SRB2 2.0 / 2.1 Lossless / Restored OST

[GoIdyblox.md3]

GoIdyblox.md3 submitted a new resource:

SRB2 2.0 / 2.1 Lossless / Restored OST - My restorations on YouTube put in SRB2 (updated versions)

Ahh, the 2.1 OST. So fascinating, so wonderful, so..
COMPRESSED.
Maybe you like it more than 2.2's, maybe you don't, but we've all wondered at some point in our lives "Man, these songs would be so much better if they weren't so compressed" and we've all waited, and waited, and waited, and wa- you get it. Located in this PK3 is every 2.1 track, fully rerendered on my Korg X5DR & Yamaha S-YXG50 with the occasional isolations, plus a few extras. The songs that are impossible to restore have...

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[ova pico]

absolute cinema

 

[katmads]

Peak asf

 

[Jaysteezy54]

never noticed the compression, this is peak!

 

[MCSgame]

This is amazing, finally hearing the old ost without compression, also can you ask to this lossless musics to be included as a toggle in MR old campaign in MRCE?

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

I actually know a way you could get ERZ2 and all of Arid Canyon restored, via Phase inversion, and you could get all of the "Impossible" parts done, albeit, at low quality (try using a few tricks to improve it without AI.) I have an example attachment that uses an inverted ACZ2 (the version from the 2.1 ost download before 2.2 released) on top of ACZ1 and all that's left is any extra instruments (some percussion and the harmonica from act 2) and the guitar part. So if you recreate ACZ1 without the guitar exactly and compress it with the same settings as SSN did, you could be left with only the acoustic guitar from that song. (Yes, it's very rough sounding, but that's because of the compression and that it isn't the exact same song.)

 

[GoIdyblox.md3]

I actually know a way you could get ERZ2 and all of Arid Canyon restored, via Phase inversion, and you could get all of the "Impossible" parts done, albeit, at low quality (try using a few tricks to improve it without AI.) I have an example attachment that uses an inverted ACZ2 (the version from the 2.1 ost download before 2.2 released) on top of ACZ1 and all that's left is any extra instruments (some percussion and the harmonica from act 2) and the guitar part. So if you recreate ACZ1 without the guitar exactly and compress it with the same settings as SSN did, you could be left with only the acoustic guitar from that song. (Yes, it's very rough sounding, but that's because of the compression and that it isn't the exact same song.)

I've messed around with phase inversion but only in audacity, and I haven't been able to get the same results you have. How did you make that demo? Did you invert of one of the panned sides or smth? Wdym when you layered ACZ1 with your inverted ACZ2?

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

My post will take a while since I input an Internet Archive link, so I'll redo it and remove it.

I used this ACZ2 and this ACZ1 from the 2.1 MP3 ost (which used to be on srb2.org) , and I used the "Invert" effect in Audacity on ACZ2, if you're fine with AI use, then you can get a better rip of the guitar. I will include the audacity project file as well, but I was doing this while I couldn't use a computer, so I used wavacity.com where you can't export project files, so I'll have to make it when I get home. Here's both .mp3s.

 

[MCSgame]

Na verdade, eu sei uma maneira de restaurar ERZ2 e todo o Arid Canyon, através da inversão de fase, e você conseguiria fazer todas as partes "impossíveis", embora com baixa qualidade (tente usar alguns truques para melhorar sem IA). Anexei um exemplo que usa um ACZ2 invertido (a versão do download da trilha sonora 2.1 antes do lançamento da 2.2) sobre o ACZ1, restando apenas alguns instrumentos extras (alguma percussão e a gaita do ato 2) e a parte da guitarra. Então, se você recriar o ACZ1 sem a guitarra exatamente e comprimir com as mesmas configurações que o SSN usou, você pode ficar apenas com o violão daquela música. (Sim, o som fica bem cru, mas isso se deve à compressão e ao fato de não ser exatamente a mesma música.)

Oh, i see this method being used for extracting Mario Kart World OST

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

Oh, i see this method being used for extracting Mario Kart World OST

That's actually where I was made aware of that method (specifically James-Money's video), and I was like "this could be useful for the SRB2 2.1 OST restoration project", so I tried things and got it to work well for some songs.

 

[GoIdyblox.md3]

That's actually where I was made aware of that method (specifically James-Money's video), and I was like "this could be useful for the SRB2 2.1 OST restoration project", so I tried things and got it to work well for some songs.

Just checked out that video, this seems very promising.

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

Finally the message board is no longer down, now I can give some newer knowledge I have.

And this will be a long read, but it's the best I can do for all of the important information you need to restore this.

The only issue with recreating the possible parts to extract the impossible parts is with the compression.

For one to perfectly and exactly recreate a compressed audio file is to know the exact software, encoder, settings, volume, timing, and more, for that specific file. Timing and volume is easy if you have the production MIDI, but the rest may be really hard to do assuming they forgot. Nev3r remastered Arid Canyon Act 1 and 2 according to the files' metadata, and Egg Rock Act 2 only mentions InstantSonic. So you could try to get in contact with them if possible, but whether they will give the files is something I don't know. And if you do, you need to do some trial-and-error with the compression until it's exactly the same (so the only issues are compression artifacts that can be hidden)

However, this doesn't mean it's 100% impossible. You can either extract the MIDIs from the files, or use Vertz1515's SRB2 MIDI Archive and modify what instruments and patches are used. Now, I don't have any of the equipment that was used for Final Demo - 2.1's OST, but i can do phase inversion well, it's honestly best if you do it yourself for the inversion, but if you need help, I can probably do it.
(Metal Sonic Race is never happening without a complete remake, it's 22050hz for some reason.)

TL;DR, The process requires member contact and trial and error, but isn't truly impossible.

 

[SnocSock the Hedg]

Even after listening to a few tracks in-game, I can tell how much better the sound is compared to the original tracks (which I didn't even know were compressed to hell and back)! I can finally hear my childhood in...4k HD sound?
Edit: Oh yeah, if I ever wanted to eventually use these in a mod or something, would that be allowed?

 

[GoIdyblox.md3]

Even after listening to a few tracks in-game, I can tell how much better the sound is compared to the original tracks (which I didn't even know were compressed to hell and back)! I can finally hear my childhood in...4k HD sound?
Edit: Oh yeah, if I ever wanted to eventually use these in a mod or something, would that be allowed?

Yeah def, just make sure to credit me.

Post automatically merged: Jun 22, 2026

Finally the message board is no longer down, now I can give some newer knowledge I have.

And this will be a long read, but it's the best I can do for all of the important information you need to restore this.

The only issue with recreating the possible parts to extract the impossible parts is with the compression.

For one to perfectly and exactly recreate a compressed audio file is to know the exact software, encoder, settings, volume, timing, and more, for that specific file. Timing and volume is easy if you have the production MIDI, but the rest may be really hard to do assuming they forgot. Nev3r remastered Arid Canyon Act 1 and 2 according to the files' metadata, and Egg Rock Act 2 only mentions InstantSonic. So you could try to get in contact with them if possible, but whether they will give the files is something I don't know. And if you do, you need to do some trial-and-error with the compression until it's exactly the same (so the only issues are compression artifacts that can be hidden)

However, this doesn't mean it's 100% impossible. You can either extract the MIDIs from the files, or use Vertz1515's SRB2 MIDI Archive and modify what instruments and patches are used. Now, I don't have any of the equipment that was used for Final Demo - 2.1's OST, but i can do phase inversion well, it's honestly best if you do it yourself for the inversion, but if you need help, I can probably do it.
(Metal Sonic Race is never happening without a complete remake, it's 22050hz for some reason.)

TL;DR, The process requires member contact and trial and error, but isn't truly impossible.

I've actually tried to contact both IS and Nev3r,
IS has responded and we have talked but he kind of "ghosted" me after January so I can't really talk to him anymore.
Nev3r doesn't have a lot of options for contact, the only place I can find is twitter/X but he doesn't respond there, he's last posted in 2022.

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

I've actually tried to contact both IS and Nev3r,
IS has responded and we have talked but he kind of "ghosted" me after January so I can't really talk to him anymore.
Nev3r doesn't have a lot of options for contact, the only place I can find is twitter/X but he doesn't respond there, he's last posted in 2022.

Then the only route left is remaking the original Midi, which, if I remember from one comment on one of your videos, you've done before, but this is more difficult because of the various aspects of each channel. But, I have tried modifying the instruments into a sound that's similar (using soundfonts, which never sound the same as hardware, so you'll need to add anything that is on the hardware side), so if I get that done, I'll tell you what to change (or you can figure it out yourself), because I'm not sure if the team would be fine with distributing that, even within here.

Even with such challenges, I think there's still hope left, but you can try communicating with Nev3r, if there's no response, then Arid Canyon 1 and 2 needs remaking.

 

[GoIdyblox.md3]

Then the only route left is remaking the original Midi, which, if I remember from one comment on one of your videos, you've done before, but this is more difficult because of the various aspects of each channel. But, I have tried modifying the instruments into a sound that's similar (using soundfonts, which never sound the same as hardware, so you'll need to add anything that is on the hardware side), so if I get that done, I'll tell you what to change (or you can figure it out yourself), because I'm not sure if the team would be fine with distributing that, even within here.

Even with such challenges, I think there's still hope left, but you can try communicating with Nev3r, if there's no response, then Arid Canyon 1 and 2 needs remaking.

Quick question, do the volume of the raw files have to be the same or can I just adjust one of the files' volume in Audacity to be close to the other?

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

Yes, it must be exactly the same, only if you want nullification of instrument tracks (which you probably do). The timing and volume must be the same, because, otherwise, not everything will be gone, even if you change the volume. It truly is trial-and-error though, if one attempt goes wrong, try again until it works, it will eventually work.

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

May I use the high quality OST for the 2.1 music in my mod? (Including any that get released on your YouTube channel that aren't in the mod, like the SRB2 Christmas ones?) I could have a patching system where you just apply the completed Lossless OST addon over my addon, but there's some songs I'd prefer not to be replaced.
I'm just making sure, because the submission usage rules on this addon says "ASK ME", so I must ask before I use it.

I probably won't comment here after this, but I may leave a review since I really enjoy it, and I have some knowledge on other mod support (and getting it to work on 2.1/2.0) too.

 

[GoIdyblox.md3]

May I use the high quality OST for the 2.1 music in my mod? (Including any that get released on your YouTube channel that aren't in the mod, like the SRB2 Christmas ones?) I could have a patching system where you just apply the completed Lossless OST addon over my addon, but there's some songs I'd prefer not to be replaced.
I'm just making sure, because the submission usage rules on this addon says "ASK ME", so I must ask before I use it.

I probably won't comment here after this, but I may leave a review since I really enjoy it, and I have some knowledge on other mod support (and getting it to work on 2.1/2.0) too.

Yeah def, just make sure to credit

 

[Two-Tailed_Cat]

Yeah def, just make sure to credit

Thanks much!

I've listened to the original OST a lot and I've noticed a few things you can fix, but most issues are "Change volume here" or "Use a slightly different piano here", so I won't mention it unless you want my help.

I have a "restored" version of the credits theme, which is just a high quality rip of Sonic & Knuckles from Virtual Sonic with the correct fade in, which I've uploaded here. Use this in the completed version of this SRB2 Mod (the one you're viewing the discussion page of) so it's more complete. (If you want the project file or .flac, i can give that)