Do you prefer MIDIs created by the map creator? Or MIDI covers of already existing songs?

[Okej5722]

Much like the title inquires. What choice do you prefer? I usually enjoy covers more, but I can also enjoy original tracks.

Edited October 22, 2021 by Okej5722

[Martin Howe]

Wads with unique music are always good and I'll usually listen to the track at least once in SLADE or the first few minutes of play; I'm an outlier though, as unless it's really good and fits the theme, I normally play with music off anyway; for me, you aren't on Mars killing Demons from Hell if there is a magical jukebox from God playing over the ether :)

[Wavy]

The former probably, but it's not a big deal either way as not everyone can compose MIDI's.

Edited October 22, 2021 by Wavy

[Biodegradable]

Both? Both, yes, both is good. I don't mind the mapper using a pre-existing midi track so long as it isn't one that's been overused a lot. It's also important to consider that not everyone's a musician. Mind you, it's always interesting to know if they indeed made the midi as well.

Edited October 22, 2021 by Biodegradable

[Teo Slayer]

Both. I like hearing original tracks from the mapper but reusing midis from either Doom 1, Doom 2 or TNT doesn't bother me

[Csucskos]

I prefer covers usually because one, that's a proof of quality and second, if I'm familiar with a sound I'll more easily find it enjoyable. (That's just science.) This does not mean there are no good original midis (looking at you BTSX, such bangers) but it's hard to make good music so I'd say statistically I prefer the latter.

[vdgg]

missing poll options: "who cares/ no difference", and "I don't listen to midis when playing doom" :-P

[Hisymak]

Original MIDIs - why just By The Map Creator himself? There are many composers who compose music tracks for other mappers. These should count as well!

Otherwise, I like both.

What I really dislike, is a map/wad with no custom music at all, reusing Doom/Doom2 stock music, or stock music from some other well-known games (Heretic, Hexen, Duke3D, ROTT...). However, the music from non-Doom game can be tolerable, if used well and it really fits the map.

[Hitboi]

There should be an extra option. I prefer both, I'd listen to the midi cover if it's good, same thing with original midis.

[Mr.Rocket]

Pretty much, I play drums, but I like to make levels for Doom.. when able..

I feel there should be a little more to choose from, not just one or the other.. otherwise, can't I choose both? :D

[RHhe82]

1 hour ago, Hisymak said:

Original MIDIs - why just By The Map Creator himself? There are many composers who compose music tracks for other mappers. These should count as well!

Otherwise, I like both.

What I really dislike, is a map/wad with no custom music at all, reusing Doom/Doom2 stock music, or stock music from some other well-known games (Heretic, Hexen, Duke3D, ROTT...). However, the music from non-Doom game can be tolerable, if used well and it really fits the map.

I actually don’t mind using stock music from original IWADs as long as the music fits the map. However, this means only most of Doom 1 tracks and a handful of Doom 2 music, and there is a serious risk of wearing out the remaining good tracks.

 

As for the poll, I don’t know why it has to be map creator. Or are the majority of mappers also well-equipped for composing decent tracks? I know some of you are, but if I released a map with some midi of my own, you’d wish I had settled with D_RUNNIN.

 

edit: Was the question actually considering songs that were midi in the first place versus a midified version of some song by an artist or a band, that’s been converted to a midi? Then I strongly prefer the map maker option. I’m currently playing Scythe for the first time, and while I was a fan of Symphony X as a teenager, it feels a bit strange there. On the other hand, it’s not like I’m opposed to midi covers, I wish I could find decent black metal covers, but I don’t want to scour obscure russian sites for them…

Edited October 22, 2021 by RHhe82
Cont’d

[Remilia Scarlet]

I generally prefer unique music that is NOT in midi format.

[Murdoch]

Unique. I have heard very few MIDIs of actual songs I consider really good (to be fair I have not actively looked in years) but it kind takes me out of the experience somewhat if I recognise the song.

[Deadwing]

Definitely unique music.

It doesn't need to be created for that wad (or by the mapper), but IWAD MIDIs or familiar ones is something that I find a bit distracting.

[Roofi]

It really depends of the quality of the midi rendition.

 

However I voted for already existing songs because one of my favourite levels ever made use the music "Pull me Under" by Dream Theater.

 

Doomworld has a lot of awesome composers but I don't think I will find something better than "Fear of the Blank Planet" by Porcupine Tree" or the Dream Theater song I mentioned above for instance. I heared those track billions of time.

Edited October 22, 2021 by Roofi

[Weird Sandwich]

Easy question, original midis are much preferred for two reasons:

 

1. They'll be created to loop properly, or otherwise made with the length of map in mind. You don't always get this with covers of exiting songs.

2. Their custom nature means they're far more capable of meshing with the design and atmosphere of the map than covers. You'd struggle to find songs that match up with Going Down or Ancient Aliens nearly as well as their original midis do, for example.

 

Of course it's not reasonable to expect every wad to have it's own custom midi's, it's a skill set that most mappers don't have, and it's hard to make high quality ones. And there are some occasions where covers of existing songs are more appropriate, where the explicit reference ties into the map in some way.

[xdude_gamer]

I like original MIDIs a lot because, as a MIDI composer, it feels really good to know that I made a piece of music on the fly and it sounded great. Lots more you can do with them also.

[Zilch]

Original MIDIs all day.  Only problem on this voting system is there is no choice for original MIDI tracks at all.  People who design maps don't alwasy do their own music.

[Astronomical]

Generally I just like it when the midi is good, if it is custom and good I also like it, but Desk lamp wasn't worse than any of the other ancient aliens midis because it was used in sunlust, the originality of a midi doesn't mean anything about it's quality at all.

[Somniac]

As long as it fits the vibe of the map I have no preference either way.

[bofu]

As a composer myself, I prefer original music, but I also understand that not everybody is able to do it, so it's not going to make my decision as to whether or not I play a wad. I do prefer when people at least use things intended to be background music such as tracks from ROTT or other games rather than MIDI covers of, say, Top 40 songs, though.

[Deadwing]

Oh other hand, Eviternity uses a MIDI version of Slave from Leprous, and that version kicked ass D:

[MFG38]

I'm a big fan of original MIDIs in maps, but I don't hate covers.

[continuum.mid]

This is an interesting opposition. I think the best map/MIDI pairings I have seen are ones where the MIDI is created for the map, but by someone other than the mapper. I also like when MIDIs are taken from other games that use the format.

 

Within these limits, I prefer original tracks most of the time, since they can take into account the unique feel of each map. If the author is a musician, they can do this even better. Jenesis and the recent Atmospheric Extinction are good examples. High-quality and well-picked covers can have similar effect, like with the Leprous cover used in Eviternity Map25, but the majority of the covers I have seen in use in maps don't really stand out as much as an original track would.

[Bauul]

I have the same question as others: did you deliberately leave out the most common option of "an original Midi composed by someone other than the mapper", or is that meant to be covered in option 1?

[P41R47]

i prefer both.
I really like when the mapper make a mix of an actual popular song with his own take of the music for the map.
Just like Bobby Prince did.

We need more pop (any kind of music that might be popular) inspired Doom midis.

[ChestedArmor]

I don't care.

In the end, all that matters that it's fitting and sounds good.

(Only Exception: If I have to see one more dog damn infiltration map with a badly looped Mission Imposssible soundtrack Im going to brick it.)

[wallabra]

3 hours ago, MFG38 said:

I'm a big fan of original MIDIs in maps, but I don't hate covers.

 

This. If the MIDI sounds good, the MIDI sounds good. Although unique music gives a WAD personality.

 

I love soundtrack. And I think using MIDI covers kind of stretches the definition of soundtrack. But eh, it's hard to convey personality through MIDI anyway.

 

And I think I'm yet to meet a WAD with a soundtrack that really meshes in with gameplay, rather than just fill in the blanks of audio (which is also good and important, though!)

 

Is there any mapset that makes use of Boom's music change linedefs? Only example that comes to mind is Valiant's MAP30, but I mean using it throughout the campaign for a sort of dynamic music type thing.

[stewboy]

Back before I started getting into MIDI writing myself, I hadn't been exposed to much music and so basically all MIDIs sounded like original songs to me. Non-cover MIDIs weren't particularly widespread back then (HR2 and MM2 were my only experience of original music). There were definitely tracks that I really enjoyed more than others, mostly due to their sound design or catchy melodies/beat, and that includes cover music - there's a lot of good stuff out there. I didn't really discriminate in my mind between covers and originals - they were all written by people far away who I didn't know anything about, so it was all the same to me.

 

Now, from the composer's perspective, just like that of any artist, we generally want our works to be seen/heard by as many people as possible, so as a rule we'll always want to encourage people to use original stuff. However, I'm never going to write something in a very traditional rock or metal style, so if that's the feel someone has in mind for their map then there's no reason they would come to me. Using covers is still a valid way of getting music - if you like a particular track, you should use it no matter if it's original or not!

[jazzmaster9]

I prefer both equally.

Though me personally, I won't shy away from using IWAD/Stock Midis if I feel like it fits the map I make, or elicits a feeling of nostalgia in me.