lordskylark wrote:The music for MM3 (most), MM4 (all), MM5 (most) and Planet's Edge (50%) were all done by Tim Tully and his friends, even though he is not credited in MM3. George Sanger did the title theme for MM3 and Planet's Edge. I have no idea who did the rest. Both of them composed using MT-32 (I am in personal contact with both of them). It is possible that the game itself was designed for CM-32L, even though the music was composed on MT-32 (except for the alternate Canvas version of the MM4 and MM5 Openeing -- those were designed for SC-55 by Tim Tully -- someone else, probably the sound programmers designs the Canvas versions for the rest of the music).
There is also a strange programming error with all of those four games. The programmer of .M music format used in those games, made a programming error. So ALL of the music tracks play 2 semitones lower than the original compositions as composed.
So I think I should update this thread.
Tim Tully suffered some serious memory problems, so he actually does not recall everything all that good.
So, going through his personal notes:
- The original commission from Jon Van Caneghem to Tim Tully requests for the music for MM3~5 & Planet's Edge to be composed for MT-32.
- The midi files seem to be designed for MT-32 (but CM-32L should sound the same)
- However, in another paper, Tim Tully responds to two potential clients, where he states that he will be sending them demo reels of his music, which includes tracks from MM3~5 and PE. In these letters, he states that the tracks were recorded on the demo reel with a CM-32L.
- The MM3 game does add an CM-32L SFX -- chimes -- to the game version of the temple music, but this is NOT present in the original midi - which means that the sound programmer (Todd Hendrix) must have added it. So, this is not decisive.
- For MM5, in one of the original midi files, there is a track labeled "horse" -- which is probably referring to the CM-32L horse soundeffect. The track is blank, which means it was deleted by the time the midi was finalized and submitted to NWC. However, it shows that the MM5 track must have been composed with the extra instruments from CM-32L.
- Now, most of the tracks for those games were actually composed by Greg Alper under Tim Tully, and then Tim Tully revised them.
- While many of the original versions before Tim Tully got ahold of them did not exist, I did find one that exists accidentally (usually the original sequences seem to have been deleted from the Performer files after Tim Tully edited them, but one file seems to have retained the original sequence by accident?). The original version of the "inn" music from MM4 (used in the title screen) which Greg Alper sent to Tim Tully, consists of 16 channels - which is obviously more than the MT-32. This was then downsized to the MT-32 version which would then have been submitted to New World Computing (so NWC would never have received the original 16 channel version).
- When I talked with Greg Alper, he does not recall having an MT-32, but he does recall having an SC-55 (which he clearly used for Warcraft 1 for example)
- NWC specifically comissioned for unique versions of the MM4 and MM5 opening themes to be composed for SC-55 (in addition to the MT-32 versions). Greg Alper also made these, so he must have had an SC-55 to do so. (NOTE: Except for the alternate opening themes for Canvas, all of the other Canvas versions were made by the sound programmer from the MT-32 versions submitted by Tim Tully). If the Canvas is set in MT-32 mode, it has all of the extra instruments from the CM-32L.
- Therefore, my conclusion is:
- Greg Alper composed some tracks either for SC-55 (any 16 channel versions, which may only have been with MM4 and the opening themes) and/or tracks with SC-55 set in MT-32/CM-32L mode
- Tim Tully had a CM-32L and converted the tracks from Greg Alper into their MT-32 versions though using a CM-32L
- The MT-32/CM-32L versions were submitted to New World Computing, along with the SC-55 versions of the opening themes.
- For MM4 & MM5, the MT-32 versions were used, and then the sound programmers (MM4 - Todd Hendrix / MM5 - Mike Heilemann) made SC-55 versions from those by changing instruments -- resulting in some tracks that didn't sound the best all the time, because the velocity difference between notes is much more drastic on the SC-55 than the MT-32. Since the volume differences and levels sound correct on the MT-32 and NOT the SC-55 (except for the opening themes specifically composed for the SC-55), even if Greg Alper originally composed any tracks with the SC-55 in regular mode, Tim Tully clearly converted and optimized them for the MT-32/CM-32L.
This would be the original untouched version of the Inn (though I recorded it with MT-32 instruments in parts, even though I now think it was originally composed for SC-55):
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=11WgR3pCMEQ
EDIT:
I also need to add the following information:
George Sanger did ONLY the opening theme for MM3 & PE.
These were made with an MT-32 (not sure if old or new) and submitted in that form.
I have NOT been able to discover the identity of the original composer for the following, and have not yet been able to recover any of the original MIDIs:
#1 - The other 50% of the music to PE not done by Tim Tully & Greg Alper (may be Rob Wallace, since all of that music is actually scrapped music from the Genesis version of King's Bounty by Rob Wallace -- Rob Wallace did NOT save anything, so I cannot confirm yet)
#2 - one track from MM3 (seems to be same composer as the rest of the PE music)
#3 - Any Sci-Fi Theme AFTER #2 from MM5 - they were not done by Tim Tully/Greg Alper (even tracked down multiple game designers/programmers and none of them can recall or have any idea)