+SpiceWare Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 What process are you using to create your digital samples? I'm working on the audio routines for BUS and the samples I'd created in the past for Frantic don't sound nearly as good.It might be you're using a larger sample size than I am, as I was limiting myself so that the largest word used < 1950 bytes due to how DPC+ worked. Humanoid tended to be the longest, 1925 bytes for the Alex voice: -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1925 Oct 2 20:06 humanoid.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1772 Oct 2 20:06 intruder.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1649 Oct 2 20:06 getthe.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1501 Oct 2 20:06 robot.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1477 Oct 2 20:06 escape.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1290 Oct 2 20:06 chicken.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1249 Oct 2 20:06 alert.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1190 Oct 2 20:06 like.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1156 Oct 2 20:06 must.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1146 Oct 2 20:06 fight.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1060 Oct 2 20:06 the.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1052 Oct 2 20:06 not.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1035 Oct 2 20:06 got.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 990 Oct 2 20:06 get.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 674 Oct 2 20:06 a.raw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 (edited) I'm using about the same method as you are. Mine do sound better in my tests. I use Sound Studio (paid) on OSX but any audio editor should work. Mix down to mono if stereo. I do a low pass filter to remove the highs, about 1800 hertz. Then I change the rate to 3900 or 4000. Then I normalize, sometimes past clipping to make it loud (it doesn't sound clipped when played). A Save As to WAV 8-bit. Then I use a python script I found in the Blog section that makes the packed nybbles. It is command line ./wav2atari.pl -wav /path/to/wave -outfile filename.asm The outfile is just a text file with the packed data in sections. Also take into account which nybble is first. I assume it would sound worse if the playback used the high nybble first if it was supposed to use the low first? I will attach the script. What process are you using to create your digital samples? I'm working on the audio routines for BUS and the samples I'd created in the past for Frantic don't sound nearly as good.It might be you're using a larger sample size than I am, as I was limiting myself so that the largest word used < 1950 bytes due to how DPC+ worked. Humanoid tended to be the longest, 1925 bytes for the Alex voice: -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1925 Oct 2 20:06 humanoid.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1772 Oct 2 20:06 intruder.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1649 Oct 2 20:06 getthe.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1501 Oct 2 20:06 robot.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1477 Oct 2 20:06 escape.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1290 Oct 2 20:06 chicken.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1249 Oct 2 20:06 alert.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1190 Oct 2 20:06 like.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1156 Oct 2 20:06 must.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1146 Oct 2 20:06 fight.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1060 Oct 2 20:06 the.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1052 Oct 2 20:06 not.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 1035 Oct 2 20:06 got.ra -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 990 Oct 2 20:06 get.raw -rw-r--r-- 1 darrellspice staff 674 Oct 2 20:06 a.raw wav2atari.pl.zip humanoid.wav.zip humanoid.asm.zip Edited October 3, 2016 by iesposta 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Thanks! I'm using SoX with this command: sox --norm $file -b 8 -u $root.raw lowpass 2000 rate 4000 The sample packing looks the same, taking the upper nybble of each 8-bit sample and packing them into a single byte; though my nybbles are high first rather than low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Thanks! I'm using SoX with this command: sox --norm $file -b 8 -u $root.raw lowpass 2000 rate 4000 The sample packing looks the same, taking the upper nybble of each 8-bit sample and packing them into a single byte; though my nybbles are high first rather than low. I tried your way, as I said. I had installed SoX a few weeks earlier in the hopes that it would be able to output a 4-bit file. No luck with SoX outputting a 4-bit or 2-bit file, but when I saw your method was using SoX, I tried your commands. As you said, mine sound better. I can't explain why. Maybe it is the normalizing, or even going past clipping? At that low rate, I really can't notice slight clipping. It just make the playback louder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I think the --norm should be normalizing, though audio's not my forte so when I read the documentation I don't really know what it's telling me. We've got enough in place to identify some issues with BUS that we need to resolve, so I'm going to back-burner the audio samples to work on some demos. I've also a deadline coming up for updating my presentation for next month, I'm removing some stuff and adding more on our recent work with BUS. If you're willing, after the presentation and you've wrapped up your other audio project, I can set something up so we can do some experiments with SoX to see if we can get better results. It'd be great if we could figure it out as it's cross platform, and free, so most anybody'd be able to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega Race Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 I've been a Doctor Who fan since shortly after the Atari 2600 was released. Currently I'm totally hooked on this game. In my mind, it's proven to be the best reason to own a Harmony Cart thus far (in part because my own programming attempts are so far very, very lame). One question, have you considered making the dying sequence faster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 I've been a Doctor Who fan since shortly after the Atari 2600 was released. Currently I'm totally hooked on this game. In my mind, it's proven to be the best reason to own a Harmony Cart thus far (in part because my own programming attempts are so far very, very lame). One question, have you considered making the dying sequence faster? Dying sequence, you mean the electrocution-like getting hit? Never thought about it. It's the same as the Berzerk game. Here is a newer build. Opening Titlescreen song in a higher key. The player moves a slight bit slower, sometime appearing to stutter. Watching people zoom into walls was not fun. Hopefully this is a bit easier to move around. I lightened the player because some sets are calibrated so dark you can not see low value grays. I added the engine sound at the start -- like you are arriving at some place. The alert, alert, alert... I'm not to sure about. DrVsDaleks_20160710b.bin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega Race Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Dying sequence, you mean the electrocution-like getting hit? Never thought about it. It's the same as the Berzerk game. Yes, that's the sequence I'm talking about. The movement in the new version definitely seems better. It might just make the dying a little less annoying, as I'm doing it less often. I liked the old audio clip better than the "alert, alert, alert". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundGammon Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 How about doing this for the 7800 version of Frenzy/Berzerk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamrodHare Posted June 16, 2017 Share Posted June 16, 2017 I really love this game. Has anything else been done on it since the last update? It would be awesome if it's working with Savekeys now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted June 16, 2017 Author Share Posted June 16, 2017 I really love this game. Has anything else been done on it since the last update? It would be awesome if it's working with Savekeys now. Thank you for loving my hack idea! No. The above is really the latest update. I need to figure how to get it on github because is too confusing for two or more people to add / change things. I could probably figure out how to use my savekey space to keep a high score. May work on that next. I'm also doing sound for three other homebrew games. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamrodHare Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 I could probably figure out how to use my savekey space to keep a high score. May work on that next. I know you are busy, so if you find the time to get high scores on there, that would be amazing, but It's a great game that I'm going to be playing either way! Thanks again for making a really awesome Dr. Who game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-type Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 Just played it today! Wow. Really cool! I'd been playing a bunch of Berzerk lately and this is so much more fun. I love the Dalek graphics and voice samples, and the faster speed and diagonal shooting daleks is a lot better too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted July 12, 2017 Author Share Posted July 12, 2017 (edited) Newer build moved to post #1 at the top.I had this new build posted in the thread.People only looking at the first page may have missed it. Thank you for your feedback. Always appreciated! P.S. Any similarity to any television programme is unintended. There is a television show where "Dr." is never abbreviated. Edited July 12, 2017 by iesposta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) Thanks for all the ideas and actual hacking! I like the gray player so the Cyberman is silver. I need a changed player shooting sound. I like what you have, but wish it wouldn't go down in pitch. The Doctor does not ever use a gun. He has a Sonic Screwdriver that emits sonic waves. The waves break up the enemies, or maybe the frequency causes them to self destruct? I need a sonic wave sound. The game should start with Selection 2 so the Cyberman gives chase, but can be zapped back to the start. Selection 6 has the Cyberman, but zapping it doesn't affect its chasing you. Berzerk was made when Atari had the first version of the game set to easy. (Which is the opposite of E.T. which starts at the hardest selection!?) I am probably going to 32K which still keeps cart making easy, but will allow more speech and I'd like to try to have other enemies, maybe Cybermen with a chasing Dalek? Anyway, I've just started this hack, but the nice thing about a hack is you can share a playable game right away. Never used a gun? You might believe the lip service, but the Dr. Who definitely has used guns both traditional and of the futuristic type... Please watch what it done as opposed to some talking that always sound so nice... I bet it's listed online if you care to look, 5 times spring to mind off the top of my head.... hmmm I bet even the sites that are all against such things will list some of it.... though it will be tucked in near the end or stuck in the middle somewhere.... http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Firearm yep and that was a search under firearm... look at what he does with other such tech.... they're also guns of a sort.... don't even get started on the companions and friends of Dr.Who.... they are loaded for bear! Edited July 17, 2018 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted July 17, 2018 Author Share Posted July 17, 2018 Thank you. I did not know that he had used a gun. That is one of those passed along facts that turn out to be false. I love that show, and the fact that it is the longest running show of all time. About this game: Please remember that this is a creative work based on something else. That “something else” is the IP, or intellectual property, of that company. This work, therefore, can be blocked by that show’s company. This work is also technically against the rules of this website, although I can argue that it is only somewhat similar to a TV show. Myself, as an artist, want to create this as if it were still the 1980’s and Atari chose to release this game. I also choose to share it, free, and hear what others think is good or bad, knowing that this website may remove it at any time. I do try to respect the rights of the IP holder. Their show NEVER abbreviates Dr. I chose to use “Dr.” BECAUSE they insist it is never abbreviated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airons1972 Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 As a child of the 80s who grew up watching Dr Who with Tom Baker this game is just amazing. Thank you so much for creating this. The samples alone are incredible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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