lukeman3000 wrote:How does everyone feel about the CD version of The Secret of Monkey Island? In my opinion, the music seems at least on par with (if not superior to) that of the MT-32, and it seems to have better sound effects as well as ambient sound effects (like the ocean, for example).
So are there any particular reasons why the CD version is not preferred and so much effort is spent on getting MT-32 and adlib to play nice with each other? In the CD version, I also seem to hear adlib sound effects without any additional work (e.g., the pot boiling in the kitchen).
Some reasons:
* The CD-ROM music isn't timed well to events in the game. For example, in the intro, the outbreak of the music is supposed to occur just as "The Secret of Monkey Island" appears on the screen, but it occurs a second too late. It's not like MIDI, where the game triggers each individual musical note precisely when it's supposed to be played.
* It doesn't have very good stereo separation, so everything sort of converges into the middle. I personally don't think that it sounds as vibrant as the MIDI.
* It can crackle and pop.
* It ends abruptly when you switch screens, rather than fading out like MIDI music.
* A lot of people first played the game in the early 90s, before the CD-ROM version was made, and the MIDI music is what they fondly remember. It's also one of the things that the first two games are known for.
As you pointed out, there are some pros that balance out some of those cons, so it mostly comes down to preference and nostalgia. If we can, though, some of us would like to try to get as many of those pros of later versions without having to accept the cons, so that's why there's the effort that you're seeing, to answer your question.
lukeman3000 wrote:Also, is this the sound effect I'm supposed to hear when opening/closing the scumm bar door?
Yes, that's the Adlib sound effect. It's the same as in the CD-ROM version (though the CD-ROM version adds Sound Blaster support and a sound effect with it that sounds like an actual door). The Adlib effect is really lame, admittedly, but it's nicer having great music and lame sound effects than only great music.
