By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Music Discussion - Best DOOM soundtrack?

 

Best DOOM soundtrack?

PC 6 75.00%
 
3DO 1 12.50%
 
SNES 1 12.50%
 
32X 0 0%
 
N64 0 0%
 
Total:8

PC: has most tracks, but midi-quality depended on your soundcard (best version I found)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gEkNVq1ct0

 

3DO: CD quality version of the midi sounds but many missing tracks like 'nobody told me about ID'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m35pIk5wfNk&index=1&list=PLB2880E9A7DFF6C25

 

SNES: Ninty beats at its finest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aHRwRnFv9k

 

Genesis 32X: borderline experimental

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHAOjL3QN8A&index=5&list=PLB5E3C29128D14E10

 

Doom 64: atmospheric soundscapes, similar to PSX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz6mFzpcmHQ



Around the Network

Only played the PC version so that's my favourite by default. Have the whole soundtrack (with the recording quality, not the compressed found in the game) along some great remixes from guys like Andrew Hulshult and Nemistade in my phone. Love listening to it while working out. Or when taking a dump.



Hmm, I kind of got an urge to play Doom again. To get on topic, I think I still like the PC version the best, although the others don't sound too bad either. Of course it's entirely possible the others would grow on me if I listened to them more.



For me, the best Doom soundtrack was on Sega Saturn, Jeez so ominous, dark and ambiental.



At the time I had Creative AWE32 soundcard which had sample based synthesizer onboard, so depending on quality of your General MIDI library (which was pretty much dependent on how much expansion RAM you had on card) you could get some really good sounding MIDI music.

I remember friend of my stopping by for the first time after I bought PC - at the time he had Creative Sound Blaster 16, which was only capable of FM synthesis (not sample based, rather oscillators that frequency modulate each other, Yamaha was pioneer of that tech back in 70s and early 80s, of course their synths sounded much better than SB16) - DOOM sounds like this through it

 

Needless to say, his mind was blown when he heard it through AWE32 - it was not as good as Sound Canvas 55 (or 155 in this case, both Roland's external sound modules), as in example here under PC, but it was really something.

As for best version, 3DO sounds best, though it needs to be sped up to 1.25x



Around the Network
HoloDust said:

At the time I had Creative AWE32 soundcard which had sample based synthesizer onboard, so depending on quality of your General MIDI library (which was pretty much dependent on how much expansion RAM you had on card) you could get some really good sounding MIDI music.

I remember friend of my stopping by for the first time after I bought PC - at the time he had Creative Sound Blaster 16, which was only capable of FM synthesis (not sample based, rather oscillators that frequency modulate each other, Yamaha was pioneer of that tech back in 70s and early 80s, of course their synths sounded much better than SB16) - DOOM sounds like this through it

I believe I had a AWE32 back in the days and it sounded great but midi was replaced by CD audio or full samples on the disk pretty fast. Midi is really one of these forgotten forms of musical art.



PC is definitely the best one. The 32x version is definitely the worst.

I think the N64 one is the odd one out, not good or bad but different.

The Jaguar version has no music, so it could be the best depending on what track you play via earphones on your mp3/phone/cassette player.



numberwang said:
HoloDust said:

At the time I had Creative AWE32 soundcard which had sample based synthesizer onboard, so depending on quality of your General MIDI library (which was pretty much dependent on how much expansion RAM you had on card) you could get some really good sounding MIDI music.

I remember friend of my stopping by for the first time after I bought PC - at the time he had Creative Sound Blaster 16, which was only capable of FM synthesis (not sample based, rather oscillators that frequency modulate each other, Yamaha was pioneer of that tech back in 70s and early 80s, of course their synths sounded much better than SB16) - DOOM sounds like this through it

I believe I had a AWE32 back in the days and it sounded great but midi was replaced by CD audio or full samples on the disk pretty fast. Midi is really one of these forgotten forms of musical art.

Well, as this very example demonstrates, it depended a lot on what kind of General MIDI sound bank was in what hardware - it was good idea at the time when limited space was a big issue, but it was inconsistent from platform to platform, and with PC quite a bit even on the same platform, so it's no wonder it got replaced as soon as it was possible.



I like PC and 3DO. 32X sounds terrible. Really, truly terrible.



HoloDust said:

At the time I had Creative AWE32 soundcard which had sample based synthesizer onboard, so depending on quality of your General MIDI library (which was pretty much dependent on how much expansion RAM you had on card) you could get some really good sounding MIDI music.

I remember friend of my stopping by for the first time after I bought PC - at the time he had Creative Sound Blaster 16, which was only capable of FM synthesis (not sample based, rather oscillators that frequency modulate each other, Yamaha was pioneer of that tech back in 70s and early 80s, of course their synths sounded much better than SB16) - DOOM sounds like this through it

That's how I remember the music.  Good ole AdLib.  We eventually got better sound hardware (and also the Doom 95 version used the Windows 95 midi sounds...Wavetable Synth, I think it was called), but this is how I was introduced to Doom, Doom 2, Heretic, and Hexen music. Still holds a special place in my heart.

Last edited by CladInShadows - on 24 August 2018