[Csnd] Csound to make Metroid prime style soundtrack (and making video game music in general)

Date	2025-07-21 19:00
From	kabilan west
Subject	[Csnd] Csound to make Metroid prime style soundtrack (and making video game music in general)
	Dear Mailing list, I am considering making video game music and audio using csound due to its text file nature (hence it works well in unix) and freedom it provides. If possible I would like to make music inspired by the Metroid Prime Soundtrack ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15_PGFMJ4E4&list=PL60AC8FAD43BF869C ) which clearly is non-traditional but is also a musical composition with mainstream appeal. I usually see a lot of experimental and algorithmic sounds made in csound, which I think are really cool, but not really anything that I would think is Video Game Music. I understand the basics of csound, for example I have gone through csound toots twice and the beginner chapter of the csound book. I am a comfortable programmer. I understand that making music of a similar quality to the link I provided is going to be challenging and requires time and effort. I have no formal training in music, I know a few chords on guitar and learnt a few songs a while ago, however I aim to learn music as a hobby. 1) Is Csound still a good choice as a piece of software or DAW for video game music pieces like the youtube video linked? [My guess is yes] 2) Can you link me to any good resources on how to make such music? Code Examples, Books, Artists, Forums specific to music making in csound etc [I only have the csound book and accompanying cd] Thank you so much for your time. Kind regards, Kabilan. Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Date	2025-07-21 20:23
From	"Jeanette C."
Subject	Re: [Csnd] Csound to make Metroid prime style soundtrack (and making video game music in general)
	Dear Kabilan, I listened to a few pieces from that playlist. I think that Csound is certainly a good support tool. If you really want orchestral sounds or other samples, possibly properly multi-sampled, I wouldn't go for Csound only. I have heard that quite a few people, create some sounds in Csound, render them to disk and load them as samples in other software, especially for piece with typical song structures. It also depends on how you want to organise your music and how it should react to the game itself. Csound and Unity seem to be good partners, that's Giuseppe's territory though. I have done a few mainstreamier pieces with Csound. It was a lot of fun and a very good learning experience. But I have to admit: there are definitely faster ways to work. :) As a very rough starting point I'd say: for good textures, crazy sounds or something really specific, go for Csound. For the rest: use a more classic DAW or even a modern tracker-like tool. Without knowing more, I wouldn't like to suggest something more specific. Best wishes, Jeanette -- * Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMS4rfGrTwz8W7jhC1Jnv7g * Audiobombs: https://www.audiobombs.com/users/jeanette_c * GitHub: https://github.com/jeanette-c Give me a sign... Hit me Baby one more time <3 (Britney Spears) Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Date	2025-07-22 15:58
From	kabilan west
Subject	Re: [Csnd] Csound to make Metroid prime style soundtrack (and making video game music in general)
	Dear Jeanette, Thank you for your message. I think I should consider using tools like lmms for ease of production. Thank you for your time, Kabilan. On Mon, 21 Jul 2025 at 20:22, Jeanette C. <julien@mail.upb.de> wrote: Dear Kabilan, I listened to a few pieces from that playlist. I think that Csound is certainly a good support tool. If you really want orchestral sounds or other samples, possibly properly multi-sampled, I wouldn't go for Csound only. I have heard that quite a few people, create some sounds in Csound, render them to disk and load them as samples in other software, especially for piece with typical song structures. It also depends on how you want to organise your music and how it should react to the game itself. Csound and Unity seem to be good partners, that's Giuseppe's territory though. I have done a few mainstreamier pieces with Csound. It was a lot of fun and a very good learning experience. But I have to admit: there are definitely faster ways to work. :) As a very rough starting point I'd say: for good textures, crazy sounds or something really specific, go for Csound. For the rest: use a more classic DAW or even a modern tracker-like tool. Without knowing more, I wouldn't like to suggest something more specific. Best wishes, Jeanette -- * Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMS4rfGrTwz8W7jhC1Jnv7g * Audiobombs: https://www.audiobombs.com/users/jeanette_c * GitHub: https://github.com/jeanette-c Give me a sign... Hit me Baby one more time <3 (Britney Spears) Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Date	2025-07-22 19:46
From	"Jeanette C."
Subject	Re: [Csnd] Csound to make Metroid prime style soundtrack (and making video game music in general)
	Dear Kabilan, I hope that, whatever you use, it works out for you. Never forsake Csound completely though, for the aleatoric part of composition, sound design and the like it is fantastic! -- And perhaps look out for someone else replying. there are definitely people closer to your own application than me. Best wishes, Jeanette Jul 22 2025, kabilan west has written: > Dear Jeanette, > > Thank you for your message. I think I should consider using tools like lmms > for ease of production. > > Thank you for your time, > Kabilan. > > On Mon, 21 Jul 2025 at 20:22, Jeanette C. wrote: > >> Dear Kabilan, >> I listened to a few pieces from that playlist. I think that Csound is >> certainly a good support tool. If you really want orchestral sounds or >> other >> samples, possibly properly multi-sampled, I wouldn't go for Csound only. >> >> I have heard that quite a few people, create some sounds in Csound, render >> them to disk and load them as samples in other software, especially for >> piece >> with typical song structures. It also depends on how you want to organise >> your >> music and how it should react to the game itself. Csound and Unity seem to >> be >> good partners, that's Giuseppe's territory though. >> >> I have done a few mainstreamier pieces with Csound. It was a lot of fun >> and a >> very good learning experience. But I have to admit: there are definitely >> faster ways to work. :) >> >> As a very rough starting point I'd say: for good textures, crazy sounds or >> something really specific, go for Csound. For the rest: use a more classic >> DAW >> or even a modern tracker-like tool. >> >> Without knowing more, I wouldn't like to suggest something more specific. >> >> Best wishes, >> >> Jeanette >> >> -- >> * Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound >> * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMS4rfGrTwz8W7jhC1Jnv7g >> * Audiobombs: https://www.audiobombs.com/users/jeanette_c >> * GitHub: https://github.com/jeanette-c >> >> Give me a sign... >> Hit me Baby one more time <3 >> (Britney Spears) >> >> Csound mailing list >> Csound@listserv.heanet.ie >> https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND >> Send bugs reports to >> https://github.com/csound/csound/issues >> Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here >> > > Csound mailing list > Csound@listserv.heanet.ie > https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND > Send bugs reports to > https://github.com/csound/csound/issues > Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here > -- * Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMS4rfGrTwz8W7jhC1Jnv7g * Audiobombs: https://www.audiobombs.com/users/jeanette_c * GitHub: https://github.com/jeanette-c 'Cause living in a dream of you and me Is not the way my life should be... <3 (Britney Spears) Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here