How to make you very own sound files
It is quite simple, really, but I have already had people ask me how it
is done. First, the Baldur's Gate game itself actively supports custom
wave files, and everytime it starts will check the baldur's gate\sounds
directory. Within that directory, you will find a text file
[sndlst.txt] from the design team, explaining what each of the sounds
means (rare select is actually what happens if you continuosly click on
your character, kind of like in Warcraft II). I recommend you open
that text file and keep it handy while you record your sounds, makes it
much easier to remember what sound you should be working on next and
what it should be named.
Technical stuff. Some people plug their mic into the back of their
sound card and it just doesn't work. Me too, first time. Windows
usually mutes the microphone for some reason, so double click on the
volume control down on the task bar, and make sure it's not muted.
Next, go up to Options\Properties. On the next box click the Recording
option, then OK. Now make sure that the Microphone is selected as the
"input device," this time you would make sure it's checked. Set the
levels here, then minimize or close it. Next, find a wave recording
program. Windows comes with something called "Sound Recorder," which
should be in the Entertainment folder. If you can't find it, perhaps
you didn't install it when you first installed windows, in which case
you should check by going to Settings\Control Panel\Add Remove
Programs. Click the Windows Setup tap and then scroll down to
Multimedia and double click. See if Sound Recorder is checked. If you
have a Sound Blaster, try using Wave Studio.
Had a few comments, seems when some people recorded their sounds,
they ended up with low decible ranges. Best advice here is to crank
it, baby, under an options setting. In Wave Studio I usually, not
always, amplified volume %200. Also try a little reverb (echo) helps
smooth things out nicely, just don't get carried away... perhaps
%19 100 msec. If you're serious about this, do what I did and pick up
an "electret condensor" microphone. $30 or so. This looks like your
standard cheapo mic, but has a slot for a battery in there. Get MUCH
better quality with it in the ol' Soundcard mic input. Or--buy a REAL
good microphone, and try using a guitar amp or stereo patched into your
line input. YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! I mean... make sure you
take it from LINE OUT on the stereo to LINE IN on the soundcard.
DON'T use a SPEAKER output into the LINE IN, cranking 75 watts of
juice through your poor soundcard. Things will smoke. So I say here
I ain't liable if you do something dumb.
Remember to save your WAVs as 22 khz 16 bit mono!
Good Luck!
KJ
roop@netnitco.net
(
geocities.com/timessquare/corridor) (
geocities.com/timessquare)