Is it worth updating my Final Fantasy VI GBA sound restoration ?

[TheZunar123]

Every gamer has their own style of doing things though. If the dude wants to try the GBA version cuz they've researched and found it to be the most complete, I wouldn't blame them...

I know, I'm just throwing out my personal recommendation.

Also, you can't seriously be suggesting playing the PC version. I've heard complaints about saves being constantly corrupted and other terrible things. Just take a look through the Steam reviews and you'll see.

I would NOT recommend playing the PC version as your first playthrough of the game. Even if it wasn't your first playthrough, I would highly recommend NOT playing it, period. Seriously, just go emulate the original SNES version or wait for this patch to be done.

[Spooniest]

I dunno bout no saves getting corrupted. Never happened to me.

It's fine. I don't see what's wrong with the bloody thing.
January 21, 2016, 08:30:07 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
But I do notice that FF fans tend to whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine a whole lot.

Not saying that's what you're doing but I do notice that a lot of the fandom tends to complain about things that don't bother me, with few exceptions.

[TheZunar123]

I haven't played the PC version, so I can't say anything from experience, I'm merely pointing out what other people have been saying. There's enough complaints and bad reviews out there to keep me from buying it, and FF6 is very high on my list of favorite games. I'll stick with the Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition (and ofc this restoration) thanks. If it goes on sale for a few bucks sometime I might pick it up, but until then I'm not interested.

[Spooniest]

Now it's my turn to apologize if I came off as a bit snide; I'm quitting smoking.

So uh, sorry if I was kinda harsh or something.

[Bregalad]

Best of luck with the remaining sounds!

Thanks! The only reason the sound effects takes so long is because whoever designed them loved to abuse the sound engine and overflow the normal pitch range to get weird effects on purpose. They play ridiculously high notes and/or pitch slides of ridiculously big range (something like 8 octaves or more is common) and/or ridiculously fast. This is extremely hard to get on GBA, I'll probably pre-render many sound effects (that is just record them and play them back instead of re-creating them).

[TheZunar123]

Now it's my turn to apologize if I came off as a bit snide; I'm quitting smoking.

So uh, sorry if I was kinda harsh or something.

Nah, it's okay. I probably sounded whiny myself, so let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?

Breg, let me know if there's a certain part of the game you still need to fix; I've started keeping backups of my saves just in case. Also, if you'd like someone to test on actual hardware, I have a GBA flash cart and I'd be happy to test it for you.

[Spooniest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgXrVO7xR9U

[TheZunar123]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgXrVO7xR9U

Pssh, that's nothing. Try this. https://youtu.be/kq0L6Ymxusc

[Spooniest]

Pssh, that's nothing. Try this. https://youtu.be/kq0L6Ymxusc

No excuse for doing an Uematsu chord progression wrong. Fox-San wins.

[ShadowOne333]

Thanks! The only reason the sound effects takes so long is because whoever designed them loved to abuse the sound engine and overflow the normal pitch range to get weird effects on purpose. They play ridiculously high notes and/or pitch slides of ridiculously big range (something like 8 octaves or more is common) and/or ridiculously fast. This is extremely hard to get on GBA, I'll probably pre-render many sound effects (that is just record them and play them back instead of re-creating them).

Oh awesome!
I can't wait to try out the update.
Best of luck!

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On a side note, guys, stay on topic please.

[TheZunar123]

No excuse for doing an Uematsu chord progression wrong. Fox-San wins.

Fox-San is too fast. And no idea what you mean by doing chord progression wrong, it's perfectly fine.

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But yes, to get back on topic... Are you using the same opera stuff from the old version, Breg? That was one thing that really bugged me, in the old restoration Celes's voice is so deep she doesn't even sound like a woman. It pretty much ruins the entire scene. >_>

One other question, are you planning to make the patch compatible with the U and J versions just like you did with FF5?

[Bregalad]

But yes, to get back on topic... Are you using the same opera stuff from the old version, Breg? That was one thing that really bugged me, in the old restoration Celes's voice is so deep she doesn't even sound like a woman. It pretty much ruins the entire scene. >_>

Right now I'm not using anything but yes I was planning to use pretty much the same as the 1.1 version. Celes' voice was originally a different pitch, but I changed the pitch so it would end up in the same key as the SNES version. Since I needed to modify the tempo anyway for synchronization purposes, I would change the pitch as well.

If it is too low for a women, it means it is also too low for a women on the SNES, so it's not my fault.

One other question, are you planning to make the patch compatible with the U and J versions just like you did with FF5?

Yes, I am planning to, whenever possible, however the E version has the priority. If it is easily portable to the U and/or J version I'll do this, but if I encounter any major problem I'll pass.

[TheZunar123]

If it is too low for a women, it means it is also too low for a women on the SNES, so it's not my fault.

If you're implying that Celes's original SNES voice is too low, I disagree. I think the problem is that the SNES couldn't handle actual voice, so when you try to apply the same pitch to an actual voice it ends up getting distorted. Seriously, go play the versions side by side and you'll see what I mean (you can easily look up the SNES scene on YouTube, and I have a save at the opera house if you need one).

Bottom line, in my opinion the old restoration voice does not fit Celes AT ALL, so it completely butchers the scene. I mean, it's your project so your choice, that's just one issue I have with it (assuming you don't change anything).

[Spooniest]

I do not agree with you Zunar, it just sounds like a Contralto to me. Most people aren't familiar with Contralto range, as Contraltos are very uncommon. My Choir Director in junior high school was a Contralto. That's how I know.

[Bregalad]

If you're implying that Celes's original SNES voice is too low, I disagree.

You were the one implying that. I just set the tune so it would be the same as on the SNES, and you said it was too low. I only lowered the pitch by 2 or 3 semitones I don't remember exacly, but it's not like if I made it half an octave lower than the original.

I do not agree with you Zunar, it just sounds like a Contralto to me.

It sounds like a normal alto to me.

[TheZunar123]

I just set the tune so it would be the same as on the SNES, and you said it was too low.

The SNES version is perfectly fine because it's not a "real" voice. It hits the high notes and everything just fine.

My question is, how did you know what level it is on SNES? I don't know much about how music works in video games, so comparing it to a real voice isn't really making sense to me. I just don't see how applying the same pitch as the SNES makes it sound so deep.

(For that matter I know even less about actual operas, so maybe there's nothing wrong with the voice in that sense. But speaking as someone who knows next to nothing about operas and has never seen a real one, to me the voice does not fit at all and ruins the scene. I just do not see how Celes could have that kind of voice, she seems way too young to have a voice that deep. Vanilla FF6A is pretty much exactly what she should sound like in my opinion)

[Spooniest]

Zunar, you are saying that a real singer singing in Italian sounds worse than a GBA synth going "la la la."

You really are looking a gift horse in the mouth, in my humble opinion.

Edit: This is what you're talking about yes?

The aria begins at 11:30. I think it sounds perfect apart from some background hiss.

[TheZunar123]

Zunar, you are saying that a real singer singing in Italian sounds worse than a GBA synth going "la la la."

You really are looking a gift horse in the mouth, in my humble opinion.

Not really "worse", I'm just saying that in my opinion it doesn't fit Celes. I just cannot see that voice coming out of her, which is what I'm finding problem with. EDIT: Yes, that is what I'm talking about. Maybe I just don't like Italian voices or something.

At the end of the day though, it's just one small part of the game and I can easily swap my save around or mute the audio during the song, so carry on.

[Spooniest]

It does kind of drive home how silly the idea of an imperial general singing opera all of a sudden is...but isn't that the point of the Opera Scene at the end of the day?

[TheZunar123]

I think it's just me being shocked that someone would mess with the voice I always liked so much. Hearing such a different voice coming out of her in the scene throws it all off for me and changes my opinion from a "hey, Celes actually has a nice singing voice" to "oh god why, my ears, noooo"

(Yes, I am saying I prefer the GBA synth over the Italian voice, that's my personal opinion. Hell, I like the original SNES over the voice. But as I said, there's a volume switch for a reason, so feel free to ignore my complaints.)