Sound Designer Spotlight: Nebidaan
Our featured artist on the spotlight is game music composer Bence Tasnádi, aka Nebidaan, from Hungary. He created the amazing winning tune ‘Beyond Quasar’ for the Supersonic Theme Music Contest.
You can click the play below to listen to the tune while reading.
Hi Bence, we would like to congratulate you on the awesome entry you did for the Supersonic! The game is now out on App Store and it seems it is climbing the app charts all around the world! How does it feel now that the game is out with your tune ‘Beyond Quasar’ in it?
Thank you! I’m happy I had the opportunity to contribute to the Supersonic soundtrack. As a composer, I’m glad that my music will be heard by lots of people. Kitkaliitto composed top-notch music for the game, it’s also an honor to perform with them.
Have you had a chance to play Supersonic yet? What do you think about the game?
Unfortunately I don’t own any of the required platforms to run Supersonic, but I’ll definitely try it on my friend’s phone soon. It looks awesome, well designed and polished, and the addictive soundtrack complements it very well.
What were your biggest influences when you worked on ‘Beyond Quasar’?
I couldn’t say any specific band or artist at the moment, but I was in a very ‘deep’ mood, during composing Beyond Quasar – that mood influenced me (besides the design brief). Giving a title to my work is also an important part of the composing process (it usually happens a lot before I finish a song or project). The title itself reacts to the song (and to my imagination) generally, and helps me develop the whole theme much better. Participating only with one entry/contest is very important for me, so I can refine that one entry as far, as possible. Of course I have my favourite composers/artists too: Alexander Brandon, Michiel Van Den Bos, Jeremy Soule, Rom Di Prisco, Fluke, Nine Inch Nails, Loreena McKennitt… just to name a few.
Are you more into science fiction or fantasy?
I’d say definitely sci-fi. Future (especially the fiction part) inspires me much more.
Can you please tell us a little bit about your background. Where are you from and how did you end up creating music?
I was born on May 25, 1987 in Budapest, Hungary. Since then, I live in a small town called Pécel, near the capital city. I was very young (maybe four or five years old), when first met music. I used to play the rusty piano we had, my own melodies all the time. At the age of six, I started my studies at the local music scool, first the chello (for one year I think), then the piano, for four years. I was in love with the piano, but not with the teachers and their teaching method, so I decided to leave the school – mainly because I realized, I want to write my own melodies, and not to perform other composers composition. Music is a way to express myself, and for me, expressing myself is only possible with my own music. After an intermission, I continued my studies, but this time the classical guitar.
By the time I gave up my musical studies for good, I had already been interested in gaming, especially in game audio – always loved the way, as music not only complements, but raises a game (and its atmosphere) to the next level. By then I already knew, I want to write music for video games.
Beside composing and looking for opportunities, I’ve just started to work on my first release, but as I know myself it will take a while to finish. If there isn’t a deadline or something that I should act on, I tend to get lost in details and refine my music to infinity.
What kind of environment you work in? Do you have a home studio? What software and gear you mainly use while working?
I have my little home studio, which is pretty much software based at the moment. My main composition tool is Renoise 2.7 running on a quad core PC, filled up with tons of RAM and an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96. I’m right before a studio upgrade, I’ll get a pair of Adam A5X, and an RME HDSP 9632 very soon. Some VSTs that I frequently use: KORG Wavestation and Polysix, NI Pro-53, Waldorf Attack and Tone2 Gladiator, for orchestral music EWQL Symphonic Orchestra and Magnus Choir. I always strive to develop my own sound from the basics, and avoid using pre-made presets of the virtual instruments. I often design my own samples via signal processing and/or unique using of various effects. For additional wave editing I use Sound Forge.
Since I’m a guitarist, I have my guitar equipment also: a slightly modified Schecter Classic C-1 electric guitar, an electroacoustic and a classical guitar. On the amp side I have a custom made all-tube amplifier, and a Framus FR212 cabinet.
Has AudioDraft been helpful to your music career? How has your success motivated you in your music career?
Absolutely. As a freelance composer, I’ve already worked with various indie developers, but it was very difficult to find each other, or find any kind of opportunity at all. Fortunately I learnt of AudioDraft through searching on the web. I liked its fresh and motivating way to bring companies and musicians together. Winning the Supersonic music contest gave me big motivation to continue composing, not to mention that my portfolio has been expanded with such a great title.
Would you like to say something to the AudioDraft community?
There are many awesome composers, and it’s nice to be the part of this community.
You use the artist name ‘Nebidaan’. What’s the story behind the name and does it have a meaning in your language?
My original name is Tasnádi Bence in hungarian. I grabbed the middle part (TasNÁDI BENnce), then reversed and merged it (‘nebidán’). After that I changed the ‘á’ character with double ‘a’, which looks much more better (Nebidaan), and everyone can easily pronounce it. It hasn’t got any meaning (leastwise in my language), but people can attach it to me.
Thanks for your time Bence, we wish you a great Summer!
Thank you very much, and have a great Summer as well!
Listen to Bence Tasnadi’s tunes on AudioDraft:
Supersonic Theme Music Contest
Tribute to the mobile devices
Background music for Aalto University invetion videos
Links:
Nebidaan on AudioDraft
Nebidaan (Bence Tasnadi) website
Supersonic website
Download Supersonic soundtrack
