Roland MT-32 Game Music

[Alkarion]

I would like to know your favourite MT-32 game music. It would also be nice if you could comment on why you like it. As far as I can see many games supported the MT-32 but few used its capabilities well. Especially custom patches are used rather infrequently. The best soundtracks I've listened to so far are:

Dune 2. This is a work of art. Very good athmospheric music with nice distorted guitars and beautiful melodies.

Prince of Persia 2. The intro has a very nice dramatic development, reaching its climax when the title of the game is shown. The music also transports the oriental athmosphere well.

Legend of Kyrandia. This is a real highlight in terms of an endless number of good tunes with very memorizable melodies. Apart from a bunch of coll but rather "easy-listening"  tunes, there are also very athmosperic and dramatic tunes, i.e. the one where Malcolm first appears (the MT-32 has such a nice pipe organ), the cave tune and the tune played when Malcolm tries to turn you to stone.

Wing Commander. While it doesn't have particularly many tunes and doesn't use custom patches (AFAIK) it features IMHO the best orchestral game music written for the MT-32. Rich orchestral sounds with trumpet fanfares, string solos and simply unforgettable melodies make a Wing Commander a great musical experience.

Ultima Underworld 1. There's nothing like the title music of Ultima Underworld. That's the way the orchestral hit is intended to be used. Very atmospheric sound track and the best melodies apart from perhaps Monkey Island.

[Ari]

My personal favorite MT-32 soundtrack is from Strike Commander.
This soundtrack really shows what one can do with the MT-32. The dirty electric guitar, the percussion, even the piano, one of the MT-32's weakest points sounds pretty good. you should have a listen .

[Alistair]

For me, the best Roland MT-32 soundtrack was by far the Adventures of Willy Beamish. Good (or at least passable) MT-32 electric piano (Rhodes), heavy metal electric guitars, bass and other wicked synths. The songs themselves were all very good as well.

Early Space Quest soundtracks deserve a special mention (i.e. SQ3 and 4), as do 'default timbre' soundtracks like LSL3 and Kyrandia 1.

Legend of Kyrandia. This is a real highlight in terms of an endless number of good tunes with very memorizable melodies. Apart from a bunch of coll but rather "easy-listening" tunes, there are also very athmosperic and dramatic tunes, i.e. the one where Malcolm first appears (the MT-32 has such a nice pipe organ), the cave tune and the tune played when Malcolm tries to turn you to stone.

MT-32 has an awful pipe organ, but it can work in some tracks.

A lot of very good tracks, given how young Frank was.. (early 20's I think) and given that only one or two custom instruments were used in musical tracks (most custom instruments being sound effects made by Okahara).

- Alistair

[Doctor Creep]

I would like to know your favourite MT-32 game music. It would also be nice if you could comment on why you like it. As far as I can see many games supported the MT-32 but few used its capabilities well.

OK - here are my favorite MT-32 (Sierra) songs.

The opening theme of Red Baron

The first piece of music that came out my speakers after I plugged in my LAPC-1! Stunning!.


"SPACE QUEST III - THE PIRATES OF PESTULON"  
                                                         
n                             "Main Title Theme"
                              by Bob Siebenberg

Great sort of Supertramp pop song. Awesome!


"SPACE QUEST III - ROBOT GARBAGE FREIGHTER"              
                           By Bob Siebenberg            

Super cool dramatic piece of music with superb sysex-sounds....


"SPACE QUEST IV-ROGER WILCO & THE TIME RIPPERS"
                                                         
                              Main Title Theme              
                              by Mark Siebert

What should I say - a classic!


SPACE QUEST IV-ROGER WILCO AND THE TIME RIPPERS
                                                         
                           "Closing Themes"              
                            By Mark Siebert            

Wondeful epic theme. Begins very dramatic with a variation of the main title theme - with a quite middle part.        


      "NOVA-7"   "INTRODUCTION/OPENING THEMES"
                       Don Latarski & Christopher Stevens


Super modified sounds! Shows the abilities of the MT-32. Definitely one of the all time greatest...


POLICE QUEST 3: THE KINDRED                                                  
                          "Introduction"              
                       Composed by Jan Hammer      

Well - just have to say Jan Hammer and Miami Vice. Awesome!


   POLICE QUEST 3: THE KINDRED        


                             "PATROLLING"              
                              Jan Hammer          

Perhaps the coolest and best sounding drum part ever written for the Roland-MT32.


    POLICE QUEST 3: THE KINDRED        


                             THE ACCIDENT              
                              Jan Hammer          

A cute little very moody midi song! Great!


-------


Some Non-Sierra Games with very good songs:

Spellcasting 301 & Eric the Undready  (superb - IMO without any patched sounds)

Strike Commander (of course)

Simon The Sorcerer (a few very good tunes)

My personal favorite MT-32 soundtrack is from Strike Commander.
This soundtrack really shows what one can do with the MT-32. The dirty electric guitar, the percussion, even the piano, one of the MT-32's weakest points sounds pretty good. you should have a listen .

This is great stuff!

BTW: I downloaded 7 of your sc-mp3s 1 1/2 years ago - did you update your collection?

BTW2: IMO you recorded MT-32 Wing Commander Mp3s too a while ago ? Can I download them somewhere?

Lutz

Dr.Creep

[BlueMax]

I have a real soft spot for Heart of China....  wow!  Some of those tunes were nothing short of amazing!  Really made that MT-32 sound good!  AFAIK, it's the only game to load SYSEX sounds TWICE!
MT-32 owners will notice a long pause when getting into the tank for the simulator/great escape.  Yep.  More sounds!  Listen to the patches before and after...  I seem to recall Tom having both sets of Sysex on the site...

[Tom]

Always great to find another appreciator of the HEART OF CHINA soundtrack.  Latarski and Stevens (probably more Latarski) really pulled this one off well.  This was one of those rare games that gave me goosebumps when I first played it, thanks to the music providing the perfect backdrop.  Every time I've set down to record the whole soundtrack, I've been sidetracked.  I have to make it one of my 2005 resolutions!

[Alistair]

I still say, I dunno.

As much as I loved the soundtrack and the game, in which I was alternately laughing and crying, I still feel that if you sat down and listened to a complete soundtrack of HOC's music you wouldn't be that interested. I honestly think there's 50 minutes of background music, albeit good background music, and 20 minutes of gold.

And being a Dynamix game, I don't know *exactly* how much music is in it because of plot branches and music you only hear if you die a certain way..

I certainly wouldn't be opposed to a MIDI soundtrack or a CD one, hell no. Would be awesome nonetheless. Just don't feel it's as amazing as everyone seems to think.

What's everyone's favourite pieces from HOC, anyway? I delibarately said 'pieces', as if I said 'piece' singular everyone would use the 'Finale' solely.

- Alistair

[Doctor Creep]

@Tom

My top list is not complete - so not mentioning HOC doesn't mean I don't like it...
Perhaps it's cause I never played the game...

@Alistair

Didn't know about the sysex hoc stuff - very interesting..

Talking about Dynamix Games:

Check "Main Title Theme"  and "THE PLEASURE PALACE" by Don Latarski & Christopher Stevens from "Rise of the Dragon" out! Love these tunes!

BTW: I would like to read more about great non-sierra tunes that haven't been mentioned before in this thread...

BTW2: On German PayTV they show the 80s trash show "Knight Rider". Some sound and drum fx sound very familiar to me (Roland?) Am I the only one paying most attention to the 80s-Style-keyboard-SFX in old tv shows?

Lutz

[Tom]

One of my all-time favorite non-Sierra soundtracks for the MT-32 was George Sanger's "Star Trek: 25th Anniversary."  Sanger mastered the MT-32; the soundtrack is nothing less than amazing in how he made those sounds so...likelike.  I may still have some of those old MIDI files around somewhere.

[Marten]

I like the use of the Timpani drums in the LucasArts "Fate of Atlantis" soundtrack on the MT-32.

[Tom]

Oh yeah!  Someone a while back (Joonas Linkola?) asked me to convert some of those MT-32 tracks for GM.  I remember how impressed I was with the soundtrack; up until then, I was basically only used to hearing Monkey Island stuff from LA.  Atlantis has some really beautiful music in it.

THE DIG was another perfectly designed soundtrack from LA.  (Neat game, too.)  But no MT-32 support, so that doesn't count.  Everyone's probably sick of the "Loom" MT-32 soundtrack.  Though it was nice, it wasn't spectacular.  ("Swan Lake" as played by the MT-32.)

[Alistair]

But pretty much everything George Alistair Sanger (love the name ) aka the Fat Man, touched turned to proverbial soundtrack gold. Awesome guy. Website's a good read, too..

With regards to non-Sierra MT-32 support games.. obviously the original Legend of Kyrandia game from Westwood Studios was a superb soundtrack. Very very similar to Larry 3's score in a number of ways; used the default patch bank (with some cool sound effects, as Atesalp provided for LSL3) and synth strings 'Str Sect 3' for a string patch as Dana did, etc.
Probably enjoyed Larry 3 more as a game, but Kyrandia maybe a little more as a soundtrack. Hard to say, though.

I don't think I've played many non-Sierra games with MT support (well, composed for the MT, usually GM non-Sierra games with MT support is disastrous).. plenty of ones with SC-55 support, though.

- Alistair

[Ari]

One of my all-time favorite non-Sierra soundtracks for the MT-32 was George Sanger's "Star Trek: 25th Anniversary."  Sanger mastered the MT-32; the soundtrack is nothing less than amazing in how he made those sounds so...likelike.  I may still have some of those old MIDI files around somewhere.

IIRC, you recorded 4 themes 4 themes from the game.
I recently recorded another one and converted almost all of them to SC-55 GS format.
I can send them to you (or upload them to my geocities site) if you or anyone else wants them.

Another game that has a superb MT-32 soundtrack is Dune 2.

[Doctor Creep]

Some Non-Sierra Games with very good songs:

Spellcasting 301 & Eric the Undready  (superb - IMO without any patched sounds)

I guess it doesn't hurt anybody if I post two examples:

Turn up the volume of your MT-32!

From Spellcasting 301

http://home.tiscali.de/webgoe2/BEST.MID

IMO the intro is awesome! The beginning of the tune is very useful to impress your friends! I have my LAPC-1 connected to a BOSE Sound System and the drums sound fantastic!

Now a tune from "Eric the Unready" - cool isn't it?

http://home.tiscali.de/webgoe2/COOL.MID

You see -  I love these Roland drums!

Lutz

[achile464]

Someone have tried Hoyle 1 ( the EGA one) with MT-32

[Kaminari]

Pretty much every Legend adventure from Spellcasting 101 to Crosstime Saloon features superb MT-32 soundtracks -- Companions of Xanth even plays some surprisingly convincing piano. My own personal favourites would probably be Timequest and Gateway, but everything by Arfing Dog, Eric Heberling or Doug Brandon is top notch.

[Doctor Creep]

My own personal favourites would probably be Timequest and Gateway, but everything by Arfing Dog, Eric Heberling or Doug Brandon is top notch.

I had a look at Gateway the other day... Thanks for the tip, Kaminari!

Here a very good example of the warm MT32 sound with standard instruments
I love this cute little Gateway tune:

http://home.tiscali.de/webgoe2/cute.mid

BTW: Pretty sure that the MT32 emu (any news - download link?) can't do it...
But it's technically very interesting to try IMO.

Lutz

[Kaminari]

You're welcome :)

Munt: progressing slowly but surely.

[Alistair]

Wait a sec. Is Gateway that jumping action-adventure' Apogee sort of game? If not, always got it and another confused.

- Alistair

[DrJ]

Some Non-Sierra Games with very good songs:

Spellcasting 301 & Eric the Undready  (superb - IMO without any patched sounds)

I guess it doesn't hurt anybody if I post two examples:
Turn up the volume of your MT-32!
From Spellcasting 301

http://home.tiscali.de/webgoe2/BEST.MID

IMO the intro is awesome! The beginning of the tune is very useful to impress your friends! I have my LAPC-1 connected to a BOSE Sound System and the drums sound fantastic!
Lutz

Question, how did you get those MIDI's extracted from those Legend games? I love the theme that you hear while walking around in the city in S301. Any chance you have it aswell? (the song starts playing just after you land the magic carpet).