Contribution for 2HAC 14 - Entropy
https://2hac.abstractionmusic.com/

This track is also available for the (as of writing this, ongoing) related OST Jam!
https://itch.io/jam/ost-jam-vol-2

Not nearly finished in two hours - but it would have been doable if I could play properly! ;-)

Software:
Cubase Pro 11
Pianoteq 7
Kontakt 6
soothe2
2C Breeze 2.5
Ozone 9

Libraries:
Ni Symphonic Percussion

Hardware:
Eastman Lombardi VC502 + Arcos Brasil
Corilon Opus 12 + JonPaul Carrera
sE T2

2HAC 14 - Leaves In The Wind

This WIP is based on the original Slow Waves that I wrote for 2HAC 10. The plan is to extend it into a proper classical style piece, which I intend to record on the real cello eventually.

What we have here is an extended version of the "A section" (the only proper section in the original version), where I've added a bit of a detour, followed by a transposed variation of the motif. I felt that the original version kind of just "looped" abruptly back to the motif without finishing what it was doing.

There will be a proper B section, and this A section will probably be used twice, with different expression. I'm not entirely sure how to go about it, as I'm trying to update my process, but it will likely involve learning this bit on the cello, and then improvising around that.

Tools:
Nuendo 11.0.40
Spitfire Solo Strings
TC VSS3
StereoSavage
Ozone 9

Slow Waves Rework 1

Another little work-in-progress track that may or may not show up in Kobo II eventually.

Like the others, this one's also handcoded in Audiality 2 script - but unlike the others, this one uses a few resonant filters and feeback delays, and it's a true stereo mix. Still no samples, though! It's all simple geometric waveforms and modular synthesis.

Oh, and that "screaming" synth is NOT using resonant filters! I leave it as an exercise to the listener to figure out what synthesis method is used. ;-)

Kobo II: http://kobo2.net
Audiality 2: http://audiality.org
Audiality 2 on GitHub: https://github.com/olofson/audiality2

Ocean - WIP 20131007

Contribution for 2HAC 16 - Travel
2hac.abstractionmusic.com/

I still have a long way to go with these instruments, but at least I got the parts recorded within the two hours this time...! Edit and mix was done later.

Software:
Nuendo 11
FabFilter Pro-R
StereoSavage
Ozone 9

Hardware:
sE T2 stereo pair
RME UFX+

Instruments:
Eastman Lombardi VC502 + Arcos Brasil
Corilon Opus 12 + JonPaul Carrera

2HAC 16 - Travel

My NaSoAlMo 2021 challenge attempt, trying to flesh out a YouTube concept involving Minecraft. 36 minutes of video and 12 minutes of music done within the challenge timeframe. Will finish later!

https://youtu.be/WNXqOjpICYI

The Ocean Floor Labs - Preview 4

Texture experiment with granular synthesis, formant filters, shaped noise, and reverb.

Tools:
Nuendo 11
Audio Damage Quanta
AudioThing The Orb
Cableguys NoiseShaper
Eventide Blackhole
FabFilter Pro-Q 3
Auburn Sounds Panagement 2
Ozone 9

Granular Ghost Ambience 1

Contribution for 2HAC 17 - Corruption
2hac.abstractionmusic.com/

Didn't even occur to me to come up with a proper name for this track, but "Fever Corruption" might have been appropriate... :-D I caught some virus and started having fever aches and chest pains during the challenge weekend, but managed to finish this up over a few short sessions.

Used:
Nuendo 11
Gravity
Symphonic Destruction
Afflatus
Arkhis
Quanta
Pro-MB
SplitEQ
Kontakt 6
Phase Plant
The Orb
Panagement 2
Blackhole
ShaperBox 2
Ozone 9

Corruption [2HAC Volume 17]

2HAC 17 - Corruption

Contribution for 2HAC 19 - Monstrous
2hac.abstractionmusic.com/

Nuendo 12
VPS Avenger (Doomstep)
Phase Plant (Tremor, Sonoae Borealis, Cheat Code)
Kontakt (Symphonic Destruction, Damage 2, Jaeger)
Panagement 2
Blackhole
Pro-MB
Pro-Q 3
Ozone 9

2HAC 19 - Monstrous

Contribution for 2HAC 19 - Monstrous
2hac.abstractionmusic.com/

Nuendo 12
Kontakt (Afflatus, 8Dio Music Box, Natural Forces, Ashlight)
Pianoteq 7
ValhallaShimmer
Blackhole
Pro-R
Ozone 9

2HAC 20 - The Jade Mechanism

Historical record: The first track ever made with Audiality 2!

At this point, it was called "ChipSound" (not to be confused with ChipSounds!), and it was just a small experiment: "Can I hack something that makes usable noise in less than 2000 lines of C?"

Sounds and music hand coded in a text editor as usual, but this was more assembly language than the current A2S. Sounds are all realtime synthesis, one oscillator per voice, basic geometric waveforms only.

Audiality 2 - First Test

Decided to play around a bit with FamiTracker, and this happened. 2A03, no DPCM.

FamiAcid

Trying to find my way around Cubase, Kontakt, and a bunch of sample libraries again.

Another Intro (preview)

Title song of Kobo II. All sounds and music handcoded in ChipSound. No samples, no filters - only geometric waveforms and noise. Fun fact: In the game, the song transposes to a new key every time it restarts.

Further info on this track: http://olofsonarcade.com/2011/02/10/kobo-ii-title-song-wip/

Kobo II is still in development, but Tech Previews are available, and the game can be pre-purchased for $3 until it enters Alpha! More info: http://kobo2.net


Kobo II Title Song

Rehearsal with the choir in Olofson Studios.

"Necromancer drinks from the heart of darkness"
"Necromancer!"

"God dammit, Karen!"

(Result of a few hours of dicking around, so don't expect a masterpiece here.)

Cubase Pro 10.0.5, Metropolis Ark 3, Spitfire Symphonic Strings, Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds, EW Hollywood Choirs, ISW Rhapsody, EW Spaces II, TC VSS3, Ozone 8.

Karen

(Official version: https://youtu.be/UsxWxOnKzas)

Spitfire Audio #labschoir scoring competition entry (3 of 3), using only the LABS Choir instrument.

Sound design using only automation and effects - no samplers or audio edits. 20 tracks, 24 automation lanes, 111 plugin/snapin instances. Compressors and automation are used to turn the slowly evolving instrument into the desired dynamics and articulations. Extensive used of modular effect processing via kiloHearts Snap Heap + snapins, and also a bit of Tantra. The brass sounds are created through EQ and distortion, with EQ automation for swells.

Software used (instances):
Cubase Pro 10.0.5
Spitfire LABS (16)
DS Tantra (2)
Steinberg Compressor (13)
Steinberg Distroyer (4)
Steinberg Magneto II (2)
Steinberg Cubase EQ (18)
kHz Snap Heap (2)
kHz Stereo (6)
kHz Delay (3)
kHz Compressor (5)
kHz Gain (3)
kHz Transient Shaper (3)
kHz 3-Band EQ (1)
kHz Filter (4)
kHz Pitch Shifter (5)
kHz Trance Gate (6)
STA Delay (4)
Waves C6 (5)
Waves L316 (2)
ISW Peak Rider 2 (1)
PB StereoSavage (1)
ValhallaShimmer (2)
TC VSS3 (2)
Ozone 8 (1)

Spitfire Audio LABS Choir - Celestial Lightsabers (competition entry)

(Official version: https://youtu.be/8UzfcGlkghM)

Spitfire Audio #labschoir scoring competition entry (2 of 3), using only the LABS Choir instrument.

The sound design is done mostly through automation and effects, but also an Avenger instance playing a reversed snippet of Choir audio. 11 tracks, 10 automation lanes, 119 plugin/snapin instances. Compressors and automation are used to turn the slowly evolving instrument into the desired dynamics and articulations. Extensive used of modular effect processing via kiloHearts Snap Heap + snapins.

Software used (instances):
Cubase Pro 10.0.5
Spitfire LABS CHOIR (9)
VPS Avenger (1)
Steinberg Compressor (5)
Steinberg Magneto II (2)
Steinberg Cubase EQ (9)
kHz Snap Heap (4)
kHz Stereo (6)
kHz Delay (3)
kHz Compressor (11)
kHz Gain (5)
kHz Transient Shaper (2)
kHz Phase Distortion (1)
kHz 3-Band EQ (5)
kHz Filter (9)
kHz Pitch Shifter (5)
kHz Trance Gate (11)
STA Delay (4)
Waves C6 (4)
Waves L316 (2)
ISW Peak Rider 2 (1)
PB StereoSavage (1)
ValhallaShimmer (1)
TC VSS3 (3)
Ozone 8 (1)

Spitfire Audio LABS Choir - Celestial Fireworks (competition entry)

(Official version: https://youtu.be/199GzM2Qwq0)

Spitfire Audio #labschoir scoring competition entry (1 of 3), using only the LABS Choir instrument.

This was scored using only MIDI, automation, and effects - no samplers or audio edits. 7 tracks, 9 automation lanes, 35 plugin instances. Compressors and automation are used to turn the slowly evolving instrument into the desired dynamics and articulations. EQ automation is used for modulating the bass/baritone vowels, and the "t" is EQ'd noise from a dissonant cluster played throughout the track, gated using automation.

Software used (instances):
Scored in Cubase Pro 10.0.5
Spitfire LABS CHOIR (6)
Steinberg Compressor (6)
Steinberg Cubase EQ (7)
kHz Pitch Shifter (1)
kHz Stereo (1)
kHz Chorus (11)
PB StereoSavage (1)
TC VSS3 (1)
Ozone 8 (1)

Spitfire Audio LABS Choir - Bubble Nebula (competition entry)

Work in progress track for my RPM 2019 album.
See https://www.rpmchallenge.com

Mission: Baphomet - Prologue MST

"Majestic music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

Busy week, and general focus issues, and I just couldn't get anywhere with my original idea - so on the last day, I gave up and wrote this waltz instead.

Software: Cubase Pro 10, Kontakt 5, VSS3, Ozone 8.
Libraries: Spitfire Symphonic Strings, Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds, Spitfire Percussion, Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 1, 8Dio Century Brass Solo.

Idea and orchestration:

My original idea was mostly sound design based on three orchestras in a huge space (an idea I had for another project originally), and I planned on having a long, mellow buildup, for more contrast when the actual majestic part was to start. However, I just couldn't get anywhere with that composition, so I started over with a waltz for a somewhat ordinary orchestra instead.

Parts of the original idea remained, though, with tremolo strings fading from section to section, and some percussion, flute trills and woodwinds around that. And of course, french horns and a flugelhorn, because, noble. ;-) The plan was to build the majestic feel around a slow waltz rhythm, and some... well, majestic chord progressions, and I suppose that worked, but I'm more pleased with the more melodic parts.

The arrangement is based on the usual strings (vln1+2, vla, vlc, db), some brass (horn, flugelhorn, horns a9, bass trombones a3, trumpets a4, tubas a3), and some woodwinds (flutes a2, oboes a2, english horn, bassoons a2) backing one thing or another up most of the time, for that proper orchestral sound. Bass drum in the mellow parts; timpani doubling the basses in the more intense parts, and glockenspiel subtly marking themes in some parts.

Majestic Waltz

"Royal Synth," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

Since the theme, Noble Music, seemed to strongly suggest an orchestral piece, I decided to turn things around, and use only synthesizers! Now, since I just grabbed all of FabFilter's amazing plugins, I decided to take it a step further, and use ONLY FabFilter plugins. I'm not even using my go-to mastering plugin, Ozone 8 here.

As for the composition, I went about it mostly like an orchestral piece. It starts with some pipe organ vs brass back and forth, to appropriately announce the arrival of the King, but then things turn a bit darker, and the second part is a grand full "orchestra" with a rather emotional theme.

Some sounds are made from scratch, some are tweaked presets, and everything is FabFilter One and Twin 2, with further processing done by various other FabFilter plugins.

I'm particularly pleased with the theme lead synth, which achieves a bit of violin style romantic vibrato by having the vibrato influence the resonance and distortion in the filter, rather than just modulating the pitch.

Software: Cubase Pro 10, FabFilter One, Twin 2, Timeless 2, Volcano 2, Saturn, Pro-Q 3, Pro-R, Pro-MB, Pro-DS, Pro-L 2.

Royal Synth

"Battle music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

Written as a story, first presenting the location, the protagonists, and the enemies, followed by a chaotic battle, which is not going well for the protagonists - but then, as all hope is nearly lost, the hero shows up with his new allies, and things turn around.

Software: Cubase Pro 10, Kontakt 5, Ozone 8. (Very rudimentary mix and master due to lack of time.)
Libraries: Spitfire Symphonic Strings, Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds, Spitfire Percussion, Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 1, 8Dio Century Brass.

Battle Of The Unnamed Field

"Elegant music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

Always wanted to have a go at Light Music, and classical waltz, so I figured this challenge would be a nice opportunity to have a go at something leaning towards the latter. I visualized a golden ballroom with people dancing, and... that's about it. The composition is mostly structure and logic, rather than story. :-)

The arrangement is pretty simple, but there is a fair bit of strings/woodwinds/brass layering going on, to build some nice timbres. The Solo Strings serve as first chairs for the Chamber Strings for the most part, but they occasionally doing their own stuff as well. Woodwinds are all solo instruments, and so is the brass, apart from a few a2.

Software: Cubase Pro 10, Kontakt 5, TC VSS3, Ozone 8.
Libraries: Spitfire Chamber Strings, Spitfire Solo Strings, Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds, Spitfire Percussion, Spitfire Symphonic Brass.

The Golden Hall

"Romantic music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

A lake in the forest, surface still like a mirror. Someone is meditating over lost love and events in the past, and eventually finds some insight and new hope.

A simple piece for a few violins and violas, cello, double bass, flute, alto flute, clarinet, oboe, and a touch of english horn, bassoon, and glockenspiel.

Cubase Pro 10
Kontakt 5
EW Spaces II
Ozone 8

Spitfire Chamber Strings
Spitfire Solo Strings
Spitfire Woodwinds
Spitfire Percussion

Meditation By The Lake

"Epic music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

A gigantic vista of planets, space stations, space ships... Too much cello research lately (have found a really nice one, though!), and I had a hard time even coming up with a vision and scenery for this track, let alone a story. That makes writing a lot harder, as it basically boils down to improvising until something interesting comes up, and then build on that.

Cubase Pro 10
Kontakt 5
EW Spaces II
Ozone 8

Spitfire Symphonic Strings
Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds
Spitfire Symphonic Brass
Spitfire Percussion
Soundiron Elysium Harp
Performance Samples Oceania

Galactic Empire

"Trailer music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

If Interstellar Station is the queue for a scene in a movie named "Interstellar War," this is the full length trailer score for that movie. Ambient, space, danger, tension...

Used:
Cubase Pro 10
Kontakt 5
FabFilter Pro-Q 3
FabFilter Pro-C 2
FabFilter Saturn
FabFilter Timeless 2
kHs One
kHs phaseplant
kHs Transient Shaper
VPS Avenger
Heavyocity Gravity
NI Rise&Hit
NI Action Strikes
NI Symphony Percussion
OT Metropolis Ark 1
OT Metropolis Ark 3
FabFilter Pro-R
Audiority XenoVerb
ValhallaShimmer
Eventide Blackhole
TC VSS3
Ozone 8

Interstellar War Trailer

"Race music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

Trance-ish video game soundtrack. May or may not be vaguely inspired by some game where one drives a red thoroughbred car on public roads.

Cubase Pro 10
NI Kontakt
kHz phaseplant
VPS Avenger (PSY, Trance Invasion, Cinematic 1, Atmospherica)
Eventide Blackhole
Pro-C 2
Pro-MB
Ozone 8
NI Action Strikes
NI Rise&Hit
Heavyocity Gravity
Spitfire Chamber Strings

Infinity Race

"Race music," written for the Professional Composers Music Composition Challenge.

Trance-ish video game soundtrack. May or may not be vaguely inspired by some game where one drives a red thoroughbred car on public roads.

(Spiced up and extended version of my original entry - now with sidechain compression and... stuff!)

Cubase Pro 10
NI Kontakt, Action Strikes, Rise&Hit
kHz phaseplant, Transient Shaper
VPS Avenger (PSY, Trance Invasion, Cinematic 1, Atmospherica)
Eventide Blackhole
FabFilter Pro-C 2, Pro-MB, Timeless 2, Saturn
TC VSS3
Ozone 8
Heavyocity Gravity
Spitfire Chamber Strings, Studio Woodwinds Pro

Infinity Race Extended

Competition entry for the Professional Composers Community September 2019 Epic Trailer Music Contest.

Story is basically battle of Earth; victory or doom. The idea here was basically to combine a big, lush orchestral sound with that in-your-face trailer tightness and intensity.

Software:
Cubase Pro 10
NI Kontakt
FabFilter Twin 2, Pro Q3, Saturn, Timeless 2
VPS Avenger
2Sense Wiggle
Eventide Blackhole
EastWest Spaces II
TC VSS3
Audified STA Delay
kHz Filter, Trace Gate
Steinberg StereoEnhancer
Soundspot Ravage
iZotope Ozone 8

Libraries:
Spitfire Symphonic Strings
Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds
Spitfire Symphonic Brass
Spitfire Percussion
Heavyocity Forzo, Evolve, Evolve Mutations 2
Performance Samples Oceania
Soundiron Apocalypse Elements
NI Rise&Hit
8Dio Shepard Risers, Hybrid Tools 3

Battle of Earth

For my NaSoAlMo 2019 album, Highway.

Sunrise over the ocean
Horizon of gold
Shimmering waves
Sunrise over the mountains
Rays through the mist
Ending the night

Sunrise

For my NaSoAlMo 2019 album, Highway.

Riding alone through the night...
Mile after mile
Flashing white lines show the way...
Mile after mile

Highway to the future
Highway away from the past
Highway to the future
Highway to destinations unknown

Highway

Official jingle for the Audiality 2 sound engine, formerly known as ChipSound, the sound engine of Kobo II. Now in stereo! ;-)

This is all additive synthesis using four simple, single-cycle waveforms: sine, square, triangle and a YM3812 style quarter-sine. No filters or effects whatsoever, internal or external. This is the dry output from the engine; no mastering.

The song file is 3941 bytes (240 lines) of uncompressed human readable Audiality 2 Script with comments and metadata.

Official Audiality 2 Jingle

Tiny piece of light music inspired experimentation for 2HAC9.
(http://2hac.abstractionmusic.com/)

Things didn't go my way this time, and I have basically zero experience with this genre, so total time spent on this is a lot more than two hours - but at least the intro and "chorus" parts were done in 1:50, so there is that... :-D

Used:
Cubase Pro 10.5
Kontakt 6
"78rpm surface noise.wav" by FreqMan on freesound.
Spitfire Chamber Strings
NI The Gentleman
NI Strummed Acoustic 2
OTT CoreBass Pear
OT Glory Days
kHs Carve EQ
Ozone 9

2HAC9 - 78 Rpm

Competition entry for the Professional Composers Community July 2020 Action Music Contest.

Story: Let's go to hell and slay some demons! Obviously.

Was having vacation (or trying, at least), practicing on various instruments etc - and suddenly: Deadline imminent! And of course, I ditched my original ideas and went with something darker...

I'm still really struggling to come up with ideas that fit this genre, and sound design, mixing and all that is a constant struggle - but I think I'm making progress!

Used:
Cubase Pro 10.5
Kontakt
UVI Workstation
Pigments
BFD3
Phase Plant, various snapins
VPS Avenger
Blackhole
StereoSavage
MStereoExpander
FabFilter Pro-Q3, Pro-C2, Pro-MB, Pro-R, Saturn 2, Timeless 2
Guitar Rig 5
MODO Bass
TC VSS3
EW Spaces II
Ozone 9

Spitfire Symphonic Strings
Shreddage 3 Jupiter
Oceania
Doomstep
Whoosh FX
Meteor FX
Natural Forces

End Of Demons

Competition entry for the Professional Composers Community 2020 August Sad Music Contest.

I had a really hard time with this competition theme. This is my fifth attempt, and the first idea that didn't just end up depressingly uninteresting. Unfortunately, I didn't come up with it until the weekend before the deadline, so I only had two days, but that's enough for a piece like this, once there is a proper idea to build on.

The vision behind this piece is rather abstract... "Where do we go from here?" I suppose that's how I feel about life in general right now, but not exactly in a way that inspires creativity, which is probably why I had such a hard time with this.

Used:
Cubase Pro 10.5
Kontakt
TC VSS3
smart:reverb
StereoSavage
Pro-Q3
Ozone 9

Spitfire Solo Strings
Spitfire Chamber Strings
Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds

Crossroads

Competition entry for the Professional Composers Community 2020 September, Nostalgic Music Contest, inspired by Morricone.

Another quick job, as there's been too much overtime and other distractions lately, so it's a rather simple arrangement, and the mix is pretty much all baked reverb (or integrated IRs in the case of Infinite), apart from piano and pan flute.

Structure is basically ABA, preceded by a long intro. The main theme is the A section, with just a solo violin over a sparse arrangement the first time, and the full orchestra coming in the second time. The B section is an evolution of the last few notes of the main theme.

Rhythm is constantly marked by some combination of piano, harpsichord, and woodwinds.

Used:
Cubase Pro 10.5
Kontakt
Pro-Q3
ValhallaShimmer
Ozone 9

Infinite Woodwinds
Infinite Brass
Spitfire Solo Strings
Spitfire Chamber Strings
Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds
Spitfire Orchestral Percussion
CineBrass Descant Horn
Ravenscroft 275
OT Harpsichords
ISW Ventus Pan Flutes

Western Plains

My first (mostly) finished track for my NaSoAlMo 2020 album, Dave Learns to Jazz. All instruments except percussion are physical modeling based; SWAM, Pianoteq etc. Wind instruments played with keyboard + BBC2.

Dave Learns To Jazz - Hawaiian Sunset WIP1

Competition entry for the Professional Composers Community 2021 January,  String Arrangement Contest.



Used:
Cubase Pro 11
Kontakt 6
Spitfire Solo Strings
StereoSavage
Pro-C2
Pro-Q3
Breeze 2.5
TC VSS3
Ozone 9

Abandonment

Composer, trying to write classical, cinematic, trailer, metal, ambient, EDM etc, using anything from the symphonic orchestra through the latest synthesizers. Grew up with chiptunes, Amiga MODs, techno, and eurodance, back when it all happened. I like anything that makes interesting noises.

Also (trying to) play the violin and cello, as well as various contraptions that output MIDI data. Vocals may happen.

Former game developer, responsible for Kobo Redux (https://olofson.itch.io/kobo-redux), Kobo II (http://kobo2.net), Kobo Deluxe (an XKobo port), and also EEL, Audiality, ZeeSpace and other weird stuff.

David Olofson

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