Loopable Music - How to!
05-15-2012, 01:58 AM
Hey guys, this is a short tutorial on how to make loopable music to use in your games.
To begin with, here is a example of a loopable song I've made (download to test it if you want):
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28025798/MLW%20M...Temple.mp3
Most of what I discuss in this thread has been applied to it!
Keep in mind that RPG Maker doesn't loop perfectly and may introduce a small gap in the loop. Sadly there's nothing you can do about that.
Step 1: Import your track
Step 2: [IMAGE] Go to the end of your track and add a fade-out. This must be VERY VERY small - a split second, or you'll hear it in the loop. This step will prevent any "pops" or "clicks" that are typical in badly-looped music.
Step 3: Export your track, but when you do, make sure you restrict the export to the EXACT LENGTH of your loopable track. If it exports more, the silence will show up again (and we all know that The Silence are a pain in the proverbial arse!).
So is that all?... Yes! That is it! But before you run off all excited and roll in a field of flowers, read on because the next part is important if you make your own custom music tracks.
When you do, there are a few aspects you may like to consider before we actually get to the looping part. These are not necessary but can help.
Step 1: Are you using Reverb? (If you're not then you SHOULD BE!) If so, you may want to reduce its use before the end of the track. Doing this will make the transition from the end of a song back to its beginning less noticeable. For example, if your backing instrument (s) have a lot of reverb. Well, for the last second of the song, you can consider turning the reverb down a bit, or shortening its length. You could also have reverb-heavy instruments stop playing towards the end (in a natural way that suits the composition).
Step 2: If you're using volume automation (slightly more advanced here) then don't drop it to -infinity db because in some software this can create clicks (rare, but it can happen). Instead drop to -75db which is effectively silent.
Step 3: Consider making the start of your song loud rather than quiet. This will help hide the transition from the end back to the start.
To begin with, here is a example of a loopable song I've made (download to test it if you want):
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/28025798/MLW%20M...Temple.mp3
Most of what I discuss in this thread has been applied to it!
Keep in mind that RPG Maker doesn't loop perfectly and may introduce a small gap in the loop. Sadly there's nothing you can do about that.
Step 1: Import your track
Step 2: [IMAGE] Go to the end of your track and add a fade-out. This must be VERY VERY small - a split second, or you'll hear it in the loop. This step will prevent any "pops" or "clicks" that are typical in badly-looped music.
Step 3: Export your track, but when you do, make sure you restrict the export to the EXACT LENGTH of your loopable track. If it exports more, the silence will show up again (and we all know that The Silence are a pain in the proverbial arse!).
So is that all?... Yes! That is it! But before you run off all excited and roll in a field of flowers, read on because the next part is important if you make your own custom music tracks.
When you do, there are a few aspects you may like to consider before we actually get to the looping part. These are not necessary but can help.
Step 1: Are you using Reverb? (If you're not then you SHOULD BE!) If so, you may want to reduce its use before the end of the track. Doing this will make the transition from the end of a song back to its beginning less noticeable. For example, if your backing instrument (s) have a lot of reverb. Well, for the last second of the song, you can consider turning the reverb down a bit, or shortening its length. You could also have reverb-heavy instruments stop playing towards the end (in a natural way that suits the composition).
Step 2: If you're using volume automation (slightly more advanced here) then don't drop it to -infinity db because in some software this can create clicks (rare, but it can happen). Instead drop to -75db which is effectively silent.
Step 3: Consider making the start of your song loud rather than quiet. This will help hide the transition from the end back to the start.
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