A discussion on restoring EQ's music once and for all - Page 10

Xevin · #1 01-18-2011, 11:01 AM

Sorry to necro this thread, but I have some music to share with everyone:
http://www.4shared.com/playlist/NMVg...oundtrack.html

All songs are MP3 320Kbps 48,000KHz 24bit. They were direct converted from the original XMI to MP3 using a mixture of 4 different ridiculously high quality soundfonts. All the original effects and post processing are applied except chorus. (not supported/needed)

Compare to this: http://www.xs4all.nl/~treesong/EQmp3.zip

Now we just need to find a way to get the MP3s to play instead of the XMIs...

BTW I think I found the thing that made the AWE32 so special. It had a ROM chip that stored a soundfont on it that the synthusr.sf2 would work in tandem with. That soundfont was made by E-MU and licensed by Creative (Sound Blaster). It's called SYNTHGMS.SF2. (see this link: http://www.un4seen.com/forum/?topic=...61394#msg61394) I rendered the music with those two (i.e. completely classic) and compared it to the version using the mix of super high quality soundfonts I used. The high quality soundfonts are worlds better in both quality and style. Of course I've been told my ear for music isn't so good...

Muergan · #2 01-18-2011, 11:42 AM

Great job they sound really good to me I hope you can find a way to implement them would make the game that much better.

Nedala · #3 01-18-2011, 12:17 PM

Nice, would be awesome to have those ingame!

Xevin · #4 02-22-2011, 08:16 PM

ok second necro, but I've made some progress.

I took all the soundfonts that I used to make the rendered MP3 (I think), but combined them into a single working .SF2 then converted that to a .DLS version 1. Then I renamed it gm.dls and replaced the C:\Windows/System32/drivers/gm.dls with mine. I had to take ownership and set permissions to gain access to the gm.dls file first though and then restart the computer. EQ will now play the .XMIs with the good soundfonts, but there is still no echo/reverb. I think that at some time SOE removed that functionality, or it was only ever supposed to work with the SB AWE 32 cards.

Anyway, for those that want it, here is my SoundFont that I used to make the rendered MP3 a few posts up:

Code:

Megaupload:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KNJIQHK6

MediaFire:
http://www.mediafire.com/?3r6t4bjpafdaq5q

I think this is as close as we can get to better sounding music in game.

Also I made some of the rendered MP3 files to replace the newer music MP3s. For those that want the classic music of EQ with the echo/reverb, but with an easier/less invasive install procedure, just put the files from this zip into your EQ directory:

Code:

Megaupload:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OTZ61X9L

HotFile:
http://hotfile.com/dl/106841690/ef97165/EQ_Classic_Music.zip.html

MediaFire:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/pyhrxpx912r94xf/EQ%20Classic%20Music.zip

Lazortag · #5 02-27-2011, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xevin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Sorry to necro this thread, but I have some music to share with everyone:
http://www.4shared.com/playlist/NMVg...oundtrack.html

When did the songs Bard - Flute, Drum, Lute, Horn play back in classic? Would they play while a Bard was using these instruments?? Or did they play in some other location?

Xevin · #6 02-27-2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nedala [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

So does the ingame music work for you guys right now?

Since last patch its completely gone for me, does the process posted by xevin fix it?

You need "Environmental Sounds" turned on right now for the in game music to work... I'm not entirely certain why though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrgoochio [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

how did you gain access to overwrite the gm.dls? I tried running windows explorer as administrator to no avail. i then tried giving myself special access to the drivers directory with full control but it was telling me access denied. so i then tried changing the permissions specifically for gm.dls but it also denied me access to change the permission. (this is all from the administrator account on windows 7 ultimate 64bit). my last attempt at this was to change the windows registry path for the gm.dls but alas, it doesn't seem to make a difference and is still using the default windows gm.dls file. Any help?

In Windows 7 x64:

Right click C:\Windows\System32\drivers/gm.dls
Properties
Security
Advanced
Owner
Edit...
[Choose your User Name]
Apply
OK

Permissions
Change Permissions...
[Find you User Name]
Edit...
[Check "Full Control"]
[Check "Apply these permissions to objects..."]
OK
[Check "Include inheritable..."]
Apply
OK

OK

Edit...
[Choose your User Name]
[Check "Full Control"]
Apply
OK

OK

[Rename gm.dls to gm.dlsold]
[Copy in my custom Sound Font Library]
[Make sure it is named "gm.dls"]

Everything should work now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazortag [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

When did the songs Bard - Flute, Drum, Lute, Horn play back in classic? Would they play while a Bard was using these instruments?? Or did they play in some other location?

Not sure if they were ever used in game at all. I seem to remember the lute playing, but I could be wrong. Two of them would not play at all with the standard gm.dls or with the original SB AWE 32 sound card sound fonts. I was able to get them to play using my customized sound font file, and thought to myself "Wow... I'm might be the first to ever hear these..." so I thought I'd put them up for everyone to hear.

There are quite a few songs that had drums, but you couldn't hear them because they were trying to use a missing drum channel. Obviously a lot of the songs sound very different and more complete once I got them working.

If anyone wants any other specific songs added, I'd love to put them up too! Just let me know what zone they played in.

So far my favorite songs I'd never heard back in the day are "Freeport - North" and "Toxxulia Bridge". I love them all though!

mrgoochio · #7 02-28-2011, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xevin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You need "Environmental Sounds" turned on right now for the in game music to work... I'm not entirely certain why though.

In Windows 7 x64:

Right click C:\Windows\System32\drivers/gm.dls
Properties
Security
Advanced
Owner
Edit...
[Choose your User Name]
Apply
OK

Permissions
Change Permissions...
[Find you User Name]
Edit...
[Check "Full Control"]
[Check "Apply these permissions to objects..."]
OK
[Check "Include inheritable..."]
Apply
OK

OK

Edit...
[Choose your User Name]
[Check "Full Control"]
Apply
OK

OK

[Rename gm.dls to gm.dlsold]
[Copy in my custom Sound Font Library]
[Make sure it is named "gm.dls"]

Everything should work now.

Not sure if they were ever used in game at all. I seem to remember the lute playing, but I could be wrong. Two of them would not play at all with the standard gm.dls or with the original SB AWE 32 sound card sound fonts. I was able to get them to play using my customized sound font file, and thought to myself "Wow... I'm might be the first to ever hear these..." so I thought I'd put them up for everyone to hear.

There are quite a few songs that had drums, but you couldn't hear them because they were trying to use a missing drum channel. Obviously a lot of the songs sound very different and more complete once I got them working.

If anyone wants any other specific songs added, I'd love to put them up too! Just let me know what zone they played in.

So far my favorite songs I'd never heard back in the day are "Freeport - North" and "Toxxulia Bridge". I love them all though!

I have your soundfont in my drivers folder but EQ sounds exactly the same as before. Any ideas?

Vynn · #8 02-28-2011, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xevin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

In Windows 7 x64:

Right click C:\Windows\System32\drivers/gm.dls
Properties
Security
Advanced
Owner
Edit...
....
....

Anybody know how to properly do this in WinXP without having to butcher registry keys to remove WFP?

JohAE86 · #9 02-22-2011, 09:44 PM

I approve of this thread. The most recent posting of the OST by Xevin is simply amazing.

t0lkien · #10 02-22-2011, 10:18 PM

I normally play with the music off, but dear God I miss the feeling of old EQ these tunes evoke. It was my first MMO, and still the best game experience of my life. It may never be recaptured (revisiting is cool, but as someone once said, you can never really go back).

P.S. the reverb is a must