#6819 Simon the Sorcerer Original Talkie - Music Issue

[Tim Smith]

I've encountered an audio emulation issue with my original CD version of Simon the Sorcerer. For my audio preferences I always select for the Audio Device - Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (Windows MIDI) and under MT-32 - True Roland MT-32 (disable GM emulation).

I've noticed, even with the music bar at full, the music tends to sound quieter than the Windows CD version. I've noticed the music goes slightly louder when talking to the bard with the sousaphone and then will go back to normal, and most noticeable of all is the music in the dragon's cave. It doesn't sound right. Not compared to how I remember it, nor how it is in the Windows CD version.

I have a save from both the original CD and Windows CD versions so hopefully someone can easily notice the issue I'm referring to. Both are just outside the dragon's cave.

As I can only attach one save, the one here is from the original CD version. Here's a Dropbox link to the other from the Windows CD version:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bdy517sjezsw1mw/simon1.001?dl=0

ScummVM version - 1.7.0
Language of game - English
Version of game - Talkie, CD
Platform and Compiler - Windows 7, 64 bit

[Tim Smith]

I've also noticed the music in some areas of the game sounding unusual, such as in the Dwarf mine. Plus, I've heard sound effects drop out/cut short.

[Johannes Schickel]

You should uncheck the "True Roland MT-32 (disable GM emulation)" option when you use the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth because that is no MT-32 device. Disabling that option will probably resolve the issue that the music sounds strange.

[Tim Smith]

But if I do that the music I get isn't right; it isn't the music I'm familiar with from when I played the game as a kid. ;) Load up the game with those options of mine for yourself to hear it. The music should sound like it's all played on a keyboard with beats etc. :) Besides, the rest of the game's music is fine with those settings, it's just in certain areas that it's wrong. And with those settings, there's no problem with the music in the Windows CD version (the re-release), which I believe is the same version GOG offer.

[kirben]

Are you comparing the music in the MS-DOS version, to the music in the Windows version? as that isn't a valid comparison. The MS-DOS version should only be compared to the original under MS-DOS or emulation (DosBox).

Also the original Windows version incorrectly played the Roland MT-32 music as General MIDI, which is why it sounded different compared to ScummVM.

[Tim Smith]

Yeah, the original I have is the DOS version. Even if I shouldn't compare the music in the DOS version with the Windows versions, it's still strange that for the most part the music is identical when using the Roland MT-32 as a General MIDI. It's only the odd few places that it sounds weird/different.

The music in the Windows version I have sounds exactly how I remember it under ScummVM with the Roland MT-32 as General MIDI. :)