Re: The Last Sovereign [Updated 2/17]
Oboe?
Uh, just to be clear: I chose the thing that sounded closest, and I may have screwed up when I chose the patch. I thought I was picking a flute, but it's rather subjective anyway.
Hm, I'd been thinking of it as an oboe since it has a more plaintive, reedy sound, but I think I've actually been led astray by the pitch-shifting when it's played at the slower rate in the palace. The flute (instrument 73) is the correct choice, I think - most of the oboe (68) samples in the various soundfonts I've tried don't seem to have the same breathy quality.
The output of the AirFont 340 soundfont seems pretty good to me, but I'm really not picky enough to be a good person to consult.
Here's the output of a different SPC-to-MIDI converter. It might be a better starting place.
That's definitely a better MIDI file - the previous one had lots of duplicate channels, whereas this one seems to have the right number. However, I've struggled trying to produce something at the quality (clicks notwithstanding) of the one in TLS. The best I've managed is linked below, but I don't think it sounds as good at normal speed, and it sounds positively awful when slowed down in-game (I think because of the pitch bending, but I've no idea how to clean that up):
dropbox.com/s/lx8mpswzlborn1o/Orgasmic%20Palace.ogg?dl=0
For reference, I settled on using XMPlay to play/export it, and the OmegaGMGS2.sf2 soundfont (I didn't have any luck finding a .sf2 version of Airfont 340). In terms of editors, the only free one I found that could even play the file properly was Anvil Studio. However, I got utterly flummoxed when I looked at editing the actual score - I think it's because a lot of the notes are achieved via pitch bending, rather than as separate notes.
I think I'm going to have to admit defeat on that one for the moment at least, sadly - it's way beyond my skillset (I have no background in audio, I'm just a software developer who knows just enough to be able to loop things for RPG Maker using Audacity). Thanks for the effort pulling it out, though - maybe if we're lucky, someone with the right skills might be able to do something with it.
Ardford's theme also has issues, it's far more light but more scattered about it. I hear them within the game itself and using the 5kPlayer I have. Both with and without headphones, (but more recognizable with headphones.)
I assume you mean Ardford.ogg (the one that plays in the city, not the castle). Sadly, this one is from the same source as the Orgasmic Palace theme, according to the Soundtrack page on the TLS wiki. I assume it's a similar issue, i.e. subtle clicks when certain notes are played. I don't think I'll be able to do anything about that, as per my comments above.
"Dungeon3" has it really bad, game itself and using the 5kPlayer, both with and without headphones. And equally noticeable. I think I heard it before but I tried to ignore it, and it wasn't until I did the Hidden Stronghold where the theme played again that I couldn't ignore it.
Better news on this one - it's from the same source as the Rodak theme, so I was able to snag the original. Can you please give this version a try?
dropbox.com/s/ecacs1nc7onjdwb/Dungeon3.ogg?dl=0