SS2 Schatten SHMUP (Shock Music Update) V1.1

[67405c8385a5eSchatten]

Tags: °sound °SS2

This mod enhances the sound quality of the music in SS2. (As discussed on TTLG.)

April 23rd 2007 "MysteryDev" provided a high quality version of the System Shock 2 soundtrack in a thread on the TTLG forums. I made a small mod so you can enjoy the high quality music in the game.
The tracks were original arrangements by Eric Brosius, mixed as full songs. To make use of them for an updated in-game soundtrack, I had to split most of them into smaller bits, so the DarkEngine song format could play them. The arrangements MysteryDev provided did not offer clean sections of every sound-snippet the game uses, so in some cases I had to adapt and make some minor changes.

In some cases I had to convert the original soundfiles to 44kHz PCM waves without any other changes. This has happened when the respective section was not present in Eric's arrangement, and thus could not be recreated. Although the conversion increases the file size without any quality gain, this was necessary for technical reasons: If I hadn't done this, those files would play at double speed.

You may also note a hiss on some tracks, although it's not quite as bad as in the orignal ADPCM wavs. This hiss is already present in the mixes, and I didn't want to remove it. It would reduce the overall quality of the track and make this whole thing rather pointless.

Installation is simple. Make System Shock 2 mod-ready, then extract the contents of the ZIP file into the game's root directory. SHMUP is a simple replacer mod, which means it is compatible with every mod that doesn't change the original music of the game.

Due to my poor bandwidth, I decided to make it available as a seed on the StrangeBedfellows torrent tracker (thanks Kolya).

Enjoy!

Yes, I'm aware that a SHMUP is usually something different. I just couldn't resist.

[67405c8385c6amiracle.flame]

edit:
the link is working fine now 

[67405c8385de5miracle.flame]

On engineering deck when leaving tubes area and entering elevator area (where QBRM is too) and music e1end.wav is supposed to kick in I'm experiencing really disturbing unpleasant loud noise from left channel. Upon removing the mod it's gone.

I've noticed e1end.wav is used from original resources so it's 22khz... maybe a problem with crossfading from 44khz to 22khz.


UPDATE: Yep, it's definitely it. I've converted the file to 44khz and it plays sweet now. I've checked and this was the only file left behind so there should be no other bugs like this. Here's the quick fix to save you the day.

BTW great work and thanks.. it's surely remarkable change.

UPDATE2: If you're going to replace the orginal archive I suggest using 7-zip ultra compression to save 38 MB.

[67405c8385f09Schatten]

You're correct, I simply missed to include the correct file into the zip somehow. I like 7z, but it's not as commonly in use as zip or rar- however, if people are cool with it, I'm going to use it.

Attached is the missing file. The archive includes the directories relative to the game root.

Thanks miracle.freak!


[KOLYA EDIT: The missing file has been integrated in version 1.1]

[67405c8385feemiracle.flame]

well... I've uploaded the file already but.. whatha.. I'll remove it so there are no confusions here okay?

[67405c83860e9Schatten]

If I understood you correctly, the file you attached was the original converted to 44kHz. The one I uploaded is an excerpt from the high quality soundtrack. Apologies if you used a HQ snippet, I didn't check- I just uploaded the one I had on my HD, which I forgot to include.

[67405c83861cemiracle.flame]

oh, in that case you did well, mine was not HQ... 

[67405c838634dKolya]

Since 7zip is free and open source and packs much better than plain ZIP it's a good alternative. And the Modmanager can deal with it too, thanks to TheBrain.

[67405c8386447Kolya]

I updated SHMUP with the missing file, made it a 7z archive and added a download from megaupload.com.
See first post.

[67405c838652bSchatten]

Thanks Kolya!

I'd wanted to do this myself, but got distracted by ideas for 1.1 - those can maybe get into 1.2

[67405c8386625Kolya]

Sure. Sorry for just updating it in your place. First I only wanted to add the additional download, then I thought, why not add that file, so one thing led to another...  Anyway, looking forward to your next version!
 

[67405c838674bBrowser]

Does anyone have any links that aren't torrents (they hardly ever work thanks to ISPs here) or Megashare/Rapidshare, things that limit downloads also don't work because 1000's of people from here go through the same IP (proxy, and it's not by choice)

It would be really appreciated because this sounds worth getting, thanks.

[67405c8386873Assassin]

If you are using Mozilla Firefox,download this extension.For me it works perfectly.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3843

[67405c838699eBrowser]

Thanks Assassin, I'll give it a go.

[67405c8386a86Browser]

Still can't download from Mega,,,,, it still wants me to install some toolbar, which I never will, and getting 0kbps on the torrent.

Pitty.

[67405c8386b8bmiracle.flame]

That extension for firefox works for me! Thanks Assassin. 
Browser, you gotta go to menu and ENABLE it.

[67405c8386fd4Browser]

Browser, you gotta go to menu and ENABLE it.

Ummmm no offence intended (truly, no sarcasm either) but, how STUPID do you think most people are, have I been typing as if I'm mentally challenged or something?

<sarcasm>
Next people will be telling my I have to turn on my computer to send emails. God I love how so many people are so condescending online, it really makes it a joy.
</sarcasm>

Sorry but I'm just so tired of it, perhaps in future try asking the person if they've tried something instead of presuming they have some mental deficiency based on the single fact something didn't work for them. Maybe you weren't patronising me, but maybe also try being a little tactful. The only way I can see one saying that to another is either as banter or an insult, since banter is far rarer between strangers,,,

(sorry if I seem aggressive, I really don't mean to attack you. I just wish people, especially on forums, would remember there are other people on other end. It's been a long day  )

[67405c8387173miracle.flame]

1. This particular extension is disabled by default after installing
2. When it's disabled Megaupload still asks you for toolbar etc.
3. You didn't mention enabling it in your post
4. Therefore the only logical conclusion and idea to help you was to tell that it's gotta be enabled first
5. Otherwise I just don't see ANYTHING else why it shouldn't work for you as well
6. I'm sorry for you that it made you so upset just reading the tip and you're right... I should formulate the IF sentence in such cases for the touchy likes.

Update: Browser, understand that I cannot see how skilled and experienced you are and I'm quite often answering to much much more nooby "problems" and this one didn't seem so nooby to me because the extension didn't work for me too at first...but then I found out why. And I'm presuming that not everyone found it as well. Sorry to presume that with you without asking first. If you would mention enabling it in the first place there will be no need questioning it.

[67405c83872ddSimplex]

Maybe I am stupid, but for me the tip about enabling it in the menu was very helpful one. I installed the firefox addon and thought it does not work. Only after I read your post, I figured what to do. So thank you, and Happy Holidays

[67405c838743eSilencer150]

I just tried installing this mod using the mod manager.  Although it installed properly as far as I can tell, I don't hear the new music tracks at all (or any of the updated sounds from other mods for that matter).  I listened to the WAV files in the \snd\songs directory, and the game definitely isn't using them, because all I hear are the original tracks.  Has anyone else had this problem?  How do I get the new tracks to play properly?

[67405c8387553Schatten]

Silencer, if the game uses the standard resources I'd say it has problems locating the new files. Check the steps to make SS2 mod-ready again. If you're using graphic updates (SHTUP), are these working?

[67405c83876baKolya]

You might want to try N.Wegner's install.cfg which is also used by the SS2Tool.

[67405c8387887Silencer150]

Yes, I followed Kolya's install instructions for SS2.  The other mods, such as SHTUP, ADaoB, Arcaniac's Models, and Pop's Difficulty are working fine.  For the last one I had to edit the install.cfg as miracle.freak suggested in another thread, so that it knows to use the STRINGS directory.  I already downloaded N.Wegner's install.cfg, but found it matched mine exactly regardless.

I've continued playing through the game.  The new sound packs work, so there's no reason the music shouldn't.  I admit that this could be the result of my simply being unable to distinguish between the old and new tracks, but I'm not far enough in the game to tell just yet.  I checked the discussion on TTLG and someone else alluded to there not being that much of a difference, so maybe it's just me. 

Thanks for the help anyway.

[67405c8387986Kolya]

Well it's a higher quality version of the original tracks. It's not supposed to be different.