r/myst • u/tinselman • 5d ago
Robyn Miller Instruments
https://www.robynmiller.net/robynmillerinstrumentsHi Myst Fans
Most of you know me as the guy who wrote the Myst and Riven music. Over the years, I've wanted particular synths and effects and couldn't find them. Recently, I decided to make them.
We're still testing. Please take a look. Tell me what you think! If you're a musician, tell me what plugins look useful or not.
And I created one instrument in honor of Riven!!! I need to create a better demo of it.
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u/JonnyUnreliable 5d ago
Robyn, all I have to say is your scores for Myst and Riven defined my childhood. And you remain one of my favorite composters. The Obduction score is maybe my favorite game soundtrack of all time.
Like, I would not have the love for ambient music I have without you.
Gotta give love to The Immortal Augustus Gladstone score, as well. I haven’t seen the film yet, but heck of a score.
Also, this project is really, really cool. Looking forward to digging into it.
Thanks for everything, Robyn. You mean a heck of a lot to a lot of people!
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u/tinselman 5d ago
hey! thanks! Not many people recognize or even know about the Obduction soundtrack, but that soundtrack and the Augustus soundtrack are my favorites! thanks for letting me know! Made my day. :-)
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u/librix 5d ago
Playing through the Riven 2024 remake at the moment and the fact that the graphics got revamped but the soundtrack didn't need to is testament to your work. The soundtrack is sublime and every bit as important as the visuals in conveying the atmosphere. Awesome to see some plugins, I'll definitely be checking them out.
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u/SalvadorSlim 5d ago
Hey Robyn! I still have my cd copy of the Myst soundtrack. Used to play it back in junior high on my Discman to fall asleep to. I'm also a musician and look forward to checking these out. Thanks for sharing!
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u/tinselman 4d ago
oh... i forgot to say, we will probably be releasing one of the plugins for free. And prices will be affordable. I'm not into high priced plugins. Also, there will be an option to bundle all of them as the collection.
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u/FiveDozenWhales 5d ago
Hi Robyn, cool to see you moving into the synth/plugin development world, particularly physical modeling synths! I'm not a professional composer, but I do compose for video games (and a couple film spots) as a occasionally-profitable hobby.
I love the quirkier instruments! A large pack of stuff like the Ondes Martenot, wine glass, saw, etc. is absolutely something I would love to add to my collection.
I will honestly say that the traditional winds and strings compare poorly to direct competitors like SWAM. They sound a bit chintzy and like older instruments. The ability to reshape things into something between a clarinet and sax is interesting and definitely stands out, and I could see these being used for someone who is aiming for more of that 90s game soundtrack aesthetic... which might be a good place for your products to sit, particularly given your most famous works. There's TONS of highly-realistic string & wind instruments on the market and we don't need another, so occupying that niche could work well!
The effects seem like a lot of fun to play with and find inspiration in and achieve a different sound. Definitely another thing I'd pay for if the price is right.
Good luck moving into the VST world! It's a really weird time for computer music, with AI possibly displacing a lot of it, and I hope this works out for you.
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u/tinselman 4d ago
Thanks! I've had fun creating them. A few need more work and testing. That's the delay.
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u/iKing1588 5d ago
What a great way to start my day!
I’m having a lot of fun playing around with the demo controls. The piano one seems surprisingly versatile! Flower Pots also stood out to me as something I’d like to make use of. And Super-Foods reminds me of a whimsical Myst puzzle. I love how intuitive it looks.
I still regularly spin the Riven soundtrack (along with lots of your other music) by the way. It’s been a foundational part of my musical journey since I was about 9 years old and lives rent free in my head on a near daily basis, so thanks for that. Not to mention the game’s impact on my growing brain and influence on career choices, but that’s another story!
The idea of using some of your tools to continue making my own music is really, really cool. Can’t wait to give them a go.
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u/tinselman 5d ago
Thanks! I'm trying to make tools that feel as organic as possible. It took forever to get the piano to sound real. The most fun is to do impossible things, like play a piano and then increase the gauge of the strings or change length of the strings. Or make it electric. And it becomes... something different. An altogether new instrument! Thanks for writing!
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u/tsrleba 5d ago
which instrument was created in honor of Riven?
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u/tinselman 4d ago
In the mythos of the Riven world, Gehn played and recorded a wood-bodied instrument. It's handing on the all of his study and the player is in his study. The sound of this same instrument is woven into many of the themes. I used the Shakuhachi. When played with an expressive controller, it sounds very similar to the instrument played by Gehn. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.
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u/cuttimecowboy 5d ago
Oh man I'm excited about this. I've always named you as one of my musical influences. The original myst soundtrack in particular has been a favorite of mine for years. I dabble in modular and soundtrack style music so this is right up my alley.
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u/Pharap 4d ago
I simply must express my admiration for that logo in the top right.
It's already very elegant, but that trick where it decomposes into four 3-dimensional shapes is a little touch of genius.
Alas, I have the musical talent of a flea, so the rest of the project is of little use to me, but an interesting novelty nonetheless.
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u/tinselman 3d ago
Did you click on the individual shapes? Thanks! Probably most don’t notice. The concept: color, shape, sound… senses within the environment (the logo).
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u/Pharap 3d ago edited 3d ago
Did you click on the individual shapes?
Indeed I had not. Originally I was keeping my cursor below the shapes, otherwise I would have noticed it change and realised the shapes were clickable.
That's also a very neat trick. Very creative.
Probably most don’t notice.
Likely not. For better or worse, I just happen to be one of those people who tends to look at little details that other people ignore. (Especially in photographs.)
Hopefully more people will notice now that I've commented on it.
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u/Additional-Maize3980 5d ago
We're not worthy🧎all hail the great one (but yes, will definitely check out those synth tracks 🎵)
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u/EmptyBuildings 4d ago
I often play the Myst & Riven soundtracks on repeat, and have been for the last 30 years.
Also am a musician. I'll be checking this out and provide feedback.
Thanks Robyn!
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u/realGharren 5d ago
Well, that was a lot of fun to look at... very interesting project, seems like nothing else out there.
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u/fwendy123 5d ago
Wow!!! Just here to say I find your music really inspiring! I'm currently making a mystery game and I listen to the Myst and Riven soundtracks constantly to get into the right headspace! You are an icon!
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u/SharksEatMeat 5d ago
Big fan of the Myst series since childhood. As a game dev and musician myself, thank you for your contributions. Iconic ambient game music! I played around with the beta demo - super cool. I enjoy the sliders on instruments such as the woodwinds.
P.S. I did a video on the art in Myst recently for a youtube series “Art and Games University.” It came out this year!
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u/NoNature4069 5d ago
Oh yo! That’s fantastic. I’ll look into this when I get the chance. See if I can’t make some use of it. ^w^
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u/amalthea_ 5d ago
This is neat! I’m not a musician, but I sing. I also used to dance and did a dance at my school talent show to Atrus Theme, waaaaaaay back in 2001.
I was made fun of relentlessly, but I didn’t care. I loved the soundtrack so much to choreograph an odd dance to a very interesting track.
I’ve loved the music since I first found the CD in an old, dingy thrift store. Thank you so much for helping me spark my imagination!
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u/the_silent_one1984 5d ago
Catherine's escape and Gehn's theme is among my favorite pieces in computer game soundtracks. You've done a great job capturing the tone and atmosphere in Myst and Riven. I look forward to more updates to this!
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u/SevenSaryns 5d ago
If the world design, and graphics are the heart of Myst, then the music and sound design is the soul. Thanks u/tinselman for the inspiration and continuing joy of these worlds. Myst got me into 3d graphics, world building, and appreciation of the craft of digital design and the importance of setting and atmosphere within narrative and visual storytelling.
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u/UlaLuume 4d ago
They all seem amazing! I'm currently writing my second EP, and your music has always inspired me greatly. I can't wait to be able to download the pluggins and create with them.
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u/staticvinyl 4d ago
I still listen to the Myst and Riven soundtracks all the time on Tidal (also have the vinyl, but I haven't opened them, hah!) Thanks for everything you do!
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u/KulshanStudios 5d ago
Oh, nice! You were my intro to ambient music as a teenager, and been an inspiration as I got into writing different kinds of music as an adult!
As a sound designer now, I often wondered what gear you were using to write those old soundtracks way back in the day