NW10102520: "DINOSAUR" Complete FM Oscillator Version

[Revoc]

Isn't this album a reprinted version of "Music from Dinosaur"?
http://vgmdb.net/album/2924

[seanne]

There's at least a slight difference in the sound between these two, and I think the intention was for this album to have a different sound (hence the "FM Oscillator Version" title). But it really doesn't seem to be a very big difference, to me at least.

[Revoc]

Thanks for feedback. I found it strange because this NW10102520 was catalogued as reprint in Falcom Music Information, but if this content isn't exactly the same, despite the same disc length, I think it's better maintain the separate entries.

[Carl]

The percussions and synths do indeed have a different sound between the 2 sources, so yeah they are separate entities.
I also updated the track times here. Most are similar in length, only varying by a few seconds, but a few are extended.

[seanne]

I'd rather consider this to be original sound than arranged, just not using the consoles sound board, so I made some edits.

[Cqef]

*6 years later*

If you actually did really bother to compare both Music from Dinosaur and Dinosaur Complete FM Oscillator Version, you should have noticed something particularly major and impossible to miss.

In Music from Dinosaur, they tried to create some kind of 3D-wannabe or at the very least a stereo sound effect. So to create depth, they converted the mono output of the game (from the Nec PC-8801) into a stereo signal and applied a couple milliseconds of delay in one of the two channels, and that's it. Don't ask me how they came to the conclusion that it was a good idea, because yeah, it sounds as bad as one would think, it's a mess.

In 2002, they took the opportunity to release, alongside the remake of Dinosaur, a proper OST of the original game by the name of Dinosaur Complete Oscillator Version. And this time without any crappy sound effect. They used the PC-9801 version this time, but given that they use the same Yamaha YM2203 OPN soundchip, it's exactly the same as on the older PC-8801.

[Spirit_Chaser]

I really hate the misunderstanding behind the music of Dinosaur. The FM Towns version of this soundtrack is one of Falcom's finest work, yet RPGFan and Falcom's own soundtrack releases trashed any chance for the game's music to have a chance. Do yourself a favor and look up the FM Towns version of Dinosaur.

[Aifread]

RPGFan in my experience has zero appreciation for FM synth. I've seen them knock several excellent soundtracks because of their "inferior sound chip" or some such nonsense, even going so far as to negatively compare something to Music From Sorcerian. They've bred a breed of Falcom fan that doesn't care about anything from before the new millennium but will gush endlessly over modern JDK Band and the one-trick pony that is Yukihiro Jindo and his posse of tone-deaf mastering engineers. I get that everyone has their preferences, but I feel like you shouldn't be reviewing something that you don't have an ear for.

Thanks for the tip on the FM Towns version. Listening on Youtube now and it's excellent.

[Chris Porter]

I've honestly avoided the music from Dinosaur because of how bad a review it got. I'm also listening to the FM-Towns version on YouTube at the moment and am thoroughly enjoying it.

[《J》]

Originally Posted by Aifread

RPGFan in my experience has zero appreciation for FM synth. I've seen them knock several excellent soundtracks because of their "inferior sound chip" or some such nonsense, even going so far as to negatively compare something to Music From Sorcerian. They've bred a breed of Falcom fan that doesn't care about anything from before the new millennium but will gush endlessly over modern JDK Band and the one-trick pony that is Yukihiro Jindo and his posse of tone-deaf mastering engineers. I get that everyone has their preferences, but I feel like you shouldn't be reviewing something that you don't have an ear for.

This sums up my feelings about sites like RPGFan, SEMO/VGMO, Soundtrack Central and so on. I can perfectly understand someone not liking FM music, but it really annoyed me to see so much misinformation and disrespect towards these soundtracks while gushing over arrangements of questionable quality and even Koshiro's FM work at times (these are good, just pointing out the hypocrisy). The "reviews" for both The Legend of Xanadu games aren't much better either, due to using the PC Engine's PSG for most of the music instead of redbook like in Hudson Soft's ports of Falcom games on the PC Engine CD. To this day, you can still find absolutely awful and uninformed takes like this one here about the Mega Drive soundtrack of Ys III, despite this version being the most faithful to Ishikawa's original PC-x8 OST (due to also using a sound chip from Yamaha's OPN family) and using CUBE's sound driver. Reasons like this and Falcom's shady practices is what drove me to figure out who made what in Falcom's soundtracks, along with people like Spirit_Chaser.

Music from Dinosaur is really not recommendable due to the recording engineer's galaxy brain attempt at getting stereo audio via awful pseudo-3D/stereo effect on that album. Going to such lengths to TRY to make stereo out of the YM2203's mono sound is ridiculous, especially when the FM-Towns soundtrack uses the YM2618 and IS stereo. The original PC-x8 soundtrack didn't deserve this treatment and a proper album was still much needed, which is why I'm glad Falcom released Complete FM Oscillator Version in 2002. But the FM Towns soundtrack really should have gotten an album release -- it is excellent and an upgrade over the PC-x8 version, although I still miss the drumming in certain tracks like Charge! and The Tower of Ordeals.

I can also vouch for Dinosaur Resurrection. I generally don't like arrange soundtracks because I feel these tend to miss the point entirely (or aren't unique/interesting enough to stand on their own), but I think Matsumura and Hattori did a really good job with this one.

[Aifread]

Originally Posted by 《J》

To this day, you can still find absolutely awful and uninformed takes like this one here about the Mega Drive soundtrack of Ys III

That was painful to read. MD/Genesis is not only incredibly faithful to Ishikawa's original PC-88 version as you pointed out, the CUBE sound driver is what makes it the definitive FM experience imo (though X68000 is a close second) and it's a crime Falcom hasn't released it as an album yet. Maybe Wave Master can work their magic like they did for the MD version of Sorcerian...

[《J》]

Yeah, Kubotera and Iwadare completely nailed it with the Mega Drive version and CUBE's sound driver is one of the best of the console. Kawai also did a great job with the X68000 version (and Dinosaur too, of course). Felghana almost feels sterile at times, though it still has some moments.

Ys III Mega Drive was ported by Riot/Telenet Japan, I don't know who owns the rights anymore (maybe Iwadare might know something). SEGA themselves ported Sorcerian to the Mega Drive and still owned the rights, which is probably why Wave Master was able to give it the proper album release it deserved.

I still wish Falcom would release albums for Dinosaur FM-Towns, Revival Xanadu II and Brandish VT, among other rarities here and there like the first The Legend of Heroes on MSX2 and some Windows stuff. Well, Brandish VT's music is honestly rather sad compared to Kaneda and Tsunashima's incredible score for Brandish 3, but it still has some good/great tracks.

[Aifread]

Originally Posted by 《J》

SEGA themselves ported Sorcerian to the Mega Drive and still owned the rights, which is probably why Wave Master was able to give it the proper album release it deserved.

I'm still a bit confused about Wave Master's Sorcerian releases. I get that Sega did the MD version themselves, but they had no involvement with the PC-88VA versions, right? I found it odd that those were put out by them and not Falcom themselves.

Originally Posted by 《J》

I still wish Falcom would release albums for Dinosaur FM-Towns, Revival Xanadu II and Brandish VT, among other rarities here and there like the first The Legend of Heroes on MSX2 and some Windows stuff.

Let's start a petition to Falcom for a Special Box 2021

[《J》]

Originally Posted by Aifread

I'm still a bit confused about Wave Master's Sorcerian releases. I get that Sega did the MD version themselves, but they had no involvement with the PC-88VA versions, right? I found it odd that those were put out by them and not Falcom themselves.

That's right, Falcom made the PC-88VA versions. My guess is that Falcom thought it was not worth the effort of releasing it by themselves, since Music from Sorcerian and Sorcerian SAV II + III already exist (even though the OPNA soundtracks are some of Falcom's finest FM work). Falcom is generally happy licensing their stuff out, since it's a very reliable, "low risk" way of income for the company and they don't have to do any work. It's basically "free money" for them.

In addition, tk_nz, the creator of Ys Music Files, was the director of both Wave Master's Sorcerian "Original Soundtrack" albums. He was also the CD director for Xanadu Sound Collection.

Originally Posted by Aifread

Let's start a petition to Falcom for a Special Box 2021

Haha, that would be neat. At least it would be worth paying for, unlike Singa's noisy music.

[Aifread]

Originally Posted by 《J》

In addition, tk_nz, the creator of Ys Music Files, was the director of both Wave Master's Sorcerian "Original Soundtrack" albums. He was also the CD director for Xanadu Sound Collection.

Whoa, I was NOT aware of that! Would certainly explain how he got the opportunity to ask the composers for confirmation on who wrote what.

[Datschge]

Originally Posted by 《J》

Ys III Mega Drive was ported by Riot/Telenet Japan, I don't know who owns the rights anymore

If the game and its music is part of originally Telenet Japan owned assets, the rights owner recently changed from City Connection to Edia, which is the parent company of TEAM Entertainment.

[niki]

Originally Posted by 《J》

In addition, tk_nz, the creator of Ys Music Files, was the director of both Wave Master's Sorcerian "Original Soundtrack" albums. He was also the CD director for Xanadu Sound Collection.

Aw that is so cool. Thanks for sharing I had no idea either.

I could relate to the above convo on VGM "critics" and modern Falcom as well. It's good to see the old fans are actually taking it in their own hands to preserve the old classics and release never printed before material. Hope they keep releasing more and more indeed.

[Lucumo]

Originally Posted by niki

I could relate to the above convo on VGM "critics" and modern Falcom as well.

As someone not really into music (despite having an account here), what's so bad about "modern Falcom". And what does "modern" Falcom even mean in the context of their music? For me, modern Falcom means post-Kato timeline aka when they abandoned the PC basically. But that's from a player's perspective.