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my_projects.html
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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="author" content="Alexander Martinez">
<meta name="description" content="This is the projects page for OpticIlluzhion.com">
<title>My Projects</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
<script src="https://kit.fontawesome.com/4c410d41d4.js" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
</head>
<body>
<nav id="navbar"></nav>
<main>
<header>
<h1 data-text="My Projects"></data-text>
My Projects
</h1>
</header>
<section>
<h2>
Finished Projects
</h2>
<p>
While you can find most of my finished projects on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/OpticIlluzhion" target="_blank">Youtube</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/opticilluzhion" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>, I'd like to dedicate this section of the page towards some projects I'm particularly proud of or would otherwise like to highlight and share some extra thoughts on, especially concerning the creative process. If you want to learn more about the resources I use for my projects, for now you'll have to contact me using the buttons in the footer but I do want to make a resources page eventually for those who are hungry for knowledge like me.
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
Fairy Tale
</summary>
<p>
Fairy Tale is my current best work compositionally and harmonically speaking for now. The piano in the video isn't recorded live, this is my first publically released work where I used my current favorite piano sample library, Embertone's <a href="https://www.embertone.com/instruments/concertD.php" target="_blank">1955 Walker Concert D (lite)</a>. I recorded my performance using an 88 key MIDI keyboard connected via MIDI to USB to FL Studio, used the best takes and edited it, mostly due to sustain pedal delay issues. I also wrote the sheet music for it, and if you would like it please contact me personally.
</p>
<!-- TODO: Add sheet music download -->
<iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BpE-pS76P_4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>
</iframe>
</details>
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
Bittersweet Memories
</summary>
<p>
Bittersweet Memories is my current best released work using sample libraries, in this case BBCSO discover, although this will definitely change in the future (see Iberialism). I also used the free Steinway D in FLEX's Piano Essentials which came with several disadvantages involving sustain pedal information which is why the piano may sound weird, aside from my horrendous attempt at mixing the climax of the song. The Mario Galaxy inspired synth is a simple Vital patch I made.
<p>
I really need to figure out how to mix the high mids of pianos in order to not make resonant frequencies hurt/distort on less capable systems such as phone speakers. My guess is that it involves putting a lot more work into (multiband?) compression than I do at the moment. I'm also flirting with the thought of using soothe 2-like spectral compression pluigns, although it feels like cheating/overkill.
</p>
<p>
My personal dilemma with mixing/mastering is the longer I metaphorically bang my head against the wall attempting to polish them, the more dissatisfied I become with the end result and the less likely I become to call the track finished and release it. There is also no written symphonic orchestral score for this, because I have no clue how to do that.
</p>
<p>
Finally, this is currently my only work where I have also made my own artwork for the cover, which was originally because I wanted to put the track on Spotify, but my general distaste for Spotify and distributors has only kept growing and I will absolutely use it to justify not putting it on there.
</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4n-D-Ca86Ts?si=HvBQOYOypy0-7mtP" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</details>
</p>
</section>
<h2>
Unfinished Projects
</h2>
<p>
WARNING: THE VOLUME OF THE AUDIO BETWEEN THESE MAY VARY BY A LOT! This is not an exhaustive list of all of my unfinished projects, this is more like the vast majority of projects that I want to complete at some point but haven't for some reason. I do plan to try my get as many of these as possible over to the Finished Projects section. More on that in the Monthly Projects section.
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
PUL-53 OST
</summary>
<p>
Track 1: Main Theme
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/Rocket_Game_Theme.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
Track 2: Unnamed Boss Music
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/boss_music.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
I'm excited to announce that I've been working on the soundtrack for a <a href="https://aurox44.itch.io/pul-53">game</a> initially made for PirateSoftware's 16th game jam!
</p>
<p>
I'll add more info once the OST is done with an additional track and you hopefully see this in the Finished Projects section, which should theoretically happen by the 20th of February, for now you can find more info in my <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:gbik4qbpnlpkidlvuwagxhm7/post/3lh44flede22p">post</a> about it (including the reply/comment/not sure what the proper term is)
</p>
</details>
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
Iberialism
</summary>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/spainwiththes.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
The title of this track was inspired by a very interesting video essay I saw on youtube about the concept of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR511iAedYU" target="_blank">Orientalism</a>. Orientalism is a term essentially used to describe the way Hollywood film composers water down music deriving from different traditional mostly Middle Eastern cultures that get indiscriminately mixed and mashed together and constrained to 12 tone equal temperament (our western tuning system) to create a "desert" sound and appeal to western audiences. Think if Scottish Bagpiges were mixed together with Swiss Alphorns and yodeling and to create a "mountains" sound and then using modern composition techniques. Yes, you can do it and yes, maybe it even sounds good, but it makes absolutely no historical sense why you'd ever find this combination of things together and that it's composed in the way it is. And that brings us to Iberialism.
</p>
<p>
Iberialism is my absurd nonsensical combination of things that sound vaguely "Spanish" to people unfamiliar with genres that non-Spanish/Latin American people would associate with "Spanish". "Iberial" refers to the Iberial Peninsula, which is where Spain is geographically. If I had to take a stab at the genres I'm mashing together (this may be inaccurate, I didn't do my research which is adding further insult to injury) I'd say Flamneco, Ska, Surf Rock and I want to also include a Bossa Nova style break. It's ridiculous but I think I can make it work, and it's also by far my best sample library based work to date. My main inspirations for this track were the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ1PUgNfkxw" target="_blank">Deadly Six theme</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9Vg0rG31Y" target="_blank">Desert Ruins Act 1</a> from Sonic Lost World, which is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time.
</p>
<p>
Side note: I am also in desperate need of getting the snare drum to be in the forefront of the mix. Ignore the mixing please thank you
</p>
</details>
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
Crystal Cave
</summary>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/Crystal_Cave.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
Crystal Cave is probably my best work in terms of sound design thus far. I want the story of this track to be one of a lone miner entering a cave full of luminescent, glistening crystals. After marveling at them, the miner attempts to mine the crystals, which results in them shattering in a million pieces, thus corrupting the cave and disrupting its natural state. I want the next section of the track to become glitchy, darker and more chaotic but in a beautiful, ear candy filled way.
</p>
</details>
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
Isolation
</summary>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/isolation_fullish.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
Isolation is a song that I wrote while I was living alone for the first time in a mildly claustrophobic one room + bathroom apartment while studying civil engineering. I was practically completely alone at Uni since nobody else from my highschool went to study there, I was in a new city, I couldn't make any friends, it got incredibly lonely and this song emerged from that loneliness. It's part of a three to four song EP I have planned involving some of the ideas I came up with during Uni that I was unable to finish due to lack of remaining energy at the end of the day. Another track of the EP is actually finished, so I won't be putting it here, the third doesn't have enough for me to want to show it yet and I haven't even begun with the fourth track. Some of my inspirations for this track were probably <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpI7fAR34Zw">I Don't Wanna Be Free</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF0I9h7C4A4" target="_blank">Last Cup Of Coffee</a>.
</p>
<p>
As for the lyrics, they are as accurate as a depiction of my relationship with isolation as my songwriting skills allow. I love being alone for the quiet and the freedom and comfort of truly being able to be myself without any shame, and yet my relationship with it is a somewhat toxic one that I struggle to leave for more than a few days in favor of a chance of finding some form of companionship or friendship.
</p>
<p>
You may be wondering why I put this in the unfinished section - this is a full song after all. The truth is, I'm not happy with the vocals at all. Not only was my vocal placement was all over the place (I didn't get any singing lessons before this, which is a mistake that I have now corrected) but so was my mic placement. I did not have a mic stand, so I was forced to hold the mic in my hand in the absolute weirdest setup since my room is very echoey. On top of this, it's very obvious where my takes started and ended, at least to my ears, which made things sound even more discontinuous and jarring. These are all small details but they add up and I care about them. This is also why I haven't yet fully committed to mixing things properly.
</p>
</details>
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
Some extra miscellaneous unfinished/abandoned music
</summary>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/electrintro.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/electro_swang.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/inspiration.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/miyo.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/dark_alleys.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/creodrop.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/arson.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/little_idea.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
<p>
<audio controls>
<source src="media/Nintendo_Land.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>
</p>
</details>
</p>
<p>
<details>
<summary>
File Management App
</summary>
<p>
I've been writing an automatic file organization app in Python as one of my myriad side projects to sort files based on file extension and/or creation date. This is a project fueled solely by spite towards an app called file juggler, which is the first thing that pops up if you search for an automatic file sorter. Even though this app probably does much more than mine, I haven't fully looked into it as the only thing I could see was its egregious price tag. I'm not paying the equivalent of 45 USD to do something I can write on my own completely for free, while also learning a lot along the process, which is also completely free thanks to Youtube University. If I do finish the app (which I may also just rewrite in C++ and Qt or QML at some point, I want the app to be cross-platform), I plan to open source the project and have it on github but also put it on a service like ko-fi or gumroad where you can name your own price for those who feel generous enough to donate their money in exchange for the time I've spent to make this.
</p>
</details>
</p>
<h2>
Monthly Project
</h2>
<p>
I want to commit to finishing at least one project a month from the Unfinished Projects section. If I don't succeed in finishing it by the end of the month it gets added to the Wall Of Shame. Projects can only be taken off of it by retroactively finishing the project. This starts today, as of February 1st, with Iberialism. There should be extra stakes in the case that there's more than one item on the Wall Of Shame, since I clearly actually need that kind of pressure, but I haven't thought of them yet so I am open to suggestions!
</p>
<p>
Speaking of suggestions, in the future whenever there's a month where I can't decide which project I want to commit to finishing there'll be a strawpoll poll to decide which I will embed into this website.
</p>
<h2>
The Wall Of Shame
</h2>
<p>
There's nothing here. Let's keep it that way!
</p>
<h2>
Future projects and things I vaguely want to do
</h2>
<p>
Before I go on, if any of the following things mean nothing to you, don't worry. Most if not all of these are - and I don't think there's many better ways to put this - technical, niche, probably useless but fun to work on/think about nerd shit. You will most likely never have to even come close to thinking about these things, let alone caring about them, but I love them and that's just my personal flavor of autism, so they get a spot on my website. Enough said.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Chaos EQ - a Patcher patch randomizing EQ parameters for generative sound design purposes with macros on a control surface for a bpm synced sample and hold option and maybe some other things like maybe a speed control or something
</li>
<li>
Recreate the stuff in Virtual Riot's Let Your Sounds/Patterns Design Themselves videos in FL Studio
</li>
<li>
Just generally more Patcher shenanigans involving more sound design experimentation, some generative, some not, whatever the voices in my head dictate
</li>
<li>
Turn the Thought Dump section of my website into a youtube channel
</li>
<li>
Make a chess youtube channel
</li>
<li>
Learn AutoHotkey just to increase the awfully slow horizontal scrolling speed in FL + brag about it whenever having the opportunity to show it off, which will definitely be worthwhile and also will happen probably never
</li>
<li>
Learn PlugData and/or JUCE, partly because I want Ewan Bristow's plugins but also because clearly I'm still not enough of a nerd
</li>
<li>
Here's an extra little easter-egg bullet point to tell you if you've been reading through all of this I appreciate you
</li>
<li>
Use the PlugData and/or JUCE and/or Patcher knowledge to make a microtonal resonator plugin, because clearly microtonal color bass is the future (it is not but I want it to exist)
</li>
<li>
Learn Piano Roll scripting and MIDI scripting for FL to automate certain processes and link MIDI controllers to do stuff like auto-coloring and going through presets
</li>
<li>
Use the PlugData and/or JUCE and/or Patcher knowledge to script a way to make the pitchbend on other plugins act in a way where it conforms to microtonal tunings (most likely just n-EDO scales with A4 remaining 440Hz within FL Studio but one can dream)
</li>
<li>
Write a tool in C++ that spits out a list of integer bpms (or maybe even up to 3 decimal digit bpms) you can use from a user defined range whenever you need to write music that lasts n seconds, ideally such that the music also ends on a whole number of bars. Yes this is basically just a math/simple programming problem, yes I do math for fun, sue me (please don't sue me)
</li>
<li>
<s>
Learn how SSG's work so I can focus on writing stuff for the Thought Dump page rather than having to hardcode everything in one file
</s>
<p>
(I'm now learning how to use <a href="https://www.11ty.dev/">11ty/Eleventy!</a>)
</p>
</li>
<li>
Learn how to include support for extended Markdown syntax for 11ty so that I don't suffer having to do all of the footnote stuff for Thought Dumps manually, which is what I had to do for the first Dump. It was not fun.
</li>
<li>
Learn how to implement RSS feeds!! So I don't have to bother anyone with site updates
</li>
</ul>
</main>
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