Hello, I've just discovered that English.smp [394MB] from psx has slightly better speech quality than English.smp [335MB] from PC version. So will this be possible to use psx version speeches instead original one in future ScummVM? I'm just asking because I'm also using Discworld Enhanced Soundtrack (http://www.jameswoodcock.co.uk/?p=1958) and the game with that two things will gains a lot of fun.
ScummBoy wrote:BTW:
I hear only noises when I was trying to compress English.smp (PSX) to ogg. Why is that?
PSX version seems to use a different sample format, that's why compression doesn't work. I created the compression utility, but I don't own Discworld PSX unfortunately.
jimi wrote:PSX version seems to use a different sample format, that's why compression doesn't work. I created the compression utility, but I don't own Discworld PSX unfortunately.
The PSX version uses VAG audio. There's a demo available here if you are interested and the VAG decoder is here.
ScummBoy wrote:Hello, I've just discovered that English.smp [394MB] from psx has slightly better speech quality than English.smp [335MB] from PC version.
I tried PSX demo and think that speech is much better. There is a lot of background noise in PC version but almost none in PSX version. So I too would like to play PSX version (or PC+PSX speech) with Discworld Enhanced Soundtrack.
If you convert the Playstation ENGLISH.SMP from PS-ADPCM (It is mono 16-bit 44100 Hz) to FLAC, and create an appropriate new ENGLISH.IDX and ENGLISH.SMP - these files will work with the PC DOS version of the game in ScummVM.
I did this by:
extracting all of the samples from ENGLISH.SMP (quick and dirty code)
use vgmstream to convert these files to .wav (using a .txth file)
use sox to convert .wav to .flac
build new .IDX and .SMP from .flac files (quick and dirty code)
I would like others to be able to do this too, without all the hoop jumping...
So, is my next best step forward to ...
expand the compress_tinsel tool to support the PSX samples as input? And then people can copy the new files to their Discworld PC DOS folder?
Otherwise maybe the Tinsel engine could allow for the use of the PSX samples with the PC version?
OR I could release a tool that allows you to create new FLAC sample files outside of ScummVM tools.
Notes:
the PSX version of the game in ScummVM will not work with FLAC samples, I don't think it would be a lot of work to add this feature. But, seeing as the PSX files are already lossy compressed, there isn't much point.
The FLAC files are much bigger than the PS ADPCM files! (lossless->wav->flac issue I guess)
There are some differences between the indexes (about 10 files in PSX version not in PC version, and vice versa), but a quick test shows that at least some of the dialog lines are the same - the few I checked were the same with PC and PSX. This could be laboriously checked, but player testing might suffice.
Suggestions on which of the 3 options I should take?
ScummBoy wrote:Hello, I've just discovered that English.smp [394MB] from psx has slightly better speech quality than English.smp [335MB] from PC version.
I tried PSX demo and think that speech is much better. There is a lot of background noise in PC version but almost none in PSX version. So I too would like to play PSX version (or PC+PSX speech) with Discworld Enhanced Soundtrack.
The PSX version has had sound compression & a limiter applied. I don't know why they allowed the PC version to sound so hollow. Also, if you could get your hands on on a Sound Canvas 55, you would be amazed at how it sounds. The PSX soundtrack is aweful.
eddebaby wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:08 pm
Suggestions on which of the 3 options I should take?
Nice that this will finally be possible. Maybe try to ask also ScummVM developers on Discord channel. I think that the more user-friendly the result will be, the better.
JamesWoodcock wrote: ↑Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:31 am
I am also watching with interest
PSX version in ScummVM has no original music support, but it has comparable graphics as PC version plus better speech. So maybe Discworld Enhanced Soundtrack tweaked for PSX version would be a good option for some people, who want to play the game with the best possible speech and music quality. I fiddled with it years ago and I think it kind of worked, but audio tracks order was messed up. James, could you take a look at it?
Last edited by Mim on Mon Aug 09, 2021 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JamesWoodcock wrote: ↑Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:31 am
I am also watching with interest
PSX version in ScummVM has no original music support, but it has comparable graphics as PC version plus better speech. So maybe Discworld Enhanced Soundtrack tweaked for PSX version would be a good option for some people, who want to play the game with the best possible speech and music quality. I fiddled with it years ago and I think it kind of worked, but audio tracks order was messed up. James, could you take a look at it?
That is not true.
I have the PSX version and it uses the on-disc midi music since nearly day one of its support and it sounds great with real midi hardware.
Raziel wrote: ↑Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:42 pm
That is not true.
I have the PSX version and it uses the on-disc midi music since nearly day one of its support and it sounds great with real midi hardware.
In that case, the compatibility page for it is out of date. I can't try it myself, because I don't have it. It seems to be one of those games that's always available on eBay (so it can't be that rare), yet always costs more than I'm prepared to pay for it.
Also PSX version has much richer sound effects (many of them are absent in PC version). I wonder if they also can be injected in PC version someday?
PS - also some minor things, like little Act I cutscenes which also absent in PC version..
JamesWoodcock wrote: ↑Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:31 am
That is not true.
I have the PSX version and it uses the on-disc midi music since nearly day one of its support and it sounds great with real midi hardware.
What do you mean *real midi* hardware? The Windows general midi sounds very mediocre & the music on the game itself played via the Playstatiion console is *ok* for an old console. The PC soundtrack can be made to sound fantastic with the right soundfont.
I thought the posts intent was to bring the actor voices (now possibly missing sound effects) from the PSX disc to the PC version.
