Okay, so I’ve been messing around with Wuthering Waves lately, and let me tell you, the sound design is amazing. I especially wanted to try and recreate that one haunting melody, you know, the one that plays sometimes in the open world? I’m calling it the “beguiling melody” for now because, well, it totally is.
First, I spent a good chunk of time just listening. I roamed around the game world, trying to trigger the melody to play. It seemed pretty random, but I finally noticed it popping up more often in certain areas, especially around ruins.
Next, I needed to isolate it. This was tricky. I turned down all the other sound effects and music in the game’s settings, leaving just the ambient sounds on. Then, I used my phone to record a few instances of the melody playing. The quality wasn’t great, but it was enough to work with.
Then, I moved to my music program. I used Garageband. I loaded up the recordings and started trying to pick out the individual notes. It’s mostly a string instrument, I think, with maybe some kind of wind instrument layered in. Very ethereal.
- Figured out the basic notes: It took some trial and error, but I managed to get a rough approximation of the melody on my keyboard.
- Experimenting with instruments: I tried a bunch of different virtual instruments in GarageBand to see what sounded closest. A cello with a lot of reverb got me pretty close, and then I added a subtle flute sound underneath.
- Tweaked and added some effects.
The Result?
It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely recognizable! I’ve got something that captures the same haunting vibe. Now, my version isn’t a note-for-note replica, mostly because I’m just doing this by ear and, well, I’m no professional musician. Still, it was fun to try and recreate something.
