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Ripped off RPG music?

Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
50,754
Codex Year of the Donut
Are you sure this isn't just an example of what I posted before?
music designer from HOMM4 in response to questions about similar sounding music
I think what all three of us composers have in common is that we probably used an ancient instrument sample (companies sell pre-recorded bits of ancient instruments playing very old melodic fragments which then I can add orchestral accompaniment and vary the speed of the melody to suit the mood. These fragments come in instrumental catalogs and many soundtrack composers will use bits and pieces of melodies to incorporate into their scores. I’m not sure what catalog the little tune came from but I’m sure it’s from the same one that the other composers used as well. I try not to use such pre-recorded fragments due to the fact that lots of other composers will be using the same tool, but when you have deadlines like we have in this industry (i.e., producers needing a 3 minute piece of music within 24 hours, composed, recorded, mixed, mastered, then embedded into the graphics), we use every tool possible in order to have a good-sounding piece of music created in a timely fashion.
 

hexer

Guest
I didn't go back and reread all the posts so I forgot, but yes it's definitively a possibility.
Frankly, only he knows the truth.

But I do urge everyone to listen to entire songs.
Some of them are almost exact copies
 

Wyatt_Derp

Arcane
Joined
May 19, 2019
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Location
Okie Land
I know it's probably a coincidence, but FF7's Sephiroth song sounds just like the Troll magic song from the movie... Troll.



VS



Those damn trolls are made in Japan! I suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to go buy a Honda.
 

Zer0wing

Cipher
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
2,607
Vault of the Future
As for the rest of the track, barring the intro voice sample...
Blade Runner, anyone?


hexer btw
Follower's Credo


Mark Morgan is one of the best Aphex Twin one man cover band.

Word on the 'net "Industrial Junk" has some monologues from Dr. Stangelove movie. But that's not set in stone.
 
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Zer0wing

Cipher
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
2,607
hexer That's because it IS a different song. The different LEGO piece, if you will. Much like Desert Wind is Grey Stripes(guess by who) plus Mirror Image wind sample.
 

roshan

Arcane
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
2,426
This is more about "give credit where credit is due."
Mark Morgan was often called a genius but soon mysteriously disappeared.
Only later did we find out why

Yeah it explains why the soundtracks to Wasteland 2, Stasis, Numenera are so shitty and forgettable compared to Fallout. Coz Fallout's music was just repackaged and spliced together music by other artists and the hack isn't actually capable of coming up with anything original.
 

AMG

Arbiter
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
374
music designer from HOMM4 in response to questions about similar sounding music
I think what all three of us composers have in common is that we probably used an ancient instrument sample (companies sell pre-recorded bits of ancient instruments playing very old melodic fragments which then I can add orchestral accompaniment and vary the speed of the melody to suit the mood. These fragments come in instrumental catalogs and many soundtrack composers will use bits and pieces of melodies to incorporate into their scores. I’m not sure what catalog the little tune came from but I’m sure it’s from the same one that the other composers used as well. I try not to use such pre-recorded fragments due to the fact that lots of other composers will be using the same tool, but when you have deadlines like we have in this industry (i.e., producers needing a 3 minute piece of music within 24 hours, composed, recorded, mixed, mastered, then embedded into the graphics), we use every tool possible in order to have a good-sounding piece of music created in a timely fashion.
This is a little bullshit by the way. Big part of HoMM4 Adventure map music is from a stock celt music library that was put into the game with barely any rearranging done. HoMM composer got even threatened with lawsuit some time ago, because some guy pointed this fact out to the library owner 20 years later :lol:. Not sure why though, I'm sure the license permitted such use, because it's not the only case.

You can even listen to the library in question nowdays, since it's for sale in digital form.
https://soundcloud.com/nyarcel/sets/amg-complete-celt
Compare Bayside Waltz from the link above

to HoMM4 sea theme, it's not a "little tune" that was borrowed, lol.

Others did it too


The entirety of HoMM4 grasslands theme is also scattered around various tracks in that Soundcloud link.
The library in question is still used to this day, which is why you can still hear those same samples in newer stuff, notably Fields of Ard Skellig from Witcher 3. Some anime apperently uses it as well.

Someone on 1st page mentioned HoMM3 jingles in South Park, those are simply stock sounds as well.
 

Zer0wing

Cipher
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
2,607
Yeah it explains why the soundtracks to Wasteland 2, Stasis, Numenera are so shitty and forgettable compared to Fallout. Coz Fallout's music was just repackaged and spliced together music by other artists and the hack isn't actually capable of coming up with anything original.
Most of his PS:T stuff sounds original enough and doesn't suck.
List of Fallout ripoffs:
Participation award earned. What's your rundown on these, professional music critic?
Metallic Monks
Industrial Junk
Second Chance
Underground Troubles
Flame of the Ancient World (you missed this for Radiation Storm)
Beyond the Canyon
My Chryslis Highwayman
Many Contrasts
California Revisited
 

mondblut

Arcane
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Ingrija
Anyway, why most TV series set in ye olde times steal the "croaking door opening" sound from TES Arena? It must have outdid the Wilhelm Scream by now as the most abused sample ever.
 

AMG

Arbiter
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
374
The sound is not from TES, it's from a popular stock sound library. 99% of time if you hear a familiar sound, it's a stock sound, not stolen.
 
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
694
The original tracks that fallout ripped off is very good.



Ambient 4: Isolationism has become one of my favourite albums now,made me appreciate dark/ambient music.

 
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mondblut

Arcane
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
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Location
Ingrija
The sound is not from TES, it's from a popular stock sound library. 99% of time if you hear a familiar sound, it's a stock sound, not stolen.

That much is obvious. Still it's "The Elder Scrolls door" for everyone who played.
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,938
Not a 1 for 1 by any measure, but it always bugged me what this song from Super Mario RPG reminded me of:



 

Gerrard

Arcane
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
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The sound is not from TES, it's from a popular stock sound library. 99% of time if you hear a familiar sound, it's a stock sound, not stolen.
Don't worry, I'm sure that wouldn't stop Zenimax from threatening to sue someone over it.
 

hexer

Guest
Witcher 3 isn't really original. It's mostly Slavic folk songs performed by Percival and other artists

For example



 
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
694
made me appreciate dark/ambient music.

Before it had some song structure and melody to it, today it's mostly noise and drone

ambient music with only random noises is laziness but it wasn't that bad.it can provoke feelings that no other music genre can.

this one per example:



make me feel like i'm in a huge and dark alien spaceship(would probably work well with the glow from fallout).

I like to listen ambient music while imagining places and situations in my head.
 
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eric__s

ass hater
Developer
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
2,301

The character generation song in Star Trail, beginning at 26:05, is based off of the guitar solo from Thin Lizzy's Whiskey in the Jar.


Beginning at 2:26. It is 18 notes in a row that are the exact same.


The Powerless People, from Vandal Hearts 2, is also very clearly based off of Grieg's Solveig's Song from Peer Gynt.


The Powerless People is in 3/4 while Solveig's Song is in 4/4, but it is the same melody, structure and chord progression.
 

eric__s

ass hater
Developer
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
2,301
I don't think this one counts. They were written by the same guy, Brad Buxer, and the Jetzons song was a shelved song from long before. Nobody had heard it, and he decided to reuse it.
 

Zer0wing

Cipher
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
2,607
make me feel like i'm in a huge and dark alien spaceship(would probably work well with the glow from fallout).

I like to listen ambient music while imagining places and situations in my head.
Well suprise, it IS the music from Fallout. (Desert Wind to be exact, same song with different sample pack).
 

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