Digital renderings of the rest of Quest for Glory III tracks

[Peter the Hermit]

Hi there!

First of all, I’d like to thank the people who put time and effort into setting this site up. The original games no longer play on modern operating systems, and this site  forms the only oppurtunity to listen to these tracks, some for the first time.

I encourage you to release as many tracks as you can in a digital format. Few people have your technical mastery of the various playback options. Therefore a digital rendering is the only way to ensure most listeners experience the music in the form closest to and most consistent with the artist’s vision.

For example, you have done an amazing, brilliant job with individual tracks such as “Garden at the Top of the Tree” and “Leopardman Village” from my favorite, soundtrack: Quest for Glory 3 – Wages of War. It would be much appreciated if you could do the same with the rest of the tracks from that soundtrack.

I understand that a complete soundtrack, rendered High Quality (192kbs) can be quite large. So I would be more than happy to assist you with a hosting solution for it. Feel free to contact me through my email regarding this (itsnothere@yahoo.com).

[Marten]

Peter,

You are not the only person who has been asking for this for a while.  Tom has digital soundtracks for QfG1/Hero's Quest, QfG2, and QfG4... and Sierra produced an official QfG5 soundtrack.  So, the only one I'm missing for a complete set is QfG3: Wages of War.

Tom is currently in the process of consolidating data from the various fan-supported servers that have provided service for Quest Studios in the past 10 years.  Hosting space and bandwidth are not likely to be problems.  The big issue is time!  And even if someone produces the files for us (in Ogg Vorbis or MP3, Ogg preferred), it still takes time to put them up on the site and create the web pages that allow visitors to browse and download those files.  Everything on Tom's site is hand-crafted and there is no automatic generation of the webpages, so it takes a little while to get things up, even after Tom brought on help from longtime supporter Ari.  

Now, if someone were to design and populate a database that Tom could use to simplify adding new files and pages to the website, that would probably be a most welcome contribution...

[Alistair]

In terms of QFG3, there are plans for a digital recreation of this (not in 192 kbps MP3, but in quality 4 OGG Vorbis format), but that will be further down the track- for now I will say no more. I can think of at least 2 soundtracks that both I and Tom are working on currently that take precedence over this. QFG3 is something that I believe will be recorded this year, though not until the second half of it.

More to come, later this year. For now Tom's General MIDI score is excellent, have a listen.

Regards,
- Alistair

[Peter the Hermit]

Now, if someone were to design and populate a database that Tom could use to simplify adding new files and pages to the website, that would probably be a most welcome contribution...

Well, I guess it's your lucky day  :wink:

I'm a professional programmer and web developer. Setting up systems such as the one you described is among the things I do for living.

Contact me through the email address I supplied, or I'll contact you whichever way you prefer.

You are not the only person who has been asking for this for a while.  Tom has digital soundtracks for QfG1/Hero's Quest, QfG2, and QfG4...

I have indeed found the QfG4 soundtrack in the PRIVATE COLLECTION CD'S section. As for QfG1 and QfG2,  a few digital tracks are in the Sierra MP3/Ogg section. Are the complete digital renderings of these two excellent soundtracks available on the site anywhere?  Or are they an example of soundtracks produced but not available online due to the technical impediments you mentioned?

For now Tom's General MIDI score is excellent, have a listen.

You really, really don't have to tell me that...

I listened to the Midi file many times, and will probably listen many more until the digital rendering is produced.

This is of course a matter of personal taste, but I really find the QfG3 soundtrack to be not only the best in the series, but among the greatest ever composed. The tunes are terrific, and the various influences (African, Arab) seep through the melodies and immerse you in a magical, exotic world for their whole duration.

That's why I take such interest in the production of digital rendering of it. Though the Midi version is ok, the few digital renderings made were clearly superior. And for a soundtrack as good as QfG3's, you really would desire the best possible rendering made.

[Alistair]

Are the complete digital renderings of these two excellent soundtracks available on the site anywhere? Or are they an example of soundtracks produced but not available online due to the technical impediments you mentioned?

Quest for Glory 1 is 'in production', i.e. being made by Tom, and Quest for Glory 2 was made but isn't being released, due to Tom's work on the new QFG2VGA remake by AGDI, so he'll release it then, I would hope anyway!

This is of course a matter of personal taste, but I really find the QfG3 soundtrack to be not only the best in the series, but among the greatest ever composed. The tunes are terrific, and the various influences (African, Arab) seep through the melodies and immerse you in a magical, exotic world for their whole duration.

I'll tell Rudy Helm you said that! Owe him an email, anyway.

I thought QFG3 came second, after QFG4- my favourite Sierra score. QFG3 was a bit repetitive and had lapses. But it's an amazing soundtrack which I agree, is vastly underrated. Noone seems to have much love for it. I loved the game, and the music, very much!

That's why I take such interest in the production of digital rendering of it. Though the Midi version is ok, the few digital renderings made were clearly superior. And for a soundtrack as good as QfG3's, you really would desire the best possible rendering made.

Well, not every track, in fact most tracks, would NOT benefit from such Roland ED conversions and enhancements as the two tracks, 'Leopardman Village' and 'Garden At The Top Of The Tree' you mentioned. I agree, both of them are simply amazing. But tracks like; say, "Eastern Fricana Jungle", or "Venomous Vines", or "Junk Dealers", etc etc. sound quite good in their original General MIDI configuration.

At any rate, I'll keep you posted, though as I hinted at, I can't say much now and I certainly won't be working on QFG3 music until my other projects before it are completed. There's enough of them to keep me busy for months.. same goes for Tom here, I would suggest, especially given that he's got all this server business. But he can reply himself..

- Alistair

[Marten]

To be honest, Peter, I'm somewhat stepping out of line by speculating on what could help Tom & Ari update the website more easily without letting them say what would help.  I have asked Tom to check on this discussion.

[Tom]

Now, if someone were to design and populate a database that Tom could use to simplify adding new files and pages to the website, that would probably be a most welcome contribution...

Well, I guess it's your lucky day  :wink:

I'm a professional programmer and web developer. Setting up systems such as the one you described is among the things I do for living.

Contact me through the email address I supplied, or I'll contact you whichever way you prefer.

Woah...this really IS my lucky day!  I'll surely be interested in taking you up on this offer once I settle into my new home.  Thanks!

[Ghost_Rider]

Hi Peter,

Not sure if you found these already, but Tom has started to make some of the QFG1/Hero's Quest digital audio tracks available to members only.  There is a link in the New Uploads forum, in this thread:

http://queststudios.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1180

(You must be signed in to get there, as the New Uploads forum is for members only)

My favourite soundtrack is QFG4, same as Alistair.  QFG1 is pretty high up there too.