Park Music

[yeah]

Alot of IMAScore music is quite samey. Even their more unique pieces like The Smiler sound like Helix and Galactica. I think an IMAScore piece in the flat ride end of the Lost City could work very well but leave Colossus as it is thank you. My friend (a Thorpe fanboy though he's not an enthusiast), pays no attention to audio and said he'd prefer if they just replaced it with the radio, however knows the Colossus theme and can sing it too. It'd be stupid to replace it.

[Benin]

Maybe its a culture thing? Merlin give IMAScore a quick brief of what they want and kinda wipe their hands of it?

 

Whereas I'm sure Phantasialand were overtly hands on with their stuff, hence why it's a full on orchestra involved in Chiapas and Klugheim...

 

IMAScore do seem to work well on the high quality and the general tat sides of the ride music spectrum, which no doubt lends towards their popularity (and they're probably quite cheap if you want something done quick)...

[Marc]

Didnt towers fireworks / entrance music involve a full orchestra too? Pretty sure it did!

 

I'm pretty sure Merlin / those responsible for the audio are hands on in what they want to ensure they get what's right for the ride / park.

[ThemeParkCrafter]

My major issue with their audio is the unique sounds. For the smiler and helix, they work but they sound rather samey and worse than using orchestras for music.

[SteveJ]

Audio at Thorpe, apart from say Nemesis Inferno, Colossus & Amity Cove, I feel has been treated flippantly for a long time, to the point at which it was a game of 'what's different this year?'. The chart music change was all done to be modern and 'rebranded' at the time too, and people said it would give the park a new identity.

 

At least this time new tracks are actually being commissioned and hopefully a more robust approach, but 'upgrading' the entire park and filling every space with IMAscore would be too far in the other extreme. So that's why, even if just hypothetically for now, I speak out against such an idea.

The flat rides have very often changed their music back and forth, most of them weren't composed for those rides either. The Lost City music has been continually chopped up and spread around different areas. And used kind of inappropriately in some cases, there were spare speakers mounted on wooden posts down a bare pathway between some bushes last I went, playing very dramatic Lost City music close to your ear, it was like a technician's lunchtime project and such things seemed so forced. Music is much better when used by design, not for the sake of music.

 

I've witnessed this approach before backstage at a Merlin park, where there was an actual goal to make sure "every single path has background music" in coming years. No thought to using audio as a memorable highlight then? Just music absolutely everywhere you go -  inescapable loops and sound bleed from one area to another all day. It's a crazy idea and sucks the speciality out of moments where music does really enhance.

Thankfully Thorpe is yet to go that far, but seemed to be heading that way last I visited. I just hope theyre professional.
"Different" does not automatically mean better. It will be an improvement in many places, but not all by any means. If perfectly great tracks are there already, or an area suited more to silence, then there's a better approach to take 

[JoshC.]

The IMA Score disliker club seems to have a loud voice at the moment...

 

It's fair to say that some of the audio they've produced is very similar.  Galactica definitely seems inspired by Helix for example (though I don't see how people are saying Smiler and Helix are similar?).  And even the short snippet that Thorpe released of the entrance / dome music sounds like Taron's theme out of the Klugheim soundtrack.  But as a whole piece, the entrance music sounds very original - certainly different to most things IMA have done.  

 

 

 

[yeah]

59 minutes ago, Marc said:

Didnt towers fireworks / entrance music involve a full orchestra too? Pretty sure it did!

 

I'm pretty sure Merlin / those responsible for the audio are hands on in what they want to ensure they get what's right for the ride / park.

Yup 

 

[SteveJ]

29 minutes ago, BaronC. said:

The IMA Score disliker club seems to have a loud voice at the moment...

I'm not some grumpy fart who has to ruin everything others like  I honestly just think IMAscore have become very homogenous at the Merlin parks anyway. From a guest/enthusiast/technical perspective - it's a shame theres not more diversity and IMAscore has become a buzz term in some respect. Honestly is it not feasible that maybe their music isn't as automatically divine as most fans (its a lot more balanced on here) treat it as?

 

For people who genuinly cant get enough of it, glad you like it, I'm not trying to ruin anyone's fun. I just think it doesnt work in the bigger park experience like enthusiasts think it does.

And as I say I'm sure IMAscore are very talented and good producers, good salespeople. But they certainly know what 'sound' the UK parks want of them, and don't have much sense for melody or subtlety, just to smoosh the music in every guest's face as it seems to me.

[Marc]

1 hour ago, ThemeParkCrafter said:

My major issue with their audio is the unique sounds. For the smiler and helix, they work but they sound rather samey and worse than using orchestras for music.

 

I notice a lot of people mention how their music sounds samey - they did a interview with Cupcakes and Coasters here where they touch abit on that https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/cupcakes-coasters-11633643/cupcakes-coasters-meets-imascore-5525412451

 

Ive personally never found what they do very samey - the stuff they've done for Thorpe this year so far sounds quite a lot different to what I've heard from themi before.

 

The flat rides have very often changed their music back and forth, most of them weren't composed for those rides either. The Lost City music has been continually chopped up and spread around different areas. And used kind of inappropriately in some cases, there were spare speakers mounted on wooden posts down a bare pathway between some bushes last I went, playing very dramatic Lost City music close to your ear, it was like a technician's lunchtime project and such things seemed so forced. Music is much better when used by design, not for the sake of music.

 

We are going back years now surely? I remember when all the flats had lost city music - even eclipse would play it which didn't suit it atall - now it's all seems to work quite well - none of the flats other than Vortex use the lost city theme (other when there's no audio and the area theme cuts in) but they are all lost city.. as for the path then speakers were all signaled as part of The link back in 2006 I believe? Most of the time they played chart music so to play parts of the lost city theme is definitely a welcome upgrade!

[SteveJ]

The downfall of the Link is a prime example of how audio was treated at Thorpe for the last 10 years surely? Hundred-thousands of pounds wasted because of carelessness and not seeing enough value in maintaining audio. (not to say it's the fault of the park technicians, but where the money to maintain things comes from)
 
And the ones I was on about looked suspiciously like spare speakers they had kicking around nailed to some posts. There's a lot of ill considered music about the place I feel and it creates a cluttered, random experience. That's what I'd focus on if I somehow had an opportunity to redesign the park's audio. Start with a fresh approach and see what audio works best (Nemesis Inferno surely) and what doesn't..

[Stuntman707]

I don't see what people don't like about IMA Score. Their music is well produced, I don't see how that's a bad thing. The ride tracks all sound different and unique to me. I'm a huge fan of the Smiler theme, from the first time I heard it, I was blown away and it fits the ride perfectly.  It's the best one they have made to date in my opinion. DBGT is very good too.

 

I also have a recording of the pretty chilled music they were playing around Thorpe at the end of the day. It's like slow tempo Chillstep. Apologies about the voice recordings at the end.

IMA_Thorpe_Endofday.m4a

[Mattgwise]

I wasn't too sure of the music played at entrance and in the dome at first, but after having been on a school trip Tuesday and being able to listen to it for some time it really works. Only part that gets a bit annoying is the birds tweeting in the background to the track.

 

Glad they have an end of day track played again as well. Was able to listen to it on Saturday as park was due to shut at 5 but got extended which meant it was playing in the areas from 5pm.

[StevenVig]

I won't lie, I had my reservations about the new music, but I actually love it all now! It's great.

 

 

[WWTPRadio]

3 hours ago, StevenVig said:

I won't lie, I had my reservations about the new music, but I actually love it all now! It's great.

 

 

 

Yes Steven!

[ThemeParkCrafter]

Park audio was very quiet throughout the park except dbgt

[Matt10]

Having only just been for the first time this season I have to say I am not a fan of the new audio. The entrance music just seems to mystical, and doesn't suit the style of the park in my opinion. I hated the Rumba Rapids theme as it just seemed to bland, and also very quiet. As well as this, on Sunday I did not hear the end of day music playing at all, but that may be to the fact that I only got off Colossus a good fourty odd minutes after ride closure. 

[Mer]

On 29/03/2017 at 7:29 PM, Stuntman707 said:

I also have a recording of the pretty chilled music they were playing around Thorpe at the end of the day. It's like slow tempo Chillstep. Apologies about the voice recordings at the end.

IMA_Thorpe_Endofday.m4a

 

The audio link doesn't work (it goes to a page with a play button but it doesn't work)   Which is a shame as the sudden rant from Peaj at the end is hilarious  

[Gallium33]

I don't understand why people are disliking the new music. It sounds like you're seeing something you've only dreamt of, and that you are about to have the greatest time of your life.

[SteveJ]

43 minutes ago, Pinecone33 said:

I don't understand why people are disliking the new music. It sounds like you're seeing something you've only dreamt of, and that you are about to have the greatest time of your life.

Whilst standing on a tarmac soup going through some turnstyles. Not being cynical, that's often the brief they ask for "we want guests to feel like theyre about to have the greatest time of their life (without actually designing the new entrance the park badly needs)", and you get a massively overproduced track oddly matched with the area as a result . Does it at least sound descent coming through the speakers? 

If this park were owned by a more independent company who truly valued the customer experience then they'd have demolished the original entrance and built a new area long ago, renovated the whole park instead of just changing the style of their signs & graphics, and commissioned sympathetic new audio setups as necessary.

The music sounds generic to me like they're quite desperate to go after universal or 'that modern trailer sound' whether it has anything to do with Thorpe Park or not, but it's on par with the Ian Habgood track used last decade and a good atmosphere at least.

 

Also you can't judge until its at the park I suppose. What sounds one way on YouTube will sound completely different in person depending on what they've done there, whether better or worse. Everyone initially loved Chessington's new theme in 2010 for example, but after a while I thought it was pretty awful & cheesy coming through their tinny speakers around the entrance, and guests often comment how tacky & forced it sounds.

[Stuntman707]

2 hours ago, Mermite said:

 

The audio link doesn't work (it goes to a page with a play button but it doesn't work)   Which is a shame as the sudden rant from Peaj at the end is hilarious  

 

Try downloading it and open it with Windows Media player. It should work.

[ProudToServe]

6 hours ago, Wumbamillio said:

If this park were owned by a more independent company who truly valued the customer experience then they'd have demolished the original entrance and built a new area long ago, renovated the whole park instead of just changing the style of their signs & graphics, and commissioned sympathetic new audio setups as necessary.

You think it's possible to flatten and rebuild a complete new entrance in 4 months, with that being 1 of the 2 only bridges accessing the park? Things have to be done in stages and slowly, mainly down to planning permission and min disturbance to the parks operations.

No independent owner would ever be able to afford a complete renovation. just look at the time its taking to just get the plans submitted for Kent, and thats being backed by a lot of money.

[Imagineer]

8 hours ago, Wumbamillio said:

Whilst standing on a tarmac soup going through some turnstyles. Not being cynical, that's often the brief they ask for "we want guests to feel like theyre about to have the greatest time of their life (without actually designing the new entrance the park badly needs)", and you get a massively overproduced track oddly matched with the area as a result . Does it at least sound descent coming through the speakers? 

If this park were owned by a more independent company who truly valued the customer experience then they'd have demolished the original entrance and built a new area long ago, renovated the whole park instead of just changing the style of their signs & graphics, and commissioned sympathetic new audio setups as necessary.

The music sounds generic to me like they're quite desperate to go after universal or 'that modern trailer sound' whether it has anything to do with Thorpe Park or not, but it's on par with the Ian Habgood track used last decade and a good atmosphere at least.

 

Also you can't judge until its at the park I suppose. What sounds one way on YouTube will sound completely different in person depending on what they've done there, whether better or worse. Everyone initially loved Chessington's new theme in 2010 for example, but after a while I thought it was pretty awful & cheesy coming through their tinny speakers around the entrance, and guests often comment how tacky & forced it sounds.

 

I was at the park on Tuesday and spent a considerable amount of time around the Dome area. I like the track. Doesn't grab you too much but that's what I want in my ambient park audio.

[Benin]

8 hours ago, ProudToServe said:

You think it's possible to flatten and rebuild a complete new entrance in 4 months, with that being 1 of the 2 only bridges accessing the park? Things have to be done in stages and slowly, mainly down to planning permission and min disturbance to the parks operations.

No independent owner would ever be able to afford a complete renovation. just look at the time its taking to just get the plans submitted for Kent, and thats being backed by a lot of money.

 

Paultons redid their entrance a few years back, sure many other parks have done the same...

 

Sure with proper planning and thinking redoing the entrance plaza would be doable in a few months, then the year after you do the bridge...

 

What's happening in Kent has nothing to do with Thorpe's non-refurb of their awful entrance area...

[SteveJ]

On 05/04/2017 at 10:54 PM, ProudToServe said:

You think it's possible to flatten and rebuild a complete new entrance in 4 months, with that being 1 of the 2 only bridges accessing the park? Things have to be done in stages and slowly, mainly down to planning permission and min disturbance to the parks operations.

No independent owner would ever be able to afford a complete renovation. just look at the time its taking to just get the plans submitted for Kent, and thats being backed by a lot of money.

 

You're not wrong, but I study construction planning & strategy and know how much of a task it is, from what I understand I'm sure it could be largely done in 4 months.  Planning permission would obviously be done way in advance, in fact I'm sure Thorpe Park have outlined their entrance redevelopment proposal to the council in the past? (but its never gone ahead) Part of the task would be to find solutions to minimise operational impact over winter and alternative access, (which ought to be available anyway in the case of a bridge closure). It's perfectly possible and no different to many similar projects that happen all the time.  

 

Merlin could easily afford it and they construct all the time at lightning fast speed whenever they send up a new hotel. Independent owners abroad of a similar scale to Thorpe Park construct like this often. Merlin, one of the biggest & richest attraction operators in the world, simply don't spend the money because they'd rather recycle the inadequate entrance from the 80s, from when it was a much smaller park.

 

The Kent thing is an entirely new corporate development on a new site and of a totally different nature, the reason that is taking so long would not solely be due to planning either but a whole number of things. Building a new entrance would take no time at all.

 

All you have to do is look at the massive hotels Merlin builds every year, the speed at which they get designed, green-lit and constructed around the world. If it's in their company interest, they'll do it easily. But they dont see properly renovating their aging theme park infrastructure as their priority 90% the time. Just add some wood cladding, IMAscore, etc. 'Job done'

[Imagineer]

8 hours ago, Wumbamillio said:

 

You're not wrong, but I study construction planning & strategy and know how much of a task it is, from what I understand I'm sure it could be largely done in 4 months.  Planning permission would obviously be done way in advance, in fact I'm sure Thorpe Park have outlined their entrance redevelopment proposal to the council in the past? (but its never gone ahead) Part of the task would be to find solutions to minimise operational impact over winter and alternative access, (which ought to be available anyway in the case of a bridge closure). It's perfectly possible and no different to many similar projects that happen all the time.  

 

Merlin could easily afford it and they construct all the time at lightning fast speed whenever they send up a new hotel. Independent owners abroad of a similar scale to Thorpe Park construct like this often. Merlin, one of the biggest & richest attraction operators in the world, simply don't spend the money because they'd rather recycle the inadequate entrance from the 80s, from when it was a much smaller park.

 

The Kent thing is an entirely new corporate development on a new site and of a totally different nature, the reason that is taking so long would not solely be due to planning either but a whole number of things. Building a new entrance would take no time at all.

 

All you have to do is look at the massive hotels Merlin builds every year, the speed at which they get designed, green-lit and constructed around the world. If it's in their company interest, they'll do it easily. But they dont see properly renovating their aging theme park infrastructure as their priority 90% the time. Just add some wood cladding, IMAscore, etc. 'Job done'

True that. If that entrance is your first impression of Thorpe. It isn't a good one. I mean those toilets are something that would be more suited to a poorly maintained toilet stop on a B road.