Daggerfall Workshop Forums

The instrument sounds that play the music sounds pretty different from the ones in Daggerfall. (I know why, because I've extracted the music before, it's because it's stored in MIDI format and I guess DOS has some built in presets that's used to play the music).

Have you specified exactly which presets it's supposed to play the music in or does it just select random system presets like generic "piano" or "strings" etc.?

AlphaMode wrote:The instrument sounds that play the music sounds pretty different from the ones in Daggerfall. (I know why, because I've extracted the music before, it's becuase it's stored in MIDI format and I guess DOS has some built in presets that's used to play the music).

Have you specified exactly which presets it's supposed to play the music in or does it just select random system presets like generic "piano" or "strings" etc.?

My understanding is that it would sound different from MIDI card to MIDI card back in 1996, so it's basically "working as intended" - It's up to each MIDI implementation to decide what their instruments sound like.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

Narf the Mouse wrote: My understanding is that it would sound different from MIDI card to MIDI card back in 1996, so it's basically "working as intended" - It's up to each MIDI implementation to decide what their instruments sound like.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

Ah, okay, I was wondering about that as well. Every video I looked up had the same instruments as mine on DOSBox but that's obviously due to DOSBox (and probably others) emulating the same MIDI card then.

AlphaMode wrote:

Narf the Mouse wrote: My understanding is that it would sound different from MIDI card to MIDI card back in 1996, so it's basically "working as intended" - It's up to each MIDI implementation to decide what their instruments sound like.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

Ah, okay, I was wondering about that as well. Every video I looked up had the same instruments as mine on DOSBox but that's obviously due to DOSBox (and probably others) emulating the same MIDI card then.

That's my guess.

OTOH, 1996 was 21 years ago, and my memory doesn't stretch back to the details of what Daggerfall really sounded like. I certainly recognize the sounds and music, but due to the way memory works, the skeleton screech I remember is almost certainly the one DOSBox produces; although it's starting to be superceded by the one Daggerfall Unity makes.

Anyway. Tired and rambling.

G'day AlphaMode, welcome to the forums.

Narf has covered the answer here. I can confirm each sound card or software synth will sound a little different. Even back in the day, my AWE32 sounded much better than my SB16.

Daggerfall Unity uses a software MIDI synth, as the ability to play MIDI doesn't exist in Unity natively. The synth is capable of plug-in soundfonts. Right now, I'm using the free Chorium soundfont as it provides decent playback, is of a small size for distribution, and carries an open license compatible with this project.

There aren't any mod hooks yet to change the soundfont in DaggerfallUnity. When this is possible, you guys should try one of the huge soundfont libraries (often 100+ MB). The music sounds amazing with high quality instruments.

That's unfortunate to hear about Unity not directly supporting MIDI. I own a hardware MIDI device that I'd love to use if it were possible.

MrDowntempo wrote:That's unfortunate to hear about Unity not directly supporting MIDI. I own a hardware MIDI device that I'd love to use if it were possible.

It's entirely possible to add support for it in Unity; you can add C# *dlls to a Unity project and they can be used as normal in MonoDevelop or Visual Studio. Next, C# dlls can call into C++, or Microsoft's managed C++/CLI.

So, call out through C# to the (probably) C++ SDK for your hardware MIDI card, and that's, like, 0.05% of the work I've done for you already.

* Unity 5.X only supports .Net 3.5 or earlier; Unity 2017 has experimental support for .Net 4.6.