Curse

EternalTempest · Oct 31, 2006, 05:42 PM // 17:42

DirectSong FAQ
Version 2.0.2 - 6/5/11

For Installing / Troubleshooting - See DirectSong FAQ Addendum
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10391162

DirectSong music packs allowed you to add higher quality versions of music already in GuildWars, as well as adding new music done by same music creator / composer, Jermy Soule.

DirectSong's Homepage - http://www.directsong.com/
DirectSong's Support Website - http://www.directsong.com/support/
About Jermy Soule's - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Soule.

How it works - From DirectSong's "Guild Wars DirectSong Music Read Me First.rtf"

Quote:

When Guild Wars starts up, it first determines if you have any DirectSong music files on your PC. It does this by reading the information from your computers registry. If the registry information is correct, Guild Wars now knows where your DirectSong folder is. One critical thing Guild Wars knows is where to find the ds_GuildWars.dll file is located since this file is required to play back the DirectSong version of a song.

While playing the game, should you change zones or should you be in a location long enough for the music to swap to another song Guild Wars looks to see if the song is available as the DirectSong version. If the DirectSong music file is found on your computer it will load and play that version instead of version which is embedded in the game.

This list of music files to played in the different locations in the game is contained in the file, GuildWars.ds.

Make Your Own Soundtrack

Silent Coyote has written a great, easy to use program for editing the GuildWars.ds to make your own soundtrack, even adding your own music http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...1&postcount=71

Guild Wars Prophecies Music Packs

GW101a Guild Wars Special Edition Soundtrack $5.99 [CD Burning allowed]
(Cost) $5.99 | (Tracks) 32 | (Bit Rate) 320 kbs | (Time) 1 hr 6 min

This provided higher quality version’s of the in-game music with 4 bonus tracks.

GW101e "Special Edition" Guild Wars [No Cd Audio burning rights]
(Cost) NA | (Tracks) 36 | (Bit Rate) 320 kbs | (Time) 1 hr 19 min

An exclusive music pack that only comes with the "Special Edition" of GuildWars.
It contains the GW101a GuildWars Special Edition Soundtrack (all 32 tracks) plus 4 exclusive one's only found in this version of GuildWars.
Entering Bonus code at this website: http://www.directsong.com/gws

GW102m Sorrow's Furnace Mini-Pak [No CD Burning Rights]
(Cost) Free | (Tracks) 8 | (Bit Rate) 128 kbs | (Time) 25 min 15 sec

Added higher quality version’s of the music from the Sorrow’s Furnace Expansion that was added to Prophecies.

GW103 Guild Wars Battle Pak One $5.99 [No Cd burning rights]
(Cost) $5.99 | (Tracks) 16 | (Bit Rate) 320 kbs | (Time) 1 hr 00 sec

This adds a large amount of new music and mix’s it within the game.

Guild Wars Factions Music Packs

GWF101 Guild Wars Factions Original Soundtrack [Allow CD Burning rights]
(Cost) $9.99 | (Tracks) 27 | (Bit Rate) 320 kbs | (Time) 57 min 32 sec

Add’s higher quality versions of the Factions in game music as well a some new ones.

GWF101e Guild Wars Factions Collector's Edition Expansion Music [No Cd burning rights]
(Cost) NA | (Tracks) 9 | (Bit Rate) 128 kbs | (Time) 30 min 22 sec

An exclusive music pack that only comes with the "Collector's Edition" of Factions. It add's music not found anywhere else. Entering Bonus code at this website: http://www.directsong.com/gwf

Guild Wars Nightfall Music Packs

GWNF101 Guild Wars Nightfall Original Soundtrack
(Cost) $9.99 | (Tracks) 41 | (Bit Rate) 320 kbs | (Time) 1 hr 20 min

Add’s higher quality versions of the Nightfall in game music as well a some new ones.

GWNF101e Guild Wars Nightfall Collector’s Edition Expansion Music
(Cost) NA | (Tracks) 6 | (Bit Rate) 128 kbs | (Time) 20 min 16 sec

An exclusive music pack that only comes with the "Collector's Edition" of Nightfall. It add's music not found anywhere else.
Entering Bonus code at this website: http://www.directsong.com/gwnf

Guild Wars Eyes of The North (Expansion) Music Packs

GWEN101 Guild Wars Eye of the North Original Soundtrack [? Cd Audio burning rights]
(Cost) $9.99 | (Tracks) 33 | (Bit Rate) 320 kbs | (Time) 1 hr 15 min

This is the only DirectSong pack available for GWEN. There was no Special or Collector's Edition of Gwen.

For Installing / Troubleshooting - See DirectSong FAQ Addendum
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10391162

Misc Notes
2.0.0 Major Update / Revision
2.0.1 Jeremy Soule site links to wiki. His old site gone now a generic company "group" that he only get's a mention among many.

Credit
The great forum members of guru and there many contributions
My obsession with Jeremy Soule's music, the cool idea of DirectSong and of course Anet and GuildWars, and wanting to put all this information all in one place.

Rathcail · Nov 01, 2006, 01:39 AM // 01:39

Was wondering where this thread had vanished to.

Omega X · Nov 01, 2006, 05:27 AM // 05:27

I think he rewrote it a second time. But with the way mods delete things around here, you never really know half the time.

Play time is 80 minuets on the GWNF soundtrack BTW. I don't know what's the difference between the 101e and 101. I wish that they would stop doing that.

Rathcail · Nov 01, 2006, 12:15 PM // 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega X

I don't know what's the difference between the 101e and 101.

101e is the the Collector's Edition exclusive tracks. Six tracks long I think it was.

Zakarr · Nov 01, 2006, 02:50 PM // 14:50

I find it pretty lame that some music tracks can be unlocked only by buying certain version of the Guild Wars campaigns.

Trading Outpost (Bonus)
Divinity Coast (Bonus)
Tears of the Fallen (Bonus)
The Great Raid (Bonus)

Veteran players have to buy Prophecies AGAIN (special edition?) to get these tracks.

They miss potential customers. I would buy ALL new tracks if they ever come to directsong. However, im not going to buy another copy of the game just because of 4 new tracks.

EternalTempest · Nov 01, 2006, 05:23 PM // 17:23

101e only came with the "Special Edition" it cost the same of the collector's edition, comes with a bunch of goodies and was targeting Europe. It also contained an artbook 2, code to give you bathlazar faction and more.

This type of new music for the "exclusive" x version of GuildWars seems to be bundled only with the collector's edition's now.

Omega X · Nov 01, 2006, 10:08 PM // 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zakarr

I find it pretty lame that some music tracks can be unlocked only by buying certain version of the Guild Wars campaigns.

They miss potential customers. I would buy ALL new tracks if they ever come to directsong. However, im not going to buy another copy of the game just because of 4 new tracks.

I agree.

What's the point of buying a sound track from DirectSong when you never get all of the music. Obviously the CE costs $20 more because of 1. Soundtrack @ 9.99 and 2. the other stuff @ 9.99.

I sent a query to DirectSong and I'm going to ask Gaile about that the next time she's on.

EDIT: Direct Song claims its the same amount of music.

Quote:

I am a support tech, and I am sorry to tell you that I don't know.

But what I do know is that Collector's Edition Packaging contains a CD with 35 tracks and then there are 6 additional tracks someone can download from our site.

If you get the OST, you get 41 tracks with over 81 minutes of music.

I haven't done a minute count to compare but I bet it is about the same.

Best Regards,

Casey

Rathcail · Nov 02, 2006, 12:45 AM // 00:45

For me the point of buying the soundtrack from DirectSong has always been the bonus tracks included in it. Also the choice of which version of Guild Wars I'd buy has always been the one that has exclusive music with it.

"Exclusive music" as DirectSong and Anet has been advertising it past these three chapters. I doubt they'd suddenly put them available for everyone now.

Edit: And as far as potential customers go, I would not buy CE versions of the game if the music would be available elsewhere.

Zakarr · Nov 02, 2006, 08:51 AM // 08:51

Well, those tracks I listed earlier, are not from any CE. They are in Prophecies Special Edition. It was available much later and therefore old players are put in unfair position because they have to buy another copy while new players just buy the SE and get them.

Quote:

Guild Wars Special Edition

* Game Discs: 2 CDs in plastic DVD case

* Guild Wars Manual: The Manuscripts: 144 pages of information

* Bonus Skill Pack Code: Unlock 7 skills, 1 Elite skill, 1 rune and 1 weapon upgrade

* Guild Wars Soundtrack CD: Music by British Academy Award winner Jeremy Soule

* Bonus Music Key: Free access to additional in-game music from Direct Song

* Guild Wars Art Book: The Art of Guild Wars Book 2; 72 Pages

* Map of Tyria; 600mm by 360mm, folded

* Quick Reference Card: Full-colour card showing keyboard layout and key mapping

* Game Activation Card containing your Access Key

Rathcail · Nov 02, 2006, 09:45 AM // 09:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zakarr

because they have to buy another copy

Which is exactly what I did with that SE version.

It's the same thing as with whatever ingame item goodies Anet offers with various Guild Wars versions they put out. If you want them, you have to buy that version. I'm not seeing those being made available for everyone either.

Omega X · Nov 02, 2006, 05:28 PM // 17:28

Regardless, owners of the SE should be able to buy the same amount of music from DirectSong. IF they actually need to create exclusivity to the in-game music then the CE really wasn't worth squat to begin with.

dbunder · Nov 05, 2006, 02:09 AM // 02:09

All you have to do is download and install the song packs from directsong and they'll automatically integrate into GW? It's a bit unclear what you need to do in order to get them to work.

Kerus Tel Veren · Nov 06, 2006, 12:41 AM // 00:41

A few questions about this - I have the battle pack, and collector's editions for GW, Factions, and Nightfall, all with their attendant directsong packs installed

However, I was not aware that purchasing the soundtracks actually integrated with the game and upgraded the music quality for each of GW/Factions/Nightfall

Is that true? If so, is there a side by side comparison of the same song? I'm not going to buy the music 'sight unseen' unless I can actually hear the difference

Omega X · Nov 06, 2006, 06:03 AM // 06:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbunder

All you have to do is download and install the song packs from directsong and they'll automatically integrate into GW? It's a bit unclear what you need to do in order to get them to work.

When you buy the packs, they will have a download area for the installers.

The installer asks you to choose a location to put the music. Then it downloads them and two other files to that spot that you chose and links the location via the registry.

They won't integrate into the DAT file, they will play externally.

@ Kerus Tel Veren

The majority of music files from DirectSong are 320kbps now. I know that is not saying much, but I personally can hear the difference between the in game music and the better quality version. Your mileage may vary however. But for what its worth, there is a preview area on directsong.com for the different song packs minus the battle pak for prophecies(I honestly don't know why).

generik · Nov 06, 2006, 07:42 AM // 07:42

Any chance we can buy lossless versions?

For some reason even the 320kbps ones still sound pretty bad on my machine... at least for the factions ones I bought the previous time.

Cow Tale · Nov 06, 2006, 08:11 AM // 08:11

..........you all actually pay for this? lol what a waste.

Omega X · Nov 06, 2006, 08:05 PM // 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cow Tale

..........you all actually pay for this? lol what a waste.

Troll somewhere else please.

@ Generik

There is no known Lossless version. If they ever do go lossless, they will want a DRM scheme that works with WMP.

dbunder · Nov 06, 2006, 08:41 PM // 20:41

generik, haven't tried it, but if you have the soundtracks on cd, perhaps you can rip them to wma losslessly (if you can do that with wma - i try to avoid the format) and replace the wma files in the directsong directories with them. worth a shot.

how do you tell if the directsong versions are actually playing? does it open WMP in the background and play them? i don't think i've gotten to points in the game yet where they should be playing - but i will be today, likely.

EternalTempest · Nov 06, 2006, 08:54 PM // 20:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbunder

generik, haven't tried it, but if you have the soundtracks on cd, perhaps you can rip them to wma losslessly (if you can do that with wma - i try to avoid the format) and replace the wma files in the directsong directories with them. worth a shot.

how do you tell if the directsong versions are actually playing? does it open WMP in the background and play them? i don't think i've gotten to points in the game yet where they should be playing - but i will be today, likely.

When you install the directsong pack, it add's info to the Windows Registry. When GuildWars fires up, it looks at the Windows Registry to see if DirectSong is installed. GuildWars (clinet) has the ability to play wma music itself (not using Windows Media Player). A way to see if you have a directsong playing is go to option, then check the sound tab. The DS logo / music note will be light up.

Lynxius · Nov 06, 2006, 09:13 PM // 21:13

After installing the music to my direct song directory, the button "Listen" apears.

I click it, and a new window opens, saying i need to aquire licenses.

It enters a page and asks me to put my email adress and password in order to aquire the licences.

I put them both, and after pressing enter, in order to progress, it goes to a white page, saying "Problem, page no found"

Im using Firefox, and my Internet explorer is messed up due to some virus long time ago (not like id use it anyway, Ie is CRAP)

Help apreciated.

I payed for this crap ( when i bought CE ) , and it doesnt work.