Oh shoot, I didn't know Geoff passed away. 😕 Also, I'm literally about to launch a tribute video to Tim's musical magistry on a particular game. I'll let everyone guess which one it is. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
Follin's atmospheric soundtracks always deliver a very distinct feeling and atmosphere that suits the game. This and c64 ghouls and ghosts are my best examples. Very nice stuff
It really was one of those games where, as a kid, i didnt even begin to realize what was drawing me continually back to games with sounds such as these. Thinking back, i played some pretty craptastic games, over and over, just for the sounds. Not even realizing it or ever giving the notion a fraction of a thought.
Let's just say that Tim Follin was, and still is, a wizard when it comes to soundchips. He may be retired these days, but it used to be that he could make unreal compositions on just about any chip that was sent his way - even if that meant doing what seemed like the impossible.
I love these classic sounds: The same strings used in Castlevania IV and the pitched drums and choir that are in Super Metroid. Follins always delivers.
This has got to be the most unique feeling for a SNES soundtrack, 90% ambiance and 10% melody. Wish there was more like this in other games that mixes the two instead of picking usually melodies or ambiance instead of both!
Actually, the noise, here wasn't sampled. It's a feature of the sound chip. It can produce a very similar procedural noise, similar to the NES, hence why it sounds so clear.
Did the ingame tracks really just utilize 4 channels? and 4 for sound effects? (sound effects are sparsely used in the game) so I wonder why Tim & Geoff limited themselves down to 4 channels of audio on the ingame tracks. The snow dungeon is my favorite level and music, very meditative and relaxing! I played & beat the game in 90s and even play it nowadays! Great slow game with difficult puzzles for awesome relaxation and meditation. Super soundtrack!
That's not really the full answer. Yes, one reason is, that there's sound effects, that need to play independently off the music, but the code responsible for playback of these pieces also saves much space, if less channels are used. Of course there are some exceptions: The title theme, ending theme and game over theme use all 8, since they should sound more 'epic', than the rest and because there are no sfx output during their playtime.
@galaxy_racc00n I see! But strange considering Tim said in interviews that he wanted to make the music sounding as "made with real instruments" as possible, but limiting himself down channel wise at the same time. Tim hated chipsounds and said that the soundchips in those computers are just for bleep and bloop sound fx, not for making music with them.
@@user-ql2re2es9y Oh really? I sadly don't know too much of the GBA sound chip. But I already made the Boss theme on the N163 (NES) and I'm probably gonna upload it today. And I was wrong. There are many periodic waves. Trumpet, Brass, Clarinet, Piano etc.
@@user-ql2re2es9y the GBA's audio is actually a bit closer to what was in the Sega 32X, in that it makes use of software mixing to mix music and sound effects together. Typically, early GBA games had poor sound quality while later GBA games had more decent sound quality.
@@cemstrumental Actually the GBA lacks a sound chip. It's sample sounds are generated by the CPU(pretty much like the ZX Spectrum before the 128k machines). What can be considered a sound chip on the GBA is actually the GBC sound chip (present there for backwards compatibility).
I don't see the issue. Many people have been noticing these sync issues lately, and they appear to be on RUclips's end. I would wait a while and check the video again to see if the problem goes away, which it seems to do for some reason.
11:36 this part RIGHT HERE gives me so many chills. Just the subtle atmosphere sounds of water dripping down into some kind of puddle. And to do it on a SNES, too.
So unique, even today. I like how the tracks come in and out as you're roaming the dungeons in the game. You'll get little splurges of sound effects, water, heart-beat, etc... then a little music will kick up. It's great.
the ppl who thought dkc is more ambient are dorks (bc they literally stereotyped nintendo, especially being an overall best gaming company at that time) afaik
@@Plasmariel You could, but with significant cuts. A Mega Drive can do things with super long envelopes which a SNES couldn't efficiently replicate due to its small audio memory. But of course, if Toy Story is anything to go by, you can basically do Amiga music on the Mega Drive. not sure what the drawbacks would be regarding processing overhead, but it certainly can be done.
@@Plasmariel I am aware. but doing it to the level of a Mega Drive would be next to impossible to my knowledge. Not to mention that the FM already needs two channels to work in the first place.
Thank you for posting this. It is a remarkable piece of programming and composition. Very reminiscent of bands like Camel and other music of the prog-rock era. The balance between tantalising and atmospheric is spot on in creating an immersive acoustic environment. Love it.
1. Record audio of the individual channels and the full songs with an emulator (or real hardware if the luxury is available) 2. Edit the audio in Audacity (e.g. amplification, fade-outs, high-pass filter) and export .wav files 3. Import .wav files into corrscope, adjusting video settings if needed 4. Export video and upload You can get most of the programs you'll need by just googling them.
@@TDGCmote Actually it can. The SNES can actually modulate one sample's frequency by another. yes it takes up two channels to do it, but nevertheless, it can. I love the Mega Drive more than the SNES, but don't discredit the SPC700. It's still a nice soundchip uwu
@@cemstrumental Super Mario World and many Squaresoft games actually use the noise generator. In fact, you can modulate the frequency of one channel with another, which is how many sound effects are made in Squaresoft games, particularly wind sounds
@@autumnbrushtail Huh. I'm sure The SNES has channels with PCM sample playback only and the wind and noise sounds are just the 21st, 24th and 33rd, sample in the cardridges ROM. Can you give me a source with your information? I might be mistaken.
@@cemstrumental Retro Game Mechanics Explained has a video going over every single aspect of the SPC700, not to mention I own a plugin for music production that can be used to create literal .spc files for playback on SNES which has these features.
![Tim Follin - “Treasure Master (NES)” Full Soundtrack [Oscilloscope View]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UvKNOTcrpUU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Tim Follin - “Treasure Master (NES)” Full Soundtrack [Oscilloscope View]](/img/tr.png)
![Tim Follin - "Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Amiga)" (Full Soundtrack) [Oscilloscope View]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0C8FLp8KoUQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Stéphane Picq - “KGB/Conspiracy (PC)” Full Soundtrack (AdLib) [Oscilloscope View]](/img/1.gif)
RIP Geoff, thanks for the amaizing music it will always be part of my life. ❤🙏❤
I came here just because of him!
Oh shoot, I didn't know Geoff passed away. 😕 Also, I'm literally about to launch a tribute video to Tim's musical magistry on a particular game. I'll let everyone guess which one it is.
🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
WWWWHAT??!!!
You serious, Geoff Follin is RIP?!!
@@FukiMakai Cancer, he was only 58. Really sad.
My absolute favorite song from this game is Tori. Something about those choir pads make the song sound so majestic.
What exactly is a choir pad?
@@Sh-hg8kf it's a synth instrument that's supposed to sound like an ensemble of singers (hence the name "choir").
Both that and Deeso. I prefer Deeso a bit more since it’s more like it came straight out of a movie. The intense part, and then the silence.
Same here, it’s incredible to listen to for the first time.
especially the water dropping...
Follin's atmospheric soundtracks always deliver a very distinct feeling and atmosphere that suits the game.
This and c64 ghouls and ghosts are my best examples.
Very nice stuff
The C64 Ghouls n' Ghosts soundtrack is a masterpiece.
I think these are the same samples used in his amiga works.
This makes me ... This is ... I don't understand how this soundtrack is on a SNES ... This gives me a lot of different emotions listening to it.
It really was one of those games where, as a kid, i didnt even begin to realize what was drawing me continually back to games with sounds such as these. Thinking back, i played some pretty craptastic games, over and over, just for the sounds. Not even realizing it or ever giving the notion a fraction of a thought.
Let's just say that Tim Follin was, and still is, a wizard when it comes to soundchips.
He may be retired these days, but it used to be that he could make unreal compositions on just about any chip that was sent his way - even if that meant doing what seemed like the impossible.
@Klaymodo Post Office Could you please let me know where I can find this information about the drivers by SC?
@@NEStalgia Ste Ruddy has a RUclips channel of his own (youtube.com/@steruddy271?si=n7ubAgczKNNfMZ4o) showcasing some of the drivers he’s made
@klaymodopostoffice9885I agree with NEStalga this is highly valuable info would love to know more
I love these classic sounds: The same strings used in Castlevania IV and the pitched drums and choir that are in Super Metroid. Follins always delivers.
Equinox is in my top 10 games that I played as a young man & Ive always loved this OST...😉
This has got to be the most unique feeling for a SNES soundtrack, 90% ambiance and 10% melody.
Wish there was more like this in other games that mixes the two instead of picking usually melodies or ambiance instead of both!
I can think of several... Secret of Evermore, Last Bible III, Terranigma, Clock Tower, and Super Metroid.
Why is this so cool and why did i not discover it so much sooner???
Can I swear? I need to swear. Just once to emphasise something: simply fucking beautiful.
The intro to Atlena is nothing short of amazing 22:12
honestly so cool they only used 4 channels for a lot of the tracks
this is one of the best chiptune osts I've ever heard, very relaxing
Oh my gosh, that ending makes me cry every time. It's just, beautiful.
The Boss theme went from your typical RPG Boss theme to Earthbound Boss theme!
More like plok
@@Plasmariel Now feels like a mixture between Plok Boss theme & Battle against a Machine from Earthbound.
@@Plasmariel It's the same composer!
Battle Against a Machine
@@basilflute I'm talking about Plok and Equinox
Man, this soundtrack is so dynamic.
the boss theme...just as rock as the plok one (done by the same bros)
41:35 Hey, this noise was sampled straight out of the NES 2a03!! The 'chimes' you can hear in the 'background' of the noise are a dead giveaway!
there's also NES noise in the title theme at 0:23
Actually, the noise, here wasn't sampled. It's a feature of the sound chip. It can produce a very similar procedural noise, similar to the NES, hence why it sounds so clear.
@@cemstrumental Doesn't the SNES use an LFSR unlike the NES for generating the noise though?
The boss music slaps!
why do i love those sine waves so much help
no
yes.
no, but sometimes yes........
@@user-ql2re2es9y Well yes, but actually perhaps.
Ay check out Jeroen Tel's Stranglehold
20:41 looks like Tim Follin made a typo when coding this in.
Probably Geoff (I think the track sounds more like his work)
Wait, how can you tell who composed what?
@@Juuhazan_ Tim Follin doesn’t feel okay making the scary tracks.
Yup that's Geoff.
@@NEStalgia He said he was absolutely terrified of the Wolverine theme.
I love all of it
Should do Jurassic Park 2's (SNES Ocean) soundtrack next. It was pretty good with some cinematic elements.
the part after the intro of the title theme reminds me of bulblax kingdom from pikmin 2
Quagmire reminds me of Ghouls 'n' Ghosts.
Giggity Giggity.
Funnily enough, Tim worked on the soundtrack for that too.
Did the ingame tracks really just utilize 4 channels? and 4 for sound effects? (sound effects are sparsely used in the game) so I wonder why Tim & Geoff limited themselves down to 4 channels of audio on the ingame tracks. The snow dungeon is my favorite level and music, very meditative and relaxing! I played & beat the game in 90s and even play it nowadays! Great slow game with difficult puzzles for awesome relaxation and meditation. Super soundtrack!
That's how many sound effect were used at some times.
@@DerpDerp3001 Ah ok!
That's not really the full answer. Yes, one reason is, that there's sound effects, that need to play independently off the music, but the code responsible for playback of these pieces also saves much space, if less channels are used. Of course there are some exceptions: The title theme, ending theme and game over theme use all 8, since they should sound more 'epic', than the rest and because there are no sfx output during their playtime.
@@cemstrumental Ah I see, thanks for the info!
@galaxy_racc00n I see! But strange considering Tim said in interviews that he wanted to make the music sounding as "made with real instruments" as possible, but limiting himself down channel wise at the same time. Tim hated chipsounds and said that the soundchips in those computers are just for bleep and bloop sound fx, not for making music with them.
53:59 sounds like a greak theme 54:24 than it turns into a night club bass
The latter part reminds me of _Mario Forever._
The Boss theme is the best track in the game!😄🤩😎👌
Nostalgia❤️
0:07 are those sc55 strings
how the hell did they put stereo samples on a snes?
28:17 Quagmire?! GIGGITY GIGGITY
Hey, if there was a GBA port of this?
Very unlikely, since there's almost no periodic waveforms.
@@cemstrumental No, GBA audio is also an ADPCM sampled waveform like the SPC700........
@@user-ql2re2es9y Oh really? I sadly don't know too much of the GBA sound chip. But I already made the Boss theme on the N163 (NES) and I'm probably gonna upload it today. And I was wrong. There are many periodic waves. Trumpet, Brass, Clarinet, Piano etc.
@@user-ql2re2es9y the GBA's audio is actually a bit closer to what was in the Sega 32X, in that it makes use of software mixing to mix music and sound effects together. Typically, early GBA games had poor sound quality while later GBA games had more decent sound quality.
@@cemstrumental
Actually the GBA lacks a sound chip.
It's sample sounds are generated by the CPU(pretty much like the ZX Spectrum before the 128k machines).
What can be considered a sound chip on the GBA is actually the GBC sound chip (present there for backwards compatibility).
So does anyone notice how in Atlena, channel 4 plays sound but nothing comes out?
There's sound, it's just very quiet and subtle.
Tks!..I🧡
Can I get the MIDI to this?
i dont think this used midi
Reminds me of the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack.
👏 👏 👏
sounds like it legit comes from an N64
Sorry to say, but this video is out of sync, especially at the Ending tune.
I don't see the issue. Many people have been noticing these sync issues lately, and they appear to be on RUclips's end. I would wait a while and check the video again to see if the problem goes away, which it seems to do for some reason.
How the fuck is there 16 channels?!?!
There's 8. Each channel is showing a left and right output
is eight channels but, unlike amiga, with variable balance between left and right
the fart of 87
... was that the fart of 87?!?
This HUMBLES Kolibri (32x soundtrack, search up the fixed version for the true intentional PWM experience)
11:36 this part RIGHT HERE gives me so many chills. Just the subtle atmosphere sounds of water dripping down into some kind of puddle. And to do it on a SNES, too.
With cave-like reverb. That's talent.
So unique, even today. I like how the tracks come in and out as you're roaming the dungeons in the game. You'll get little splurges of sound effects, water, heart-beat, etc... then a little music will kick up. It's great.
Almost an hours worth of music on the SNES.
Jeeeez Tim always loved to make a long song on his systems
and they thought Donkey Kong Country had the best ambience/atmosphere music...
pffft we got Tim over here
Please don't forget Dean Evans for the list of "more atmospheric soundtracks than Donkey Kong Country".
the ppl who thought dkc is more ambient are dorks (bc they literally stereotyped nintendo, especially being an overall best gaming company at that time) afaik
Although David Wise did a good job too.
And if I'm correct, he was inspired by Tim.
@@RedTsarOldChannel-INACTIVE
You are correct.
@@RedTsarOldChannel-INACTIVE Yep, David was directly influenced by Tim and Geoff's work. Explains a lot, really.
28:17 fake, i didn’t see a man turn into a toilet
XDDD
Best SNES music I've heard! The SNES had a freegin amazing sound chip but I still love me some Genesis sounds!
You can technically use Genesis samples on SNES
@@Plasmariel You could, but with significant cuts. A Mega Drive can do things with super long envelopes which a SNES couldn't efficiently replicate due to its small audio memory. But of course, if Toy Story is anything to go by, you can basically do Amiga music on the Mega Drive. not sure what the drawbacks would be regarding processing overhead, but it certainly can be done.
@@autumnbrushtail Well-said, however the SNES does have limited FM: Pitch Modulation
@@Plasmariel I am aware. but doing it to the level of a Mega Drive would be next to impossible to my knowledge. Not to mention that the FM already needs two channels to work in the first place.
@@autumnbrushtail yup, it costs a lot of channels
11:16 Tori is just... holy shit.
Certainly! Would be perfect for Populous or Age of Empires :)
I dunno why but these stage names sound exactly like something you'd see from Space Harrier as well
did it take 5 picoyears to make this?
banger btw
yeah seems about right. I think it was worth it in the end though.
AKA Solstice 2.!.!
I overlooked this game back in the day, but my goodness it's got a banger soundtrack! :D
Ambience.
gaming music
Thank you for posting this. It is a remarkable piece of programming and composition. Very reminiscent of bands like Camel and other music of the prog-rock era.
The balance between tantalising and atmospheric is spot on in creating an immersive acoustic environment.
Love it.
Weird, the spcs don't loop properly, omitting the rest of the time of some songs.
Dunno why, but "Sonia's Fortress" has a first Unreal engine-game vibe
The overworld theme is my favorite, though the boss theme is great, too.
28:26 Oh my gosh, this is so uncomfortable...
How do you do videos like this?
1. Record audio of the individual channels and the full songs with an emulator (or real hardware if the luxury is available)
2. Edit the audio in Audacity (e.g. amplification, fade-outs, high-pass filter) and export .wav files
3. Import .wav files into corrscope, adjusting video settings if needed
4. Export video and upload
You can get most of the programs you'll need by just googling them.
52:18 certainly reminds me of Actraiser's opening motif
Lovely
GENESIS DOES
what Nintendon't.
I bet you *wish* your SNES could modulate as good as the genesis.
@@TDGCmote Actually it can. The SNES can actually modulate one sample's frequency by another. yes it takes up two channels to do it, but nevertheless, it can. I love the Mega Drive more than the SNES, but don't discredit the SPC700. It's still a nice soundchip uwu
But can the genesis do, what nintendoes?
@Klaymodo Post Office Ok yeah tbh, I agree with the mario world soundtrack being meh for the snes
The white noise was recorded from his C64.
No, the SNES actually has a Noise generator built in.
@@autumnbrushtail ...
@@cemstrumental Super Mario World and many Squaresoft games actually use the noise generator. In fact, you can modulate the frequency of one channel with another, which is how many sound effects are made in Squaresoft games, particularly wind sounds
@@autumnbrushtail Huh. I'm sure The SNES has channels with PCM sample playback only and the wind and noise sounds are just the 21st, 24th and 33rd, sample in the cardridges ROM. Can you give me a source with your information? I might be mistaken.
@@cemstrumental Retro Game Mechanics Explained has a video going over every single aspect of the SPC700, not to mention I own a plugin for music production that can be used to create literal .spc files for playback on SNES which has these features.