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Ask "The Fat Man" George Sanger About Music and Computer Games

Posted by samzenpus on from the to-soothe-the-savage-gamer dept.

"The Fat Man" George Sanger has composed the music to hundreds of computer and video games since the 80's and remains one of the most influential people in game audio. Some of his most famous tunes can be heard in Maniac Mansion, Wing Commander, and Tux Racer. Team Fat, a band that includes fellow video game music composers, creates music, sound effects, and voice work for games, television, and films. George has agreed to give us a bit of his time and answer any questions you might have. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one question per post.

9 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Hey George! by globaljustin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Mr. Sanger, thanks for taking the time. I was a fan of yours and didn't know it until now ha.

    My question: Did you find the limitations of 8-bit computing sound to be a fun creative challenge or was it more of a slog of process and reduction to make it work within limitations of the sound system?

    --
    Thank you Dave Raggett
    1. Re:Hey George! by GeorgeA.Sanger · · Score: 2

      Exactly: 8-bit composing was indeed, as you say, a fun creative challenge. The feeling that I might have been "limited" in some way translated in my mind immediately into a positive: "OK, I'm writing for a new medium that has these requirements and these superpowers. What will I do with it?" I just couldn't imagine Bach being bugged by having to write for "just a string quartet." My players (the oscillators that were available to me) might have a tone less thrilling than Bach's target platform, but my guys would never miss a note, and could play as fast as I wanted them to, make huge leaps--all kinds of things. And one of my favorite things was, I very seldom felt insecure about "am I done with this piece yet?" When a piece was done, I felt like, no, there's not much more I can squeeze into this. So it's time to move on to the next task with a clear conscience.

  2. My favorite, ever. by i+kan+reed · · Score: 2

    I'm playing some of the Master of Magic soundtrack right now, when this article appeared. I love the sheer range of composition you managed over the course of the 90s.

    Anyways, my question is: Has the demand for live instrumentation on soundtracks negatively impacted the flexibility of game composers like yourself? Or were the midi device days harder?

  3. Getting Started by CanHasDIY · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How did you get into the video game music business, and what advice would you have for aspiring artists looking to follow in your footsteps?

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  4. 7th Guest and the dawn of digital media by holiggan · · Score: 2

    Uau, can't believe nobody mentioned the 7th Guest and 11th Hour soundtracks, some of my all time favourite game music :)

    Anyway, my question to Mr. Sanger is this: how was it to be part of some of the first "digital media" titles? To live in the middle of the hype and be part of some ground breaking works of art?

    --
    "A sysadmin is a cross between a detective, a police officer, a gardener, a doctor and a fireman"
  5. The olden days by Dan+East · · Score: 2

    Back in the late 80s, computer music was written in 4 channel trackers (Amiga, I'm thinking of you), and you had to try and cram as much "music" into just 4 channels as possible. Now the sky's the limit. I'm curious which you like better. The old days, where hardware limitations were always in your face and you had to use clever tricks and a lot of thought to work around them and keep it all in a few kilobytes of space, or the way things are now, where you have an unlimited number of tracks and instruments available and you just blow out static audio tracks (aka mp3)?

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  6. interaction between game designers and soundtrack by mandginguero · · Score: 2

    Greetings George, thanks for taking the time to do this. Video games were some of my earliest exposure to types of music that my parents never played and has stayed a consistent influence on the music I create now some 20-30 years later.

    I'm curious how much of a back and forth process it is to design music for games. At what stage are you often approached about creating music? Is it when there is a finished product for you to see, or during the early stages are you brought on board to share some sounds to inspire coders? Is there a standard timeline for bringing together visuals and gameplay and sounds, or does it vary from project to project? And if it does vary, has there been a general shift over time in the interaction between gameplay design and music design?

    --
    i don't know karate, but i know ca-razy
  7. Tongue of the Fat Man by doti · · Score: 2

    Is this related to the game "Tongue of the Fat Man"?

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    factor 966971: 966971
  8. Tell us a joke by spyrochaete · · Score: 2

    Anything that comes to mind.

    Thanks, love your music and love your book!