument in real time. It just allows for more accurate and precise control, but a lot of cheaper MIDI controllers don't even come with anything other than the modwheel.

On 6/27/2023 at 12:27 AM, chopin said:

Was this tune inspired by Greek folk music by any chance?

No, but I do love Greek folk music, so maybe

On 6/27/2023 at 12:40 AM, Thatguy v2.0 said:

As far as the music, gahdamboi. You're so good at a logical tone color for what you're going for.

Haha thanks man!

On 6/27/2023 at 12:40 AM, Thatguy v2.0 said:

Teach me your mixing ways. Dope music friend 

I guess what do you want to know is my question? I'm not sure how I can help

This has a very medieval flavor to me.  Even if medieval music is actually quite far removed from how this sounds, it sounds old-fashioned for being so firmly set in its G minor tonality.  And, of course the instrumentation also contributes to this impression - the lute and the strings all sound great and give the right mood for what you meant it to be.  I guess I just wish it could substantially stray from its stereotypical sound and tonality in some more melodically and harmonically interesting way.  Not that it doesn't have interesting melodies either and the harmony is rightfully subservient to the melodic material, but I wish it could be more than just the mood music it was conceived as.  I did enjoy it of course though - no complaints there.  Thanks for sharing!