I'd probably consider both at a later time. Wing Commander I'm not serious I can fix - theory sounds doable. Lemmings 3D worth a look. LSL6 controller needs a peek too (+ driver kit update).
wrote:As the user above, I was wondering if any of you kind fellows would like to work on the driver for Lemmings 3D?
The LAPC-1 option in setup doesn't output anything for some weird reason. All that work are the GeneralMidi/SoundCanvas and AdLib options, and that doesn't really reproduce properly how the music would sound on a MT-32 or LAPC-1.
The reason it does not play any music is that some music files are zero in size, you can get music by start a level and just quit it (alt+q) and it should play music at the title.
The bad music files are the following (in LAPC folder)
LATITLE1.SND
LATITLE2.SND
LATAXING.SND
LATRICKY.SND
I think i read somewhere that the demo version of Lemmings 3D has good versions of those music files so you could just copy them from there.
Or you could just rename any other files to the bad ones.... just copy for example "LASWEET1.SND" and rename it to "LATITLE1.SND" and so on 😀
^ yeah, I remember something about grabbing files from the demo...
I am attaching the whole LAPC folder here, but no lataxing/latricky files... are these confirmed?
wrote:The reason it does not play any music is that some music files are zero in size, you can get music by start a level and just qui […]
The reason it does not play any music is that some music files are zero in size, you can get music by start a level and just quit it (alt+q) and it should play music at the title.
The bad music files are the following (in LAPC folder)
LATITLE1.SND
LATITLE2.SND
LATAXING.SND
LATRICKY.SNDI think i read somewhere that the demo version of Lemmings 3D has good versions of those music files so you could just copy them from there.
Or you could just rename any other files to the bad ones.... just copy for example "LASWEET1.SND" and rename it to "LATITLE1.SND" and so on 😀
That's weird, my copy didn't even have those files at all @.@
Must be because when it was stored in the archive, 7z stripped any empty files. Thanks for the suggestion though, I grabbed a demo and copied the files and now the title music works =)
wrote:^ yeah, I remember something about grabbing files from the demo...
I am attaching the whole LAPC folder here, but no lataxing/latricky files... are these confirmed?
I have no idea, my copy of the demo didn't have them so I don't know... Thanks for the attachment =)
Oh, also on another note, make sure to swap the names of the LATITLE files (LATITLE1.SND -> LATITLE2.SND and vice versa), as the way they were in the demo, the song with the intro (the one that sounds like the orchestra is practising) played when you got out of a level, and the short version when you get in the game, which should be the other way around.
Just copy and rename "LAFUN.SND" to "LATAXING/LATRICKY.SND" to prevent any other errors as those files was not in the demo so does no good verisons of them exist.
tikalat will have fun with Lemmings 3D as many songs has the CTF problem for drums and also at least one song (dont rememebr wich one) has a stuck note problem on midi devices with a polyphony more than 24 😀
wrote:Just copy and rename "LAFUN.SND" to "LATAXING/LATRICKY.SND" to prevent any other errors as those files was not in the demo so does no good verisons of them exist.
If problems arise I'll make sure to do that, so far I just want to see where the songs will be missing from, so I would know what to tag =)
wrote:tikalat will have fun with Lemmings 3D as many songs has the CTF problem for drums and also at least one song (dont rememebr wich one) has a stuck note problem on midi devices with a polyphony more than 24 😀
Is this issue with the GM/GS part of the music or with LAPC/MT-32? I've noticed MUNT complains a lot about unmapped instruments during the game.
I ment the GM songs 😀
And yes... the LAPC-I songs sound quite bad, i don't think they cared much how it sounded and just made a quick conversion from the GM version or something... they even missed the bad LAPC-I music files 😒
They probably spent most time on th CD music as that was what most people would use... unless it was the warez rip were you was stuck with the FM and MIDI music 😉
I'd agree they did a shoddy work at the LAPC-I part, but the music doesn't sound that bad. That might be because of my untrained ears or it could also be a matter of opinion, but I think it sounds okay in comparison to GM =)
That might also depend on the soundfonts used or if you played it on a SC ^^
I have my eye on the CD tracks too =P
Don't forget guys, this is a thread about Sierra games 😀
I was thinking the same thing. I would hate for the Sierra stuff to get lost in a sea unrelated stuff. Perhaps a mod could split off the non Sierra posts.
Took a weak look at controllers 4Bh, 4Eh.
- Windows driver uses 4Eh. Not sure what but seems FM related (doesn't show in MIDI out).
- Dos FM driver uses 4Bh. Checks lowest active voice channel I think.
- MT-32, Genmidi driver ignore 4Bh, 4Eh.
This is in many Sierra games but probably goes unnoticed.
More cleanup.
Re: Sierra/Dynamix sound driver hacking
Added generic exe patchers to Dynamix games
- Krondor, Quarky, TIM 1 + 1.5 + 2
- Covers more unknown versions, languages. Combines stuff + readme.
Might do same for existing Sierra kits (not) in list (generic patcher)
More to update later.
Cleanup finished
Re: Sierra/Dynamix sound driver hacking
- Added GS resets to Win games
- Added sierra lzexe unpackers to Pepper, TEMIM
- Added sierra dos exe patchers (kq6, pq4, qfg4, qfg3, ..)
- Added LSL6, Freddy Pharkas, KQ7 kits
- Added SQ5 (NRS) entry
Sierra driver pseudo-question.
Gabriel Knight CD:
- sfx = 16-bit pcm
- aud = 8-bit adpcm
https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm/blob/maste … sound/audio.cpp
- KQ7 uses 16-bit adpcm speech
If you play with SB16 + Sound Blaster speech driver, you often get this 'popping' with the speech. Game uses 16-bit DMA when the speech plays, for what should be an 8-bit value?? I haven't looked at the speech decoding part of the driver.
If you pick the Thunderboard (recently saw Collector mention this at GOG in 2010), you get smooth speech. But 8-bit sfx + 8-bit title music.
Guess I'll try other Sierra SB drivers to see if it 'fixes' the problem.. Is there a fix for this popping?
One of the standard work a rounds for the SB noise has been to use the Thunderboard driver.
If you are going to get into fixing the digital audio drivers, the Jones CD AUDCDROM.DRV fails to initialize, even with lowerd cycles.
If you are going to get into fixing the digital audio drivers, the Jones CD AUDCDROM.DRV fails to initialize, even with lowerd cycles.
I'll have to dig for that CD. Should have it somewhere. 😐
Going to pass on SB noise - distortion problem. Noticed 3 quirky things:
1) 8-bit -> 16-bit DAC conversion is done by sierra.exe (+ ADPCM conversion)
Looks buggy to me. Not in a way that anyone would care. I could think about applying the patch anyway though.
2) PQ4 DACBLAST.drv has a minor bug - not sure what it does
3) SCIViewer says wave / speech run at 22050 Hz.
- SB16 runs @ 22050 Hz
- Thunderboard runs @ 22222 Hz
wrote:1) 8-bit -> 16-bit DAC conversion is done by sierra.exe (+ ADPCM conversion)
Looks buggy to me. Not in a way that anyone would care.
I care... 😀
One game in particular, Freddy Pharkas CD, fails to work with the Tandy PSSJ DAC for a similar, but opposite reason - The executable fails to perform the 16-bit > 8-bit conversion when using the AUDTANDY driver, resulting in extreme distortion.
Some more findings.
- GKCD audio falls outside -128 - +127 volume range - does not fit inside 8-bit DPCM. Creates overflow problems - needs clamping (ala Scumm VM). Sierra.exe does not do this (fixed)
- Sierra's algorithm for 8-bit <--> 16-bit PCM conversion is flawed - inverts signal. Fixed
These two create all sorts of max-min audio spikes.
Much less audio pop problems. Happens but less aggravating - more muted, puffs of air. Still in testing phase. Not sure what else can be done other than to hack the other game versions to fix DPCM...
GKCD SIERRA.EXE test
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id= … 940141971699630
Noticed annoying bug with clamp fix.
ex. unsigned (0-255 range)
normal: 253, 255, 257, 260, 265, 255, 250, 240
sierra: 253, 255, 001, 004, 009, 255, 250, 240 (audio pop)
clamp: 253, 255, 255, 255, 255, 245, 240, 230 (ScummVM does this too)
correct: 253, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 250, 240
May have to hand-edit each sierra.exe / sierraw.exe game to get extra space to do it fully correctly. Fixing DPCM will take time. 🤷
16-bit --> 8-bit PCM conversion bug re-fixed (GKCD).
We'll see where this goes. :grumpy cat:
Thanks for keeping on keeping on, Tika. 😀
