Not saying this is always the case, but talk to people who have worked for WDI, they have a tendency to not be the most efficient with funds. People here always blame management, and WDI are viewed as gods. It's not always true. Yes there are bad imagineers.
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Space Mountain Audio
- Thread starter PatNSCT
- Start date
Not saying this is always the case, but talk to people who have worked for WDI, they have a tendency to not be the most efficient with funds. People here always blame management, and WDI are viewed as gods. It's not always true. Yes there are bad imagineers.
HMF
Well-Known Member
I could write a list but since I want to work for WDI. I won't but I will say I am shocked no one was fired over the Spaceship Earth fiasco.
SeaCastle
Well-Known Member
I agree that the general worldview here is that WDI is infallible, which we all know is nowhere near the case. Just look at the mis-appropriation of funds over Disneyland Tomorrowland '98 refurb or how much DLP went over-budget. But from my understanding of the WDW Space Mountain refurb was that it was management who cut the budget, or rather, money that was previously allocated for the project was no longer there. I've read there were very heated arguments over what to do with the leftover money, which went to things like removing asbestos, demolishing the Skyway building, new air gates, video game queues, new signage, fresh paint, etc. For all we know, the cost of adding in-car audio alone could have cost as much as the refurb we got in '09.
ttalovebug
Active Member
I'm wondering if the new Space Mountain theme is related to what Martin said about Tomorrowland getting a new white/retro theme in the long term. The new artwork seems to depict more of a retro look rather than an alien/planetary one.
I really hope they start selling t-shirts of the new artwork.
I sure hope that's the case. I think a retro approach would be perfect for our Tomorrowland.
imagineer boy
Well-Known Member
Yuck! I don't wanna go back to the ugly white look. There's nothing wrong with the current Buck Rogers look.
juan
Well-Known Member
Space Mtn in 09 spent roughly $2.9 million on track work.
SeaCastle
Well-Known Member
Yuck! I don't wanna go back to the ugly white look. There's nothing wrong with the current Buck Rogers look.
I'm a fan of the current look, but it's essentially Toonmorrowland, courtesy of the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Stitch's Great Escape, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Some of the lighting effects around Tomorrowland are disabled, and it's no longer TL '94 in it's full glory. I'd love to see a return to a Jetsons-esque theme with towering palm trees, retro, curvy style planters, and hopefully the return of some water features.
juan
Well-Known Member
Figment571
Member
Upon hearing the music I was kinda dissapointed, Mr Giacchino's compositions for SM in Paris and A/HK are much better and this almost sounds like a default "techno" song you would hear in some game. Though I must say that I have not ridden the ride thus experiencing it to it's full effect, so i must reserve complete judgment until then.
IMO though and I must stress it is only my opinion, that this seems to be a cheap fix for now.
IMO though and I must stress it is only my opinion, that this seems to be a cheap fix for now.
Uncle Lupe
Well-Known Member
Love the addition of an audio track. Looks like all that wavin' paid off.
Has anyone determined yet how the various music themes are laid out?
The two times I rode, the slower-paced "Disneyland SM" music played at the top the lift hill, then segued into the faster-paced techno music in the middle and end.
I originally thought there were two (some even said three) different music themes along the track.
But listening to several different online ride videos, I've heard the techno music at the top, and the "Disneyland SM" in the middle (with always more techno at the end).
Are there truly different layers of music? Or does a single loop with several themes and tempos play instead?
Also, to answer someone else's question about hearing the new dome music in the queue. You can faintly hear it if you're listening for it, especially coming from the tunnel where rockets enter the boarding area, but it is not overpowering.
In fact, it seems that they are now blasting the Disneyland "Com-Chat" soundtrack in the queue to mask any dome audio bleeding through (Have they had Com-Chat playing since the November re-opening? Or is that brand new?)
The two times I rode, the slower-paced "Disneyland SM" music played at the top the lift hill, then segued into the faster-paced techno music in the middle and end.
I originally thought there were two (some even said three) different music themes along the track.
But listening to several different online ride videos, I've heard the techno music at the top, and the "Disneyland SM" in the middle (with always more techno at the end).
Are there truly different layers of music? Or does a single loop with several themes and tempos play instead?
Also, to answer someone else's question about hearing the new dome music in the queue. You can faintly hear it if you're listening for it, especially coming from the tunnel where rockets enter the boarding area, but it is not overpowering.
In fact, it seems that they are now blasting the Disneyland "Com-Chat" soundtrack in the queue to mask any dome audio bleeding through (Have they had Com-Chat playing since the November re-opening? Or is that brand new?)
hpyhnt 1000
Well-Known Member
Good to know the ride music is only faintly audible in the queue area.
The com-chat, as far as I know, has been there since the attraction reopened, but this is the first I've heard it being in the queue area (Where exactly did you hear it? In the game tunnel corridor?). I know when I visited in December, the com-chat was playing in the loading area, but it was VERY faint and unless you knew it was there, you wouldn't notice it. Good to know that they've turned the volume up.
Avenger117
Well-Known Member
I listened to the audio and it sounds great. I really like the sound effects. It doesn't seem like a major addition but seems like it really adds a lot to the experience.
We rode twice yesterday - once it wasn't audible at all in the queue area, the other time it was quite loud.
It was also pretty loud in the post show, which didn't fit well (to me) with the feel of that area.
It was also pretty loud in the post show, which didn't fit well (to me) with the feel of that area.
I should have been a little more specific. You could hear very slight dome music bleed-through in the boarding area queue. This is also where they were blasting Com-Chat, particularly in the far back wall (old "chicken exit") passageway.
hpyhnt 1000
Well-Known Member
I know one source that first posted clips of the new audio said that the post show had received a new audio track as well. It sounded like this new music was similar to the on-ride music, but slightly different. Haven't really been able to confirm that if its new or not as Steve didn't list it in the SM news section and I haven;t found another source saying that its new.
As long as its not loud and barely audible, it shouldn't be too much of a problem I imagine, particularly if they keep the com-chat volume up.
Here's the music loop taken directly from a speaker!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i2mvaWbRJM
I assume this guy got this music from somewhere in the unload area. Not sure if it plays all the way through the exit.
Meanwhile, I found this post from a well-respected Imagineer-type over on Intercot (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=174503)
Onboard audio systems are much more complicated to integrate into an existing coaster design (re-design of the ride vehicles to include speakers, amplifiers and capacitors/charging system to power the system).
Your soundtrack also is split up into segments as the ride is sectioned off into individual zones- so as the vehicle passes say zone 1, play soundfile 1 and the computer knows to vamp (repeat) certain elements to keep the audio synchronized to the ride track. For example, in Disneyland's Space Mountain there's a distinct drum fill that indicates the dip in the ride track midway through the ride. If a vehicle is running slower, then stretch that part of the audio and likewise if it's running faster then just skip ahead to the next audio segment.
In WDW, the approach is more a constant looping background track with specific musical and audio effect overlays that are triggered by passing ride vehicles. The audio is still sectioned off into zones- so for example, there might be a lift hill theme, and a mid-course theme but instead of being a distinct musical score it's more like themes which overlap and blend together.
You still get audio that's synchronized to specific elements- the audio is literally playing at the moment that you're passing through the zone.
Really, it's not much different than how audio is handled on the TTA/Peoplemover.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i2mvaWbRJM
I assume this guy got this music from somewhere in the unload area. Not sure if it plays all the way through the exit.
Meanwhile, I found this post from a well-respected Imagineer-type over on Intercot (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=174503)
Onboard audio systems are much more complicated to integrate into an existing coaster design (re-design of the ride vehicles to include speakers, amplifiers and capacitors/charging system to power the system).
Your soundtrack also is split up into segments as the ride is sectioned off into individual zones- so as the vehicle passes say zone 1, play soundfile 1 and the computer knows to vamp (repeat) certain elements to keep the audio synchronized to the ride track. For example, in Disneyland's Space Mountain there's a distinct drum fill that indicates the dip in the ride track midway through the ride. If a vehicle is running slower, then stretch that part of the audio and likewise if it's running faster then just skip ahead to the next audio segment.
In WDW, the approach is more a constant looping background track with specific musical and audio effect overlays that are triggered by passing ride vehicles. The audio is still sectioned off into zones- so for example, there might be a lift hill theme, and a mid-course theme but instead of being a distinct musical score it's more like themes which overlap and blend together.
You still get audio that's synchronized to specific elements- the audio is literally playing at the moment that you're passing through the zone.
Really, it's not much different than how audio is handled on the TTA/Peoplemover.