Background music for games

[Wolfen Priest]

While we are on the subject, I have tried to figure out a way to get the Baldur's Gate (I and II) music into some other file format, in other words to extract just the music (even with the background voices in it as well) so I could burn it to a CD perhaps.

Is this even possible? If so, is it so complex that I shouldn't even bother?

 

[ForceUser]

While we are on the subject, I have tried to figure out a way to get the Baldur's Gate (I and II) music into some other file format, in other words to extract just the music (even with the background voices in it as well) so I could burn it to a CD perhaps.

Is this even possible? If so, is it so complex that I shouldn't even bother?

When Morrowind came out I paid the extra ten bucks for a copy with a music CD in it.

 

[Desdichado]

It shouldn't be that hard: someone did that for the Heroes of Might and Magic IV music and posted it on the Internet. Heroes music is pretty good too: I listen to those mp3s while I'm writing D&D stuff, a lot of times.

 

[ladyofdragons]

While we are on the subject, I have tried to figure out a way to get the Baldur's Gate (I and II) music into some other file format, in other words to extract just the music (even with the background voices in it as well) so I could burn it to a CD perhaps.

Is this even possible? If so, is it so complex that I shouldn't even bother?

If you have an ok soundcard, I suggest http://www.goldwave.com. it's bugware (i.e., after so many moves it bugs you), but only after 150 or so actions so it generally doesn't come into play. but what it does is let you 'record' things coming out of your sound card such as games sounds into .wav files that you can then burn onto a CD.

 

[Wolfen Priest]

It shouldn't be that hard: someone did that for the Heroes of Might and Magic IV music and posted it on the Internet. Heroes music is pretty good too: I listen to those mp3s while I'm writing D&D stuff, a lot of times.

Well, I'm almost 100% convinced it's impossible unless you have a very special driver (which someone obviously had to write), because the sound files are very unique, and there's really no way to run them (aka 'hear' them as-is) without the driver.

Short of that, you'd probably have to somehow record it right from the game, which I tried.... it sounded like utter crap.

 

[ladyofdragons]

Well, I'm almost 100% convinced it's impossible unless you have a very special driver (which someone obviously had to write), because the sound files are very unique, and there's really no way to run them (aka 'hear' them as-is) without the driver.

Short of that, you'd probably have to somehow record it right from the game, which I tried.... it sounded like utter crap.

Use the above goldwave method. I use it to transcribe midi files to CD for my madrigal group, by playing the midi files with the windows media player and recording them in goldwave, then writing the resultant .wav files onto a CD. Works great as long as I don't get impatient and try to do other things on my computer at the same time... ;-)

 

[Dr Midnight]

Midnight Syndicate can't be recommended strongly enough... there's fantastic dungeon music there. All of it. You can download some of their tracks at http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/206/midnight_syndicate.html. Their fourth album is coming out soon. I met the main guy at GenCon last year, and he seemed flattered that I not only owned all the stuff, but I had his CDs with me, in my bag, at the time. Definitely say hi if you're going to Gencon this year.

I'll just add my shouts to the list:

LotR
Conan I & II
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Monte, how'd you miss this one on your music page??)
Gladiator
13th warrior
Music inspired by Middle-Earth (David Arkenstone)

Those cheap Halloween SFX CDs you can get are great. Bat wings, wolf howling, blowing wind, chains rattling... all are perfectly serviceable dungeon sounds at the touch of a button. Good stuff.

 

[Desdichado]

I'm actually kinda amazed that there hasn't been more references to hard rock. It always chaps my hide, but whenever a thread like this pops up, there's always someone who has to come out and say something like AC/DC is great for combat, or something like that.

That just totally gets on my nerves though. It was ok as a spoof once (Knight's Tale) but I couldn't stand to do it while I was gaming.

 

[Wolfen Priest]

Use the above goldwave method. I use it to transcribe midi files to CD for my madrigal group, by playing the midi files with the windows media player and recording them in goldwave, then writing the resultant .wav files onto a CD. Works great as long as I don't get impatient and try to do other things on my computer at the same time... ;-)

Thanks! I'll give that a shot, when I find time. It seems I have 50 things I want to do at once these days. Plus my home computer is *really* frustrating. And it sucks.

 

[Monte At Home]

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Monte, how'd you miss this one on your music page??)

The cheesy pop song on the end by Annie Lennox. If you buy this CD and can burn your own CD with that song off of it, you'll love this soundtrack.