DescentBB

Dear Descent coders -

In the DESCENT.SNG files found in DESCENT.HOG in both Descent 1/2, there are BNK files listed after the music track names. What are those files? Are they instrument sample files, and if so, under what circumstances are they loaded, according to the source code?

Thanks!

http://www.descent2.com/ddn/specs/bnk/

Doesn't look like they affect AWE32 playback.

Thanks! Last question - the Descent 1 music files: are they in fact just renamed MIDIs?

They have the functionality of a MIDI, but they are a weird and troublesome file format.

Well, let me be more specific. Is there a 1-to-1 correspondence between the functionality of a MIDI and a HMP file? (in other words, can you convert a HMP to a MID without loss?)

DTX (and DTX2) never seemed to have any trouble converting D1/2 music to midi format, and it always sounded the same either playing the midi in windows with winamp or playing the music in game.

I can't get DTX to run in XP!

So, to recap -

1) HMP files are simply re-arranged MIDI files;
2) HMP files can be converted to MIDI files with identical functionality, and
3) It doesn't matter if MIDI playback occurs in-game or not with respect to MIDI (or HMP) playback.

That might make my job of recording these off my AWE64 easier if all those are true...

Another question - is it true that the Playstation version of Descent has the same music as the Mac version, which has Redbook audio? (I ask because while I DO have a program which can strip audio out of Playstation games, I'd rather just copy the Redbook if they're the same).

Yes, as I recall the playstation and mac versions have the same music. However the playstation audio is some odd sampling rate like 38,000 Hz instead of the standard 44,100 Hz.