[Album] DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII- Original Soundtrack (CRCP-40137~38)

Originally Posted by Mr. Maul

From a technical and musical standpoint, this soundtrack is pretty near perfect.

Pretty much what he said. It took several lessons to appreciate but I think this is Hamauzu's finest work from a thematic standpoint. So far, I've observed two themes interwoven throughout the score, very closely related to each other. One is heroic and the other tender.

Both can be heard in the best track, "Hope of the Future" (2:40 for the heroic and 0:18 for the tender).

The work is skillfully orchestrated, with real and synth instruments melding seamlessly. This is the way I'd prefer game scores to be done in the future, if they can't afford to have real players all the way through.

The cinematic tracks are beautifully written but it's pretty clear that they're written to accompany visuals and hence, there isn't much room for musical development (especially considering they're often quite short).

In the end, it probably works beautifully in the game and that's where it's meant to be appreciated. Having the soundtrack be so good outside of its intended medium is a nice bonus. However, as noted, the material is treated very much like a film score and that isn't to everyone's tastes.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

"Battle Theme EX" is my favorite track from US.

As for DoC, I've found that the second disc is my favorite. It has the best cinematic tracks (which I've seen in the game. They're incredible, albeit somewhat undermixed) and holds the most sway over me. The first disc tends to get slow-going about halfway through with all the atmospheric tracks that have no thematic connection to the rest of the work. Probably works wonderfully in the game but on disc, those tracks are skippable for me.

There isn't really one Hamauzu score that I can come out and say is my favorite. Most of them have some flaw that keeps me from completely loving them. US has the electronica second disc, I've never really warmed up to SF2 and the true tragedy is that Nakano got to provide music to all the interesting areas in Musashi, leaving Hamauzu to do short character themes and jingles.

He provided the best music to FFX though...

How ya doing, buddy?

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-The other songs are just fillers, we fans have to admit that.

Uh, no. You left out some of the more brilliant cinematic tracks, like "Return to the Origin", "Finally Reborn", "The Last SND", "Prologue of Dirge of Cerberus".

The ending theme is gorgeous, easily my favorite track on the soundtrack (and works gorgeously in the game itself).

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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Return to the Origin is a bit on the boring side. The Last SND doesn't say a thing. Finally Reborn is monotone, has interesting piano tunes, but that's all.

You should see them in the game. All three are for FMV scenes and they work EXTREMELY well in their context.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

"Trigger Situation", "Prologue of "DIRGE of CERBERUS", "High-Spirited", "Marching Tune #0", "Return to the Origin", "Marching Tune", "Finally Reborn", "The Last SND", "Everyone's Help", and "Hope of the Future" are the FMV pieces.

I was speaking idiomatically.

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I wonder if it is like this (very unlikely) First Assumption:
the violinist, cellist and flutist wear a headphone and listens to the midi background while they record their playing. Then Hamauzu adds this ensemble to the midi-background and we have the resulting track.

This is probably the most likely scenario. He would just paste the live recording onto the midi track.

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Conclusion? it's not midi. It's not electronically generated but real live. The question is, why doesn't Hamauzu use an orchestra of violins? Instead he uses a synthesizer?

It's expensive to get a bunch of string players in a room together. I'm sure getting soloists isn't cheap either but it doesn't add up as much as a few dozen string players would.

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Let's analyze The Immaculate: It sounds very orchestral, but I'm 80% sure the strings aren't real. (listen to 4:16) I hear sound effects too, these have to be synthesized later on by adding it to the orchestrated part. This has to be midi. But I don't understand why midi can be of such great quality...

It's midi, just really good midi. I think the track would have been even better orchestrated but he decided not to go that route (and indeed, only went that route with the cinematics).

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Final note: many of the FMV's seem to be fully orchestrated, they have no sound effects and have 100% real live strings. Exceptions are Prologue of DOC and Trigger situation.

"Prologue of DOC" uses an orchestra. You can tell by listening to the brass (which are often the worst as far as midi recreations go).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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BTW: Prologue of DOC just really seems a mix of two things, the first part with those strings are midi and the second part (after 1:14) has a real orchestra in it.

I think that's right. I haven't decided whether the piano in the first half is real or midi. The intro FMV is about six minutes long so roughly three minutes in the middle are unscored.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by katchum

I don't know it, but I'm guessing it is Hope of the Future, because it's the last song and it sounds like the ending (all the themes are presented just like in Musashiden 2).

The Ending FMV does indeed use "Hope of the Future."

How ya doing, buddy?

^

Agreed. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on FFXII. Unfortunately, the PSFs are a fairly accurate representation of what the music sounds like in-game.

In a way, it's ironic. DoC works for me better in-game than on disc and FFXII works better on disc than in-game. You think it would be the reverse.

Jam it back in, in the dark.