Hi ADA! Happy 2019!
tl;dr: Help me decide which platform to make a 4k for by making the music.
In much of my demo production, the music is the starting point. Even when I have a concrete technical idea (and sometimes already implemented it, more or less), it is listening to the music (or a preview of it) which produces the pictures in my mind which allow me to come up with the actual content. I have enjoyed a lot working with different musicians, as their different styles produce very different inspiration.
I want to try an experiment in taking this approach to the extreme. I want the music to be so decisive that it determines which platform I will make a demo for, thus not having a fixed, preconceived notion of the content or technique to be used.
Only the size is fixed: it will be a 4k intro, since this is, you know, my kind of thing.
Thus I am putting forth this challenge to all demoscene musicians: suggest music for my Revision 2019 4k intro and, in doing so, assert influence over which platform I will be making a 4k for.
The options are:
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Windows: You can use any suitable 4k synth, though I might have a bias towards music created using one of my own synths, preferrably
Oidos. ;)
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Amiga: Use
Cinter (ought to get around to putting this on Pouet - oh well). The specific Amiga targeted (OCS or AGA/060) will depend both on the memory usage / precalc time of the music, and on which kind of effect the music inspires me to do.
-
Commodore 64: You can use any editor/player you like, as long as it is single speed and has reasonable raster time usage and reasonable size. You choose which SID version to target.
To take part in the challenge, send a suitable piece of music (the raw project file(s), not just a render) to
blueberry at loonies dot dk. The deadline for submitting (a representative preview of) your music is February 7, 2019. Shortly after this date, I will choose the piece of music that I find most inspiring (and which is otherwise suitable) and work further with the musician based on that. This will give us two months to make the actual intro.
As for the size, there is no hard requirement, as it is a case-by-case tradeoff between the music and the visuals. As a guideline, around 1500 bytes compressed for player plus music is usually reasonable (or somewhat less on Amiga, as there is more effect overhead there, but it depends). Also, the initial version of the music doesn't need to hit the target size. We will work on optimizing and adjusting the music as we go along.
You are of course very welcome to send me drafts for feedback (about style, size and other suitability issues) and to ask further questions here or by mail (or Facebook Messenger). One question you likely have is what kind of music I like. I will deliberately not say too much about this, in order not to constrain you. I would love to be surprised by receiving a style of music very different from my usual demo muzak that gives me inspiration for doing new things.
If I choose not to use your music, you of course retain all rights to it and can use it for some other intro (with me or someone else).
Also, there is of course not a 100% guarantee that the intro ends up being finished in time. As always, real life may come in the way, or I might not receive any music that I find sufficiently inspiring (though I find that unlikely, given all the talented people reading this). On the other hand, I might receive material for several years of 4k intros. This is an experiment, and I hope that a lot of you will want to join in. :)
