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By popular demand (ie one person asked for this), I've compiled a table of the best sound mode or device to use in each adventure game that I could think of. This is an eternal WIP; I'll keep adding games as I remember them and check them, and of course if you find anything in here you think might be wrong, please post in the thread and tell me why, and I'll fix it.
The table should be very easy to read. A - sign means the game supports this sound move/device. A + means this is the best way to experience the game. "Best" here isn't subjective; in almost every case, I can confirm this was the device the game sound was composed on, and the device meant for playback. Your own personal preference may lead to select the non-optimal device, and that's fine of course, but do be aware that in some cases this will lead to either missing sounds, or the wrong sound playing.
If a game has a + on two devices, this usually means that, in the original game, the 2 modes are mutually exclusive, and that choosing either will make sounds that use the other not play. The easiest workaround is to use ScummVM, which let you play a "dual-mode" using the best of both devices for the full, otherwise unattainable experience. All the Sierra games also have unofficial patches that provide the same dual-mode, if for some reason you prefer DOSBox to ScummVM. Of course, if the game itself provides a dual mode (usually "Roland and Sound Blaster", or letting you select digital effects and music separately; all post-93 Sierra games have this option) there's no reason not to pick it.
It might be tempting to think that the devices always go from worse to better from left to right, but this isn't the case. You'll notice several Sierra games support GM/GS, but the optimal device is the CM-32L instead. In these cases the game was composed for the CM-32L then hastily converted to GM/GS because that was becoming the new standard, but the conversion is poor and you miss out on the custom patches specifically created for the CM-32L.
Before I post the table itself, let me explain what each device is.
PC Speaker: the standard Beep-bop. This sounds horrible and should be avoided whenever possible (which, if you read the table, is possible in every game so far, thankfully).
Tandy: this is the 3-way speaker chip that Tandy developed. It sounds so much better than the standard PC speaker it's not even funny. You'll notice it's the preferred mode in every Sierra game made with the AGI engine. There are 2 steps to activate it: edit dosbox.conf and change tandy=auto to tandy=on. Then, when starting the game, do so by typing "sierra.com -t". For non-AGI games, the option can be set up in the game's config installer. There are a number of devices that can appear in the installer: Covox Sound Master, Disney Sound Source, PS1 Audio... All of them use a Tandy chip and will sound the same. If you choose something other than Tandy though, be sure to change the appropriate setting in dosbox.conf.
OPL: this is for the Yamaha FM synthesis chip found on Adlib and Sound Blaster. I've also used it for games that would otherwise sound best on an MT-32, but use digitized sounds that require a Sound Blaster. The Sound Blaster Pro had a very interesting design, using two OPL2 chip to create stereo FM synthesis; all subsequent SB cards used a single OPL3 chip and cannot do that. Since none of the games I listed are optimal with an SB Pro though I haven't included this option.
MT-32: This option isn't for all MT-32 compatible devices. It is specifically for the MT-32 rev0, which uses the original revision of the device. The firmware was bugged, but many Sierra and Dynamix games specifically used those bugs. On future devices, the lack of bugs create sound distortions when playing these games. Unfortunately there is no way to get these games to sound exactly right without using an actual, rev0 MT-32.
CM-32L: this is a later derivative of the MT-32, which does 2 things: it uses the updated firmware (see above), and it adds instruments that aren't present in the original MT-32. If a game uses these instruments and is played on an original MT-32, you won't hear them. Munt, and the version included in the DOSBox CVS, emulates the CM-32L firmware, provided you have the CM-32L control ROM files (they're all over the internet). Many games on the list (such as all Legend games) sound identical on the MT-32 and the CM-32L, but I included them under CM-32L because this is the one most people are likely to have or emulate, and the CM-32L can play more sounds at once than the MT-32, so unless a game uses the rev0 bugs the CM-32L (or Munt+CM-32L ROMs) is a better choice, even if the extra sounds are unused.
GM/GS: GM stands for General MIDI. When you play a MIDI file on your computer, or use soundfonts, and so on, this is what mode you're hearing. GS (General Standard) is Roland's proprietary variant of GM. All games that are listed as optimal for GS were composed on a Roland Sound Canvas and will sound best on an SC-55mkII (though a regular SC-55 should be just fine). Most of these games will not sound right on a GM but not GS-compatible device, either missing sounds or playing the wrong tones. The only perfect SC-55 emulator that I know of is Roland's own Virtual Sound Canvas, which will not work on anything newer than Windows XP. If you can't get VSC to work, a very reasonable alternative is to get a GS soundfont. Personally I recommend buying a real SC-55 or SC-88 (they're usually under $50), once you hear a real Sound Canvas, it's hard to go back. Otherwise, I suggest getting VirtualMIDISyth and this GS soundfont, both of which are free.
And now for the table itself.
BTW the formatting editor sucks dick.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please post them.
Many thanks to everyone who provided comments and suggestions on how to improve this.
The table should be very easy to read. A - sign means the game supports this sound move/device. A + means this is the best way to experience the game. "Best" here isn't subjective; in almost every case, I can confirm this was the device the game sound was composed on, and the device meant for playback. Your own personal preference may lead to select the non-optimal device, and that's fine of course, but do be aware that in some cases this will lead to either missing sounds, or the wrong sound playing.
If a game has a + on two devices, this usually means that, in the original game, the 2 modes are mutually exclusive, and that choosing either will make sounds that use the other not play. The easiest workaround is to use ScummVM, which let you play a "dual-mode" using the best of both devices for the full, otherwise unattainable experience. All the Sierra games also have unofficial patches that provide the same dual-mode, if for some reason you prefer DOSBox to ScummVM. Of course, if the game itself provides a dual mode (usually "Roland and Sound Blaster", or letting you select digital effects and music separately; all post-93 Sierra games have this option) there's no reason not to pick it.
It might be tempting to think that the devices always go from worse to better from left to right, but this isn't the case. You'll notice several Sierra games support GM/GS, but the optimal device is the CM-32L instead. In these cases the game was composed for the CM-32L then hastily converted to GM/GS because that was becoming the new standard, but the conversion is poor and you miss out on the custom patches specifically created for the CM-32L.
Before I post the table itself, let me explain what each device is.
PC Speaker: the standard Beep-bop. This sounds horrible and should be avoided whenever possible (which, if you read the table, is possible in every game so far, thankfully).
Tandy: this is the 3-way speaker chip that Tandy developed. It sounds so much better than the standard PC speaker it's not even funny. You'll notice it's the preferred mode in every Sierra game made with the AGI engine. There are 2 steps to activate it: edit dosbox.conf and change tandy=auto to tandy=on. Then, when starting the game, do so by typing "sierra.com -t". For non-AGI games, the option can be set up in the game's config installer. There are a number of devices that can appear in the installer: Covox Sound Master, Disney Sound Source, PS1 Audio... All of them use a Tandy chip and will sound the same. If you choose something other than Tandy though, be sure to change the appropriate setting in dosbox.conf.
OPL: this is for the Yamaha FM synthesis chip found on Adlib and Sound Blaster. I've also used it for games that would otherwise sound best on an MT-32, but use digitized sounds that require a Sound Blaster. The Sound Blaster Pro had a very interesting design, using two OPL2 chip to create stereo FM synthesis; all subsequent SB cards used a single OPL3 chip and cannot do that. Since none of the games I listed are optimal with an SB Pro though I haven't included this option.
MT-32: This option isn't for all MT-32 compatible devices. It is specifically for the MT-32 rev0, which uses the original revision of the device. The firmware was bugged, but many Sierra and Dynamix games specifically used those bugs. On future devices, the lack of bugs create sound distortions when playing these games. Unfortunately there is no way to get these games to sound exactly right without using an actual, rev0 MT-32.
CM-32L: this is a later derivative of the MT-32, which does 2 things: it uses the updated firmware (see above), and it adds instruments that aren't present in the original MT-32. If a game uses these instruments and is played on an original MT-32, you won't hear them. Munt, and the version included in the DOSBox CVS, emulates the CM-32L firmware, provided you have the CM-32L control ROM files (they're all over the internet). Many games on the list (such as all Legend games) sound identical on the MT-32 and the CM-32L, but I included them under CM-32L because this is the one most people are likely to have or emulate, and the CM-32L can play more sounds at once than the MT-32, so unless a game uses the rev0 bugs the CM-32L (or Munt+CM-32L ROMs) is a better choice, even if the extra sounds are unused.
GM/GS: GM stands for General MIDI. When you play a MIDI file on your computer, or use soundfonts, and so on, this is what mode you're hearing. GS (General Standard) is Roland's proprietary variant of GM. All games that are listed as optimal for GS were composed on a Roland Sound Canvas and will sound best on an SC-55mkII (though a regular SC-55 should be just fine). Most of these games will not sound right on a GM but not GS-compatible device, either missing sounds or playing the wrong tones. The only perfect SC-55 emulator that I know of is Roland's own Virtual Sound Canvas, which will not work on anything newer than Windows XP. If you can't get VSC to work, a very reasonable alternative is to get a GS soundfont. Personally I recommend buying a real SC-55 or SC-88 (they're usually under $50), once you hear a real Sound Canvas, it's hard to go back. Otherwise, I suggest getting VirtualMIDISyth and this GS soundfont, both of which are free.
And now for the table itself.
Code:
PC Speaker Tandy OPL MT-32 CM-32L GM/GS
Codename Iceman - - - - +
Companions of Xanth - - - +
Conquests of Camelot - - - - +
Conquests of the Longbow - - - - +
Day of the Tentacle
Death Gate - - - +
Eco Quest I - - - - + -
Eco Quest II - - - - + +
Eric The Unready - - - +
Gateway I - - - +
Gateway II - - - +
Gabriel Knight I
Gold Rush - +
Heart of China - - - + -
King's quest I - +
King's quest I SCI - + + -
King's quest II - +
King's quest III - +
King's quest IV - - + -
King's quest V - - - + -
King's quest VI - - - - - +
King's quest VII - - - +
Laura Bow I - - + -
Laura Bow II - - - - + -
Leisure Suit Larry I - +
Leisure Suit Larry I VGA - - - +
Leisure Suit Larry II - - + -
Leisure Suit Larry III - - + -
Leisure Suit Larry V - - - - +
Leisure Suit Larry VI - - - - - +
Manhunter I - +
Manhunter II - +
Monkey Island I
Monkey Island II
Police Quest I - +
Police Quest I VGA - - - - + -
Police Quest II - - - + -
Police Quest III - - - - +
Police Quest IV - - - - +
Quest for Glory I - - - - +
Quest for Glory I VGA - - - - + -
Quest for Glory II - - - - +
Quest for Glory III - - - - +
Quest for Glory IV - - - - +
Ringworld - - +
Ringworld 2 - - - +
Rise of the Dragon - - + + -
Sam & Max Hit the Road
Space Quest I - +
Space Quest I VGA - - + -
Space Quest II - +
Space Quest III - + + -
Space Quest IV - - - - + -
Space Quest V - - - - - +
Space Quest VI - - - - +
Spellcasting 101 - - - +
Spellcasting 201 - - - +
Spellcasting 301 - - - +
Star Trek 25th Anniversary - - - +
Star Trek Judgment Rites - - + -
Timequest - - - +If you have any questions or suggestions, please post them.
Many thanks to everyone who provided comments and suggestions on how to improve this.
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