QSA News

Hi all!

It’s a new year!

I’m hoping to use some of that Reinvigorated New Years Energy™ to add a bunch of new (and depending on how you look at it old) content to The Quest Studios Archive section of the site over the course of the year.

  • The first of which, is the Quest Studios Archive Quiz!  Check it out and let me know what you think about it!
  • The second is this, from now on all news about updates to The Quest Studios Archive will be made here on the main site blog posts.  For now, I will leave the old update notes on the QSA homepage and if I really feel the need to add a note there in the future, I still may.
  • The third update for today is sort of a big one, in my opinion.
    • I have updated nearly every Digital Soundtrack MP3/OGG with embedded tags (Artist, Album, Title, Composer, etc.) and even included album art wherever possible!
    • This should make adding the soundtracks you download to your own music libraries and players such as Plex, Google Play Music, iTunes, etc. much easier to organize.

I have some other very exciting things in the works for the site regarding finally getting all of the MIDI files back online, but more on that at a later time…

Cheers!

~Andrew

Why We Loved Sierra Games -by Eric Wing

A long time ago Eric Wing wrote an article that was posted on Quest Studios about the History of PC Game MIDI.  Recently he has put together a video review/rerospective about just why we loved Sierra games.  I have put up a page for his review here at the QuestStudios Archive.  It’s a great video.

Here are some teasers:

You can check out the full video at it’s page on the QuestStudios Archive here, or directly on YouTube.

The QuestStudios Archive

This post was originally written on the 4th of July 2015. I have had it waiting in draft for a while and forgot to post it until now haha!


Greetings all,

Happy 4th of July!  The 4th of July is a special day for The MIDI Music Adventure Show!  My first broadcast ever was on the 4th of July 2010.  Now, five years later, I’m still around.  I know I have not done a show in a while.  This has been due to getting married, buying my first home, and having my first child!  It’s been busy, but I expect to get back to broadcasting new shows regularly this month or next month.

Anyway…

If you have been visiting this site regularly you may have noticed that there is an exciting new section, The QuestStudios Archive!

What is that you may ask?  It is a tribute in honor of an amazing website and community, and a continuing resource for “DOS Era” adventure game music; which is a passion around here!

And why am I doing this? Well, recently, the Sierra Soundtrack Series website at QuestStudios.com was hacked. Its pages were corrupted, and most of the data was unfortunately lost. So, after careful consideration, the owners of the site, Tom and Dianne, have decided to retire it and offered me the opportunity to host the archive on my own site. 

I’m very excited about this new opportunity, and would like to personally thank Tom and Dianne for all their years of hard work and service to the gaming and game music community. This project has reinvigorated my interest in all things MIDI… so stay tuned for even more new content to come!

~Andrew

Here is a brief history about the QuestStudios site from Tom himself.  This excerpt was part of the original QuestStudios.com About page.

QUEST STUDIOS – Sierra Soundtrack Series
QS
In 1985, after discovering the personal computer and computer gaming, I was thrilled to learn of their potential and profound interaction with the world of music. I immediately bought a modem and became a member of “PC Link“, which years later became known as America Online. It was there that I met my wife, Dianne, who introduced me to the world of electronic music. Within the next few years, Sierra On-Line, Inc. had introduced MIDI soundtracks into their games — and became a dealer for Roland’s MT-32 MIDI Sound Module. Dianne had already been using the MT-32 in her teaching profession.

     Dianne and I began composing MIDI music together, swapping files via email. We soon formed a collaboration (which we then called, Quest Music) and composed hours of music together. I discovered Sierra’s MIDI music with the release of King’s Quest 4, Space Quest 3, Police Quest 2, Silpheed, and Leisure Suit Larry 2. I just loved the music I was hearing in these games and decided to record the MIDI tracks and create my own little library of Sierra music. Since MIDI in computer music was rather new in 1988, I didn’t know of anybody who would be able to use these MIDI files or who I could share them with. That soon changed as Dianne and I became Forum Hosts of PC Link’s MIDI Forum. I was able to create a section devoted to the MT-32 and computer gaming MIDI music.

     Years later after leaving PC Link, the Internet began to emerge. In 1994, we connected with a local ISP and immediately setup a web site for computer gaming music. We changed the name from Quest Music to Quest Studios, to encompass other aspects of our lives. (Graphics, video & animation, needlework, and music.) Finally, in 1997, we acquired the www.QuestStudios.com domain and became a full-fledged Internet identity.

     Because Quest Studios wanted to be known as a legitimate resource for computer music, I immediately contacted game publishers to inquire on their stance for my posting their music on the Internet. Sierra On-Line, Inc. was not only pleased with the idea, they helped me by sending free games and music files so that I could establish a good sampling of their soundtracks. Other companies were not so thrilled. LucasArts flatly refused to have their music posted on the ‘Net and asked that I remove any song files I had posted from their games. Of the few companies that did respond, I felt the selection would be too limited to promote Quest Studios as a “game” music resource. Though you will find game music on the ‘Net from almost every game ever made, the chances that the copyright owners have granted permission to post all of it is rather unlikely.

     Having Sierra’s blessings, and because of the great number of soundtracks available in their games, I decided to make Sierra music the only music I would promote — and named the web site the “Sierra Soundtrack Series.” And for the past decade, Quest Studios has maintained the Sierra Soundtrack Series web site for one primary reason, as stated on our main page:

“…to keep the wonderful music of Sierra On-Line alive and well…and available to all.”

Over the years, it has never failed to amaze me how many have appreciated what we’ve made available. Quest Studios has always offered the music on this web site without unwanted advertising associated with its service. In addition, several supporters and regular visitors have offered their own server space for storage at no cost or obligation. We are approaching our twenty-year ‘web-based’ anniversary and feel as strongly about this service now as when we first began. Even now, new MIDI and MP3’s are posted regularly, and we hope will continue to be for many years to come.


     Another aspect of Quest Studios has always been its strong support of the Roland MT-32 Sound Module. In that regard, you’ll find another web site on our servers called “The Roland MT-32 Sound Module Resource Center.” Here, you can download utilities, documentation, patch banks, and other MT-32 related material.

     And finally, it has been our pleasure to be part of the AGD Interactive team, composing soundtrack music for several Sierra classic remakes. This progressed to our composing the soundtrack for Al Emmo And The Lost Dutchman’s Mine, the first commercial adventure game created and produced by Himalaya Studios.

 

~Tom Lewandowski QuestStudios Logo

Episode 165: Funny Christmas Games and Other Stuff…

“New Shows” for the archive!

So… I finally got around to encoding the last batch of shows that I’ve been to busy or lazy to upload in the past 6+ months.

Sorry about that! I swear we will start doing new shows soon…

However, as you probably have noticed, there is a lot of new things going on here with the site as of late. Our new section, “The QuestStudios Archive” is coming along nicely. If you have not checked it out yet, I suggest you go there now!

Anyway…

Merry Christmas!
In this episode we play some funny Christmas related video games and other things happen!

Enjoy!

Download Episode 165!

Episode 164: Metroid Prime!

“New Shows” for the archive!

So… I finally got around to encoding the last batch of shows that I’ve been to busy or lazy to upload in the past 6+ months.

Sorry about that! I swear we will start doing new shows soon…

However, as you probably have noticed, there is a lot of new things going on here with the site as of late. Our new section, “The QuestStudios Archive” is coming along nicely. If you have not checked it out yet, I suggest you go there now!

Anyway…

In this episode we play Metroid Prime!

Enjoy!

Download Episode 164!