Topic: I need of a special SotN hack

[Rugal]

I'm trying to record enemy death sounds from SotN, but Alucard's attack and hit sounds clash with the death sounds and I've not come up with a way to silently kill monsters. If someone could please make me a hack of SotN where Alucard makes no sound (voice, attack, attack landed) that would be perfect.

Thank you!

[uzo]

Can't you just extract the sound effects from the game with PSOUND?

[Rugal]

I tried that years ago and I remember only getting a select few sounds with the incorrect pitch and tone. I guess I can try it again, though..

EDIT: Yeah I just tried Psound again. A grand total of 35 files that all sound like rat screams.

[uzo]

You could try, perhaps, adjusting the frequency. Also try looking through more files in the iso for more samples.

[Esco]

**SIGH** where to start here:

1)The pause method: as alucard attacks quickly PAUSE! His attack sound will play if it was chosen to run for that attacl. What you also have to take into account is making sure that when the weapon hits (EXACTLY as it hits but before the enemy actually dies) you hit start again; this will let the weapon's "striking" sound play. Then start to record, hit select to unpause, and PAUSE quickly again as the enemies death sound starts to play. You now have the sound effect. This is not a necessary method except for those sounds that echo, or repeat with different pitches afterwards (not the case with most enemies death sounds, but with some actual attacks this does happen).

2)THE SMART METHOD: Open psound; open the iso in cd mage and extract the sound file for the stage you want (they are all in VB format and found under the ST folder/the stages name folder). Open this VB sound file in psound; click each sound to play. Most sounds can be played at 8000 HZ, 11025 HZ, or between there and 18900 HZ (this setting is changed in options/configure under sample rate). Once you have the sound you want go to file then convert. You are done, and this will work FINE for most sounds that you need.

With what I gave you above you should have NO trouble getting any sound you want. Especially since many sounds are used over and over for LOTS of things. Enjoy. 

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Esco's methods work.
I have tested some stuff in the past with PSound.  As I recall, things like the AxeArmor dying are the same as if Alucard was getting hit but slowed down to another frequency.
The "Rat Screams" you're referring to, Rugal, are actual sounds! You just have to open them in a waveform editor and either pitch shift 'em or frequency-transpose them to what you want.  The 35 files you're getting are common things like Alucard landing on the ground with a **THUD**, or the sound of the secret Outer Wall Elevator, etc.

For now, I suggest you use the pause method, with XA-Audio disabled on your emulator.  It's a quick and dirty way to just record what you need.  PSound doesn't work on all systems, and depending on what you feed it it seems to sometimes change things (for example, if you feed it a sotn.bin, it won't recognize a directory structure, but if you use an actual disc or some other format, it will... it's quirky).

[Esco]

The "Rat Screams" you're referring to, Rugal, are actual sounds! You just have to open them in a waveform editor and either pitch shift 'em or frequency-transpose them to what you want. 

Sorry Jorge, but that is not necessary with what I posted above my friend. This can be adjusted in psound

The 35 files you're getting are common things like Alucard landing on the ground with a **THUD**, or the sound of the secret Outer Wall Elevator, etc.

CORRECT! They are all from sd_j010.vb; this has many commonly used sounds from the game; and some unused ones from dracula x that were not used in SOTN.

For now, I suggest you use the pause method, with XA-Audio disabled on your emulator.  It's a quick and dirty way to just record what you need. 

I forgot to mention that; disable xa audio too. Thanks Jorge.

PSound doesn't work on all systems, and depending on what you feed it it seems to sometimes change things (for
example, if you feed it a sotn.bin, it won't recognize a directory structure, but if you use an actual disc or some other format, it will... it's quirky).

That is because you are feeding it a file that is a mix of SEVERAL different types of files. If he follows my directions and ONLY uses .VB files this will not be an issue. I have done it literally 100's of times (with SOTN only though; but this assumes that is all we are discussing). 

[Rugal]

Trying the pause method. This method doesn't work at all. The striking sound plays at the exact same time and frame the enemy death sound plays.

[Esco]

Trying the pause method. This method doesn't work at all. The striking sound plays at the exact same time and frame the enemy death sound plays.

My mistake; I was thinking of when I used the DEBUGGER in pcsx to do this.    I set it to read when the weapon strikes the enemy so it kicks into the debugger with only the striking sound from the weapon playing. Then I advance it a step or two, and I get the enemies death sound separately. But you can record enemies that explode some first before playing their death sound (or have even a TINY delay before it for whatever reason) with technique 1 above.

But as I said, that is NOT the best way to get sounds, hence why I went into GREAT detail on psound for you. I also fail to see why you would SPECIFICALLY choose the method that I stated is the least effective of the two. If you really want to accomplish your goal starting learning psound. It's that simple. Or you can wait till my engine is done, and take them from the source (though it will be awhile before I need to start ripping most enemies sound fx).

[Rugal]

I didn't use your "Smart" method because PSound in not compatible with my machine and I also don't have my SotN disc. I appreciate your attempt at assisting me. I'll just have to figure out a way to kill enemies silently. There has got to be an attack in that game that makes no sound when striking enemies.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Odd... a long time ago the pause method would work for me.
Then again it was when the emulators were very slow on my system so maybe that was the case?

Sorry dude.

[Rugal]

That actually give me an idea. What if I slow down the emulation somehow?

edit: Well.. I found a weapon that makes no sound when killing enemies. The iron ball item has no hit sounds, but the problem with that is it makes a loud BOOM sound when the ball hits the ground.. FUCK

[Esco]

That actually give me an idea. What if I slow down the emulation somehow?

edit: Well.. I found a weapon that makes no sound when killing enemies. The iron ball item has no hit sounds, but the problem with that is it makes a loud BOOM sound when the ball hits the ground.. FUCK

The iron ball does have a hit sound; in fact all weapons that do damage by default make the aforementioned hit sound (a value of 0 plays it when it strikes an enemy), UNLESS set to a cut one. What you are looking for ( a weapon with no contact sound) does not exist. Sorry.

However, see below for how to slow the emu down some.

Odd... a long time ago the pause method would work for me.
Then again it was when the emulators were very slow on my system so maybe that was the case?

Sorry dude.

There is a one or two frame delay, but the chances of being able to pause for such a small delay are ridiculously low. HOWEVER, with your idea of slowing down the emu to say 10 FPS (the slowest epsxe can go) it WOULD make it MUCH easier to do! That is a brilliant suggestion jorge.

The FPS limit setting can be found in the video settings of epsxe; you will need to close and reopen the program to get the limited FPS speed to apply though Rugal.

[Rugal]

Thanks man. I'll try that a bit later.

EDIT: When I set it to 10 fps, the sound stutters hardcore. I set it to 30 and the sound was fine, but the hit sound STILL clashes with death sounds. I'm fairly confident they happen on the exact frame (tested against Axe Lords)