Hey there, music archivists!

 

The next episode of the Space Quest Historian podcast (coming out on Dec 25) is going to prominently feature my all-time favorite tune from the Space Quest series, the Format Countdown.

 

I know there have been a bunch of remixes and reworkings of this tune over the many years -- I know I did a few myself, which I have sadly lost. I managed to find my old "rock'n'roll remix" MIDI on an old Angelfire site, but I know there are many more somewhere out there.

 

Can anyone hook me up with any cool versions of this kick-ass tune? The more, the merrier!

Are you talking about this countdown song? http://www.sierramusiccentral.com/musics/sq5cd/SQ5Track36.mp3 If so, that is my favorite version of it that I know. :)

That's SQ5. Pretty sure Troels is talking about the theme from SQ4.

I see. It's confusing, because there is multiple format countdowns in the Space Quest games.

No, there is only one FORMAT Countdown track because it refers to an actual computer 'format' (a complete wipe of a computer system). The countdown in SQ5 is for a self destruct. ;)

PCJ is right (as usual). This is the track I mean:

 

http://www.spacequest.net/archives/sq4/soundtrack/SQ4_31-%20Format%20Countdown.mp3

I like to pretend I was the one who came up with the title "Format Countdown," which has since become sorta the accepted title for that track. I know that's not the title Ken Allen gave it. I may be wrong about making it up, of course. But I like to think I did. ;)

Hah I think you're right! Now that I think of it the first time I read that title was for one of your earlier remixes!

 

Incidentally, I just envisioned a parody of Europe's Final Countdown...

Oops. English gives me problems. :wacko: I never knew what "format countdown" meant. Only "countdown"

Well, the space quest rhapsody I'm working on contains the format countdown theme, but I'm not yet ready, will need a month or two more of polishing work. Still, looking forward to that episode :)

Do you think it would be possible to present a sneak preview of your medley containing the Format Countdown on the podcast? Could be a teaser for your big medley.

I scoured my old Sierra backup CDs looking for those old SQ fangames like Orat Soccer, Eureka Trash Pickup, Aliens Stole My Plunger, SQ3.5, but the one I was specifically looking for was Escape Vohaul's Asteroid because it had one of my favourite of your remixes of the Format Countdown, Troels, which was in a straight 4/4 rock time signature. I found a few of them, alas I did not backup some....including Escape Vohaul's Asteroid. :(

Brandon: You mean this one? :)

 

I did a search for "Format Countdown" and it was the only one that came up. I know there was at least three versions I did in tracker format (.MOD/.S3M), which, granted, all sucked, but I'd love to somehow get those back. Curse my inability to keep track of backups.

That link is a 404. :(

Troels: if you'd asked 1 month ago, I could have. I did the prototype with a tracker and bad samples, but it sounded OK. Now i'm in the process of converting everything to orchestral VSTis, and the conversion is halfway finished, so that nothing sounds mixed together wellenough anymore. Sadly I didn't backup the tracked version before I started the conversion. So I'd rather not share it for the moment.

 

If you give me a time frame (deadline) I can see if I can isolate and polish the format countdown theme on time for your podcast!

That link is a 404. :(

Oh, poopy.  Well, here's where I got it from: http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/planetrog/pr_download_music.html

 

 

Troels: if you'd asked 1 month ago, I could have. I did the prototype with a tracker and bad samples, but it sounded OK. Now i'm in the process of converting everything to orchestral VSTis, and the conversion is halfway finished, so that nothing sounds mixed together wellenough anymore. Sadly I didn't backup the tracked version before I started the conversion. So I'd rather not share it for the moment.

 

If you give me a time frame (deadline) I can see if I can isolate and polish the format countdown theme on time for your podcast!

That's okay; I wouldn't want you to show off something you weren't satisfied with. :)  Well, as far as it not being in the Christmas episode for the 25th, there really is no time frame.  I would just feature it whenever you were done and dusted with it.

That's the one!!!!