BGM & SE Issues Index

[drojf]

This thread will be used to keep track of all the BGM/SE related issues in our Higurashi Mod.

BGM & SE Update 2024 (Kilicool64)

Reminder for myself of changes to be made in update

• Run Kilicool64's batch file to generate renamed BGM suitable for hou+
• Generate BGM name mapping file for question arcs and hou+
• Compare to see the differences with existing tracks (listen and or view changes in bgm name mapping)
• Get updated descriptions from Kilicool64 and put in question arcs and hou+ init.txt
• Find-and-replace "Mangagamer" to "MangaGamer"
• Change Hou+ Demo option to use "new" SE intead of "old" SE in question and hou+ init.txt
• Rename OST Remake option to "Fan OST Remake" and put at end of list
• Re-order BGM options according to mod team recommendation? Previously had issues with preferencing certain BGM options but maybe now it is OK.
• Optional: fix OST remake appearing twice by making it a checkmark instead of a separate option (to be applied ontop of any other option).

Updated descriptions to be added

New MangaGamer BGM/SE (2019)

Use the new Background Music (BGM) and Sound Effects (SE) introduced by MangaGamer in the April 2019 update

It uses the conversions of nerve's tracks that made their debut in the original Japanese release of Hou Compilation (2014), but all of the AI-D-IA tracks were replaced. Most of the replacements are from the soundtracks of Kai and Rei, but there are also some new tracks whose composer is unknown.

"GIN's BGM/SE" OR "Hou (2014) BGM/SE"

This option uses GIN's Background Music (BGM) and Sound Effects (SE), which is virtually identical to what was included in the original Japanese release of Hou Compilation (2014) in terms of BGM.

Please click on the 'Open BGM/SE FAQ' button to view the 07th-mod wiki for more details.

This option was previously known as 'Original BGM/SE' or 'BGM/SE fix'.

All of the tracks that make their debut in Onikakushi and the character themes are by AI-D-IA and were taken from the original Japanese release of Himatsubushi. Most of the remaining tracks are based on MIDIs from nerve.

However, because the original conversions of those were extremely poor, this pack instead uses the same conversions as the New MangaGamer BGM.

The SE should be similar to the Pre-April Update SE, but this has not been thoroughly checked yet.

TODO?: Rename title to "Hou BGM"? If do this

• Need to update answer arcs descriptions so users know which bgm option to pick if they previously used Hou BGM.
• Credit GIN in the BGM description since it's no longer in the name.

Hou+ Demo (2020)

This option replaces 16 BGM with BGM from the Higurashi Hou+ demo (2020). It uses the same conversions of nerve's tracks as the New MangaGamer BGM, but the replacements for the AI-D-IA tracks are different.

Those by U2 Akiyama have been rearranged (except for one that's virtually unchanged), while the rest were replaced with new compositions by xaki.

This option is not available for Chapters 5-8 and Rei because most of their music isn't in the Hou+ demo.

All other tracks will use the New Mangagamer BGM and GIN's/Original SE.

The SE should be similar to the Pre-April Update SE, but this has not been thoroughly checked yet.

TODO: Rename GIN's/Original SE if name is changed

Hou+ (2022)

This option uses the BGM found in the full version of the Japanese release of Hou+ (2022).

Compared to the Hou+ demo (2020), the xaki track MIND THE GAP has been sped up, while the nerve tracks Fascism and Lie lies-lies lie were newly converted. Everything else is unchanged.

The SE should be similar to the Pre-April Update SE, but this has not been thoroughly checked yet.

BGM & SE Status

Just as a quick summary, the mod now supports switching various sets of BGM/SE:

1. New BGM/SE (stock Mangagamer BGM/SE)
2. Original BGM/SE (BGM/SE from the Japanese version of the game)
3. Only for Question arcs - OST Remake (Italo's remake). Missing tracks are replaced with 1. or 2. depending on your option.

This not only includes straight asset swapping, but for the Answer arcs (5-8) also special cases where a BGM might start or end at a different time (this is specified in the game script).

BGM & SE TODO

However, there is still some work to be done on the Question arcs (1-4):

1. Special cases where a BGM might start or end at a different time aren't implemented for the Question Arcs
2. I think some SE still needs to be fixed for the Question arcs

Related Active Issues

• Add missing kaze BGM in OG mode meakashi#77 (2021)
• Wrong BGM in OG BGM mode near start of game tatarigoroshi#89 (2021)
• Remastering music #38 (2018)

Related Closed, but perhaps still relevant issues

• Feature: enable the 2020 demo BGM? onikakushi#203 (2022)
• Several of the so-called "original" sound effects do not correspond to those in the 2006 version of Kai at all meakashi#79 (2022)
  • This lists sound effects which are different between the Original Japanese release and our "GIN's BGM/SE" option (formerly Original BGM/SE option)

Related Old/Stale Issues

• Some BGM/sound effect versions are inconsistent with the question arcs meakashi#68 (2020)
• [BGM] hig_sample_kyouki.ogg has unpleasant and possibly damaging high pitched frequencies  meakashi#54 (2020)
  • Remove unpleasant BGM artifacts from hig_sample_kyouki meakashi#55 (2020)
• Alt music/sound function and startup choice #56 (2019)
• Missing or Incorrect BGM in Minagoroshi minagoroshi#5 (2019)
• Redundant files in classic BGM pack for question arcs #60 (2019)
• Audio Corrections #53 (2019)

Related Closed Issues

• Updates needed for BGM reversion python-patcher#133 (2021)
• Switchable BGM/SE support higurashi-assembly#59 (2021)
• Major audio update (all chapters) #55 (2019)