i'm in a desperate need of help
up to now all of the games i made with allegro (actually they are just 3) are without sound.
Since this morning one of my projects came to me, crying and begging, asking for some sound how could i let him down ?
So i opened my powerful spellbook (the allegro manual) and looked for the sound functions...
unfortunately i found out that allegro can handle only MIDI files, or with the help of an external lib, like DUMB, MOD files; the problem is that all
of my sound files are in wav (the sound effects) or in mp3(the musics) format.
I tryed to convert this files into MIDIs with a program (intelliScore Polyphonic) but the result was actually very poor ...
Can someone suggest a better technique?

You're in luck - Allegro plays wav files

Have a look at the following pages of the manual:
Sound initialization
Digital sample routines
load_wav
play_sample

That should get you started.

Have a look at exsample.c for help on using these. It plays the wave file specified on the command line. (Attachment)

Sure. Enjoy

Thank you

Only if you have decent hardware. I don't eve have hardware that can play midi itsself. I have to use a SoftSynth to play any/all midi, wich will likely use up much more cpu than mp3

Yes. No. How midis play is completely dependent on how ones computer handles it. And wav probably won't compress greatly since most compression algorithms are based on run length or on frequency of characters (both these algos will fail to achieve impressive results with wav). MOD/IT/XM is probably best choice.

Waves? Big? Just OGG compress them.

That's an over-statement which everyone seems to use. The only thing that's usually different, is per-brand MIDI instruments. My card can use custom instrument packs as well.

Yes and no. If you don't have a really good musical artist, modules might work best. But modules lack everything studio audio has. Mastering, and all those nice finishing touches (like EQ).

mod(xt,s3m etc) format was develop several year ago for atari or amiga.this format was use in ut or unreal.
try to find modplug for making mod music.it s a very good tracker

go at :http://www.united-trackers.org/2000/software/ to find more info about mod format

o and about mod music it s a very small format becose it use a little set of instruments and sample.

thanks for the tip(gregoire) and for the help(Etwinox)

aryx a s3m music:2,17 min --->20.3 ko ,8sounds
u can listen ut music:a music like mission(aussault mod-->debarquement) have a lenght of 4,13 min and it s only 700 ko(good kality)

ok wait i find a ut music

ok fuiii i run on my own pc ok
mission in s3m lenght 4,13 min size:720ko
mission in mp3 lenght 4,13 min size about 4 meg

dl the attachement its mission in s3m u need mod plug player to read it

?? where i can find more information about mo3??

But that module only has 14 (20-30k) samples. And it doesn't sound as high quality as [insert favorite band].

Let me get this straight though. I don't hate modules. I track modules. But there are noticable "faults" in modules. The most important two, is probably the lack of an EQ, and the lack of ANY useful effects whatsoever. No chorus, no flanger, no reverb (essential for vocals), etc.

Vocals also make a module huge.

A module can become bigger than mp3s. But this only happens when the complexity (and quality of samples) of the module, exceeds a certain point. I know of guys who track high-quality 130mb+ modules.

I don't even remember the original point. Other than that the only advantage that modules have, is that they're smaller (which isn't always true). But they also lack in mastering.

Keeping all of what I said in mind, I should look into writing one with built-in support for the common mastering tools...

Here perhaps.