SC-88Pro: ZUN's MIDIs the way they were intended to be heard (100% COMPLETE)

[Romantique Tp]

It's working! Everything is showing up higher (sometimes a lot higher) in search than before. I definitely wasn't expecting this to happen so soon, specially not in the middle of the week.
Thanks a lot to everyone who has helped so far, I really don't know what to say. We still need more help for these recordings to show up somewhere near the top of search results, but I couldn't be happier with this start.

[DeityDiz93]

It's working!

Oh hey, that's good news! Truth be told, I haven't been letting those repeated playlist go off as much since I posted my last reply, so the boost isn't all from me because I was experiencing some video's not loading which in turn stopped any chances for video's to go from start to finish without some sort of input from me. I was able to fix that two days ago by clearing the cache and cookies on YouTube which fixed everything not loading weirdly specific videos ever. I now play these on my desktop and laptop and let it sit in the background, so I hope that helps at least a little more, but the more the merrier!

I'm not sure if listening to them on repeat will help. YouTube might find it suspicious specially with short playlists like Torte Le Magic and the ones for the trial versions of the games. Just letting them play once from start to finish should be more than enough, really.

Thankfully this has what I've been letting it do, and I'm using your bulk playlist, so yeah, things ought to be fine in terms of watch time and from being suspicious even though it's obvious what I'm doing :V. All the repeated playlist button does is bring you back to the first video of the list by the moment you reach the end, and I know that looping from double-right clicking doesn't give more views but neither does actually video replaying, so I'm not grinding views by refreshing the page or listen on repeat for this; playlists make this so much easier. ＾＾;

[shockdude]

Here's the MIDI versions of the music for the trial versions of Perfect Cherry Blossom, Imperishable Night and Phantasmagoria of Flower View. These are the same as the ones included with the full versions.

From PCB on ZUN composed and recorded his music using his new MIDI module. The SC-88Pro wasn't used at all. The only reason these MIDI versions exist at all was due to the circumstances at the time (distributing 150 MB trials over the internet was impractical). ZUN would probably prefer if nobody heard these, but here we are.

Many of these have small differences in the instrumentation.

The MIDIs for IN are missing some Special instruments that have no equivalent in the SC-88Pro, while the ones for PoFV also play the wrong drum notes because the kit ZUN used wasn't fully GS/GM compatible and he didn't bother editing that.

Enjoy.

Am I understanding this correctly? Half the MIDIs from the full versions of PCB/IN/PoFV were composed for the SC-88Pro (stages 1-3), and the remaining MIDIs were composed for the SD-80/SD-90/whatever ZUN used at the time?

Edit: wait the SC-88 version of Eternal Shrine Maiden has the same awesome intro and extra melodies as DiPP's arrange. What. I always thought HRtP's arrange was the original and that DiPP added extra cool stuff for the CD, why is the HRtP version so different?

[Romantique Tp]

snip

BTW, I forgot to mention one thing. For those who are letting the playlists play from start to finish with the audio muted, I would recommend only doing this once every one or two weeks at most, and without setting the playlist to repeat. This is because YouTube may be giving small ranking penalties to videos with low views where a large % of the views come from the same IPs.

Of course you don't have to worry about any of this you're listening to the music on YouTube normally. In this case you're free to do whatever you want.

Am I understanding this correctly? Half the MIDIs from the full versions of PCB/IN/PoFV were composed for the SC-88Pro (stages 1-3), and the remaining MIDIs were composed for the SD-80/SD-90/whatever ZUN used at the time?

No, it wouldn't make sense for anyone to do something like that. The entire soundtracks for these three games were composed and recorded on ZUN's new synth, the 88Pro wasn't used at all. The entire soundtrack was then quickly edited into SC-88Pro compatible MIDIs, the first 3 stages out of necessity (for the web trial) and the rest as a bonus. I didn't record the rest of the tracks because they have even less effort put into them than the trial MIDIs.

Edit: wait the SC-88 version of Eternal Shrine Maiden has the same awesome intro and extra melodies as DiPP's arrange. What. I always thought HRtP's arrange was the original and that DiPP added extra cool stuff for the CD, why is the HRtP version so different?

Well that's right, the DiPP version makes some noticeable changes and additions to the original 88Pro MIDI arrangement. Are you sure you're not actually talking about Eastern Strange Discourse?

[shockdude]

No, it wouldn't make sense for anyone to do something like that. The entire soundtracks for these three games were composed and recorded on ZUN's new synth, the 88Pro wasn't used at all. The entire soundtrack was then quickly edited into SC-88Pro compatible MIDIs, the first 3 stages out of necessity (for the web trial) and the rest as a bonus. I didn't record the rest of the tracks because they have even less effort put into them than the trial MIDIs.

Ah that makes much more sense. Thanks for the info.

Well that's right, the DiPP version makes some noticeable changes and additions to the original 88Pro MIDI arrangement. Are you sure you're not actually talking about Eastern Strange Discourse?

The PC-98 version of Eternal Shrine Maiden is very different from the DiPP/SC-88 versions.
Eternal Shrine Maiden on PC-98
Eternal Shrine Maiden on Akyu's Untouched Score
Neither of these versions have the 1-minute-long introduction and additional melodies that the the DiPP and SC-88 versions have.

I originally thought the intro was first added in DiPP as an extension of the PC-98 arrange. After reading ZUN's comment, it's clear that the FM PC-98 version was the original version of the track, and ZUN later rearranged it with the SC-88. The SC-88 version in turn became the basis for the DiPP arrange.

The SC-88 version is awesome. The work you've put into these recordings is incredible, well done.

[DX7.EP]

Thanks. The SC-8850 recordings ended up being a little noisier than I expected but that's no big deal.

No problem at all!

Now that you mention the 8850 recordings being a tad noisy, I do notice where you're coming from with that (and the 55 recordings also had this too). I guess I'll need to re-review my recording setup and methodology; the way I'm handling it shows itself to be rather muddy, and the -1dB amplification threshold I used (an odd erratum on my part, possibly) may not be helping either. :fail:

Here's ZUN's SC-8850 stuff if you feel like recording them.

On it, gov'na, alongside a protocol review.

[Romantique Tp]

I don't think it's too bad (your recordings are much less noisy than some of the stuff I've heard on niconico), but if you want to reduce the noise you can try this:

-Make sure the SC-8850's input volume knob behind the module is set to minimum. This is done by rotating it all the way to the left, pointing to the side opposite of the input/output jacks.
-Disconnect any unused audio cables connected to either the SD-90 and SC-8850, for example anything connected to the SC-8850's inputs.
-Maybe the audio output from the SC-8850 is just louder than the SC-88Pro... If you set the SD-90's input gain knob too low the noise will take over. Using the knobs on the two modules, try decreasing the volume a bit on the 8850 and then increasing the input gain on the SD-90 to compensate.

That's all I can think of besides getting new cables. Hope this helps.

snip

Thanks. I thought you were comparing the 88Pro arrange to the DiPP version... There was nothing hinting that you were talking about the Mystic Square music room/Akyu's Untouched Score version in your post.

[[K]KoaMeow]

A little off topic, but now that my interests are piqued about trial versions...

After some googling, I've only managed to find the Trial Version 1.000h with VIVIT being the single playable character.

Was there any mirrors for this? The website seems to be up, but I can't access it for some reason.

[Romantique Tp]

http://www.mediafire.com/file/rrv5z93qt1o95mh/KIOH1208.LZH

It's almost exactly the same as the final update just like most trial versions released after the full game.

[[K]KoaMeow]

thanks a bunch.

[DX7.EP]

...and here we have ZUN's three MIDIs made specifically for the 8850, at last! I find it interesting how the instrumentation changes between the 88Pro and 8850 versions.

Did a bit of adjustment (basically muting the RCA audio inputs to the 8850, and adjusting the normalisation process slightly to include minute noise reduction and amplification to -0.15dB to be more similar to your recordings' -0.17dB). I still think more could be done to adjust the noise level, but at this point I should get new RCA cables.

I think that the 8850 - or at least my unit - might be handling noise oddly; in my experience with this module, using USB as the main input source ended up generating lots of noise that was largely absent when using serial or MIDI cables instead, presumably an electronics or wiring issue. (On that note, I use the module in MIDI mode, including for the 8850 demos and these recordings).

EDIT: Link removed amidst recording errors.

[Romantique Tp]

I just realized something important. These SC-8850 MIDIs have multiple program change messages on the same channel during the same MIDI tick, and whatever software and/or hardware ZUN was using back then caused the first program change combo (CC00, CC32, Program Change) to be prioritized. Most modern setups and DAWs will prioritize the last one to appear, so a few instruments are wrong. Here's the changes you'll have to make:

th01_04:
-All good.

th03_05:
-CH02 should be Bass & Lead (CC00: 0 - CC32: 4 - PC: 88) , instead of Tremolo Orch.
-CH03 should be St.Strings 3 (CC00: 18 - CC32: 4 - PC: 49), instead of Piano 1.

th05_21:
-CH02 should be Jazz Gt. (CC00: 0 - CC32: 4 - PC: 27), instead of Dist Square.

Sorry for not realizing this sooner. I only noticed this when I heard the piano in your recording of Reincarnation, that's definitely not intended. :V
The only reason why my recording of Peaceful Romancer isn't affected is because the SC-88Pro processes MIDI slowly, so it ignores the second Program Change combo completely.

[DX7.EP]

Well now! I'll get to that once I can.

[Goomba98]

How expensive is the SC-88Pro, and how hard is it to set one up? I ask because in the distant future I want to make LPs, and when I LP Seihou I want the music to sound right.

[Romantique Tp]

The 88Pro is fairly cheap by hardware module standards. It's usually 140~ USD, but sometimes you'll see someone selling one for 100~ or even less. These are probably listings by people who don't understand that the SC-88 and SC-88Pro are far from being the same module.

You'll need an USB MIDI interface. No need for something expensive, but avoid super cheap chinese "USB MIDI cables" such as these specific ones:
http://i.imgur.com/8f5slma.jpg - http://i.imgur.com/KcfXYme.jpg
They're unable to send SysEx messages, in other words the music will use the wrong effect settings. They're only ok for western DOS games.

If you buy one from Japan you'll probably need a voltage transformer. Some sellers may offer to include one with your purchase.

For recording, you'll want to use the RCA outputs on the back of the module. Don't use the headphone output for this. For a LP (specially if you plan to talk), a RCA to 3.5mm cable or adapter connected to your computer's line-in jack will probably be enough. Needless to say the quality wont be as high as my recordings (you'll need a proper USB audio interface and good cables for that), but the noise should be hard to hear over the game's (loud) sound effects.

Setting it up should be as simple as any other computer peripheral. After the first setup, all you'll need to do is turn the module on and it will be ready to use.

[Koakuma]

The Midis on SoEW aren't an bonus which ZUN made for the game, it are playable ingame, when selecting midi on config screen (when you have an midi device attached on pc-98)

[Drake]

...And that's also the case for PCB, IN, and PoFV. That has nothing to do with why they're bonuses.

[DeityDiz93]

Oh hey, I saw Romantique Tp uploaded the tracks of Perfect Cherry Blossom stage 4 off the SC-88Pro on YouTube! I was pleasantly surprised as they sounded quite nice off it. ＾＾

Curiously, what prompted you to upload those? I know you originally said

[...] but every MIDI after that sounds like it was edited for the 88Pro in just a few minutes, so I think it would be a waste of time.

so knowing that, it was out of left field seeing those uploaded, but certainly not unwelcome because despite their quick edits being true, I still ended up liking what I heard. I might just be really easy to please, but I really cannot help but form a insatiable curiosity for how the rest of the games sound like now. There is just something about the SC-88Pro that gives these songs a magical touch, but I suppose it's up to you.

[Romantique Tp]

In hindsight, some of the tracks in PCB and IN are among the most popular tracks in the series. Even if they don't sound as good as they could, not posting these will indirectly make the whole project less likely to be found by people searching on YouTube. (It's not everyday that people look for Seihou and PC-98 stuff, even if they care about them)

It also helps that I actually have some subscribers now. Apparently, subscribers watching your video while it's still new greatly increases the chance that it will be recommended to others, in our case random people watching other Touhou videos.

So uh, to those who have subscribed, consider listening to these new PCB and IN recordings. Some people seem to be enjoying them, maybe you will too. :V I'll try to record and upload at least 2 or 3 tracks a day.

[Romantique Tp]

Just a little heads up to everyone, I talked to Mangekyou (one of the people who had recorded the Seihou 1 soundtrack with the Windows MIDI synthesizer), and while they refused to take their videos down, they did agree to temporarily make their videos private to give my recordings a chance to have their YouTube search rankings improved. If you would like to help make them permanently show up high in search, just search for "seihou shuusou gyoku ost" on youtube, click my playlist and follow these tips. Basically you just need to listen to a few tracks, and optionally maybe like and/or comment. You'll be helping even if you've listened to these tracks before.

(The Shuusou Gyoku ZUN arranges playlist could use some love too...!! It's on page 2 of search right now.)

[Romantique Tp]

And here's the rest of the PCB and IN MIDIs on the SC-88Pro. For those who haven't read this thread before, ZUN made the MIDIs for PCB and IN as a quick bonus, so they may not sound as good as the rest of the MIDIs I've recorded, such as his PC-98 arrangements or the original version of the EoSD soundtrack (Yes, Touhou 6 was originally going to sound completely different!), but for the most part they don't sound bad. A few of the PCB and IN MIDIs may be based on earlier versions of the WAV tracks.

東方妖々夢 ～ Perfect Cherry Blossom MIDI playlist
東方永夜抄 ～ Imperishable Night MIDI playlist

Downloads for the MIDI recordings that were missing before will be posted in a few days.


By the way, I added a little thing to my Seihou Shuusou Gyoku videos. By clicking the white (!) to the top right, the arranged version of the track will open in another tab, or vice versa.
This should make it easier to compare the original in-game versions of the Seihou 1 soundtrack to the arranged versions from ZUN's site.


This should work even if you're using a phone, unlike YouTube annotations.

(For the guests who hadn't heard about this project before, here's a link back to the first post, where you can find the rest of my recordings of ZUN's MIDIs on the intended hardware.)

[DeityDiz93]

That was cool of Mangekyou to help out like that; it was quite nice of him wanting to give you the boost.

I think Mangekyou wanted to share the Seihou 1 soundtrack for others since a full upload of the soundtrack, at least when first heard without the SC-88Pro, was not up, but after watching them before this, it was clear they were using Windows 7's default Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth which does not fully support the full set of instruments from Seihou 1, so it was missing instruments; a problem they wouldn't have had with something like Windows XP or 98.

As for the uploads, I'm glad to see they're all up on YouTube; I'm having a great time listening to them right now, so I agree that they don't sound bad, but in fact rather awesome if you ask me. ＾＾ I look forwards to the coming downloads for them later on in FLAC and AAC.

[Romantique Tp]

I'll be reuploading the WAV version of the Seihou Kioh Gyoku soundtrack. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. The old uploads are just unlisted so your playlists and likes will still work, but please update them when you have the chance.

There was a loud pop at the beginning of each track in the old uploads, but now they're completely gone. This will be the highest quality version of this OST on YouTube for real this time. I will also take the chance to make the video backgrounds a little less fugly (I originally uploaded these after a whole day without sleep, if you were wondering...) and extend the tracks since nobody ever did this before, for some reason.

[DX7.EP]

I got those botched 8850 tracks corrected a bit ago but didn't upload them until now - aiyaiyai, GJ me.

Anyways, here are Reincarnation and Peaceful Romancer. Eastern Strange Discourse was already correct so there was no need to fix that one, but I've re-uploaded that anyway. The noise levels are still more than I'd like them to be (despite some process adjustment), but that's something I'll have to address later.

[Romantique Tp]

That's alright. Thanks for taking the time to record these. I'll upload them to YouTube soon, and I'll include these in the zip with the rest of the PCB and IN stuff.

[Romantique Tp]

I've finished uploading the fixed, extended Kioh Gyoku WAV OST and the original SC-8850 versions of Peaceful Romancer, Reincarnation and Eastern Strange Discourse to YouTube.

ZUN's PC-98 MIDI arrangements
Seihou Kioh Gyoku WAV OST

Also included is ZUN's recording of Reincarnation. This one was mixed with a DAW, and it sounds a bit different from the raw recording by EP.

Downloads will be coming soon.

[ccec]

Just made an account to thank you!

I sincerely appreciate your efforts. This is a huge contribution to the fanbase considering we now can hear ZUN's music the way it is intended to be heard . I will let the YouTube playlist playing on Opera and Tor (with Tor Circuit activated).

Again, much thanks for posting this!

[Romantique Tp]

Thanks a lot but please don't use Tor, YouTube already knows the views from Tor IPs are people trying to abuse the system.
I think just letting the playlists play once every few weeks (one at a time, not a bunch open in different tabs) should be enough, that's normal for music videos anyway.

If your IP changes often, I think it helps if you clear your cookies before watching the videos again. I would use a browser other than the one you normally use for this. Avoid Incognito/Private mode.

[ccec]

Thanks for the advice. I will let the playlists playing every weekend or so on another browser that I don't use too often and not in Private Mode. Besides that, I already liked some of the videos and subscribed to your channel. Keep up the good work!

[jaffa225man]

DX7_EP, I don't know what noise you're hearing so I'm probably not the best person to judge, but your recordings sound great to me.  To compare them, because I recently became an SC-8850 owner, I went through the same process with mine.  Using USB generated noise, but I hear none otherwise.  Here's my output with a standard midi cable and with standard RCA cables directly into my (USB) sound card: Eastern Strange Discourse, Reincarnation, and Peaceful Romancer.

If need be, I could use a direct box, but I doubt the impedance of the SC-8850 is higher than a standard line output.  I'm not sure about that though, as the much older modules I own, are.

DX7_EP, you did a great job already (thanks!), so this post is probably unnecessary.  I just wanted to try it for myself.