Today I have released version 1.0 of the Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer soundtrack as part of my ScummVM Music Enhancement Project.
A big thank you for the countless emails and tweets I have had about this particular release and of course to the ScummVM team for implementing the external audio files I have created – allowing my enhancements to be released for your enjoyment. Also to the original game music composer Ben Daglish for his excellent work within the game.
Using pure digital recording methods and Yamaha workstations, it is my personal aim to increase the quality of the music, however still remaining true to the originals. Using ScummVM, to which I will be aiming the tracks to be used for exclusively, we will all be able to enjoy the game music all over again with hopefully a far superior sound quality. ScummVM Music Enhancement Project
Instructions
To install, extract the music from the zip file and copy it to the ‘Touche’ folder on your hard drive. Make sure you have version 1.6.0. (or later) of the ScummVM software when released, or the latest daily build. For best quality (although not mandatory), start the ScummVM program and select ‘Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer’. Now select [Edit Game], switch to Audio tab, tick the ‘Overide Global Audio Settings’ and set Sample Rate to 44kHz.
James is a Freelance Journalist, Copywriter, Author, Blogger & Podcaster specialising in gaming, gadgets and technology, both retro and modern.
Ever since he experienced the first controllable pixel movement on the television screen, he has been entranced by the possibilities and rewarding entertainment value generated from these metal and plastic boxes of delight. Writing hundreds of articles, including commentary and reviews on various gaming platforms, whilst also interviewing well-known industry figures for popular online publications.
Creator of the ScummVM Music Enhancement Project and host of the Game & Gadget Podcast.
View his portfolio for more information.
You have to be aware that midi music is not simple as you think.
In the past there was no midi standard (no general midi) and all midi music for games was made for Roland MT-32 synthesizer. Later games were designed for Roland CM-32L synthesizer (appeared also as a PC card as Roland LAPC-I) which was enhanced MT-32 (had extra sound effects – gunshot, thunder, etc.). Although both modules (mt and cm) claimed to be compatible they were actually not. Games designed for cm-32l used extra sound effects not available on mt-32 and also transfered midi messages faster so that slow mt-32 couldn’t handle that. Also games designed for mt-32 exploited its bugs. The bugs were removed in cm-32l so games that used them didn’t sound correctly on later module. The important thing about mt and cm modules is that they were programmable – the musician could create completely new instruments with them. And they did that. That is why no other midi device is compatible with them (actually there were later roland modules: cm-64 and cm-500 that are compatible). But nothing else is. If the game music was designed for one of them there was nothing else that could play that music correctly. That music was also almost perfect. Later games were designed for Roland SCC-1 (sound canvas). This module couldn’t create new instruments but still if the game was designed for it there was nothing else that could play the music correctly cause of differences in instruments and their volume – in extreme cases some instruments are not being heard at all on other sound modules cause of that. Later Roland released later models of sound canvas but still cause of slight differences between them game music only sound correctly on the model it was designed for.
All above modules were very expensive and not many people had them. At the same time there was Adlib (and later Sound Blaster) with its frequency modulation (fm) synthesis that tried to emulate instruments but the quality of most of them was very poor – and that is what most people remember. Later General MIDI specification appeared and sound cards with wavetable synthesis apeared but they obviously couldn’t play games music properly cause it was designed either for mt-32 or scc-1. Later some games were designed for Gravis Ultra Sound and later for Sound Blaster AWE32.
The important thing here is if you want to enhance any game music you have to know how that music sounds. So you have to play that music on synthesizer it was designed for. In most cases that game music is so perfect it doesn’t need any tuning as the devices were very good and expensive. Sometimes some instruments could be improved. That music was also written by payed professionals and is really perfect. Technology was really not a limitation for them. Check for example old Star Wars music. You cannot enhance it. Old games were limited with graphics: number of colors, resolution, etc. and that can be improved. You cannot add maximum reverb to every instrument cause that is not new technology enhancement. Reverb was available in the past and if it was not used there was a reason for it. Same would go for applying maximum bass in amplifier to enhance music. If the music designer wanted more bass he would use it. If you want people to play the game with good music just allow them to play the game with the music the game was designed for with some slight modifications that were not available in the past. If you are not a professional you are simply not able to make better song than professional. You cannot change instruments. Your advantage is only modern technology. Like you can add higher resolution graphics or 3d, even adding higher resolution textures is somewhat controversial as you have to be good at it. you can add speech (ok, it won’t be by professional actors but at least better than nothing), you can add touch interface, port it to mobile devices. But with music it is different as it was already perfect that time. MT-32 was 32kH stereo.
I had a little look at the link, however I am not even going to waste my time responding to some of the comments there as they were simply over the top (and I couldn’t even register!) :)
I know my enhancements and even my use of the term ‘enhancement’ has been controversial, however I see no reason why my project could cause such offence and anger to a minority of individuals. It’s not about enhancing the composer’s music, it’s instead providing a choice to those who don’t own the originally intended musical equipment the music was intended for – especially difficult as there are so many computer & portable devices these days.
The MT-32 comparison comes up a lot, however in reality how many of us owned and still own an MT-32? Emulation is a legal grey area so we can’t really count that either. So you either rely on Adlib etc or General MIDI & Soundfonts. Not all of the MIDI in games work that great played ‘as is’, so I have provided an option – not a forced soundtrack, simply an option. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, however I still receive many positive comments so I must be making someone happy at least.
I would welcome anyone to have a go at creating an entire soundtrack that the community can enjoy (with permissions obtained of course), hopefully at the very least I have created the foundations with the ScummVM team to allow others to create their own versions that are playable within their software – something that wasn’t possible before I was involved and many thought gaining permission wouldn’t be possible either – yet, I managed and hopefully got the ball rolling for others!
At the end of the day, we all love point and click adventure games and this is expressed in various ways. This was one of my expressions, which I believe is far more positive than some of the comments on that link.
So love it, like it, hate it – that’s fine, it’s an option and that is all and did I mention also free!
Masterpiece!! Woodcock you got skillz :). I love all of your work.
Thank you :)
You have to be aware that midi music is not simple as you think.
In the past there was no midi standard (no general midi) and all midi music for games was made for Roland MT-32 synthesizer. Later games were designed for Roland CM-32L synthesizer (appeared also as a PC card as Roland LAPC-I) which was enhanced MT-32 (had extra sound effects – gunshot, thunder, etc.). Although both modules (mt and cm) claimed to be compatible they were actually not. Games designed for cm-32l used extra sound effects not available on mt-32 and also transfered midi messages faster so that slow mt-32 couldn’t handle that. Also games designed for mt-32 exploited its bugs. The bugs were removed in cm-32l so games that used them didn’t sound correctly on later module. The important thing about mt and cm modules is that they were programmable – the musician could create completely new instruments with them. And they did that. That is why no other midi device is compatible with them (actually there were later roland modules: cm-64 and cm-500 that are compatible). But nothing else is. If the game music was designed for one of them there was nothing else that could play that music correctly. That music was also almost perfect. Later games were designed for Roland SCC-1 (sound canvas). This module couldn’t create new instruments but still if the game was designed for it there was nothing else that could play the music correctly cause of differences in instruments and their volume – in extreme cases some instruments are not being heard at all on other sound modules cause of that. Later Roland released later models of sound canvas but still cause of slight differences between them game music only sound correctly on the model it was designed for.
All above modules were very expensive and not many people had them. At the same time there was Adlib (and later Sound Blaster) with its frequency modulation (fm) synthesis that tried to emulate instruments but the quality of most of them was very poor – and that is what most people remember. Later General MIDI specification appeared and sound cards with wavetable synthesis apeared but they obviously couldn’t play games music properly cause it was designed either for mt-32 or scc-1. Later some games were designed for Gravis Ultra Sound and later for Sound Blaster AWE32.
The important thing here is if you want to enhance any game music you have to know how that music sounds. So you have to play that music on synthesizer it was designed for. In most cases that game music is so perfect it doesn’t need any tuning as the devices were very good and expensive. Sometimes some instruments could be improved. That music was also written by payed professionals and is really perfect. Technology was really not a limitation for them. Check for example old Star Wars music. You cannot enhance it. Old games were limited with graphics: number of colors, resolution, etc. and that can be improved. You cannot add maximum reverb to every instrument cause that is not new technology enhancement. Reverb was available in the past and if it was not used there was a reason for it. Same would go for applying maximum bass in amplifier to enhance music. If the music designer wanted more bass he would use it. If you want people to play the game with good music just allow them to play the game with the music the game was designed for with some slight modifications that were not available in the past. If you are not a professional you are simply not able to make better song than professional. You cannot change instruments. Your advantage is only modern technology. Like you can add higher resolution graphics or 3d, even adding higher resolution textures is somewhat controversial as you have to be good at it. you can add speech (ok, it won’t be by professional actors but at least better than nothing), you can add touch interface, port it to mobile devices. But with music it is different as it was already perfect that time. MT-32 was 32kH stereo.
I am not a musician so also take a look at what musicians who also enhance old games music have to say:
http://queststudios.com/smf/index.php/topic,2229.0.html
I had a little look at the link, however I am not even going to waste my time responding to some of the comments there as they were simply over the top (and I couldn’t even register!) :)
I know my enhancements and even my use of the term ‘enhancement’ has been controversial, however I see no reason why my project could cause such offence and anger to a minority of individuals. It’s not about enhancing the composer’s music, it’s instead providing a choice to those who don’t own the originally intended musical equipment the music was intended for – especially difficult as there are so many computer & portable devices these days.
The MT-32 comparison comes up a lot, however in reality how many of us owned and still own an MT-32? Emulation is a legal grey area so we can’t really count that either. So you either rely on Adlib etc or General MIDI & Soundfonts. Not all of the MIDI in games work that great played ‘as is’, so I have provided an option – not a forced soundtrack, simply an option. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, however I still receive many positive comments so I must be making someone happy at least.
I would welcome anyone to have a go at creating an entire soundtrack that the community can enjoy (with permissions obtained of course), hopefully at the very least I have created the foundations with the ScummVM team to allow others to create their own versions that are playable within their software – something that wasn’t possible before I was involved and many thought gaining permission wouldn’t be possible either – yet, I managed and hopefully got the ball rolling for others!
At the end of the day, we all love point and click adventure games and this is expressed in various ways. This was one of my expressions, which I believe is far more positive than some of the comments on that link.
So love it, like it, hate it – that’s fine, it’s an option and that is all and did I mention also free!
I was waiting five years ’til you release this to replay the game again… I think I’m gonna cry!!! Love you so much!!
Enjoy :)