AdLib Gold MP3 Demonstration (Dune)

[Cloudschatze]

I re-recorded the demonstration tunes (and added two additional ones), after migrating the AdLib Gold to a 486. This act, plus the use of a better recording device, has resulted in much better recordings. If you thought they sounded nice before, I encourage you to check them out again. (With headphones even!).

I hope to get to the Dune stuff shortly...

[Kaminari]

Much less 'synthy'-sound. Far better leading instruments, but someone might prefer adlib gold.

Can't agree less, the MT-32 version of Dune is one of the weaker soundtracks for this synth. The only piece worth mentioning is Wake Up. Overall, the AdLib version is much better IMO.

Unfortunately, it probably comes down to the fact that French developers were not familiar at all with the device (it was not even officially distributed here; the few French games supporting MT-32 were the ones that were planned for a US distribution). Some other examples are the Delphine games, their MT-32 support is very weak.

[Kaminari]

NRS, thanks for the hacked driver. It doesn't sound nearly as good on the SB16 as it does on the Gold (Cloudschatze's new recordings are superb btw), but I'm not sure whether it's because of the lack of reverb or because of the DOSBox OPL3 emulation. Some parts play very well while others sound rather botched up. Very interesting nevertheless.

KGB, at least my copy, doesn't even have a seperate Adlib Gold driver or seperate data files for Adlib gold, only ".sqx" and ".m32", unlike Dune, which had ".adl", ".m32" and ".agd". Does KGB really sound different on the Gold compared to normal Adlib/SoundBlaster?

Odd. Both copies of KGB I have (floppy and CD versions) offer an AdLib Gold option during installation. I remember  the game sounding amazing on the Gold, but maybe because I was under the feeling it shared the same driver as Dune. On the other hand, I haven't found any trace of a separate Gold driver either. There are only SQX and M32 resources. All I know is that SQX was a custom compression format for the FM data files (like HSQ in Dune). Maybe it contained both AdLib and Gold transcriptions?

[Cloudschatze]

I've added some additional Dune recordings to the parent post that have been sitting on my hard-drive for over a month. I wasn't happy with the recording level, but here they are anyway...

[Ari]

Woo hoo!!

[Kaminari]

Sign of the Worm is an awesome tune.

I often regret that Stéphane lost interest in video game music and migrated over to Madagascar eight years ago. He was a pioneer and a milestone in Western VGM. In France where he still has a strong cult-following, he was the first VGM composer to get his name renowned outside the circles of the video game industry. Somewhere after the Cryo take-over by Virgin, he grew increasingly tired of this very same industry that he felt was evolving in a twisted direction.

[Ari]

These recordings sound awesome!

Fantastic use of FM technology.

[Cloudschatze]

I've updated the parent post with the images of the software disks that came with the card. I may get around to scanning the manuals one of these days...

[Great Hierophant]

I would note that the CD-ROM version of Dune supports an OPL-3 Sound Blaster Pro.  The playback on that device sounds very similar to the playback on the Adlib Gold, minus the reverb of course.

[MusicallyInspired]

The MT-32 recordings seem to be broken links. Any chance those could be reuploaded somewhere? I'm intrigued to hear them. I love that Adlib Gold sound!

[Great Hierophant]

Dune is a great example of how an objectively inferior sound device, when composed by a master, can sound better than a superior device which the music was merely ported to. 

[Cloudschatze]

Finally got around to recording the rest of the Dune pieces. I'd update the parent post, but I can't. 

So, to keep everything in one place...

Dune
Arrakis
Bagdad
Morning
Sekence
Sietchm
Warsong
Water
Wormintr
Wormsuit

[Kaminari]

Splendid. Me thank you long time.

Here's the correct tracklist according to the OST:

Code:

Sietch [Sietchm]
Spice Opera [Wormsuit]
Water [Water]
Free Men [Bagdad]
Wake Up [Sekence]
Chani's Eyes [Morning]
Sign of the Worm [Wormintr]
Too [Warsong]
Dune (Variation) [Arrakis]

Note: oddly enough, the Gold versions of Spice Opera and Dune (Variation) are shorter than the AdLib originals. Same thing with the MT-32 and Mega CD transcriptions. Spice Opera in particular should be almost twice longer...

[Rhizome]

Oh wow! I absolutely LOVE Wormsuit (which is the Spice Opera). Has to be the best version I've ever heard! 

[Ari]

Thanks, Cloud!
Now I can finish my Definitive Dune Soundtrack collection! 

[Cloudschatze]

Random info...

Apparently, Tandy's original Sensation! PC contains AdLib-Gold-compatible hardware on the mainboard.

[Great Hierophant]

Without the reverb module, I can hear no real difference between these Adlib Gold recordings and a Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 (using CD Version), except the former probably has better noise characteristics. 

[BlueMax]

Random info...

Apparently, Tandy's original Sensation! PC contains AdLib-Gold-compatible hardware on the mainboard.

whoa!  Cool!  I didn't have much interest in my friend's Tandy Sensation before...  now I do! 

[Cloudschatze]

Came across two cards that, like the Tandy Sensation!, are also "Gold Sound Standard" compatible, and feature the Yamaha MMA and OPL3 chips:

Cardinal SOUNDstudio
Cardinal SOUNDvision

There is a SOUNDvision listing on eBay, but the pictured card appears to lack the name-requisite video hardware. Guess it's just a "Cardinal SOUND"? HAH! I kill me!

Ah, the slowness of Saturday...

[Alkarion]

I have been away for quite some time and only now realized that you put up this wonderful post, Cloudschatze. Digging in the rich spectrum of IBM PC soundcards of the late 80s/early 90s is really fun! I love how people back then wanted to bring out good products and not only cheap ones.

By the way, would it be possible to upload the dune soundtrack again, the link seems to be outdated. Thanks in advance!