I really liked the music too but, I have to agree with elivance that the music is too loud at times.
Yeah, I will get them to drop it a few points, by default, in the next version. The entire game is actually mixed with a lot of dynamic, like a movie. In other words, for the best experience, you need to crank your volume. If you normally game at 3-4, turn it to 5-6. There is a lot of complexity in the sound effects that only comes out when you are listening loudly. (as quiet sounds are quiet, and simply won’t be heard at low volume)
If you want to ‘dial in your audio’. Start playing AM, and when you first enter the facility, after you pass the front desk, stand in that first gradually sloping hallway. Turn up the volume until it actually sounds like you are standing in the hallway. (there is a very quiet air movement/AC sound in the background that should be audible.)
The loud music was more about my own taste. One of my favorite movie scenes (audio wise) is The Matrix’ lobby shootout. (yeah, still. 
) Where the music is mixed to almost the same level as the gun sounds. (obviously not everyone enjoys this, and it turns out a lot of people don’t… so I’ll make sure it gets adjusted.)
Also worth mentioning, there will be some tweaks coming to a few of the tracks as well, to better fit with the game. (but these will be done as Mesa Remixes, so you won’t lose the originals)
I remember that track in particular being awesome, but when combating a monster that hunts by sound, being distracted by music is dangerous.
I really wish the tentacles weren’t constantly attacking the ground at random… Because my music volume isn’t lowered, here’s how I played that section:
- Stop at doorway, soak in the music to prepare mentally[list=1]
[*]Twiddle thumbs - Wait for music to finish
[/:m]
[]Try sneaking to the first ladder - Get hit by a random tap
- Get killed by the subsequent taps
- Reload to doorway
[/:m]
[]Try using grenades to distract them - Make it to first ladder
- Have decoy-grenade get returned by randomly swinging tentacles
- Sprint to second ladder
- Get killed trying to mount the final ladder, due to Source’s ladder mechanics
[/:m][]Screw it, I’ll try running the rest of the way [color=’#808080’](I’d already quicksaved after the music by the time I resorted to this strategy [color=’#191919’]or lack thereof[color=’#808080’], yet it’s the only strategy which could have kept your music from ending before the button was pressed)[/*:m][/list:o]
To be fair, I broke your music’s pacing a ton of times. Severely so. Mostly with grunt scenes on the surface, where I would try getting the attention of one at a time and luring him to an individual demise… You would need something on the scope of Tchaikovsky’s full 1812 Overture to play throughout some firefights I waged in Surface Tension.
Your soundtrack is most effective when I had no avenue for retreat. It was fantastic at the end of Questionable Ethics, for instance, but I’m not grateful for being locked in that room with a ton of grunts
When it comes to Blast Pit… it might have benefited me the most by playing once I was actually getting close to pushing the button. For instance, when I finally manage to get on the final ladder. (Ladders really are my biggest complaint about Source.)
At that point, there are virtually no obstacles between me and sweet rockety victory, assuming I can figure out how to dismount the ladder. There’s nothing left to do but dash to safety and make my leisurely way to the button. There are no obstacles left to destroy the pacing which the music provides.
When the music plays sooner, I may or may not spend an extra 60 seconds being careful not to piss off the tentacles. I may or may not spend 10 seconds lining up each ladder. I may or may not be stopping to toss grenades.
What I suggest (the last ladder instead of the first doorway) may seem a bit late, but at least there is assurance music will play throughout the climactic moment. It will keep the tune from going to waste on protracted grenade-play. It’s more of a victory fanfare than the score of a tense fight scene, after all. Then, once the fiery deed is done, the player can enjoy your wind-down during a calm descent toward the pit.
So I’m NOT completely retarded after all!
Can’t wait to see what’s done with the tracks as “remixes.” Will they be heavily modified or more smaller changes?
+USE to mount/dismount? Usually not a problem for me.
My problem is the oddly fast climbing speed that Gordon has. It’s jarring when you’re trying to move slowly. Usually not an issue, but the whole point of that chamber is to move slowly, so…
But I dunno. Maybe I’m the only one who actually liked the music at that point.
But ladders are more like ramps than buttons…
I learned about +using ladders when trying to pick up and relocate a spare battery:[indent]It was near the top of a ladder. Instead of picking up the battery, I got snapped onto the ladder. I tried to jump off; it sent me in the direction I was looking instead of directly away from the ladder, causing me to fall to 49 health.[/indent]And you know that bit of Surface Tension with the tank and the pipes and the music:[indent]I was strafing left (into the ladder) to climb high enough to throw a grenade at some grunts. When we spotted eachother and I threw my grenade, I strafed right (away from the ladder) in order to descend… but that only caused me to climb further.[/indent]I’m about as comfortable climbing ladders in Source as I am with the neighing of a lover in bed.
Hey, the music itself was awesome!.. It was just timed awkwardly.
Imagine having Vague Voices play only to highlight Barney opening the tram door. [color=’#808080’]Well, bad example… Vague Voices makes anything amazing.
Also, dsp_enhance_stereo 1 makes everything waaaaaaaay more badass.
I don’t like “Inbound” track… outside of the game of course, they do fit with the intro, but when I do listen to the complete soundtrack, I wish them to be over already to get to the better and more epic parts.
I personally loved blast pit 3. Kind of reminded me of those overused muffleshock scenes in movies. It really lined up perfectly with the test firing during my first and third playthroufh, but during my second playthroufh, I did see how it could end early.
You had very difficult shoes to fill and done an amazing job… You really did the MOD Credit
Great work… My Favourite Tune without doubt is On a Rail part 2…This was just a excellent piece.
Some of the piano pieces reminded me a bit of resident evil 2 for some reason…
I have a request that you remix Nuclear Mission Jam I think this is really the only one that should recieve a remix treatment… But re-imagined
Really great feedback guys. Thanks!
I was a bit dissapointed there was no track after you wake up from the RC. In the original, there was this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6soHrMUyFv8
Which I felt really set the mood and tone of “Oh shit, what have I done”. But the ambient sounds and visuals in BM were enough to make up for it.
Cheer’s for the share, Joel!
To be perfectly honest, I think Blast Pit 3 fit the moment perfectly as I’ve always had a tendency to rush through the tentacles and not bide my time. Although I would like to see what it would have been like if the music triggered during the Tentacles death sequence.
All-in-all, a terrific soundtrack.
This is a good spot for a small ambient track to re-enforce the “What just happened?”
When I tried to think about pieces of music which are used to portray confusion and disarray, all that came to mind was this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcNhDstL4-k
I do not believe that particular piece would have enhanced the resonance cascade.
The three Inbound tracks are probably my favorite part of the soundtrack. Such great atmosphere.
On topic, he’s my suggestion on the whole tentacle scene. What if the tentacles were made a lot more deadly (one hit kill) but also less random. They followed your grenades but if you don’t crouch they will peck your ass to death. I really feel like this sequences should be tense and anxious, not thrilling and energetic. The tentacles should be a real threat which must be outsmarted. This will also make activating the ‘blaster’(?) and destroying them more satisfying.
With all this in mind, maybe you could have some kind of quiet, unsettling drone begin when the player enters the pit for the last time. Have it continue until the player pushed the fire button, which will trigger the music, in a similar fashion to the Garg chase sequence from ST.
Just my thoughts.
All this aside, Joel, with this soundtrack you have created something truly special. You have captured the essence of this mod, and while you’ve taken quite a different direction than Baily’s work, you’ve kept the music grounded in the universe which we are all so familiar with, and managed to capture and emphasize so many of the emotions this mod instills in it’s players. Thank you.
Something to bear in mind is ear fatigue. Generally, everything sounds better (i.e. more impactful, etc.) loud in the short term, which is why commercial audio these days is typically smashed into a flatlined lump - so you can hear everybody’s song on the radio loud and proud for three minutes (and because nobody wants to have the quiet/pay-no-attention song). But with hyper-compression and high volumes, your ears wear out rather quickly. (This isn’t so with music mixed and mastered with a wide dynamic range, but that’s another discussion.)
Anyway, I imagine that many players go through hours long sessions in Black Mesa - longer than the two hours of the Matrix, so … the eventual dead ears outcome is kind of inevitable. 
btw, I usually stop and listen to each piece as it comes on until it finishes. That way I can actually listen to the music and get the vibe without being distracted by the events of the game, and I can game effectively without being distracted by the music. I’m sure I’m very odd in that regard, lol. 
If the music is too loud, why don’t you turn down the volume in the options?
I’d also like to congratulate Joel on this fantastic soundtrack. Not being a fan of electronic music, I always ignored the soundtrack related threads and also didn’t listen to your work before playing the game.
When I did hear the tracks for the first time, pleasantly surprised would be a grave understatement describing my reaction. The guitars are fucking awesome, FAF and QE2 are my favourites. The ambient tracks also suit the game very well and IMO the sountrack in general, much like the mod, is a more fleshed out and better version of the original.
Thanks for your amazing work and best of luck in your future endeavors.
The complaint stems from the fact that if it’s so easy to fix why don’t the devs do it for you? I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but it seem the majority does so why not have it fixed for you?