Better sound for Descent 1 and 2!

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:29 am

These midi to mp3 converters can produce strange results. I say just one word: quack...

Listen, for example, to the mp3 conversion of game12.mid of Descent1.

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:43 am

You're right, that song's mp3 conversion sounds significantly different from the midi version.

But that converter can also do OGG, and that sounds very close to the original.

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:33 pm

Version 1.4 of my soundfont has been finished. I managed to reduce the file size dramatically by removing of all unused instruments and audio samples. This has no influence on sound quality. On the contrary: I improved it to a level that is better than ever before.

The RAR file has now a size of only 16 MB. Unpacked, the soundfont is 25 MB large. This should be good news especially for all SB Live! owners who weren't able to load my soundfont, because of its big size.

@KoolBear:

Thanks again for providing me with the necessary webspace for the downloads.

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:01 am

Version 1.4a has been finished and is ready for download.

This is merely a bugfix release, since I discovered that two instruments (Saw Wave and Synth Bass 2) did not sound as they were supposed to do. Because of the fact that they are very important for the music of Descent 1, I strongly recommend to download the new version. These two instruments appear, for example, in the following Midis: briefing.mid, descent.mid, game02.mid, game04.mid, game12.mid, game15.mid, game19.mid, game21.mid.

For a precise description of how to use it, please visit my soundfont page:

http://home.arcor.de/hbredel/Soundfonts ... glish.html

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:33 pm

Version 1.5 is ready for download.

It offers improved basses (they sound stronger than before) and a \"new\" instrument (harpsichord). This new instrument can be heard at the beginning of level 1 of Descent 2.

Just one word about the difference between version 1.3 and 1.5: you may have noticed that version 1.4 and above are much smaller in size than 1.3. This has nothing to do with sound quality. In version 1.3 there were a lot of unused samples. These samples were accumulated when I replaced an instrument with that of another soundfont. The old samples stayed in my soundfont and made it bigger and bigger. But they didn't have any more function. Therefore, I decided to use another soundfont editor. It's called \"Viena\" and has the big advantage that you can remove \"junk\" samples with one mouse click. I did that and the size of my soundfont shrinked immensely. But the sound quality is the same as before - and even better now, because I improved it from version to version!

Any comments?

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 7:02 am

Edit:

Just added two OGG sound samples.

Descent Level 12: http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f= ... c261bbf575

Descent 2 Level 4: http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f= ... 691098c878

Wishmaster · Post by **Wishmaster** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:17 am

I'll dig out my SB Live! CD so I can check out the SoundFonts; your sample MP3 I listened to sounded great.

If anyone still wants an MP3 conversion of the D1 midis, I have a high-quality rendering I did using Cakewalk + Edirol VSC Synth. I should be able to get you a total package size of less than 100 MB at a good bitrate.

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:36 pm

Wishmaster wrote:If anyone still wants an MP3 conversion of the D1 midis, I have a high-quality rendering I did using Cakewalk + Edirol VSC Synth. I should be able to get you a total package size of less than 100 MB at a good bitrate.

I assume you are using a software synthesizer for creating the MP3s. I don't think that these files sound as good as those MP3s which were created with the hardware synthesizer of the sound card. The above MP3s were produced by using my soundfont and the synthesizer of my Creative Audigy 2. I did not use a software synthesizer.

The differences between software and hardware synthesizers can be heard in almost every Midi file of Descent. They are especially audible in game12.mid. If you wish, you can post a download link for a MP3 of this Midi file. It could be interesting to compare this MP3 with my MP3 of the Midi music of level 12.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:09 am

Wishmaster wrote:If anyone still wants an MP3 conversion of the D1 midis, I have a high-quality rendering I did using Cakewalk + Edirol VSC Synth. I should be able to get you a total package size of less than 100 MB at a good bitrate.

Hate to break it to you, but you were beat to that by three or four years by Vlindicator.

Now if a certain slacker will upload them to PD like he said he would over a month ago....

Wishmaster · Post by **Wishmaster** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:11 pm

Ah, shoot. Too bad.

holbred wrote:I assume you are using a software synthesizer for creating the MP3s. I don't think that these files sound as good as those MP3s which were created with the hardware synthesizer of the sound card. The above MP3s were produced by using my soundfont and the synthesizer of my Creative Audigy 2. I did not use a software synthesizer.

Yes, I was. I guess it's all a matter of personal opinion, though there's a distinct filesize advantage to the SoundFonts, I know. Here's my level 12 sample:

http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f= ... b69fabc965

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:53 pm

For comparison: here's a new version of my level 12 sample. I made it with Beta 1.7 of my soundfont. Listen to the piano.

http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f= ... 39f7449afa

Wishmaster · Post by **Wishmaster** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:22 am

Nice. I do like the \"MIDI piano\" sound to it.

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:14 pm

Version 1.7 has just been finished and is ready for download:

http://holbred.koolbear.com/8mbgm_enhanced17.rar

Nothing dramatically has changed. I tried to add more deepness in it. You can probably hear the most difference in level 12 and level 21.

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:06 pm

I released a new version of my soundfont a few days ago. In version 1.8, I fixed only a small bug. The \"Sweep Pad\" was a bit too loud. You can hear the differences most likely in the music of level 3 (game03.mid or game03.hmp).

Here's the download link:

http://holbred.koolbear.com/8mbgm_enhanced18.rar

Let's come to the second news: I recorded the whole music of Descent 1 and Descent 2 with Winamp as WAV files and converted it into the OGG format. The results are excellent! All files were recorded of the original hmp files of Descent 1 and 2 in 48 khz using the hardware synthesizer of my Audigy 2. Then I used oggdropXP to convert the WAV files into OGG. The OGGs are of high quality. Each of them has a bitrate of 192 kbps.

WillyP · Post by **WillyP** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:20 pm

I'm dl'ing now... If you'd like I can host them on Prepare For Descent.

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:00 am

No, that's not necessary. But thanks!

WillyP · Post by **WillyP** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:49 pm

They sound great!

holbred · Post by **holbred** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:51 pm

Since some users reported that DXX-Rebirth has some troubles with 48 khz OGGS, I recorded the whole music of Descent 1 and Descent 2 again with a sample rate of 44.1 khz. This time, I made OGGs and MP3s.

Again, all files are of high quality. Each of them has a bitrate of approximately 192 kbps.

Here are the download links for the MP3 and OGG files:

D1-MP3s.zip - 105 MB
D1-OGGs.zip - 115 MB
D2-MP3s.zip - 31 MB
D2-OGGs.zip - 30,5 MB

Better sound for Descent 1 and 2!

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