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Production workflow

This page gives a stage-by-stage map of the current music production workflow for Night of the Meteor.

It complements the Production pipeline: pipeline explains handoff and approvals, while this page explains what happens inside music production from first idea to final master.

Stage order

Writing -> Preorchestration -> Sound design -> Mixing -> Mastering

1) Writing

Goal: create strong musical ideas (themes, motifs, harmony, rhythm, dramatic beats).

Typical tools: MuseScore, Sibelius, DAWs, trackers, other MIDI-capable tools.

Workflow fit requirement (important): - A writing idea should be attached to a concrete in-game use (for example: a scene, transition, animation beat, state change, or other gameplay moment). - Great standalone music that has no clear game connection is harder to schedule in production and usually will not move forward to orchestration right away. - This is a workflow priority rule, not a hard creative prohibition.

Arranger/orchestrator freedom: - If material is accepted, the arranger/orchestrator can adapt or place it where it serves the game best.

Output expected for next stage: - Structurally clear cue idea. - Editable source project where possible. - Importable MIDI.

2) Preorchestration / orchestration prototype

Goal: turn writing into a clear arranged prototype for the scene.

Core rule: clarity over polish.

Practical constraints: - Keep arrangement and role labeling clear. - Stay within the current 16-channel MIDI limitation.

Output expected for next stage: - Scene-ready prototype with clear part roles. - MIDI (max 16 channels) prepared for sound-design ingestion.

3) Sound design

Goal: define the actual sonic identity of each cue.

Direction (current): - Blend period-inspired references (OPL-like color + MT-32-like depth). - Keep results usable for in-game integration.

Output expected for next stage: - Finished cue sound with near-final internal balance. - Exportable assets (typically WAV or agreed deliverable formats).

4) Mixing

Goal: unify cues across the whole soundtrack.

When it happens: once cues are stable enough that major rewrites are unlikely.

Output expected for next stage: - Project-wide level and tonal consistency. - Cohesive soundtrack behavior across scenes.

5) Mastering

Goal: final playback translation and release polish.

Output expected: - Final masters that translate well across playback devices. - Consistent loudness and presentation for release.

Cross-stage principles

  • The next stage should not have to guess what the previous stage meant.
  • Clear naming and labeling are mandatory.
  • Timing, structure, and dramatic intent should be explicit early.
  • Different tools are acceptable if handoff outputs remain compatible.

Current status (snapshot)

  • The project has a large existing writing/demo base.
  • The active transition is from writing into preorchestration.
  • Sound-design preparation is underway.
  • Final project-wide mixing/mastering standards are defined later in production.