If I understand you correctly, the 'FM' you refer to is a variety of synthesis (FM Synthesis) that was used by various devices (in different forms) some time ago. Not sure if this was before various devices used 'LA Synthesis'.

I would guess that the games and the music contained therein would be aimed at certain specific devices, and the midi etc files would replay correctly ONLY if used with the correct boxes.

If anyone is to help you, they would need to have the correct boxes, but as you don't say what the games are (you may have a valid reason for that) or what the specific playback devices would need to be, then it will be a bit difficult to arrange anything?

Maybe a little more info might be useful?

Geoff

Joseph,

I see you've asked the same question on the HomeRecording forum (Midi mania). Given the detail (or lack of it) in your question, I note you're getting more questions back than answers.

As suggested in HR, and as asked by myself, you need - at least - to offer details of the required sound generation device (FM Synthesis, which I think was primarily a Yamaha technology either via keyboards, or via sound chips on boards like SB/clones).

Geoff

Sorry for late reply, I thought I had email setup to notify to replies. I'm crossposting on a few message boards as this is something I've been hopeful for a while for, but again, given I was born around '87, I don't have quite the amount of knowledge of midi to know how hard of a task this might be.

If I'm lucky, the midi files for all of them should be available as if I recall they were converted into xmi for some reason for the game, but the artist should still have the source files. The first game's midi soundtrack was released for purchase. It's only the second game that uses xmi for some reason, but from what I've been told, the original midi is still available.

I already have the midi files and xmi, and I know he's done conversion for them to turn into Sound Canvass renders (which he has offered some of in Flac format and otherwise via Bandcamp and a studio album.)

Sorry if my question was confusing, no hacking of the game is required. The only reason I haven't mentioned what games are involved was because I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up if nothing comes of it.

I'll contact the artist back and see if there is any other information I can provide. I'm sending him links to this and another thread I made about the subject.

Hello,

Thanks for the clarification.

There's nothing wrong with posting the same message to a number of similar forums, but it may be considered helpful to indicate this fact so that anyone wishing to help/advise you might watch the other places as well.

I have no detail on that the .XMI files might be, and no-one else seems sure either. I would suspect that they may contail supporting information for the midi, or they may replace the midi totally, but either way, I'd guess that the .XMI files could be totally machine dependant, and therefore nothing to do with midi in any way. Someone on the HR forum wonders if they are files relating to specific DAW systems, this sounds a reasonable guess, but anyway, they must be NOT midi, even if they have been generated from (?) midi data.

Your references to Sound Canvas are strange, as SC is in effect midi, just with various extensions which can be controlled by normal midi, or via SYSEX instructions that can be included within a normal midi file. No need for anything regarding .XMI, un less of course the composer needs to go off way above normal midi and even SC facilities again, in which case, again, the original midi becomes irrelevant?

If you hope to do anything with the .XMI files, which you may well NEED to do to get anything like the 'correct' sound, then you'll need to know what system was used tp process/interpret the data in the .XMI (which DAW or whatever), and again, you will need to know the precise (or compatible) hardware that was used to convert the data into audio sound.

Your reference to FLAC is again confusing, as FLAC is a digital format which is nothing at all to do with midi, or Sound Canvas, or anything like that. There is no way to convert between midi etc and FLAC - well, no 'practical' way. If you've got the audio you want coming out of something, then you could record that in one of the digital formats, which could be FLAC (or WAV, or MP?, or whatever you prefer).

I am familiar with some of the work that has been done regarding the Sierra On Line games, using the composing skills of a number of people (some some by Jan Hammer for example). There is a project to save all this music. People have extracted all the music from many of these games, and it is available as digital, midi (usually MT32 devices, but others as well, incl some SC I think). This data in midi form includes a lot of SYSEX data, for new 'sounds', but especially for sound effects, and a lot of pretty unique work was done at the time which is well worth preserving, but IDEALLY you do need access to the correct 'devices'. I'm OK here, as one of my old PCs has a Roland LAPC-I card which is MT32 compatible, so I can handle the original SYSEX.

Geoff

I think it's all right to give a bit more info now. I've been talking with the lead composer of the 7th Guest and the 11th Hour, "The Fat Man" aka George Sanger. The hopeful goal is a complete digital release of the game soundtracks, beyond the stuff that was released previously. Right now, he's looking into converting the .xmi into .midi. Not sure if that's possible, I've found a few programs but some warn they might lose data.

As far as equipment, he obviously knows more then I do, so I've sent him links to this topic. Sorry I'm not more help.