Where can I get the unaltered Duke Nukem 3D music?

[solaris32]

I love DN3D's music. But all I have been able to find is the midi music. It's ok, but the original unaltered version is far superior. I have the original pc and the Xbox Live Arcade games. I can deal with any format, I just want the original unaltered music! Thanks.

[TerminX]

The midis are the original, unaltered versions of the music, but midis can sound rather different on different sound cards. You might be able to find a mp3 version somewhere that was created by recording the output of the midi from the hardware it was meant to be played on.

[MusicallyInspired]

Originally Posted by TerminX

You might be able to find a mp3 version somewhere that was created by recording the output of the midi from the hardware it was meant to be played on.

I was working on such a project but haven't gotten around to finishing it up. The MIDIs were written for the Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 MIDI Module, if you're curious.

[solaris32]

I see. Well if anyone knows where I can get the mp3's or whatever, that sound like what you hear when you play the game, tell me. Thanks.

And Musically, perchance you've gotten some mp3's done?

[oak man]

I think your talking about if you had like a cheap sound card, or a Sound Blaster. Yeah I liked the way the music sounded on those better too

[MusicallyInspired]

If it's old Adlib/Sound Blaster FM OPL2 Synth you're talking about, just play the game in DOSBox.

I had a downloadable pack on here a while back for eDuke32 but it was flawed and I've since deleted it. I still have it on my computer or on backup discs here somewhere but I'm not sure where. I'd have to do them over again anyway.

[hightreason]

Failing all else, i still have a SoundBlaster 16 (With the volume knob on the back too), a Roland SoundCanvas (MPU-401), AWE-32 & 64 and a YM724 (XG). If all else fails i can always record them off the SoundBlaster for you and e-mail you them (Who said I had too much time on my hands?).

[solaris32]

Do that for all 4 acts for all levels, then put them all in a .rar file, then add it to Megaupload and post the link here. I would be very grateful, and I'm sure many other people too. You're sure it will sound just like what you hear when you play the game? If so, go for it please . I'm not a stickler for super quality, I just want to hear my favorite tunes from the game without having to play the game.

[hightreason]

It should, providing you're thinking of the SoundBlaster (The less realistic sound with the very un-drum-like drums)
I'm working on it, but don't expect it before the day is out, this will take some time, what format do you want them in?

[solaris32]

Um, I guess so o.O. Found the almost perfect example of the music I'm talking about.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=GAjZc-eYdkE&fmt=18

Use stereo headphones for best sound for link. Preferably make them into MP3's, but whatever is best or easiest to contain the music I am referring to. And I am patient, and greatly appreciate your willingness to do this.

[hightreason]

Ok, i've got three examples to make sure i get this right. These are .wma files.

Example 1 : SoundBlaster FM-Synth
Example 2 : Roland SoundCanvas (Similar to Microsoft Synth)
Example 3 : SoundBlaster 512

Which is it?

[solaris32]

Example 2 : Roland SoundCanvas (Similar to Microsoft Synth)

That one definitely. 1 was way off, and 3 was close but 2 seems spot on. Thanks for the check.

EDIT: Good quality as well, but is it possible to keep the blank spots at the end out and stop it from slowly fading out? Don't mean to be picky.

[hightreason]

Ok, just out of curiosity, what sound card does your PC have? it will normally sound very similar to this anyway as the Software Synthesizer in most PC's is based on the SoundCanvas.
If you don't know how to find out, go to your control panel, open system and go to the hardware tab, then open the device manager, or open the sounds and audio devices and check the audio tab, on second thoughts - i'll still do the rip because i meant to for some time anyway - but you may be able to switch to a different synth in there, try changing your synthesizer to "Microsoft GS WaveTable synthesizer" in there.

[hightreason]

oh, and the fade-outs won't be included in the rip of the music.

[solaris32]

SigmaTel Audio. I have a laptop. And it is on "Microsoft GS WaveTable synth". Only other option is "Creative SoundFont Synthesizer". I don't know what all this means but the number 2 choice was exactly how it should sound, do everything with that and it should be good.

Ok cool, no fadeouts and hopefully no blank spots .

EDIT: If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep. Check again tomorrow and everyday for updates. Thanks again.

[Reckless]

Did solaris32 say he was a stickler for quality then ask for MP3's?

Does you soundcard support soundfonts? I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) it does given the 'Creative SoundFont Synthesizer' item?

The Midis themselves are available here but as others have pointed out they'll sound different based on soundcard/soundfont installed.
Grab a Roland SoundCanvas soundfont file from here
Load it into your sound card (look for some utilities for the soundcard)
Set the Windows MIDI playback to use "Creative SoundFont Synthesizer"
Play the MIDI, does it sound 'OK' (as in how you'd like it to sound)?

I tried the Scc1t2.zip download and it sounded like it should be as you'd want or pretty damned close.

BTW I'm merely suggesting you do this as MIDIs are very small and are "what they are" - an MP3/OGG/whatever is an interpretation given a set of processing that's been applied. I'm sure hightreason can do you some fine music files if not

[hightreason]

That may work.
The rip is done here

That's the entire V1.5 OST on Roland SoundCanvas - real hardware.

[solaris32]

Originally Posted by Reckless

Did solaris32 say he was a stickler for quality then ask for MP3's?

Well, most people always want MP3's so I was looking out for them. I don't care cause I don't usa a MP3 player. Thanks for your suggestion to get the midi's to sound how they are supposed to, but I'm downloading the MP3's now, with my super slow net. It's cool, I'm patient.

[MusicallyInspired]

How were these recorded, hightreason? If you played them straight from a MIDI player there's a chance you got some of the wrong channels playing. Some of the channels are for FM Synth and GUS etc. The Duke3D MIDIs aren't in a standard MIDI format but in a format called EMIDI.

I haven't heard them yet, but I'm downloading them now.

[solaris32]

They sound excellent to me. Thank you very much!

[johndough]

Mark McWane did mp3s for the whole soundtrack.
http://www.markmcwane.com/music-dukenukem.html

[MusicallyInspired]

Yes, and they aren't very good by his own admission. They also aren't the way they were meant to be heard.

[johndough]

Well, I like them. So THERE!

[supergoofy]

I have created a Music Pack based on hightreason's V1.5 OST on Roland SoundCanvas - for use with EDuke32. All wma files are converted to ogg (64kbps VBR).

Duke Nukem 3D OST Music Pack v1.0
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?kwm1ygimzyy

[Reckless]

Originally Posted by MusicallyInspired

How were these recorded, hightreason? If you played them straight from a MIDI player there's a chance you got some of the wrong channels playing. Some of the channels are for FM Synth and GUS etc. The Duke3D MIDIs aren't in a standard MIDI format but in a format called EMIDI.

I haven't heard them yet, but I'm downloading them now.

How would you play these properly?

[MusicallyInspired]

You have to open them with a MIDI sequencer and mute the incorrect doubled channels. They're labeled as GUS or FM and such. I've listened to a few and as I feared some of them do play the wrong channels. That's why I took my own Roland Sound Canvas pack off-line because of the same problem. I've never had time to go back and do them properly since.

[Reckless]

Thanks for the info, never knew that before!

A web search showed that Lee [Jackson] wrote up about game music on his [as was] website and explained what Enhanced MIDI was (a reasonable hack but one that wasn't standard and thus required specific code to support). It's an interesting article ! Seems Joe also provided similar information in a forum post here some time back, funny how topics like this reappear now & then

Another (best?) option I thought about was the using Roland's virtual sound canvas product which should be exactly like a real SC-55 if the blurb is to be trusted (approx £50 seems like a lot for a midi player however and I'm not sure how you can disable the unwanted channels?!).

[MusicallyInspired]

It's not the same. I've tried Virtual Sound Canvas. It's not as good. Nothing beats the real hardware. Look at the MT-32 Emulation project.

[Marty]

Originally Posted by MusicallyInspired

Yes, and they aren't very good by his own admission. They also aren't the way they were meant to be heard.

i know, personally i think they sound horrible. some of the instruments are completely wrong. the original midis sound far better.


years ago i downloaded a couple of tracks, waterworld and gotham, which were remixed by someone i have no idea about but they sounded pretty damn good. I've always wanted to get more Duke3d remixes but i can never find any. its a shame becuase in my unbiased opinion, D3D has some of the best top notch music for a game.

[Cybopath]

Duke Nukem OST

[Thedutchjelle]

Dunno if this is thread necroing ._. it's not that old yet is it?

The music on my Mac Duke Nukem 3D disc was in .AIFF format. Not in midi. I could convert them to .MP3s with extreme ease and then they sound 100% like they did ingame.
Which is different from how the PC version(s) sound though, but I like the mac version more :3
Is putting those online legal? If it is I will do so.

[gila]

That may work.
The rip is done here

That's the entire V1.5 OST on Roland SoundCanvas - real hardware.

that IS mighty GOOD!!!

can anyone upload lossless version?

however they sound a bit different from the duke3d saturn cd audio... less bassy, more reverb and some instruments are different. though it's unknown what hardware was used to produce saturn cd audio (then again satun version of grabbag sounds exactly the same as the audiotrack on atomic edition cd!, too bad saturn version doesn't have all tracks in cd audio quality

[MusicallyInspired]

The Saturn soundtrack was mostly remixes (and I'm not talking about the PS1 remixes. The PS1 tracks aren't even the original Duke themes). They weren't recorded with the SC-55 (or SC-88). There are some issues that bother me. For instance the drumloop they added to Stalker is a little out of time/sync.

[gila]

hm. then again i'd love to get a proper "rip" done on original hardware in lossless!

[gamerfreak]

go to mirsoft.info and look for duke nukem 3d and it should come up. Then goto start>control panel>sounds and audio devices>and change the sound to something like line in i dont remember.