Music problem - newest AGS version

fidodido · Thu 06/07/2006 00:20:39

I made a game long time ago in version 2.55, and now I converted it to the latest version.

The music suddenly sounds very odd and unpleasent, like the MIDI channels are colliding with each other. It happens with almost all the music files. When I play the MIDI's outside the game, they sound fine.

Has anyone experienced that problem? How can it be fixed?

Thanks.

Gilbert · Thu 06/07/2006 02:36:22

By latest version did you mean V2.71 or any of the V2.72 testing versions (well FINAL's just out) ?

Hmmm could you try setting up the game to use a different music playback device (if available) and see if it improves.

fidodido · Thu 06/07/2006 03:01:17

I have version 2.71, not a test version.

I suddenly noticed that the problems in the music occur only when I switch rooms using <ctrl-X>, in Debug Mode. It's very strange, but when I tested the game from the beginning, without teleporting from room to room, the music played just fine.

So MY problem was solved, however I think it's worth checking anyway.

Thanks for your help, Gilbot.

Gilbert · Thu 06/07/2006 03:15:17

So the problem didn't happen when you use Ctrl-X in old version?

fidodido · Thu 06/07/2006 09:51:46

No, in the older version the problem didn't happen at all. That's why I think it should be checked. Maybe I can send an example.

Pumaman · Thu 06/07/2006 22:58:11

AGS has probably been updated to a newer Allegro version since v2.55, but it shouldn't cause problems playing MIDI files as far as I'm aware.

fidodido · Fri 07/07/2006 04:33:33

Now I've begun to experience this problem even without using ctrl-X.

That's what happens: The music plays, and the notes that have already been played countinue playing in the background, and then the following notes are playing at the same time, and it creates a big mess. It's very unpleasent to the ear.

Sometimes the music plays fine for a few seconds, and then suddenly gets messy again.

I'm clueless...

Alynn · Fri 07/07/2006 07:12:43

Does the midi play fine normally

It sounds as if the stopnote command isn't registering OR (my mind escapes me at the moment for the name of this one) the command that works like a piano pedal (makes a note play longer without having to hold down the key) turns on and never turns off...

At first when you were talking about CTRLX to move rooms, I was figuring it was the latter, and all midi commands aren't instantly ended when you change rooms that way. I remember a long time ago where AGS didn't turn of all midi commands when music changed which caused the same situation you are describing, but that was fixed well over 2 years ago.

So I guess my question is, does it happen randomly in the middle of one song, or does it happen if the music happens to change at some point?

fidodido · Fri 07/07/2006 13:33:59

First of all, I checked all the MIDI's in the Windows player, and they're fine.

Secondly, the problem sometimes occurs randomly during a song, sometimes it occurs right from the beginning, and sometimes the song could play fine until the end, but next time I enter the room - problem comes again.

To sum it up, it's very very RANDOM. And it's not one song, it happens with almost all of the songs.

Thanks.

Gilbert · Sat 08/07/2006 15:41:51

What's the resolution and colour depth of your game? And your system spec?
Though it might be rare, I bet there's a chance that the game's so demanding that it can't be run full speed, producing lags in sending MIDI commands at exact time with impaired the playback.

fidodido · Sat 08/07/2006 15:53:43

My game's resolution is 640x480, and the color depth is 16bit.

Nevertheless, I still can't figure out the reason for this problem, BUT I was able the locate the "source": apparently, 3 of the MIDI files in my game are, for some reason, causing all the music in the game to act that way.

The 3 MIDIs sound fine, but after playing one of them, from this point on, every other music is bad until I exit the game and start it again.

So I found a mini-solution to the problem, but the reason it still a mystery, because the 3 MIDIs didn't cause any problems in the version 2.55.

Alynn · Mon 10/07/2006 06:42:29

So to me it sounds like the midi command that lengthens the notes is still on and are never turned off (I really wish I could remember what that was)

You may want to open the midi in an editing program and see if you can find the offending command and delete it. It's what I had to do for my game.

fidodido · Wed 12/07/2006 03:59:05

The midis are working fine outside the game.

Anyway, I've tried everything and decided to convert the game to version 2.62 instead of 2.71. Well, it worked!

I guess that means the problem occured somewhere in the process of converting the game form version 2.55 to 2.71.

Thank you all for trying to help.