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Cloudschatze
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« Reply #20 on: October 16, 2006, 07:30:30 PM » |
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The additional SysEx messages in Heart of China might simply be text messages (I'd verify, but I'm at work!). What additional messages? "3-Space," or something.  I'll double-check later. |
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« Last Edit: October 16, 2006, 07:31:18 PM by Cloudschatze »
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NewRisingSUn
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« Reply #21 on: October 16, 2006, 07:38:27 PM » |
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I remember something about "3-space" in Sierra's "First company to do x" documentary. If you're right, the game would have to completely unload and reinitialize the driver within the game (like Ultima 7), as I said previously. This would involve resending the patch bank completely. I've never seen a Sierra game that does that. Be sure to report your findings expeditiously, because that would indeed be a first!  EDIT: There is actually a second patch bank file, one in SXCODE1.OVL, one in SXCODE2.OVL (both packaged in VOLUME.001). The first one's "welcome" field reads "HEART OF CHINA", the second one's welcome field indeed reads "3-SPACE". The music sounds exactly the same though with either patch bank; the sound effects on the other hand sound different. I assume they did this awkward second patch bank because they ran out of timbres for sound effects. Which is probably why there's two set of sound effect files: SOUNDS1.SNG and SOUNDS2.SNG, but only one set of music. Which means that for music recording purposes, we needn't worry about this. I'm so relieved. |
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« Last Edit: October 16, 2006, 07:52:59 PM by NewRisingSUn »
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the_doctor
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« Reply #22 on: October 17, 2006, 01:21:49 AM » |
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Ari - thanks again ... (and look at the discussion that started from this!  ) ... i'll get those other MID files up later, making me wish i had any talent to justify getting a MT32 myself to do these ... |
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Alistair
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« Reply #23 on: October 17, 2006, 01:57:00 AM » |
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The HOC 'new SysEx bank being sound effects only' is known already to QS forumgoers (it's posted at least once), as when the game sends the second patchbank you do an arcade sequence with new sound effects.
- Alistair
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the_doctor
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« Reply #24 on: October 17, 2006, 02:30:09 AM » |
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Ari (or anybody else that could confirm this) ... I DL'd the midiyoke/midiox combo on my XP station in an effort to at least be able to obtain the SYseX files required for 'proper' playback of a MID through a MT-32 style device. After setting it up and seeing data pass through the application when I started the game, I ended up with a 24K-ish file. Is this seem like a standard file size for an SYX? I've upload the one I got from Hoyle 3 here http://lotz.homedns.org/files/hoyle3-test.syx if you don't mind comparing to see if I'm actually getting the right thing. I have to keep saying thanx too! |
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Tom
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« Reply #25 on: October 17, 2006, 03:28:20 AM » |
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As is mentioned, Heart of China indeed uses two patch banks. The second bank uses the same instrument mapping as the first, but changes some of the sound effects. The second bank is transmitted just as you begin the Tank arcade. For my purposes in recording the digital soundtrack, I'm using both because I've kept some of the sound effects intact...like the tank sequence.
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« Last Edit: October 17, 2006, 03:32:21 AM by Tom »
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Ari
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« Reply #26 on: October 17, 2006, 08:28:49 AM » |
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Ari (or anybody else that could confirm this) ... I DL'd the midiyoke/midiox combo on my XP station in an effort to at least be able to obtain the SYseX files required for 'proper' playback of a MID through a MT-32 style device. After setting it up and seeing data pass through the application when I started the game, I ended up with a 24K-ish file. Is this seem like a standard file size for an SYX? I've upload the one I got from Hoyle 3 here http://lotz.homedns.org/files/hoyle3-test.syx if you don't mind comparing to see if I'm actually getting the right thing. I have to keep saying thanx too! You can cut the thanks, it's really no problem. I won't be near my computer till thursday, so I won't be able to tell you if this is the right file, but the size does make sense (although it's more like 21kb iirc), and if the program allowed you to save it as a *.syx file, then you probably did it right. I'll let you know. |
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I feel like I'm diagonally-parked in a parallel universe
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NewRisingSUn
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« Reply #27 on: October 17, 2006, 09:51:36 AM » |
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The HOC 'new SysEx bank being sound effects only' is known already to QS forumgoers (it's posted at least once) Must have missed that post then. Oh well, you learn something new every day. I ended up with a 24K-ish file.
Is this seem like a standard file size for an SYX? The 21kb .SYX file from Hoyle3 posted certainly is what the game sends. Its size depends on how many custom instruments are sent. For the maximum 64, it's about 17 kb, which gets blown up to about 21 kb by Sierra's inefficient MT32.DRV. |
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« Last Edit: October 17, 2006, 09:56:30 AM by NewRisingSUn »
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the_doctor
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« Reply #28 on: October 24, 2006, 12:54:46 AM » |
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You can cut the thanks, it's really no problem. OK - it's cut. |
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Ari
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« Reply #30 on: November 03, 2006, 05:36:23 PM » |
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Sorry, not yet. I was on reserve military duty the whole week. I'll try and have them recorded this weekend.
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Ari
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« Reply #31 on: November 05, 2006, 02:32:47 PM » |
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« Last Edit: November 05, 2006, 02:41:24 PM by Ari »
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the_doctor
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« Reply #32 on: November 05, 2006, 04:25:26 PM » |
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sweeeeeeeeeeeeet ... thanks! *copying to listen*
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the_doctor
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« Reply #33 on: November 09, 2006, 02:12:10 AM » |
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thanks Ari - these sound great, I appreciate the time taken.
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Ari
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« Reply #34 on: November 09, 2006, 04:48:53 AM » |
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You're quite welcome! |
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