VOGONS


List of DOS games with OPL3 stereo music

Topic actions

Reply 20 of 47, by Gmlb256

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
digistorm wrote on 2023-10-26, 18:01:

I was clearly talking about making stereo music, not about using other OPL3 features. But if you are so eager to impose that topic, the lack of the use of additional waveforms and features is not because of the lack of talent, but because studios for the most part used generic tools based on MIDI. And the translation layer between the MIDI data and the hardware is probably very generic and therefore cannot afford to use 4-op mode for example because it will then run out of polyphony. A translation layer cannot make any assumptions about the music it has to translate. It is a pity that a lot of potential is wasted in this manner, but the same is true for the Gravis Ultrasound, AWE 32, and why not specific versions for your favourite waveblaster module?

True, nearly all of them used simple MIDI tools for composing music. What I meant about the lack of talent is around programming skills to optimize for sound devices that doesn't support MIDI natively.

Anyway, sorry for imposing it which wasn't my intention. I know that this thread is only about OPL3 stereo music and nothing more.

VIA C3 Nehemiah 1.2A @ 1.46 GHz | ASUS P2-99 | 256 MB PC133 SDRAM | GeForce2 GTS 32 MB | Voodoo2 12 MB | SBLive! | AWE64 | SBPro2 | GUS

Reply 21 of 47, by SuperDeadite

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Honestly speaking very few "western" developers had the time or budget to really "get good" at FM development. They were often forced to take short cuts to meet publisher demands. Hence the quick and dirty MIDI conversions.

Japan on the other hand were way more dedicated to making good use of FM. For example the arcade game "Victory Road" by SNK has one of the best FM soundtracks ever made imo. It sounds incredible, and it only uses the original OPL chip for it's music. (It uses ADPCM for the voices, but the music is pure OPL.)

Modules: CM-64, CM-500, SC-55MkII, SC-88 Pro, SY22, TG100, MU2000EX, PLG100-SG, PLG150-DR, PLG150-AN, SG01k, NS5R, GZ-50M, SN-U110-07, SN-U110-10, Pocket Studio 5, DreamBlaster S2, X2, McFly, E-Wave, QWave, CrystalBlaster C2, Yucatan FX, BeepBlaster

Reply 22 of 47, by digistorm

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Yes I also think it is a shame that the sound hardware was rarely used directly. But using a tracker (I assume one would use that to make optimal use of OPL, like Adlib Tracker) is quite different than what “normal” musicians are used to. In the days of the 8 bit consoles / home computers it was more accepted I think, or the people making the music were more technical oriented than later on.

Reply 23 of 47, by ElBrunzy

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I was reading random article on The Cutting Room Floor .net when I noticed that x-com patch 1.4 brought support for stereo opl3 sound and though this might be something you would like to know https://tcrf.net/X-COM:_UFO_Defense#DOS_Version_1.4

Reply 24 of 47, by M-HT

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
ElBrunzy wrote on 2023-11-02, 06:10:

I was reading random article on The Cutting Room Floor .net when I noticed that x-com patch 1.4 brought support for stereo opl3 sound and though this might be something you would like to know https://tcrf.net/X-COM:_UFO_Defense#DOS_Version_1.4

X-COM: UFO Defense version 1.4 has only one music driver which plays OPL music and it's hardcoded to use ports 0x388 and 0x389. So I can't see how it can produce stereo music on OPL3 or on dual OPL2.

Reply 25 of 47, by Drasglaf

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hi, I believe there was a patch for Dune that allowed to play OPL Stereo without needing an Adlib Gold.

Reply 26 of 47, by Gmlb256

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

I can confirm that Xatax has OPL3 support for stereo music.

VIA C3 Nehemiah 1.2A @ 1.46 GHz | ASUS P2-99 | 256 MB PC133 SDRAM | GeForce2 GTS 32 MB | Voodoo2 12 MB | SBLive! | AWE64 | SBPro2 | GUS

Reply 27 of 47, by zaphod77

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Cobra Mission does dual opl2 stereo if you tell it you have an sbpro.

oddly enough, it does seem to use opl3 stereo if you tell it you have a Pro Audio Spectrum 16!

Reply 28 of 47, by digger

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Weren't there also some DOS games that supported OPL3 stereo music on WSS (Windows Sound System) compatible sound cards?

Reply 29 of 47, by zuldan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Does anyone know if Sierra’s Quest for Glory 4 supports OPL3?

Reply 30 of 47, by Joseph_Joestar

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

I just tried the GOG version of X-COM: UFO Defense (which I assume is patched to 1.4) and didn't find any evidence for stereo OPL3 music when checking Audacity recordings.

Added Cobra Mission and Xatax as per the previous reports.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 31 of 47, by thepirategamerboy12

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

A puzzle game by Celeris (the Virtual Pool devs) called FlixMix has OPL3 stereo FM music. It also doesn't have support for any MIDI devices, just FM. You can find the OST uploaded here and can hear separation.

https://xeenmusic.bandcamp.com/album/flixmix- … blaster-16-opl3

I personally quite like it, I heard the PC-98 version first and still prefer that overall but the original version's OST has grown on me for sure.

Reply 32 of 47, by Joseph_Joestar

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
thepirategamerboy12 wrote on 2024-04-03, 11:10:

A puzzle game by Celeris (the Virtual Pool devs) called FlixMix has OPL3 stereo FM music. It also doesn't have support for any MIDI devices, just FM. You can find the OST uploaded here and can hear separation.

Added, thanks!

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 33 of 47, by Mr.Tibb

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Tetris Classic has stereo OPL/3 , music when Sound Blater Pro is selected... I was playing it a couple days ago. It doesn't seem to be every song. The intro music isn't stereo, for instance.

Reply 34 of 47, by Joseph_Joestar

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Mr.Tibb wrote on 2024-05-29, 01:45:

Tetris Classic has stereo OPL/3 , music when Sound Blater Pro is selected... I was playing it a couple days ago. It doesn't seem to be every song. The intro music isn't stereo, for instance.

Cheers! Added to the list.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 36 of 47, by Aui

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Yes - and speaking of Pinball, Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasy probably also...

Reply 37 of 47, by Aui

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Yes - and speaking of Pinball, Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasy probably also...

Reply 38 of 47, by Joseph_Joestar

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
paxstatic wrote on 2024-06-05, 10:31:

Epic Pinball (1993) supports OPL3 Stereo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTW5TowVCpE

I'm reasonably sure Epic Pinball uses tracker music, and not OPL3.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 39 of 47, by paxstatic

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-06-05, 10:59:
paxstatic wrote on 2024-06-05, 10:31:

Epic Pinball (1993) supports OPL3 Stereo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTW5TowVCpE

I'm reasonably sure Epic Pinball uses tracker music, and not OPL3.

I stand corrected. The only other DOS game I remember playing that used tracker music was Terminal Velocity.