[Mod] Create your own soundtrack

[Somnides]

Since my previous mod which replace most of the soundtrack by the one from the sequel, some peoples asked me how i did it.

So there it is, a guide to learn how to replace the music in ToS.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=632355452

[Juan-Pedro Vidol]

why would you replace this magnificent OST ;_; ?

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Hisato:

why would you replace this magnificent OST ;_; ?

Needs more death metal chocobo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfTWJzBSgas

And cowbell.

[maxbob]

Originally posted by Make:

Originally posted by Hisato:

why would you replace this magnificent OST ;_; ?

To replace on the very edge, of course.

I believe this modification makes it possible to change the "Heroic" tune back to NTSC-U/PAL GC version or NTSC-J GC version (Starry Heavens) that plays before the fight against Pronyma and Mithos.

yep but the firts one who replace : "rest of the heart" , I kill him ^^

[BONKERS]

The fact this is still possible with the DRM and VMProtect is fantastic. That was one of my wishlist items for this port. Let the music be moddable, like with Grandia II.

As for the people who ask, "Why? What's the point?"

There are a couple.

• Depending on their source for the music files in the game and how they are encoded to save file space. It could end up damaging the mix of the songs. By default in a lot of low bitrate scenarios, high frequencies are rolled off and the Stereo Imaging suffers a large quality loss. Using Joint Stereo encoding makes this slightly worse..
  Take any lossy compressed stereo music, plug it into a Mid/Side matrix that splits the tracks into a Mid/Side Channel configuration so you can listen only to the Sides or only to the Mid.
  The Side channels muted will show you just how damaging compression is.
  
  
  I can show you an example of this using the side channel solo'd from a song of the Soundtrack included with Raiden III on steam. It has a bitrate around 200kbs
  https://copy.com/ivLFIfHmdWdD86pY
  
  This is why if you need to reduce filesize but keep as high of quality as possible for any given rip, you need to also use forced dedicated 2 Channel encoding. (L/R Encoding)
  For MP3, the best encoding possible you can get is
  

  -b 320 -m s -h -V 0 -B 320 -F -q 0 --noreplaygain - %d

  the last two options depend on encoding software/encoder (like LAME). ^^ This is for Foobar2000
  
  And another example that shows how damaging it is in general
  http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/19/8068923/mp3-compression-ghost-suzanne-vega-toms-diner
  
  So the point of replacing the music would be to rip music from the actual soundtrack discs in lossless 24-bit 44.1khz, and then edit each song to match the loop of the in game music using a DAW. Re-Render the final loop in another 24-bit 44.1khz .Wav file. Batch resample/dither all of the tracks using R8Brain to 16-bit 44.1khz .Wav. And then batch encode those files to the format the game expects in the highest quality possible that format offers. And reset the loop points in the file. In this case ADX, and I don't know the high celing for bitrate with that.
  
  I am about 2/3rds through the process of doing this for Grandia II Anniversary Edition using Lossless Rips of the OST for Grandia I&II (As it contains music from both). That game originally used 22.05khz .ADX on the DC IIRC, and so they took that and then re-encoded it to 22.05khz .OGG with a custom looping solution built into one of the .dlls for the game. The problem is the encodes are low sample rate and are very very low bitrate too. (The biggest sound file for the game has a bitrate ~138kbs. Ogg Vorbis tops out at 500kbs)
  
  Here's an example comparison of a few songs from Grandia II that toggle between the game encode versus a lossless rip
  They are volume matched almost 1:1, the percieved volume differences are just because of the frequencies and information lost from the original encoding.
  
  https://copy.com/OiAo2LMsYGfqUfVe
  https://copy.com/tOj7DkX6fxA9zIAh
  https://copy.com/gH4IQy8jWfCIqVYW
  
  
• The other reason for being able to replace the soundtrack would be for people take the original music and arrange it in higher quality mixes with better synthesizers, samples and etc.
  The original game was made when Tales Studio still used software sequencing and playback on consoles. So the music quality is extremely limited in what Sakuraba and Tamura could make it sound like. They were bound by what the Sound Programmer/Engineer came up with for the game itself. Where as with later games, starting with Legendia IIRC they switched to Streamed Audio.
  
  This would take a lot of work from a few people with the capabilities and knowledge such as myself and a lot of friends of mine who work on music. But it's possible. And something i've had a small dream of doing. (Doesn't mean it would happen, but it would be rewarding and a lot of fun)

[Kaldaien]

Don't knock hardware synthesis, sometimes it's absolutely fantastic. EverQuest, for example, played on an AWE32 or SB Live! sound card (before they replaced all the MIDI music with MP3s) was a pure joy to behold because they went the extra mile with that game and created custom soundfonts. Then they replaced it all with MP3s and lost all the reverb and warmth of the original MIDI soundtrack :-\

It's definitely true though that "CD quality audio" in that era was a myth. Yes, Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9 shipped on CDs, no they didn't use CD audio. It was synthesized on PC and PSX. Just a hell of a lot better on the PSX hardware :)

[BONKERS]

I'm not knocking it at all. (I love hardware based sequencing for a TON of games)

But it is very limited depending on the implementation. And TOS's is very limited compared to say how accomplished Golden Sun is on the GBA or the Final Fantasy games on PS1. (Or as mentioned below MGS2)

FFVIII and IX took it one step further and actually took and made samples for all the instruments based on real hardware. It made a hell of a difference.

My favorite examples of hardware/software sequencing are Metal Gear Solid 2, half of the music was sequenced (And the other half streamed)and you'd never be able to tell really unless you knew.
In the 360/PS3 versions, they ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up the sequenced music by forgetting to implement a solution to emulate the reverb available to the SPU-2 that the original used heavily. The result is these tracks sound a bit worse and lacking some character the originals had.

And the other is Xenosaga Episode II, another game that used half Sequenced music and half Streamed. Again, it's so good you could never tell the difference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BIOrHVSiiw&list=PL9878005DABAA1D11

It's one , if not the most accomplished effort by Shinji Hosoe and one I have spoken to him about. And he is equally as proud. (IIRC he said the limitations were very harsh, and file size/space requirements were very very low. I don't remember the exact amount, but you'd be surprised)

[BONKERS]

FFVII and VIII on PC's poorer sequencing stemmed from GMidi use, not even a YamahaXG can save those versions of the soundtrack. In VII's case, the sequencing data they recieved wasn't actually the final versions from the PS1 game.
Squaresoft dropped the ball back then and they are reason the port is terrible, not the developers. (Who weren't Eidos but worked directly for SS)

A better solution for them would've been streaming, though the bitrates would've been bad. Still better than GMidi

[Great Duck]

As someone lucky enough to find a complete FLAC rip of an earlier OST release, I agree with Bonkers. Not sure about the 24 bit thing, given that CD is 16.

But beyond that, the arrangements, man:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRk0X-FLUR0

"Saving the World"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W2kBanj0mw&list=PLDC59C50A6573DABA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsNMnfQUzUw&list=PLDC59C50A6573DABA&index=37

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv24QdDdoSY&list=PLDC59C50A6573DABA&index=39

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIK3GopZMhY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUI5FPBhf94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggTaFji1rI4

(Blast, where is that super metal version of Full Force... its on Youtube somewhere)

Naturally you would need to cull some of them.

[BONKERS]

About the 24-bit, it is purely to give more overhead so nothing is reduced or changed after editing. (Which sometimes has to be destructive to match the game loops)

Depending on the game, 16-bit would work without issue.


Also: About 6 years ago I made a really bad version of Full Force as part of a medley (It was made very quickly in less than a month when I had a boxers fracture in one of my hands. So the playing is really really sloppy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSApkiREmUI
http://dwellingofduels.net/dodarchive/10-06-Free/ZZ-BONKERS-Tales%20of%20Symphonia,%20Destiny%202,%20Destiny,%20Eternia%20and%20Phantasia-Sakuraba-DoD.mp3

As for making an arranged soundtrack, it would need to be concentrated effort to maintain consistency and in line with the original. You COULD just take arrangements of all your favorite songs by favorite people too though. I used to do this CONSTANTLY when playing any Falcom game on PC. The first time I played YS I complete, I spent as much time making a custom soundtrack as playing the game haha.

[Great Duck]

Is there any way to spoiler a Youtube video without rendering it unwatchtable?

Originally posted by BONKERS:

Also: About 6 years ago I made a really bad version of Full Force as part of a medley (It was made very quickly in less than a month when I had a boxers fracture in one of my hands. So the playing is really really sloppy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSApkiREmUI

Destiny arrangements be killer.

[BONKERS]

If you like Destiny arrangements. I once did a semi-ok experimental (By making the melody terrible by playing it on pitch shifted tap guitar)one of the title theme
https://soundcloud.com/nick-bonkers-perry/20122014-tales-of-destiny-title-theme-remix-bonkers

If I did a project for Symphonia though, i'd involve other people at OCRemix and some other friends to work on it as a group in a different way than usual. (And there wouldn't be bad remixes like the ones I posted above that were done quickly, poorly and with less experience)

[Great Duck]

Honeslty those are two of the only Destiny songs I know; I will trudge through PS1 version of the original one day.

Found it on my hard drive; the Full Force arrangement in question's by MoAbi, it is on Youtube because I saw it years back but not under that name.

[Crache]

Originally posted by BONKERS:

The fact this is still possible with the DRM and VMProtect is fantastic. That was one of my wishlist items for this port. Let the music be moddable, like with Grandia II.

There were file/cinematic mods out pretty much immediately after launch. I guess you weren't watching the discussions much. :P

[Kaldaien]

VMProtect doesn't give a damn about content, only the executable code in TOS.exe. In fact, I'm pretty sure that system where TOS.exe spits out sec*.tmp has nothing to do with VMProtect at this point. There's no reason they couldn't unpack the executable into memory and then start a new process without writing the executable to disk. That's the kind of stupid stuff I was doing as an undergrad who didn't know how the windows kernel works yet. The authors of VMProtect are much smarter than that.

[BONKERS]

Originally posted by Crache:

Originally posted by BONKERS:

The fact this is still possible with the DRM and VMProtect is fantastic. That was one of my wishlist items for this port. Let the music be moddable, like with Grandia II.

There were file/cinematic mods out pretty much immediately after launch. I guess you weren't watching the discussions much. :P

Yup, I am ignoramus!