Sound Resource (SCI): Difference between revisions
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Sierra’s SCI0 sound resources contain the music and sound effects played during the game. With the introduction of SCI, the company took advantage of new sound hardware which allowed for far better music than the traditional PC speaker could ever create. Sierra chose two devices to specifically target: the MT-32, and the AdLib. The MT-32 is a MIDI synth while the AdLib is a less expensive card based around the OPL2, a non-MIDI chip. Anyone interested in Sierra music and its history can find information at the [http://www.queststudios.com Sierra Soundtrack Series]. | |||
Music is stored as a series of MIDI events, and the sound resource is basically just a MIDI file. The MIDI standard and device implementations are not covered here in detail, but specifications should be readily available elsewhere. | |||
SCI0 Sound resources can also contain digital samples, although an SCI remake of KQ1 is the only DOS game I know of that includes them. These files still contain MIDI data, but the wave data is appended at the end. The MIDI data is an approximation of the sound effect for hardware that can’t play digital sound. | |||
Some people prefer the one-based numbering system for channel and program numbers. I personally prefer the zero-based system, and use it here. If you’re familiar with channels 1-16, be aware that I will call them 0-15. My intention is not to be deviant from other programs but to be more accurate in representing the way information gets stored. The same is true for programs 0-127 as opposed to 1-128. For whatever reason, convention already holds that controls be numbered 0-127, so nothing in my treatment of them should be abnormal. | |||
Sierra changed its sound file format in the switch to SCI1. I refer only to SCI0 sound files in this specification. Hybrid interpreters such as the one used for Quest for Glory II are also excluded. Finally, SCI games written for non-DOS systems may have different formats. This document<ref>[[SCI0 Sound Resource Format]]</ref> applies to Sierra’s IBM games. | |||
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[[SCI0 Sound Resource Format]] | |||
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[[Category:SCI Documentation]] | [[Category:SCI Documentation]] | ||
[[Category:Technical Info]] | [[Category:Technical Info]] | ||
[[Category:SCI Technical Info]] | |||
[[Category:Engine Specifications]] | [[Category:Engine Specifications]] | ||
[[Category:SCI Engine Specifications]] | |||
[[Category:Resources]] | [[Category:Resources]] | ||
[[Category:SCI Resources]] | [[Category:SCI Resources]] | ||
[[Category:LSCI Resources]] | [[Category:LSCI Resources]] | ||
[[Category:Audio Resource Pages]] | <!--[[Category:Audio Resource Pages]]--> | ||
[[Category:SOUND Resource Pages]] | |||
[[Category:SCI SOUND Resource Pages]] | [[Category:SCI SOUND Resource Pages]] | ||
Revision as of 19:27, 1 May 2025
Description
Sierra’s SCI0 sound resources contain the music and sound effects played during the game. With the introduction of SCI, the company took advantage of new sound hardware which allowed for far better music than the traditional PC speaker could ever create. Sierra chose two devices to specifically target: the MT-32, and the AdLib. The MT-32 is a MIDI synth while the AdLib is a less expensive card based around the OPL2, a non-MIDI chip. Anyone interested in Sierra music and its history can find information at the Sierra Soundtrack Series.
Music is stored as a series of MIDI events, and the sound resource is basically just a MIDI file. The MIDI standard and device implementations are not covered here in detail, but specifications should be readily available elsewhere. SCI0 Sound resources can also contain digital samples, although an SCI remake of KQ1 is the only DOS game I know of that includes them. These files still contain MIDI data, but the wave data is appended at the end. The MIDI data is an approximation of the sound effect for hardware that can’t play digital sound.
Some people prefer the one-based numbering system for channel and program numbers. I personally prefer the zero-based system, and use it here. If you’re familiar with channels 1-16, be aware that I will call them 0-15. My intention is not to be deviant from other programs but to be more accurate in representing the way information gets stored. The same is true for programs 0-127 as opposed to 1-128. For whatever reason, convention already holds that controls be numbered 0-127, so nothing in my treatment of them should be abnormal.
Sierra changed its sound file format in the switch to SCI1. I refer only to SCI0 sound files in this specification. Hybrid interpreters such as the one used for Quest for Glory II are also excluded. Finally, SCI games written for non-DOS systems may have different formats. This document[1] applies to Sierra’s IBM games.
Format/Specifications
Versions
SOUND
SND
References
Also See
- SOUND in the SCI Specifications
- SND in the SCI Specifications
- SCI Resources in the SCI Specifications
- SCI Specifications: Chapter 4 - The Sound subsystem
