Doom Sound Bulb - HD sounds that stay true to the original!

It's probably best if I try to make a list of the sounds I like and which I don't. I'll just throw them into an AIMP playlist and check them one by one.

@NightFrightThat's probably a good idea.

@NightFrightJust so you know, it's illegal to not like the door sounds.

Really liked your similar project for Quake, so this is exciting! Going to thoroughly compare those to originals and PerK's variants and maybe give some proper feedback later on. This is obviously going to take some time getting used to, after all these years. Especially when listening all of them one after another through Slade. But finally having all sounds covered is nice.

@Agitatio I'm glad you actually understand the whole, "it's going to take time getting used to" thing. Some people here just expect for it to be pleasant when first playing it. The sounds are 2-4 times bigger with 2-4 times more frequencies to work with, of course they aren't going to sound exactly the same.

What new sounds did you find exactly?

Unfortunately none. I had to work on them myself. Some that PerKristan found I managed to find as well, but how I edited them is much closer to the original game. You will notice this with sounds like the doors, guns, Mancubus sight sound, and many others.

@Spooky Skeleton boi You seem awful bitter about this mod. Why is that?

REMINDER! DO NOT COME HERE EXPECTING TRUE HIGH QUALITY! I AM NO MAGICIAN AND MY METHODS LEAD TO VARYING RESULTS. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND! SOUNDS MAY BE A LITTLE STRANGE OR HARSH. I AM DOING THE BEST I CAN, SO BARE WITH ME. I'M NOT AN EXPERT... YET. I DO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT I AM DOING.

5 hours ago, SeanTheBermanator said:

REMINDER! DO NOT COME HERE EXPECTING TRUE HIGH QUALITY! I AM NO MAGICIAN AND MY METHODS LEAD TO VARYING RESULTS. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND! SOUNDS MAY BE A LITTLE STRANGE OR HARSH. I AM DOING THE BEST I CAN, SO BARE WITH ME. I'M NOT AN EXPERT... YET. I DO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT I AM DOING.

Hey man chill, I for one appreciate the time you've taken putting this together and I reckon your WAD is superior to Perkristian's overall across the board. 

Don't take the criticism too personally, ultimately you'll find a degree of perfectionism here given that a lot of folks are long-time stalwarts Doom-wise.

So, I simply loaded your file in SLADE and listened to the samples through its built-in playback feature.

I found the following sounds that could/should be checked and improved if possible:

DSSTNMOV: Dull
DSDOROPN: Sounds low pitched
DSBRSDTH: Background noise/hissing
DSPOPAIN: Dull
DSPODTH3: Dull
DSSLOP: Dull, hissing
DSBRSSIT: Background noise/hissing
DSSECRET: Dull, low quality
DSITEMUP: Dull
DSVILATK: Dull
DSPEPAIN: Very dull
DSSPIDTH: Some hissing
DSSGTATK: Hissing
DSVILDTH: Dull
DSSKESWG: Dull

I hope this helps with creating more consistent sound quality throughout the entire pack. There are some really good samples in the pack, so it's definitely worth the effort.

I assume DSITMBK was the untouched file that was already 22kHz?

I'm in the process of making a spreadsheet with notes on each sound. Hopefully will be done with it later today.

On 1/7/2020 at 5:35 PM, NightFright said:

...

Dull - what an original definition for an sound. I have many times heard this definition for classical music. :)

Obviously, with this perception, improvements will not help, you need a complete replacement of files.

By the way, in the original Doom there is no sound DSSECRET, so it can be safely replaced.

I use this one.

Well, it's hard for me to describe otherwise. Whatever I describe as "dull" is just missing the clearity of most other sounds, muffled, whatever you want to call it. For me it's anything that sticks out from the general sound quality level of the remaining sounds, if that helps at all. At least it provides an indicator for the sounds that should be checked and further improved.

1 hour ago, NightFright said:

Well, it's hard for me to describe otherwise. Whatever I describe as "dull" is just missing the clearity of most other sounds, muffled, whatever you want to call it. For me it's anything that sticks out from the general sound quality level of the remaining sounds, if that helps at all. At least it provides an indicator for the sounds that should be checked and further improved.

If it's hard for you to describe, then you have poor understanding what exactly improvement is in itself. But without this, in principle, it is too hard or impossible to get the desired result. Besides there is one basic thing to consider: any improvement = change. And the more improvements, the more different it will be from the original.

In General, I see the following problem: the improved sounds will not be the same quality as the replaced ones. Therefore, need to either improve only the original sounds (and do it by the same method), or replace all sounds, so that the differences in quality are minimal.

30 minutes ago, Doomenator said:

If it's hard for you to describe, then you have poor understanding what exactly improvement is in itself.

Judging sounds is very subjective and has a lot of variables to it. Different people and different equipment. I don't think having a hard time describing your feelings or not being knowledgeable in the field makes feedback invalid. Especially considering that some of my own observations align with NightFright's. They at least can be used as pointers, if feedback lacks in-depth explanations.

1 hour ago, Agitatio said:

Judging sounds is very subjective and has a lot of variables to it.

I think that subjective things in general can be ignored. Need to understand why the improved sounds are very different from those that have been replaced with higher quality.

It's just that I've also experimented with improving the original sounds, and I have a rough idea of what it's all about. If everything is clear with noise, hissing, whistling and muffled sounds, then I have no idea, for example, how to correct the dull (boring, bleak, uninteresting, dreary) sounds. )

4 hours ago, NightFright said:

So, I simply loaded your file in SLADE and listened to the samples through its built-in playback feature.

 

I found the following sounds that could/should be checked and improved if possible:

DSSTNMOV: Dull
DSDOROPN: Sounds low pitched
DSBRSDTH: Background noise/hissing
DSPOPAIN: Dull
DSPODTH3: Dull
DSSLOP: Dull, hissing
DSBRSSIT: Background noise/hissing
DSSECRET: Dull, low quality
DSITEMUP: Dull
DSVILATK: Dull
DSPEPAIN: Very dull
DSSPIDTH: Some hissing
DSSGTATK: Hissing
DSVILDTH: Dull
DSSKESWG: Dull

 

I hope this helps with creating more consistent sound quality throughout the entire pack. There are some really good samples in the pack, so it's definitely worth the effort.

Not all sounds can be bright, you know. You only think that PerKristan's pack is higher quality because of the 8-bit quantization noise. These are 16 bit with no noise.

Make sure you switch to CUBIC INTERPOLATION! Some sounds are 22kHz, which sinc makes dull.

And DSITEMUP is dull? Maybe it's about time you invest in some new headphones, @NightFright.

17 hours ago, SeanTheBermanator said:

@Spooky Skeleton boi You seem awful bitter about this mod. Why is that?

I just asked you to perhaps change one sound, that doesn't mean I hate the mod.

Just now, Spooky Skeleton boi said:

I just asked you to perhaps change one sound, that doesn't mean I hate the mod.

Ok, sorry about that. It's just that if I replace it, it won't feel like Doom as ID intended, which is what this mod is for. The only exception I ever made was with Quake Mission Pack 2, since a few of those sounds, especially the Tesla shot, didn't fit. Purists who are fine with just a QOL change are who this mod is directed towards. You can change it if you want... Nothing is stopping you. You're free to do whatever the hell ya want.

Hey, @NightFright, two things...

First off, didn't I see you on func_msgboard? The name is familiar.

Secondly, what are some of your favorite sounds in this mod?

Sorry for being disrespectful and defensive. That was not mature of me.

1 hour ago, Spooky Skeleton boi said:

I just asked you to perhaps change one sound...

:D

dsslop.zip

Well, there you go, @Spooky Skeleton boi

I just noticed... Nobody's talking about the extra sound effects... Anyone even give them a try? They fit with the rest, I can guarantee you that. The original sound caulking kinda didn't.

@SeanTheBermanator https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W0mJUt3j90K2ey6GBLLXQ3Pifh_KWoN4LAKW9TPyBSg/edit?usp=sharing

Comments are open.

Going to check out Extra SFX now.

Edit: I've added a second sheet with notes on Extra SFX. But those will take longer as there's nothing really to compare them to and I have to play with them to form an opinion.

Edit: Wolf SS active sounds don't work in-game. Also maybe move secret sound to Extra SFX?

15 hours ago, SeanTheBermanator said:

Hey, @NightFright, two things...

First off, didn't I see you on func_msgboard? The name is familiar.

Secondly, what are some of your favorite sounds in this mod?

I am active in Doom, Quake and Duke Nukem 3D comms. For Quake I was mainly one of the most active testers for the Mark V port.

Anyway, here are the sounds in your pack that strike me as the ones that I like in particular due to their clearity. Especially good is DSSSSIT ("Mein Leben") which does not seem like an upsampled version of the original to me at all. If it is, it's an excellent achievement. It's really good one way or the other.

DSSHOTGN
DSBFG
DSDORCLS
DSHOOF
DSPLASMA
DSSAWFUL
DSSAWHIT
DSMANSIT
DSBDCLS
DSPISTOL
DSFLAME
DSSSSIT (!)
DSSPISIT
DSPSTART
DSPSTOP
DSWPNUP
DSBOSPIT
DSSGCOCK

Spent some time playing with Bulb and Extra SFX. In general sounds that I were not pleased with or had some minor gripes with don't stick out as much while playing. Which is to be expected. However there is one sound that I dislike just as much after playing, and that one is DSSTNMOV. It sticks out like a sore thumb and just doesn't feel right. DSCACDTH and DSCACSIT are probably second worst, but I don't mind them as much as DSSTNMOV. Overall notes in my spreadsheet line up with in-game testing.

I'll keep using Bulb from now own, as I like the overall consistency it provides. Even though it has some flaws, the majority of sounds are still good. Especially sounds for Pistol, Plasma, Imp and Arch-vile. Those are just fantastic!