Deus Ex Sound

How to make that sound...
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Hi, I'm new to this forum and hope you can help me.
I know very little English, so I'll use Google translator mostly.

I'm in love with the music of Michael McCann and Deus Ex Human Revolution BSO.
I need know as getting some sounds, but for now I'm trying to get one in particular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns7fNPi ... e=youtu.be

I add the sound I want to achieve specifically.
I can recognize that it is an ARP but more ideas than I have already tried and failed

Thank you again and I apologize for my English so bad and pathetic.
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Try a couple of saw waves with fixed phase, only slightly detuned, filter envelope with a bit decay and no sustain (it's also a popular trance music sound...). As had been written in another thread on almost the same topic here, the rest is probably EQ'ing and saturation to get it right. Note also that the sound is layered on top of some (dramatic) string sounds, so it might not sound like it without those.

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There was a guide to the opening saw pad in another thread here. And the arp is definetely EQ-ed to get so much punch out of it. I actually recreated both the pattern and the pluck arp for experimenting (never used it) but that was ages ago and I don't have patch or the schematics anymore. But it's not that hard to create it, you'll learn more about synthesis in the process. :wink: I think I used a dry synth bass for template.

I see this thread pop up every once in a while. That's a proof that this soundtrack is more than a generic sci-fi soundtrack like some people claim.

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The soundtrack to Human Revolution is nice, and pretty modern, but i still prefer the soundtrack to the first part of Deus Ex. Haven't heard anything like it before or after, it's really unique, and has a very special, perfectly fitting atmosphere to the game.

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I'll try to do it that way, although I must admit that it will cost me more than necessary because of the language. lol hahah

The BSO of the first part I like a lot, but I prefer Human Revolution.

I like all the music that accompanies science fiction (cyberpunk to be more accurate).

Any help you can provide me, please write me. This will be very complicated for me.

Thank you! :)

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Alexsacob wrote:I'll try to do it that way, although I must admit that it will cost me more than necessary because of the language. lol hahah

The BSO of the first part I like a lot, but I prefer Human Revolution.

I like all the music that accompanies science fiction (cyberpunk to be more accurate).

Any help you can provide me, please write me. This will be very complicated for me.

Thank you! :)
Go check out the free Converse sample library. You can find some vocals suitable for this kind of music there. You could use the free Paulstretch and reverb/modulation-plugins to process the vocals to get those thick textures like Deus Ex. Soft ambient textures and drones are really important if you want to set a track's mood and atmosphere from the beginning. Human Revolution's soundtrack has this very strong textural presence all over. Just don't fill the tracks too full and remember to use EQ to save space (cut certain frequencies, e.g. high end from the bass)

Start with a simple template for the tracks and expand it as you progress:
-texture/drone
-bass
-arpeggio
-Vocals
-Lead (like the strings in Icarus)

The synths I don't know about. (or what Michael used) Omnisphere is what I use for this kind of music, though U-He's Zebra is popular for cinematic music too. Diva is CPU-hungry but can do possibly the best analog sounds. There is also an add-on for Zebra, Dark Zebra, which features presets Hans used in the Dark Knight-soundtracks that's pretty similar to Deus Ex. U-He also has two free synths, Zebralette and Tyrell.

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chk071 wrote:The soundtrack to Human Revolution is nice, and pretty modern, but i still prefer the soundtrack to the first part of Deus Ex. Haven't heard anything like it before or after, it's really unique, and has a very special, perfectly fitting atmosphere to the game.

I loved the original's sound track too. I can hardly remember the tunes from the new one. Save this one...

The OST fitted the game so well and each level had it's own piece that lifted the whole playing experience. :tu:

And like you say, I've not heard anything quite as good or memorable.
I will take the Lord's name in vain, whenever I want. Hail Satan! And his little goblins too. :lol:

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Robmobius wrote: I loved the original's sound track too. I can hardly remember the tunes from the new one. Save this one...

The OST fitted the game so well and each level had it's own piece that lifted the whole playing experience. :tu:

And like you say, I've not heard anything quite as good or memorable.
Yep! I remember the one of the other from Human Revolution, but man, i remember every single one from the first. :) Admittedly, i have played it through 2 times, but it still seems to be more memorable, and that even though it's quite unique.

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chk071 wrote:
Robmobius wrote: I loved the original's sound track too. I can hardly remember the tunes from the new one. Save this one...

The OST fitted the game so well and each level had it's own piece that lifted the whole playing experience. :tu:

And like you say, I've not heard anything quite as good or memorable.
Yep! I remember the one of the other from Human Revolution, but man, i remember every single one from the first. :) Admittedly, i have played it through 2 times, but it still seems to be more memorable, and that even though it's quite unique.
Yeah the original Deus EX was just class (music). And the game was brilliant too. Invisible war wasn't quite as good too. But I was hoping for a better soundtrack.
I will take the Lord's name in vain, whenever I want. Hail Satan! And his little goblins too. :lol:

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Aryaroman wrote:
Alexsacob wrote:I'll try to do it that way, although I must admit that it will cost me more than necessary because of the language. lol hahah

The BSO of the first part I like a lot, but I prefer Human Revolution.

I like all the music that accompanies science fiction (cyberpunk to be more accurate).

Any help you can provide me, please write me. This will be very complicated for me.

Thank you! :)
Go check out the free Converse sample library. You can find some vocals suitable for this kind of music there. You could use the free Paulstretch and reverb/modulation-plugins to process the vocals to get those thick textures like Deus Ex. Soft ambient textures and drones are really important if you want to set a track's mood and atmosphere from the beginning. Human Revolution's soundtrack has this very strong textural presence all over. Just don't fill the tracks too full and remember to use EQ to save space (cut certain frequencies, e.g. high end from the bass)

Start with a simple template for the tracks and expand it as you progress:
-texture/drone
-bass
-arpeggio
-Vocals
-Lead (like the strings in Icarus)

The synths I don't know about. (or what Michael used) Omnisphere is what I use for this kind of music, though U-He's Zebra is popular for cinematic music too. Diva is CPU-hungry but can do possibly the best analog sounds. There is also an add-on for Zebra, Dark Zebra, which features presets Hans used in the Dark Knight-soundtracks that's pretty similar to Deus Ex. U-He also has two free synths, Zebralette and Tyrell.
wow! many thanks!! very good information. I will look at everything you have said.
I managed to do a very similar sound with "Sylenth1", now I'm testing with other sounds.

Thank u man :)

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Does anyone know the romplers/synths the original DX-composers used?

I don't know about the synth sounds, but since it's late 90s and lots of acid-sounds, probably digital.
The sampled intruments on the other hand, sound similar to many mid-late-90s romplers, like the Roland SR-JV80 expansion cards.

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Just in case anyone is interested, here's an AMA thread over at reddit with Alexander Brandon, one of the composers for rhe original DX ost, where he discusses his music:
https://m.reddit.com/r/gamemusic/commen ... music_for/

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gaf_thit wrote:Just in case anyone is interested, here's an AMA thread over at reddit with Alexander Brandon, one of the composers for rhe original DX ost, where he discusses his music:
https://m.reddit.com/r/gamemusic/commen ... music_for/
Thanks! I had forgotten about that, but re-reading through it, there isn't much info on the gear, apart from the way they implemented the score in to the game. Never knew he voiced characters in Skyrim!

Interesting parallels between him and Nathan McCree (Tomb Raider) though. Both think that the scores of their time had something that's been lost on the way to modern day, particularly the memorable melodies. Listening to Human Revolution, I can't but agree with that. While it's a great soundtrack, I can't remember a single melody to hum, except for that easter egg-UNATCO-theme in the beginning. :lol: Well, maybe that pluck-motif that appears throughout the soundtrack.

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Aryaroman wrote: Interesting parallels between him and Nathan McCree (Tomb Raider) though. Both think that the scores of their time had something that's been lost on the way to modern day, particularly the memorable melodies. Listening to Human Revolution, I can't but agree with that. While it's a great soundtrack, I can't remember a single melody to hum, except for that easter egg-UNATCO-theme in the beginning. :lol:
Indeed. To me, stuff like the first Deus Ex', System Shock 2's, or the first 3 Thief's soundtracks are really special, because it's actually so catchy, and adds so much to the atmosphere of those games, that you simply remember those more. I'm sure the Human Revolution, and Mankind Divided soundtracks are very well tailored, and professional, but, frankly, they're typical movie/game soundtracks after all, and you won't even notice them much, when playing the game or watching the movie. in Deus Ex, and the other games mentioned, i felt like they were 50 % part of the game. Can't even tell why, at the very least, it seemed like the people doing the music cared much about how the music would affect the player, or the atmosphere of the game. Of course, people doing soundtracks these days will do so too, but... there's always something professional, distanced about those. Dunno.

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chk071 wrote:
Aryaroman wrote: Interesting parallels between him and Nathan McCree (Tomb Raider) though. Both think that the scores of their time had something that's been lost on the way to modern day, particularly the memorable melodies. Listening to Human Revolution, I can't but agree with that. While it's a great soundtrack, I can't remember a single melody to hum, except for that easter egg-UNATCO-theme in the beginning. :lol:
Indeed. To me, stuff like the first Deus Ex', System Shock 2's, or the first 3 Thief's soundtracks are really special, because it's actually so catchy, and adds so much to the atmosphere of those games, that you simply remember those more. I'm sure the Human Revolution, and Mankind Divided soundtracks are very well tailored, and professional, but, frankly, they're typical movie/game soundtracks after all, and you won't even notice them much, when playing the game or watching the movie. in Deus Ex, and the other games mentioned, i felt like they were 50 % part of the game. Can't even tell why, at the very least, it seemed like the people doing the music cared much about how the music would affect the player, or the atmosphere of the game. Of course, people doing soundtracks these days will do so too, but... there's always something professional, distanced about those. Dunno.
This is so strange. I can remember a single moment from the new Tomb Raider game and that moment also had the single memorable piece of music. And even then it was nothing particularly good. So, it's no case of quality over quantity.

There's definetely strange direction from the developers, or it's the composers, which I doubt.

The developers are more likely at fault for the most part, because they push the new technologies on composers too hard.
I've heard that some of the new advanced score implementation/dynamic score-systems are very much limiting what you can do. The dynamic music systems in particular feed on short stingers, evolving cues. I guess working with such systems can be a pretty exhausting process, when you have to constantly keep the systems in mind. I don't know.

Oh, the simple old way, when you just put something like a single 2-min melodic piece and looped it and set pretty straight-forward triggerpoints in geometry. That worked. Still works.
Take a game like Skyrim. The music system seems pretty primitive (long melodic pieces) next to a dynamic one, but it beats the heck out of most of today's scores and doesn't manage to get very stale after hundreds of hours.

Or maybe most of the AAA-developers just want that boring old Hollywood-sound, with extreme dramaa and emotion, instead of a somekind of feeling of space/action and atmosphere.

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