Re: Sounds (various ideas - long)

[Matt Cortes <link@alpha.pulsar.net>]

On Mon, 18 Dec 1995, Petri Heinila wrote:

> > Huge .au files is not good at all.  In my opinion, the reason must 
> > systems don't have MIDI support is because people aren't supporting it.
> > If people would forge ahead and make whatever needs to be made, without 
> > worrying about how many systems support it, it would speed up the 
> > encouragement to get everyone to upgrade.  What happens when all the new 
> > stuff comming out works fine on your old computer?  No need to upgrade, 
> > technology stands still.  Kinda drastic, but I feel strong about that 
> > matter. :>
> 
> That is a kind of reality, I know people using still DOS :)

You should come over the the states some time.  I work as a COmputer 
Consultant,  I see at least a different 8088 computer each time.  I'm 
getting sick of it.  We need to give those DOS users a push.  Besides, I 
hate MicroSoft stuff. :>
 
> > If you still want to make the whole game .au, perhaps we could do 
> > something I've seen done before with .wav files.  The result would 
> > actully be better since *most people* don't have wavetable for midi. :>
> > I don't know how flexable .au is compared to .wav, but what was done was 
> > a small .wav was recorded for each instrument, a instruction file (In 
> > this case, midi was used, but any form of instruction for music would 
> > work) was used to determine what kind of instrument was played at what 
> > note, pitch, volume, whatever.  It would then take each .wav file, and 
> > play it with the distort instructions (I don't know about .au, but .wav 
> > can be changed on the fly to make the sound sound different in many 
> > ways), sounding like a wavetable card was playing midi files in the end. :>
> > But like I said, it depends how much can be done with .au, and the sound 
> > port should be kept open for the entire song, it would sound poorly if 
> > the port was opened, then closed for each .au file.
> 
> We do have not stick to the some format. If we separate the
> call to play sequence, and method how it's played, something
> like:
> 
>  Server -> Client: play("batmantheme")
>   resolving:
>    if wav_supported && wav_data_exist("batmantheme")
>      wav_play("batmantheme")
>    elseif au_supported && au_data_exist("batmantheme")
>      au_play("batmantheme")
>    else
>      /* no sound */

Ya, I had the same thought.  But my question is do you think its worth 
adding?  How big would say 128 (standard # of MIDI) Instrument files be?
In my opinion, space, speed, whatever shouldn't matter.  If alot of us 
want to give up the space, and the need for speed, then great, lets do 
it.  People can always turn off the music part and not download the 
wavetable music collection. :>


-Matt (Who is very anxious to see something like this done for background 
sound. :>)