The music data in ADLIB.CAT changed a bit between versions, not just the format; so an official update of the Roland music (if it existed) might have also seen similar tweaks. I separated the music data chunks from the 1.2 format and "re-wrapped" them in the 1.4 format, therefore the music itself should be unchanged. The format was changed significantly, which made a project out of figuring out both formats: how the data chunks are organized, header format, etc.

Being a modification of a freely available file (in the update .zip), it seems OK to post. However, even though it works well, I don't know if patches-scrolls will host an unofficial patch...

they do host unofficial setup.exe for dune 2 that allows separate configuration for sound and music, so i guess it shouldn't be a problem

There was a similar update for Lands of Lore that allowed split music/sfx config. They were described as "beta", or "optional", but still came from Westwood, so "official" in that sense.

Just checked and indeed it was official beta for Dune 2.

I have an interesting problem with X-Com 1 and 2.

Enemy Unknown doesn't have sound at all. Nothing. No effect, and no music either. I've tried different settings of course from the setup.

TFTD has sound effects and FM music as well, but cannot initialize my external Roland SC-8820 module. All I can see, that the unit receives the midi message (blinking USB signal), and that's all. No sound played at all.

Other games which I've tried, worked.

Also tried the memsize=32 option, without success. Different mpu401 settings also didn't helped. Playing with mididevice option had no effect.

What else should I try? I'm out of options 🙁

ripsaw8080 wrote:

The music data in ADLIB.CAT changed a bit between versions, not just the format; so an official update of the Roland music (if it existed) might have also seen similar tweaks. I separated the music data chunks from the 1.2 format and "re-wrapped" them in the 1.4 format, therefore the music itself should be unchanged. The format was changed significantly, which made a project out of figuring out both formats: how the data chunks are organized, header format, etc.

Being a modification of a freely available file (in the update .zip), it seems OK to post. However, even though it works well, I don't know if patches-scrolls will host an unofficial patch...

Thanks for this. It's needed to get Roland support in the Steam release of the original X-COM and I think also for OpenXcom.

Terror from the Deep works fine as-is, but I think it sounds better using General MIDI than an LA-series synth.

I think the original X-COM was composed for CM-32L/LAPC-I, as a siren sound can be heard in the very beginning of the intro that is not present with OPL or General MIDI.

DBob wrote:

I have an interesting problem with X-Com 1 and 2. […]
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I have an interesting problem with X-Com 1 and 2.

Enemy Unknown doesn't have sound at all. Nothing. No effect, and no music either. I've tried different settings of course from the setup.

TFTD has sound effects and FM music as well, but cannot initialize my external Roland SC-8820 module. All I can see, that the unit receives the midi message (blinking USB signal), and that's all. No sound played at all.

Other games which I've tried, worked.

Also tried the memsize=32 option, without success. Different mpu401 settings also didn't helped. Playing with mididevice option had no effect.

What else should I try? I'm out of options 🙁

I know your post is 5 years old, but I thought I'd mention that TFTD now runs fine with the OpenXcom nightly build.

I'm not enjoying TFTD as much as the original X-COM, however, because it's mostly just a re-skin of the original game and because the research tree sucks.

HunterZ wrote:

I know your post is 5 years old, but I thought I'd mention that TFTD now runs fine with the OpenXcom nightly build.

I'm not enjoying TFTD as much as the original X-COM, however, because it's mostly just a re-skin of the original game and because the research tree sucks.

Thanks for the tip about OpenXcom. I tried it for the first time last night and am impressed. It looks and feels like the original game, but with tweaks for usability, like clicking-and-dragging on the geoscape and using the mouse wheel to zoom in/out on the geoscape and change floors in missions. I tend to prefer playing the original games, but this is a recreation that I might play.

Osprey wrote:

HunterZ wrote:

I know your post is 5 years old, but I thought I'd mention that TFTD now runs fine with the OpenXcom nightly build.

I'm not enjoying TFTD as much as the original X-COM, however, because it's mostly just a re-skin of the original game and because the research tree sucks.

Thanks for the tip about OpenXcom. I tried it for the first time last night and am impressed. It looks and feels like the original game, but with tweaks for usability, like clicking-and-dragging on the geoscape and using the mouse wheel to zoom in/out on the geoscape and change floors in missions. I tend to prefer playing the original games, but this is a recreation that I might play.

Same here, but the quality-of-life tweaks on OpenXcom are really compelling. Not having to re-equip my entire squad on every mission makes a huge difference.

Recently i peep into a preinstalled version, to get more info i need to install it.

But X-Com UFO defense should support FM, MT, GM.
Music Libraries and drivers are present for each of them.
It even supports the GUS natively.

Perhaps i can tell you more in a month or so, this is somehow interesting.
Especially because of the dedicated MT32 midi, i like that.
I can imagine well that will offer the creepiest and most alianized sound if it uses custom instruments (which seems to be the case but i can't tell it yet exactly).

Unfortunately even if i extract the midi from their ".bin" packages they are still compressed or in a to me unknown headerless format (raw midi it isn't but at least MIDIPLEX shows that it is a midi).
Installing the game will give me more answers.

Probably it's HMI MIDI.
Which can produce wrong results on recent machines even in DOSBox as i experienced because generally you only pipe the MIDI stream to the MIDI mapper and i noticed on my Win10 that the HMI of FFE are interpreted wrong now, the notes of certain tracks won't end as they should, converted to a GMIDI the play back well - depending on the player, Megamid produces the same error but played back with WinAmp or PX and the miles drivers they are fine.
If that is the case i appreciate your problem because it can bring me closer to the solution of my problem with FFE.

But yes overall the SBFM isn't that bad no?
Sometimes i really like the artificial sound of the FM.
But well i can be even fascinated of Tandy sound 😀