CD audio

[[LUE]Rocketfish]

Anyone know how to get this version to detect the music files? They are in a folder in the steam download but I just get midi. I still have the original cdrom somewhere and have gotten it to play correctly through dosbox before.

[neozeed]

The ogg files are there, but remember the CD-ROM audio only plays in certain sections. Many of the sections will play the MIDI audio.

Basically anywhere someone is or can talk you'll get the MIDI. Which now that I'm playing it again with a Roland Sound Canvas, it's quite a lot in the game actually. Also the default MIDI options just sound horrible.

[[LUE]Rocketfish]

After messing around with it yesterday, I think my problem is, like you said, the default midi is horrible. I played it on scumm with an original CD and it sounded like I remember, do you have any tips on getting the midi to sound better?

[neozeed]

Well the 'best' vintage like option is to get an external MIDI synthisizer... I hae a Roland Sound Canvas SC-88, and a USB MIDI controller. With DOSBox I can point the MPU-401 to the USB MIDI, and just drive that directly. For the most part it's great, although some tracks are clearly missing stuff.

On the software side, I would look at MUNT, the Roland MT-32 emulator, which you can again use something like DOSBox to point to. I haven't loaded up the patches to try, but you may also want to check out setting up the Gravis Ultrasound emulation, which will of course sound so much better than the Adlib super tinny MIDI.

You can also bypass DOSBox & MS-DOS all together with SCUMMVM.

[maccentris]

Originally posted by LUERocketfish:

After messing around with it yesterday, I think my problem is, like you said, the default midi is horrible. I played it on scumm with an original CD and it sounded like I remember, do you have any tips on getting the midi to sound better?

Played it a while back with SCUMM but I really wasn't willing to make a CD rom of it... Most people don't have one around... However I really appreciate that they were able to integrate most audio files into the game (I'm close to being really happy with it) but I though there was a way to modify sound card with DOSBOX.conf? Anyone know if there's a tweak we can try to get it to sound more like it used to originally? I used to have a true soundblaster that even with the midi sounded really great (it was the best thing in my slow PC which is the reason I'd sometimes decide to skip the CD audio) but soundblaster was awesome.

[neozeed]

I assume you didn't have the MIDI adapter and had a soundblaster/adlib card for music.

You need to open up the directory where RTZ is installed, and go into the dosbox directory something like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Return to Zork\RTZ\DOSBOX

You are looking for the file dosboxRTZ_single.conf . copy it first, so if you screw up you can put it back!

Basically what you need to do is run the setup program before running the game, and change the audio setup.

In the file you want to modify dosboxRTZ_single.conf to look like this:

[ipx]
# ipx -- Enable ipx over UDP/IP emulation.

ipx=false

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
mount C ".."
imgmount d "..\rtz.inst" -t iso
C:
INSTALL
LOADHIGH DRIVERS\SB16
DIR D: > nul
cls
MADECD RTZCD -O -X -L -M:DRIVERS\MT32MPU -P:D:\
DRIVERS\SB16 u
cls
exit

So the thing we added was 'INSTALL'. This will kick off the audio setup as the game is already installed. Take note that unlike almost all other DOSBox games, this one sets the sound blaster to IRQ 5 (like you would in a real machine).

so hit enter a few times, and you can set the cards to "Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro" , making sure the I/O address is 220, the IRQ is 5, and the DMA is 1. Next for the music, set it to any of the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro, and just hit enter for the additional system options (which should all be set to YES). Make sure that the CD-ROM drive is set to D: (this is only for dosbox, not your actual computer).

With all that set, you'll be back at the main menu, and then just hit enter, on the "Do you want to change the settings right now? NO" blinking prompt. Then hit enter again and the game will start.

If this is the music to your liking then all you have to do is edit dosboxRTZ_single.conf one more time, and remove the line we added, the "INSTALL". Then it'll start as it did before. Or if you were smart and backed up the config files you can just restore the original, now that we've run the install program under DOS to change the audio.

Hope this makes sense.

[DontRaidMeBro]

Originally posted by neozeed:

I assume you didn't have the MIDI adapter and had a soundblaster/adlib card for music.

You need to open up the directory where RTZ is installed, and go into the dosbox directory something like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Return to Zork\RTZ\DOSBOX

You are looking for the file dosboxRTZ_single.conf . copy it first, so if you screw up you can put it back!

Basically what you need to do is run the setup program before running the game, and change the audio setup.

In the file you want to modify dosboxRTZ_single.conf to look like this:

[ipx]
# ipx -- Enable ipx over UDP/IP emulation.

ipx=false

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
mount C ".."
imgmount d "..\rtz.inst" -t iso
C:
INSTALL
LOADHIGH DRIVERS\SB16
DIR D: > nul
cls
MADECD RTZCD -O -X -L -M:DRIVERS\MT32MPU -P:D:\
DRIVERS\SB16 u
cls
exit

So the thing we added was 'INSTALL'. This will kick off the audio setup as the game is already installed. Take note that unlike almost all other DOSBox games, this one sets the sound blaster to IRQ 5 (like you would in a real machine).

so hit enter a few times, and you can set the cards to "Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro" , making sure the I/O address is 220, the IRQ is 5, and the DMA is 1. Next for the music, set it to any of the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro, and just hit enter for the additional system options (which should all be set to YES). Make sure that the CD-ROM drive is set to D: (this is only for dosbox, not your actual computer).

With all that set, you'll be back at the main menu, and then just hit enter, on the "Do you want to change the settings right now? NO" blinking prompt. Then hit enter again and the game will start.

If this is the music to your liking then all you have to do is edit dosboxRTZ_single.conf one more time, and remove the line we added, the "INSTALL". Then it'll start as it did before. Or if you were smart and backed up the config files you can just restore the original, now that we've run the install program under DOS to change the audio.

Hope this makes sense.

I did this and set the sound to Sound Blaster Pro and Music to the Roland MT-32. Worked like a charm. Hope this helps OP. (I am running the GOG version, the config file is in the game's base folder.

[neozeed]

Originally posted by DontRaidMeBro:

I did this and set the sound to Sound Blaster Pro and Music to the Roland MT-32. Worked like a charm. Hope this helps OP. (I am running the GOG version, the config file is in the game's base folder.

Great! Glad I could help!!