Topic: Descent 3 Soundtrack

[VertigoAbyss]

I have not posted in a very long time, but I felt that you guys should know this.

I know that a lot of Descent fans did not like D3, and say what you will about it, you absolutely CANNOT fault it for its soundtrack.

I listen to a lot of video game soundtracks, and while there are so many that have a much better sound, the D3 soundtrack does an absolutely fantastic job of using a theme. Most soundtrack albums forget to use themes, or barley use them. However, this particular album references the theme in almost EVERY SINGLE SONG!! Not only this, but the theme sometimes will have the timing changed on the notes, or done with a different sound, making the theme not repetitive at all. Not only this, but in the final level song, it references the previous levels on numerous occasions, however, not so much that it feels like a copy and paste. I find it really disappointing that Jerry Berlongieri has done so few other soundtracks, because he did fantastic on the D3 soundtrack.

Was I the only other person to notice this?

[Scyphi]

You are certainly not, most fans are aware of D3's "common theme," but most seem to just take it as just that, a "common theme" for the game.

What's more interesting about that theme though is how Jerry apparently devised it. To quote what he said about it once on the DU forums:

"I used an old circuit bent 'merlin' toy for some of the robot sounds.  That little motif you hear throughout is the UPC code from the original Descent entered into the Merlin's 'make a song' mode.  Not quite an AI, but It felt right to let a machine have some say."

Which is honestly pretty cool, when you think about it. 

[-<WillyP>-]

Fascinating! I never knew that!

[Kaiaatzl]

Makes me wonder about the toy, because normally doing something like that would wind up being horribly atonal.  I like Jerry's particular style -- he hasn't really done anything since Alter Echo though.
But he says he's working on a track for Overload.