[Request] CD quality music, voicing and sound effects

AndreaColombo

Originally posted on /r/FriendsOfBaldursGate.

One of the most recent One Pixel Production (1PP) releases has been the port of CD-quality music from the soundtrack CDs to BG and BG2. The original ingame audio is in fact limited to 22.5khz - quite far from timbral faithfulness! Unfortunately, one drawback of the 1PP component is that it requires all audio in the game to be upsampled to CD-quality, and that can easily go wrong if you have mods installed that add new audio to the game (I was never able to use it, myself). Moreover, since modders have no access to the source sound assets, they have no way to provide 16/44 voicing and sound effects to go with the music.

If BG:EE could natively feature CD-quality music and, if at all possible, CD-quality voicing and sound effects, I think it would really do justice to the game (and to a 2012 re-release, to be a tag along).

Bhryaen

With the world-reknown of BG's soundtrack, and especially with even more BG music coming (presumably), very much yes to adding the max music quality to the game itself. I'm not sure if that adds a bulky extra amount of needed hard drive space when installing the game, but I don't mind... and then again I wouldn't mind an install from a USB drive either...

Seldar

I totally agree

Ward

I think no less than all the best quality sound and music files should be used. I've played games where re-releases feature WORSE quality sound and sometimes video, I'm sure that won't be the case here, but I'm telling you it all makes a difference.

The best they can get their hands on is what should be used. Also they can put it on a CD and mail it to me.

AndreaColombo

Bumping this thread for new users to see.

ElectricMonk

I agree, would be great if they could make the higher quality music native to the game.

Ward

Also bumping this because it's a great idea too.

Delvon

I might be alone on this, but I'd also want this music to be somewhat accessible. I understand the fact that OSs are usually paid for later on, but with a 20 dollar price-tag it could be attained manually. I'd love some soundsets from characters to be available as well. I'm weird, and always wanted a text message tone from the Flaming Fist: "I AM THE LAW!!".

Ward

@Delvon

You can extract all that stuff using various editors, but I'm unable to do it at the moment. I've been trying to figure out how to extract the paperdolls so I can mess around with them, give them funny hats.

They bundled all of it together in ancient compression files that I've never heard before. After 2000 games started having more content accessible (e.g. music in modern formats).

Delvon

Ward said:

@Delvon

You can extract all that stuff using various editors, but I'm unable to do it at the moment. I've been trying to figure out how to extract the paperdolls so I can mess around with them, give them funny hats.

Funny hats mod must happen! With a store dedicated for ridiculous headgear. Imagine a fighter wearing a giant ogre head, or a Sarevok head? I'd pay for that.

I remember trying back in the early 2000s to get the files, but quite frankly it was a b**ch to deal with. Gave up and hoped someone smarter would make a soundboard. Didn't happen, and now I don't know if my phone is the law or not...

AndreaColombo

@Devlon - Actually, I believe all the voiceovers from Baldur's Gate are already available in the game's directory as .WAV files.

Ward

@Delvon Well the main problem with all those old games is that most of the formats are outdated and so you need specific programs to unbundle them. The other problem is that you have to compentent in doing such computer editorial things, which I am not to that level.

@AndreaColombo They are .wav files, atleast according to Near Infinity. I never checked the actual directory to see if I can run them with a media player.

Delvon

AndreaColombo said:

@Devlon - Actually, I believe all the voiceovers from Baldur's Gate are already available in the game's directory as .WAV files.

Really?! I searched SO LONG and didn't come across them. Man I need a better sense for these things.

Zeckul

AndreaColombo said:

Actually, I believe all the voiceovers from Baldur's Gate are already available in the game's directory as .WAV files.

@AndreaColombo They have the .WAV suffix but they're not actually in standard PCM format; they don't play in any common media player for instance. NearInfinity uses a closed-source converter to play them I believe. Besides, they're all in 22khz at best.

AndreaColombo

@Zeckul - to play those files in NI you need "acm2wav", so you are spot on about them not being standard PCM. Hopefully BG:EE will have higher quality sound. My bad for the imprecision.