~It was really quite hypnotic
So I mentioned in the last entry the high quality versions of the Mother 3 music! I've been sorting through it and wow, the quality difference is AMAZING. The GBA's sound software apparently really sucks and if you've ever downloaded a GBA soundtrack before (AND WHO HASN'T!) you've probably noticed an omnipresent hissing noise over everything. Just getting rid of that does wonders for certain tracks! If you liked the Mother 3 soundtrack at all I really recommend grabbing the HQ versions (although it took me a few tries to get the pack off 4shared, whatever).
BUT because I'm a big vg music nerd and I think it's interesting, here's some quality comparisons back to back! This isn't a rearrangement or remastering anything, this is the straight midi/soundfont data from the game, just presented without the shoddy GBA audio software in the way. Or at least, so I understand.
Muzicons.com
Here is the original Mother 3 Love Theme as heard in the game (ARGH MY HEART).
Muzicons.com
And here's the high-quality version. IT'S SO CLEAR NOW, IT'S AMAZING!!
Muzicons.com
Here's Sorrowful Tazmily as heard in the GBA. Muffled and staticky, as one expects. The lead has a strained sound to it.
Muzicons.com
And here's the HQ Sorrowful Tazmily. LISTEN TO THAT FLUTE OMG
Muzicons.com
Here's the GBA version of Beyond the Sunshine Forest. Pretty solid, even for the GBA! But can it be better?
Muzicons.com
Here's the HQ version. Just getting rid of that hiss makes things sound so much better.
Muzicons.com
Here's the GBA version of With My Father-In-Law...
Muzicons.com
And here's the HQ version. When the main melody kicks in, the horns are all so much clearer.
Muzicons.com
Here's the GBA Level Up theme, the same as EarthBound.
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version. Just getting rid of that hiss makes so much difference. :O
Muzicons.com
However it's not all perfect. I think the sound people took into account how things would sound on the GBA and did things that you wouldn't notice through the GBA software, but become more obvious when they're cleaned up. For example, here's the GBA version of Unfounded Revenge (SO GOOD).
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version. You'll notice there's a tiny bit of an echo-y lag on some of the notes that you can't hear on the GBA version. Weird huh? It's kind of distracting unfortunately UNFOUNDED REVENGE IS SO AWESOME OTHERWISE
Muzicons.com
The GBA version of A Master, A Father, A Thief (which will show up in the next installment)...
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version! The lead sounds so much better.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Monkey's Delivery Service...
Muzicons.com
And HQ! Accordion sounds so much better, haha. The little fluttery trills also sound great.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Happy Town?...
Muzicons.com
High quality! The background rhythm becomes much clearer.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Big Shot's Theme, already pretty awesome just to begin with but it's like, you can hear what it wants to sound like, but can't manage with the GBA sound restrictions.
Muzicons.com
High Quality! Not completely realistic but still, a big step over the GBA version. Every part much easier to hear!
Muzicons.com
Here's another example of the occasional weirdness between the two versions. Here's the GBA version of Shower Time Ballad, big on the panning left and right...
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version! You'll notice that the vibrato here is ALL over the place. This is one of the most obvious examples of the weirdness between versions. Maybe the GBA hardware hid how this sounded better? Or maybe the vibrato here translated to panning on the hardware, who knows.
Muzicons.com
And another example. Here's the GBA version of the Parking Area; Dur-T Cafe, with a bunch of weird vibrato and distorted notes...
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version, which sounds completely different. Here the vibrato/distortion seems to have vanished entirely. :O So weird.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Fairies, with a fairly unremarkable sounding lead...
Muzicons.com
And HQ version, where you can tell more easily that it's sort of an electric piano, haha. Cleaning up the background behind the melody also helps a lot.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Pink Shell, quiet and muffled...
Muzicons.com
And high quality! Now the melody can really shine.
Almost all the HQ versions sound really great. I really recommend checkin it out, although it DOES have spoilers of course, so be warned. :O
I also posted this at dreamwidth with reluctant ambivalence. Comment here or there, don't matter to me!
BUT because I'm a big vg music nerd and I think it's interesting, here's some quality comparisons back to back! This isn't a rearrangement or remastering anything, this is the straight midi/soundfont data from the game, just presented without the shoddy GBA audio software in the way. Or at least, so I understand.
Muzicons.com
Here is the original Mother 3 Love Theme as heard in the game (ARGH MY HEART).
Muzicons.com
And here's the high-quality version. IT'S SO CLEAR NOW, IT'S AMAZING!!
Muzicons.com
Here's Sorrowful Tazmily as heard in the GBA. Muffled and staticky, as one expects. The lead has a strained sound to it.
Muzicons.com
And here's the HQ Sorrowful Tazmily. LISTEN TO THAT FLUTE OMG
Muzicons.com
Here's the GBA version of Beyond the Sunshine Forest. Pretty solid, even for the GBA! But can it be better?
Muzicons.com
Here's the HQ version. Just getting rid of that hiss makes things sound so much better.
Muzicons.com
Here's the GBA version of With My Father-In-Law...
Muzicons.com
And here's the HQ version. When the main melody kicks in, the horns are all so much clearer.
Muzicons.com
Here's the GBA Level Up theme, the same as EarthBound.
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version. Just getting rid of that hiss makes so much difference. :O
Muzicons.com
However it's not all perfect. I think the sound people took into account how things would sound on the GBA and did things that you wouldn't notice through the GBA software, but become more obvious when they're cleaned up. For example, here's the GBA version of Unfounded Revenge (SO GOOD).
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version. You'll notice there's a tiny bit of an echo-y lag on some of the notes that you can't hear on the GBA version. Weird huh? It's kind of distracting unfortunately UNFOUNDED REVENGE IS SO AWESOME OTHERWISE
Muzicons.com
The GBA version of A Master, A Father, A Thief (which will show up in the next installment)...
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version! The lead sounds so much better.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Monkey's Delivery Service...
Muzicons.com
And HQ! Accordion sounds so much better, haha. The little fluttery trills also sound great.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Happy Town?...
Muzicons.com
High quality! The background rhythm becomes much clearer.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Big Shot's Theme, already pretty awesome just to begin with but it's like, you can hear what it wants to sound like, but can't manage with the GBA sound restrictions.
Muzicons.com
High Quality! Not completely realistic but still, a big step over the GBA version. Every part much easier to hear!
Muzicons.com
Here's another example of the occasional weirdness between the two versions. Here's the GBA version of Shower Time Ballad, big on the panning left and right...
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version! You'll notice that the vibrato here is ALL over the place. This is one of the most obvious examples of the weirdness between versions. Maybe the GBA hardware hid how this sounded better? Or maybe the vibrato here translated to panning on the hardware, who knows.
Muzicons.com
And another example. Here's the GBA version of the Parking Area; Dur-T Cafe, with a bunch of weird vibrato and distorted notes...
Muzicons.com
And the HQ version, which sounds completely different. Here the vibrato/distortion seems to have vanished entirely. :O So weird.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Fairies, with a fairly unremarkable sounding lead...
Muzicons.com
And HQ version, where you can tell more easily that it's sort of an electric piano, haha. Cleaning up the background behind the melody also helps a lot.
Muzicons.com
GBA version of Pink Shell, quiet and muffled...
Muzicons.com
And high quality! Now the melody can really shine.
Almost all the HQ versions sound really great. I really recommend checkin it out, although it DOES have spoilers of course, so be warned. :O
I also posted this at dreamwidth with reluctant ambivalence. Comment here or there, don't matter to me!