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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Original Dos Xcom Music In .mp3


r0dent

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Hi folks,

I have tried various versions of Xcom but I came to the conclusion that the original (like the Matrix movies) is the best.

I love the music in the original version, later MIDI-based versions suck!

So I decided to record the original music as Wave files and convert them to .mp3

To do this required an old computer running DOS Xcom, a long audio cable, and a newer computer recording the .wav file.

I began the project and recorded the intro music, Geoscape 1 and 2 music, and converted them into .mp3. It went great!

But then the old computer DIED!!!!!!! Aaaaaaarrrrrrr

Before I run out and buy an old secondhand Pentium 133mhz just to do this project, can anyone tell me if this has already been done? Can I get the original music recordings somewhere?

I still have to record the ending music (game won), interceptor music, defend base music, in-combat music, etc

As this is my first post here, I come bearing a gift. My intro .mp3 can be downloaded [url="http://www.petafemto.com/storage/xcomintro.zip"]here![/url]
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Just so you know, the midi used for all versions of X-COM are unchanged. Some people swear they are different, but the only difference is the sound card used to play the midi.

Although, it is commendable you go to such effort to do this, and the wav/mp3 results you will eventually get will be well received by those of us who are nostalgic for the midi-sounds that came out of a 486.

However, I will tell you right now:

The old X-COM music was just as midi as the new X-COM music, the only difference is it was all encoded into a different file (sort of like how Doom's midi music is encoded into its wad file, but not quite the same).

The new version of X-COM leaves the midi files out in the open, which lets you modify them wildly. :devillaugh:

Others have extracted the midi files from the old version of X-COM. Having played the old version and the new version, I can assure you they sound the same in your computer. The only thing that can change how they would sound is your sound card and the drivers associated with it. (maybe if you can find a way to transfer the midi drivers from the old computer to the new...)

Well, good luck.
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hmm interesting.

So what you're saying is that, if I play the Midi files on my old computer, which runs on DOS,with original Soundblaster 16 (no wavetable), it should sound exactly the same as playing the original game?

I will check it out.
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Please post your results too. If I'm wrong on this, I want to know. (Also, if you are able you could use the mid2wav converter to convert the music as it sounds on the old computer to a wav file and post it here so us crazy nostalgic people can enjoy it).

Personally, I think some of the songs are improved while others are nigh cacophonous with the newwer midi drivers.
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  • 4 months later...
I already did this for X-Com 2 Terror From The Deep. I recorded all the original midis on an old SB16 to get the classic sound. Got Edonkey2000? If you do here's the name of the file I've been sharing it as:

"X-Com 2 Soundtrack (classic Soundblaster midi sound) xcom II ost music.rar"

BTW I don't have my old machine anymore. Can some one do this for Wing Commander 2 and the other classic Wing Commander games?
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  • 1 month later...
[quote name='Chris StarShade' date='Aug 28 2004, 11:57 AM']Please post your results too.  If I'm wrong on this, I want to know.  (Also, if you are able you could use the mid2wav converter to convert the music as it sounds on the old computer to a wav file and post it here so us crazy nostalgic people can enjoy it).

Personally, I think some of the songs are improved while others are nigh cacophonous with the newwer midi drivers.
[right][post="92159"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]
Ok I got my Pentium 1 with Soundblaster 16 ISA card running again.

Playing the CE Windows version's MIDI files on this old computer resulted in..... crappy sound! Even though it's playing through the old Soundblaster 16. It must be due to how Windows MIDI playback handles the sounds.

Playing UFO version 1.0 (from a Win95 dos box) resulted in.... fabulous original sound! Yay :D

I don't have mid2wav converter, but I doubt it will do me any good because the original 1.0 sounds are not in MIDI format (at least there are no files with .MID extension anywhere).

What I will do is rig up a headphone jack-to-headphone jack cable again (lost my old one :() and just do analog recording of the original sounds.

[b]teukros:[/b] if you send me the TIE fighter game, I can install it on my old Pentium 1 and record the original sounds for you. I played that game like 10 years ago when it first came out, I remember it!
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I don't know if you saw this, but most of the music from X-Com 1 is on this site.

[url="http://www.xcomufo.com/x1music.html"]http://www.xcomufo.com/x1music.html[/url]

These were taken from the Playstation version and the only songs I remember being different are the battlescape songs. Everything else is exactly as I remember from the original DOS version.
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[quote name='remysweet' date='Feb 23 2005, 01:12 PM']I don't know if you saw this, but most of the music from X-Com 1 is on this site.

[url="http://www.xcomufo.com/x1music.html"]http://www.xcomufo.com/x1music.html[/url]

These were taken from the Playstation version and the only songs I remember being different are the battlescape songs. Everything else is exactly as I remember from the original DOS version.
[right][post="111826"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]Not even close. The PS version is also wavetable and sounds like it, although I admit it does sound better than the Windows CE midis (at least on my computer). But I don't like how the bass and reverb (echo effect) is pumped WAY up in the PS version. The stereo effects are nice though.

I made a short clip of the 2nd Geoscape music from DOS Xcom... compare yourself:

[url="http://www.petafemto.com/storage/index.php?action=downloadfile&filename=geoscape2.mp3&directory=Handler/Music/Xcom&"]DOS clip[/url]
[url="http://www.xcomufo.com/music/X-COM%20UFO%20Defense%20PSX%20-%2004%20-%20Geoscape4.mp3"]Playstation[/url]

I mean, it's an intensely personal thing - somebody who first started playing on Playstation will probably swear by the PS version and say DOS music sucks. I've had somebody who LOVED the Windows Midi sounds in CE and after listening to the DOS music, say "How can you stand that mono crap?"

But for me, the later versions simply don't sound right. The music and sound effects were originally composed for Soundblaster/Adlib with no wavetable, they sounded cool, and when they were ported to Windows Midi/PS, they just didn't sound the same anymore. Edited by r0dent
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I started out playing X-COM on the Playstation, so I know what the Geoscape 2 music sounds like. The DOS music is indeed much different. I really like the bass riff in the background. The thing that really turns me off to the DOS version is the distorted (I think the correct term is "fuzztortion") synth riff in the foreground. It's original all-right, but just a bit "overworked" in my opinion. Like you said though, it's all personal taste! :)
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I realised yesterday that I still have a copy of UFO for the Amiga, so if anyone wants the MOD files for it to listen to (they sound much better than the PC music IMO) then e-mail me at gazchap at gmail dot com. You'll need a proggie like [url="http://www.deliplayer.com"]DeliPlayer[/url] to play them.
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wow, I stand corrected. has it been that long since I've played the original DOS version? I still have it, I just can't play it!
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  • 6 years later...

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