Topic: QUESTION FOR TALDREN ABOUT SFC3 SOUNDS

[Captain KoraH]

What exactly is the formula used to get the sounds to work? We've asked the question a few times and never got any kind of answer at all. Is it proprietary and we just have to use enourmous .wav files if we want to replace any sounds or what?  

[Chris Jones]

Capt.

The procedure for adding goes like this in my mod...

There is some new audio here as well. Look in a directory called Dominion Wars audio in your game directory, and the sounds and voices to your game per these instructions:

To install the new audio... use Winzip with no compression. Open Winzip and Windows Explorer at the same time. Browse to your game directory and look for the 'Dominion Wars Audio' folder. Open up the folder inside there called SFCVoice. In Winzip open the file assets\sound\SFCVoice.zip. Drag all the sounds in the SFCVoice Folder into the zip file, making sure compression is set to none ('store' if using Winrar). Add the files.  Done.

Do the same for the SFCSounds. Open up SFCSounds.zip in Winzip.

I made the Fed Phaser audio into something really cool using some BC audio from that Nemesis Sovereign. Almost feels like BC, lol.

Is this what you were looking for Captain? File size does not matter, and you can use mp3 format as well.
 

[NannerSlug]

huh? so you have been able to get new sounds and music into sfc3? your kidding me! we need to talk.. could you write down the instructions in a .txt file er word doc and zip it up and email it to me. this is what i need to replace the stock/nontrek music in sfc3!

[Chris Jones]

not the music - yet - I was working on that - Turns out each file in the music.zip has a signature on it that identifies the author.  It seems that if that signature isn't there - CTD! lol.

I have added several new sounds and voices - music still evades me.  Praxis and I went at this last winter, and couldn't get it. I went so far as to download a program that reads the signature on the music file

There are 2 ways to do it - adding files with the exact same name and overwriting the stock ones, or adding entirely new file names and changing sounds.txt to point to the new audio. I prefer the new files method, as some people get antsy at the idea of the original stuff being gone.

[Komodo]

What I'd like to know is how to toss the music files in #3 and get away with it...it works in EAW & OP...

[NannerSlug]

cant wait to be able and fix the music.. could we create our own music file and point to it? im guessing no.

[Chris Jones]

NO - tried that.

CRASH!  

[Captain KoraH]

Ok here is the deal so far as I have found:

Without trying to sound arrogant let me say I already knew all you said about replacing the sound files in the zip. Thanks for being thorough though, I appriciate it.


SOUNDS

I tried to replace Klingon_Disruptor.mp3 with a file of my own called Klingon_Disruptor.mp3 and the sound would not play. I tried changing the sound to a .wav file and editing the Sounds.txt file to point to it and it worked. However, the .wav format is cumbersome when multiple ships are firing multiple wepaons simultaneoously, the game stutters. I have tried about 19 different .mp3 formats unsuccessfully. Only the .wav sounds will play for me. Also, It seems that not all the sounds in SFC3 are the same format to begin with. Some are 44100Khz and some appear to be 22050Khz. I have had no luck finding one .mp3 format that will work for all sounds. If you know of one please let me know! I tried making the sound length identical, in the case of the klink disruptor, it's 0.836, and no luck.


MUSIC

in addition to your "watermark" problem, there is no listing that I can see for the music files contained in the SFCMusic.zip file in the Sounds.txt file, so even if you could make them play, I'm not sure how you would make the game recognize them. It appears that the 4 tracks per race are hard coded, so the "watermark" might be as well. With any mp3 encoder you should be able to change that signiture. The problem is, if you change it or if it's not present, the game may not recognize the file.



These reasons are why I started this thread. Someone at Taldren knows what the deal is. My guess is that it's Scott Bruno since his name is  on the Sounds.txt file. I'd just like to know what the deal is so I can stop wasting my time if there is no way to do it.  

[TheBigCheese]

When I created my sound mod, I noticed you had to make the files the exact same type and the exact same length or they would not work  

[Captain KoraH]

Well maybe there is something I'm overlooking, but when I exchanged the file

Klingon_Disruptor.mp3  


...which is exactly 0.836 in length and 44100Hz mono 128bit mp3 file for one of the exact same type and length, it will not play. Maybe you would try replacing that sound for me and see if it works for you? Maybe it's just my software? If I replace it with a .wav and edit the Sounds.txt file, it plays just fine.  

[Jester_OC]

Sorry this is only fuzzy memories now.  But I THINK we had problems with anything but a very specific MP3 encoder (which one I don't know).  I think DF or SB may have added some files.  Sean Dumas was in charge of sound.  If someone who got it to work could mention the encoder he/she is using that MAY help.

Then again these are fuzzy memories.

Jester_OC
 

[TheBigCheese]

I think you have to edit the sound file and delete the klingondis.wav and just leave klingondis.mp3.  

[NannerSlug]

any help would be useful jester.. i cant wait to plug in the nemisis romulan theme and other stuff.

[The_Pelican]

The best thing you can do Korah is to downgrade the .wav files, that what I had to do. I think the ones in the DW Mod are something like 11Khz mono (or something like that), pretty low in english. Still sounds better than the original game sounds though!!!

I know you need an MPEG 1.0 Layer 3 encoder, but I can't find one, all the ones I have are MPEG 2.0. You need to make sure there are no ID3 tags as well.

[David Ferrell]

Quote:
Sorry this is only fuzzy memories now.  But I THINK we had problems with anything but a very specific MP3 encoder (which one I don't know).  I think DF or SB may have added some files.  Sean Dumas was in charge of sound.  If someone who got it to work could mention the encoder he/she is using that MAY help.

Then again these are fuzzy memories.

Jester_OC
   

I did some research into the music files and here is what I found:

All music must be of the same frequency.

The files that are played are called directly from the source, so you must
name any new files with the name of the music file they replace.

I'll have more info on the header format later but it seems all the info
is in the first 4 bytes.

Thanks,

Dave  

[Captain KoraH]

Woo Hoo! We may be getting somewhere now!

I suspected the music files were hard coded since there is no mention of them in the Sounds.txt file. At least I was right about something  

As for mpeg layer1, I'm not so sure about that. I think probly that getting the header right, as Chris Jones and Dave are talking about here, is the key. That header cannot contain the entire watermark though if it's only 4 bytes. So now we know that the watermark is probly not the key either.

It's about time we made some progress in this area. Thanks to everyone who is contributing. No suggestion is too obscure, you never know what it might dislodge in someone's memory and reveal the key to success!

[Towelie]

   I've already done both sound and music months ago, I didn't know this was an issue. I remember having trouble, but got through it. David is right, I remember I had to convert the MP3 to the EXACT same format as the original. I think I used cool edit. Cannot remember if it was MP3 or wav. Think it was MP3. I am faiirly certain it was the bit rate that was screwing me up.


   If you are still having trouble with it let me know. I will try and reproduce it and remember this time. I didn't realize my copy of SFC3 has the only customized music in it.  

[Towelie]

  Yes, I confirmed they are MP3s. My new music file is 27 megs compared to the original 15 and it all works fine.

[Captain KoraH]

If you could post some specifics on exactly what software you used and exactly how you did it we would all be extremely grateful Towelie. I'm looking for Cool Edit now but it appears the makers were assimilated by Adobe and you can't get Cool Edit anymore.  

[Chris Jones]

Well this is good news - although I tried exactly what Towelie is describing - I used a big file in the exact same format and replaced the fed ambient - Crash!

I shortened the file size to near the equal of the original. the game worked, but my new music file did not play. silence. I used Cool Edit.

I am very interested in finding out his exact procedure. !