Final Production
Instrumentation and Arrangement
Getting the instrumentation right is ABSOLUTELY key and a real art.
Start with the rhythm section. If it used drums are they live, programmed or drum loops?
If it’s an orchestral piece what instruments can you hear?
What instruments are used is one thing. How they are used is quite another.
Density
Notice which instrument is carrying the lead and then work out where the other instruments fall in around it.
Does the lead stay with one instrument or does it swap from one to another?
Position
Think of it as foreground, middle ground and background and try to place each of the sounds you have identified in a separate position.
Instruments may move from one level to another at different points.
Production
The final stage is to listen to the overall production. The following units must be considered:
How has it been recorded? (Quality & performance).
Effects? Is there any compression or EQ? Is there reverb?
What has been done to the drum loop if there is one? Is it compressed, mangled or filtered?
Games and Multimedia
The computer games industry is worth over 10 billion dollars a year and is bigger than the film business.
95% of computer games need music and the developers now realize that the score can make or break a game much like in film.
With millions of dollars being spent bringing a new game to the market, the music and sound design is also huge business.
Video game composer Gerard K. Marino talks about creating music for a game:
Complete Lesson 14 Video Game Activity #1
Complete Lesson 14 Video Game Activity #2