MP3 VS. MIDIS

author=S. F. LaValle link=topic=1402.msg21782#msg21782 date=1214449794
I think you guys need to understand the differences and capabilities of each format a little more.

MIDI, as you know, is just data, information that tells a MIDI synthesizer (or external synth if you have a crazy setup) what notes and instruments to play at which volume, speed, etc. There is no "recording" at all. MP3's (and OGG's), however, are purely recorded (or streamed) audio data.

Some synths are just that, purely synthetic, meaning that sound is created by pre-programmed waveforms that simulate different instruments (what many of you would be calling the "low-quality" or crappy MIDI standard). Other synths, however, use individually recorded (or sampled) instruments that play when the MIDI data says it should. For example, a MIDI trumpet melody instructs the synth to load recorded samples of a trumpet and play them at pitches that match the notes in the MIDI data. These are called "wavetable" synths. If some of you have a soundcard that supports the loading of soundfonts, then the MIDI uses wavetable synth.

Now, with RM2k3, MIDI relies on your computer's assigned synthesizer to produce the sounds. That could be just a very lame NES-y collection of so-called instruments, or it could be not bad, SNES-quality, PSX-quality, PS2-quality, there's really no limit. The issue is that every computer uses a different synth, so no song will sound the same on your computer as it does on everyone else's. That makes MIDI a bad choice for RM2k3.

With RMXP/RMVX, MIDI synth is handled by DirectMusic, part of Microsoft's DirectX package, and the synthesized sound bank is included in the executable file for each of your games. This is much better than RM2k3, because MIDIs will sound identical on any computer that plays your game. The only question is whether or not you like how this synth sounds. Basically, if you like how the RTP music sounds, then you're fine with using MIDI.

For your knowledge, every single Final Fantasy game starting with FF4, up to and including 13, uses MIDI. The vast majority of video game music does. Anything that isn't a recording of an orchestra, or a band, is MIDI. SNES and all subsequent consoles have capabilities to allow a game designer to choose their own sound banks, meaning developers can use their own recorded instrument samples, but MIDI data is still being fed to those samples. Therefore, MIDI has no defined "quality." MIDI can sound NES-y, and it can sound far, far better than any game you've played.

Sorry for making that long-winded =) I guess it's a little peeving when it's broken down as simple as, "MIDI is bad, MP3 is good," even when in the end, the argument is likely true. MIDI simply isn't as versatile as MP3 in RPG Maker. I tried, for a good long while, to figure out a way to load my own sound bank (or soundfont) with RMXP, using a few different scripts. If I was successful, then I would have written a big long tutorial on how to do it, and you'd be seeing MIDI collections with SNES, PSX, or better quality (for example, there already exists a soundbank using FF6's recorded samples, meaning MIDI's played with it sound identical in quality). However, all attempts have failed, and OGG's currently offer the best way to make the game sound the way you want.

If anyone wants to know more, or would like help with establishing what you want your game to sound like, let me know.