Marty O'Donnell AMA over on Reddit.

Started about an hour ago. I'm not sure if he's still answering questions currently.

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Looks like he's answering questions pretty fast. A few every minute it seems. I'm so glad I got to ask about Never Surrender from Halo 2. :)

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Maybe my brain is just wired differently than Reddit expects it to be, but I’ve never been able to find anything on that site, ever. I even searched /r/IAmA for “Never Surrender,” but I couldn’t find your question.

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Here you go

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Made a Reddit account and everything...ugh.

I gotta quit my job.

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So go ask now.

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Thoughts I had while scrolling through the thread:

It's been WAY too long since I've seen that dancing Marty easter egg. Great stuff.
Did Marty make a Serenity reference while responding to our own JDQuackers?
I'm not sure it's possible for someone to be both Hitler AND Stalin. That seems problematic.
Marty loves the Jaguar E-Type. Marty is a proper car guy. This is my "in" if I ever meet him - must remember!
Lots of people asking if Marty has ever played the games he worked on. LOL.

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Most definitely a Firefly reference, but the meaning is what has me excited. He also responded to another poster about Music of the Spheres and said that, "Someday you'll all get to hear Music of the Spheres the way it was intended. #NeverForgetMots"

This has me giddy with excitement thinking that someday it will see an official release. I am truly hopeful that this comes to fruition

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Marty

Q: Were the clues or secrets alluded to in the Video Games Live 2013 interview with you and Mike ever discovered/revealed? (Music Of The Spheres, Musical Theory)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNytXWMCFhI

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Marty

Q: Were the clues or secrets alluded to in the Video Games Live 2013 interview with you and Mike ever discovered/revealed? (Music Of The Spheres, Musical Theory)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNytXWMCFhI

A: Nope, 'cuz it never got released as intended. Still could happen though...

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Just not as active as last night. I didn't realize it could keep going after I left.

Marty's AMA

That's why they call me "The Elder".

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He wasn't looking for a link to the AMA (that's in the first post, after all); he was looking for a link to Grizzlei's question about Never Surrender. I couldn't find it either. :(

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Grizzlei's question and Marty's answer.

I found it by just searching Grizzlei's post history.

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Grizzlei's question and Marty's answer.

I found it by just searching Grizzlei's post history.

Didn't occur to me that reddit's search would be case-sensitive; I searched for 'grizzlei' and found nothing. My bad. :(

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Grizzlei's question and Marty's answer.

I found it by just searching Grizzlei's post history.

Didn't occur to me that reddit's search would be case-sensitive; I searched for 'grizzlei' and found nothing. My bad. :(

No need to apologize! There's a first time for everything--all those years of you linking oft-forgotten stuff on HBO, I just assumed you were some sort of wizard.

But just FYI, I actually didn't search. The URL for any user is always reddit.com/u/UserNameHere, so I just did that. Reddit's weird and hard to navigate pretty often, but they've made that easy.

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[image]

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I wonder if Marty would answer questions about Taylor Swift doing the lyrical version of the theme song for Golem?

[image]

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...about our strange Taylor Swift obsession? I promise we love you more Marty!

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Not a lot off good questions about audio design and games on that AMA, mostly people who only know Marty is a composer, not that he was Audio Director for a Major games studio.

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ok so ask me here.

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How much time was spend on composing and that part of a game versus the other duties as Audio Director. How involved are you as Audio Director in the day to day work of making sounds for video games?

Making of videos always show audio folks just making and recording all sorts of crazy sounds to combine into sound effects. Do you provide lots of direction for stuff like that, or just give a sign off on it?

I seem to recall you saying that you like working in a studio with a smaller workforce. How much extra work does that entail for you? Do you now have to work on anything you wouldn't have done before?

How do you feel about Taylor Swift? (:

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How much time was spend on composing and that part of a game versus the other duties as Audio Director. How involved are you as Audio Director in the day to day work of making sounds for video games?

Composing was probably the least time consuming thing I did. Early in my game career I was 100% involved in creating sounds.

Making of videos always show audio folks just making and recording all sorts of crazy sounds to combine into sound effects. Do you provide lots of direction for stuff like that, or just give a sign off on it?

Used to provide lots of direction (if I wasn't doing it myself) and later with a bigger team just gave direction and approval.

I seem to recall you saying that you like working in a studio with a smaller workforce. How much extra work does that entail for you? Do you now have to work on anything you wouldn't have done before?

Well, I'm cutting footstep sounds again plus sometimes washing the dirty dishes in the sink. Love it!

How do you feel about Taylor Swift? (:

I love Taylor Swift

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Composing was probably the least time consuming thing I did. Early in my game career I was 100% involved in creating sounds.

Ah, I figured that. Ambiance in AotCR is, to this day, one of my favorite. The echoing steps and how they change with each chamber amazed me back in the day.

sometimes washing the dirty dishes in the sink. Love it!

Heh

I love Taylor Swift

[vader]I find your lack of relevant avatar disturbing.[/vader]

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What keyboard(s) do you use?

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A Yamaha Sgo XS. But I love the Ivory 2 inside the DAW.

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I'm not on reddit so ...

It's May 1st, 1969. What is Marty the Younger's favorite album and why?

What live musical performance that you've attended has stuck in your mind and why?

When you were first learning to compose, what composer most inspired you and why?

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I'm not on reddit so ...

It's May 1st, 1969. What is Marty the Younger's favorite album and why?

Ok, I actually had to check on dates so this might not line up with May 1 but these were all released in 1969:

Chicago Transit Authority (April 28 1969)
Blood Sweat and Tears (1968)
Crosby Still and Nash (1st album)
King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King (blew my mind)
The Yes Album
Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children
Led Zeppelin II
Beatles - Abbey Road (although I didn't get into this until 1973)

So yes, 1969 was a good year.

What live musical performance that you've attended has stuck in your mind and why?

I saw Van Cliburn perform at Wheaton College when I was 10 or 11. I decided NOT to quit piano. Such an amazing pianist.

When you were first learning to compose, what composer most inspired you and why?

Gentle Giant's Kerry Minnear, and Igor Stravinsky. When I switched my degree from Piano to Composition, these were the two I was listening to the most.

So should I do an AMA here too, or is that inappropriate?

(Btw, TheFirstDreamer.com could still use some more love. I'm looking at you Cody.)

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So should I do an AMA here too, or is that inappropriate?

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Chicago Transit Authority (April 28 1969)
Blood Sweat and Tears (1968)
Crosby Still and Nash (1st album)
King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King (blew my mind)
The Yes Album
Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children
Led Zeppelin II
Beatles - Abbey Road (although I didn't get into this until 1973)

Dat moment when it all clicks.

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So should I do an AMA here too, or is that inappropriate?

That is certainly allowed! :D

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I'm not on reddit so ...

It's May 1st, 1969. What is Marty the Younger's favorite album and why?

Ok, I actually had to check on dates so this might not line up with May 1 but these were all released in 1969:

Chicago Transit Authority (April 28 1969)
Blood Sweat and Tears (1968)
Crosby Still and Nash (1st album)
King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King (blew my mind)
The Yes Album
Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children
Led Zeppelin II
Beatles - Abbey Road (although I didn't get into this until 1973)

So yes, 1969 was a good year.

All great ones. My intent wasn't necessarily to limit you to that year, but I think our attachment to music during our teens is particularly profound, and I was curious about your favorites. My equivalent answer from 1978 (but I didn't discover all of them that year):

London Town - Paul McCartney (vastly underrated!)
52nd Street - Billy Joel
Time Passages - Al Stewart
Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon
The Last Waltz - The Band
40 Greatest Hits - Hank Williams (a cheat)
Pure Pop for Now People - Nick Lowe
Wavelength - Van Morrison
Outlandos d'Amour - The Police

What live musical performance that you've attended has stuck in your mind and why?

I saw Van Cliburn perform at Wheaton College when I was 10 or 11. I decided NOT to quit piano. Such an amazing pianist.

I bet that was something and obviously impactful. Seeing Marvin Gaye on his last tour stands out for me. What a performer. Also U2 on their first US stop of the War tour. The latter was probably like seeing the Who in 1965.

When you were first learning to compose, what composer most inspired you and why?

Gentle Giant's Kerry Minnear, and Igor Stravinsky. When I switched my degree from Piano to Composition, these were the two I was listening to the most.

Became a Stravinsky fan while taking a music appreciation class in college. I've never really gotten into the 70s progressive rock genre too much (unless you count Roxy Music, and I don't think anyone would). I'll investigate Gentle Giant. Thanks for answering my questions! (And apologies for littering the forum with my own answers.)

So should I do an AMA here too, or is that inappropriate?

I'm just lowly forum-dweller, but I can't imagine anyone would mind. You done interviews here before.

(Btw, TheFirstDreamer.com could still use some more love. I'm looking at you Cody.)

Cody, get outta that tree!

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I'm not on reddit so ...

It's May 1st, 1969. What is Marty the Younger's favorite album and why?

Ok, I actually had to check on dates so this might not line up with May 1 but these were all released in 1969:

Chicago Transit Authority (April 28 1969)
Blood Sweat and Tears (1968)
Crosby Still and Nash (1st album)
King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King (blew my mind)
The Yes Album
Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children
Led Zeppelin II
Beatles - Abbey Road (although I didn't get into this until 1973)

So yes, 1969 was a good year.

What live musical performance that you've attended has stuck in your mind and why?

I saw Van Cliburn perform at Wheaton College when I was 10 or 11. I decided NOT to quit piano. Such an amazing pianist.

When you were first learning to compose, what composer most inspired you and why?

Gentle Giant's Kerry Minnear, and Igor Stravinsky. When I switched my degree from Piano to Composition, these were the two I was listening to the most.

So should I do an AMA here too, or is that inappropriate?

(Btw, TheFirstDreamer.com could still use some more love. I'm looking at you Cody.)

I pledged 47 bucks!

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(Btw, TheFirstDreamer.com could still use some more love. I'm looking at you Cody.)

I pledged 47 bucks!

Which is why I was looking at you. Thanks!

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What in-game sound effect are you most proud of?

Can all of your future games have a "mouth noises" setting where all sounds are just you?

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Wow, you've been paying attention...

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Future AMA?

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Except for the Taylor Swift question anyway.

Technology has changed a lot since the Marathon days, how has your process changed along with the technology? How much of the audio design is dependent on technological limitations? What techological improvement are you most grateful for?

When designing the audio environment, where do you start? Do you start with music, sound effects like gunfire, or do you just have an idea of what it should sound like when you start and then you just put things together to match that idea? Do you target a particular feeling?

Does changing from stereo, to 3D audio with surround sound, to headphones on a VR headset change how you design the audio? What kinds of things do you do differently?

What is the most difficult sound you have had to record? What is the most interesting sound you have ever recorded?

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He chose Spidey over Batman and Superman. Favorite.Person.Ever.

Also, a Marty AMA on DBO would be bomb.

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Marty O'Donnell AMA over on Reddit. (Destiny)