The latest ScummVM has the latest MUNT built-in. That might explain it?

clueless1 wrote:

Mods: I wasn't sure the best forum for this. Please move if there's a better place for it.

I was playing today with various DOS games played through ScummVM. The platform is Windows XP and the sound card is the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. When I set ScummVM's default MIDI device to the Santa Cruz DLS, I was surprised at how good many games sounded that I didn't think supported General MIDI. Games like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Secret of Monkey Island, Quest for Glory 1-3, Space Quest 4-6, and even Kings Quest I (very convincing piano intro theme). Played under DOSBox, some of these games will only play emulated FM music. In the case of Monkey Island and Atlantis, it sounded very close to the MT-32 recordings I've heard on Phil's videos.

I wasn't aware that this could be done under ScummVM. But my experience with Scumm is very brief, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was common knowledge. Anyhow, I thought it was pretty cool!

I think it's relatively easy. ScummVM maps GM compatible sound cards to MT32 instruments. Nothing else. That is why it sounds good.
Munt is supported by ScummVM, but you need to have the MT32 ROMs, because these are not part of the basic SCUMMVM installation pack, as far as I know.

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

The latest ScummVM has the latest MUNT built-in. That might explain it?

I thought you were right, but I just checked and ScummVM is set to "Don't use MT-32 music". The only thing "MIDI" enabled is the Santa Cruz DLS Synth (Windows MIDI) is set at the default GM device.

The really weird thing is I tried KQ1 in pure DOS and the music plays over the PC speaker! How is PC Speaker being converted to very realistic-sounding MIDI piano? I wonder if ScummVM have made MIDI tracks for some popular games and auto-detect and play them?

Going to play with the MT-32 emulation now.

BTW, I really like the HQ3X graphics mode rendering option in ScummVM for graphic adventures. Gives them kind of a "Last Express" like feel.

There is a fan made patch that adds 3 voice MIDI support to these older Sierra games. The 3 voices come from the Tandy version, so I guess ScummVM is using that.

Like mentioned above, place the MT-32 roms into the ScummVM folder and you should be good to go 😀

moturimi1 wrote:

I think it's relatively easy. ScummVM maps GM compatible sound cards to MT32 instruments. Nothing else. That is why it sounds good.
Munt is supported by ScummVM, but you need to have the MT32 ROMs, because these are not part of the basic SCUMMVM installation pack, as far as I know.

I don't have any MT32 ROMs. That doesn't seem to explain how KQ1 got MIDI from a basic PC speaker track either. I examined my KQ1 directory and could not see anywhere that it supported anything but PC speaker. It's the EGA version with a 1987 copyright date on the intro screen.

Phil--just saw your reply as I was trying to post. 😀 That would make sense, but it sounds like more than 3 voices. I just thought it was a great surprise and offered a good reason to play these games from Windows rather than pure DOS.

It depends on which version of KQ1 you have. If it is the original You can use Tandy sound for the three voice +noise channel. No patch needed in DOSBox, but you do need to have machine set to tandy. On real hardware you need a real Tandy. ScummVM gets its AGI engine from the old Sarien interpreter project. It uses the Tandy sound, but changes the sawtooth wave to piano. MT-32 will be worthless for this version.

If you are taking about the 1990 SCI remake, it supports MT-32, Tandy, PC speaker, AdLib and CMS. In DOSBox or a real DOS PC you need to run the setup to select the hardware. If you did not run the setup it might have defaulted to PC speaker.

collector wrote:

It depends on which version of KQ1 you have. If it is the original You can use Tandy sound for the three voice +noise channel. No patch needed in DOSBox, but you do need to have machine set to tandy. On real hardware you need a real Tandy. ScummVM gets its AGI engine from the old Sarien interpreter project. It uses the Tandy sound, but changes the sawtooth wave to piano. MT-32 will be worthless for this version.

If you are taking about the 1990 SCI remake, it supports MT-32, Tandy, PC speaker, AdLib and CMS. In DOSBox or a real DOS PC you need to run the setup to select the hardware. If you did not run the setup it might have defaulted to PC speaker.

No setup program in my version. It says copyright 1987 on the main menu. I see no way from real DOS to change sound sources. Plus, it seems like the intro song is the only music in the game. I played briefly and there was no sounds at all during gameplay.

Thanks!

Sounds like you have the AGI version. To hear all three voices an noise channel you have to have Tandy hardware , DOSBox or ScummVM. Otherwise on a real non-Tandy PC all you will have is the PC speaker.

collector wrote:

Sounds like you have the AGI version. To hear all three voices an noise channel you have to have Tandy hardware , DOSBox or ScummVM. Otherwise on a real non-Tandy PC all you will have is the PC speaker.

Here is how it sounds as played through the Santa Cruz DLS:

Yeah, that is the Tandy three voice +noise with ScummVM palying it as piano. Here is how it sounds in DOSBox with Tandy. http://www.sierrahelp.com/Assets/Music/KQ1AGI.mp3

collector wrote:

Yeah, that is the Tandy three voice +noise with ScummVM palying it as piano. Here is how it sounds in DOSBox with Tandy. http://www.sierrahelp.com/Assets/Music/KQ1AGI.mp3

Cool! The sound reminds me a bit of the Apple II Mockingboard (with fewer voices).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LlicAXhkX4

Thanks for your help.

I recommend playing AGI games in ScummVM with the IBM PCjr music device for Tandy sound. Should be the default setting, though. The sounds won't sound right in MIDI, especially for the noise channel. That's my preference, anyway.

Also, for DOSBox you don't necessarily have to set the the DOSBox system to "tandy", you can simply set tandy to "on" and then launch any AGI game with "sierra.com -t" to force Tandy 3-voice sound (won't work in real DOS, obviously).

On my system it does indeed default to Tandy sound for Space Quest for example 😀

it should be a switch, but as others pointed out, its the Tandy sound. much better than the sierra dos driver 😀

me = Sarien author + one time scummvm guy many years ago...

Its nice to see people still enjoying AGI games!