Changing Music ingame

[Crimson Castle]

Hello,

I've been playing the game since October last year. I'm getting a little tired... actually irritated... of the music and thought I'd change it.... not anything radical http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

I swapped the European ending music. Sounded better than the female dying la-la music.

Later, I converted some "authentic" Medieval Music from a CD entitled, MUSIC OF THE TROUBABOURS, by Ensemble Unicorn/ Naxos label. Surprisingly, they amount to roughly the same size as the original TW music - 20mb.

I was thinking of converting the music of Robert White but he was in the 16th century (1538-1574).

I'm just wondering whether other people are interested? In there a binary group somewhere?

Cheers,

Alita

[Crimson Castle]

Someone just asked me how it was done. Its quite simple really. Just convert your CD music to a wav file. Make sure the wav file is not too big - I think anything bigger than 30mb is too huge.

If it is too big -the first one I converted was 80mb- you need to edit it and cut it down.

Then save it to the sound/music folder of TW Medieval in the correct file name for example "Euro Strat Summer 1" which will change the background music during the strategic planning stage of the game in Summer.

[Knight_Yellow]

ive been thinking of converting the music to some royal scots dragoon guards stuff.

seems like the drums and pipes of the guards would be perfect for a battle anyway.

[Orda Khan]

I play the music from Mongol Invasion

......Orda

[Skomatth]

changing sound files doesnt mess up playing online at all does it?

[baz]

anyone know the name of the file for general 3d battles background music .. *searching for "the boys are back in town" right now on kazaa*

[Degtyarev14.5]

You raise a good point, Alita. The in-game European music is, regrettably, not even close. (As yet I can not comment on Islamic music.)

I often read the contributions of others with envy, wishing that I knew so much about medieval warfare. You see, my forte is so-called "early music", which, despite a recent academic tendency towards all-inclusiveness, in this sense refers to the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

On monodic secular song, to borrow the words of Dr D. Collins:


"The TROUBADORS (feminine TROBAIRITZ) and TROUVÈRES were a(n overall) group that flourished in aristocratic circles. Both terms refer to the same group, except that the term troubador was used in the south of France and the term trouvère was used in the north of France. Their subject matter was courtly love, chivalry, political or moral topics…

"Other countries: The German school of knightly poet-musicians was known as the MINNESINGER. They pursued the same abstract courtly love but in an even more abstract manner with a sometimes religious flavour. They were succeeded by the MEISTERSINGERS who flourished between the late 13th and 19th centuries. They formed music guilds but their music is generally thought to be overcome by strict rules and inexpressiveness.

"Very little survives from England. Surviving Spanish examples follow the troubadors and trouveres. Italian songs show a strong religious and penitential aspect."


Unfortunately, the popular conception of Gregorian Chant as overwhelmingly rich, sonorous and powerful is akin to the popular conception of medieval battles: distorted beyond salvage, the interest of sales over-riding the sake of authenticity. Generally speaking, performance of plainchant was much lighter in tone and delicate in delivery than is presently marketable. This, of course, is largely dependent on the acoustic in which it is performed, and although a mass performed in Notre Dame may well have been intensely rich and sonorous, the majority of churches in Europe during the Middle Ages were not Notre Dame.

Although Gregorian Chant provided a necessary platform on which to develop, the music of the Middle Ages was far from static. Two of the most important concepts in the history of Western music evolved at this time: the notation of rhythm (in two separate traditions, French and Italian), and Guido d'Arezzo’s system of solmisation. These eventually (in the latter half of the 13th century) gave rise to arguably the most versatile and long-lived musical genre in history, the MOTET, through which the world has received some of its greatest music (Bach, anyone?).

I would have been thrilled to see more effort expended in this direction, to the extent that the game’s soundtrack would reflect the evolution of music throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. Also, although I haven’t eyed off every emissary that I have trained, I can fire off a few names that perhaps should have been included in the list of emissary-"heroes":


Hildegard von Bingen: 1098–1179, HRE; a composer, poet, prophet and advisor to kings, bishops and popes, one of the most influential women in history.

Adam de la Halle: c.1237–c.1287, French; the last and greatest of the trouvères.

Philippe de Vitry: 1291–1361; described by Petrarch as "the one real poet of France," a significant figure in the development of both musical notation and the Ars nova.

Guillaume de Machaut: c.1300–1377; the most celebrated composer of 14th century France.

Francesco Landini: c.1327–1397; the foremost representative of the Italian trecento.

John Dunstaple: c.1390–1453; arguably the most influential English composer in history. Also a mathematician and astronomer, he served under the Duke of Bedford (commander against the French forces under Joan d'Arc), and essentially ushered in the musical Renaissance by introducing English innovations to continental composers.

Guillaume Du Fay (Willem Du Fayt): c.1398–1474; the foremost exponent of Franco-Flemish Renaissance music prior to Josquin. Sojourned in Italy, where he served the Malatesta family and the popes Martin V, Eugene IV and Felix V.


Prior to whom? Josquin Desprez, c.1440–1521, the most widely studied composer of the entire Renaissance period, and in many respects the most accomplished as well. But his lifetime, beginning approx. thirteen years before Medieval: TW reaches its ultimate conclusion in 1453, simply falls too late to warrant an appearance.

Hmmm, yes, okay, I've touched on a few things here without really going into detail on any one of them. A little healthy revision never hurt anyone…

Adam.

Oh, and I know the CD you're talking about, was going to buy it but saw that it completely omitted Mr de la Halle Naxos, Naxos, Naxos... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Gaius Julius]

I wouldn't mind using Alice Cooper's " No More Mr. NiceGuy ", while I was at war. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Crimson Castle]

Quote[/b] (ArseClown @ April 21 2003,20:22)]Oh, and I know the CD you're talking about, was going to buy it but saw that it completely omitted Mr de la Halle Naxos, Naxos, Naxos... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif
Ha, ha, thanks I have a few of Hildegarde's music CDs (seems funny saying that considering she's being dead for many centuries now).

I would recommend the Naxos CD "Music of the Troubadours". You can't expect them to get it right 100% http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Its Naxos I bought mine for US$5. Quite reasonable compared to the other Tallis Scholars stuff I have.

I've listened to the Naxos "MotT" for over two years now. I don't understand a single word uttered of course. But it sounds unusally good. Its very different, almost alien but there's something about it that gets me.

[Forward Observer]

The in background music for the medieval themed games of Stronghold and Stronghold Crusader might be nice for a change of pace---not quite as techno-sounding as the stuff in MTW since they use semi-authentic instruments like flutes, harps, and mandolins accompanied by kettle drums.
I believe there may also be a vocal in the form of a Gregorian chant.

Here is a link to the Sword and Pistol tavern fan site where the game music files are provided in MP3 format:

http://www.swordandpistol.com/files.htm

Convert to wave and and give them a try.

Cheers

[Jeff]

Well just as a change of pace I replaced all the European musics with songs from: Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, the Patriot and a few various Celtic and Scottish songs I found online. It's not authentic but hey it sounds good to me. I am currently looking for some stuff to replace all the Muslim faction music.

[sbreden]

the Henry V soundtrack would do nicely I suppose. Not authentic but stirring enough. Maybe even some music from Glory.

[Crimson Castle]

For the Muslim music, its not authentic, but you could use the Arab music from BlackHawk Down, off the top of my head.

[Jeff]

Yeah Alita I thought of that this afternoon when I watched it before work. It's not bad and would add a little to the game I think. There's some pretty tense music in the movie that I think would be really good for the battle sequences of the game. I'll try it and let you know how it sounds.

[Crimson Castle]

Anyone use the music from Fellowship of the Rings and the Two Towers ??

Now there are some excellent battles which I hope TW will mod one day

[solypsist]

okay we seem to have a problem here.

be sure to check to make sure you're in the proper forum before you post. changing music is a modification to the game, so it should be posted in the Dungeon.