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So you want to convert your favorite CD track or MP3 into an Unreal Tournament sound package? Well, it's a relatively simple operation albeit somewhat time consuming but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day now was it?
Tools you'll needNote!: Using music from either source can be considered a copyright infringement depending on date of original release and so forth so do so at your own risk. If you know the desired material is now public domain, then you have no problem. If not, well that's up to you to decide.
As mentioned above, we will focus on extracting music from both an audio CD and an MP3. Ultimately you need to get the audio track to Wave format before you can even consider working with UnrealED or UTed so listen up.
Extracting, or "ripping" a track from an audio CD to Wave format is very easy indeed. One particular program for doing this is called "AudioGrabber". It does a great job, is very intuitive and has loads of other features out of scope for this exercise, so let's stay focused shall we?. To get a copy of AudioGrabber, click here!
If it's an MP3 you want to use as opposed to a CD track then you need to convert the file to Wave format (which is what it was before it became an MP3!). Most current wave editors have the capability to do this. If yours does not, I suggest finding a new editor. The ultimate editor is Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge although probably cost-prohibitive for most hobbyists. An alternative is a shareware editor called "GoldWave". Although untested, the reviews are impressive and you can get it here!
Suffice it to say that ripping from CD will be preferable to decoding MP3 back to Wave audio, as sound quality will be superior from a direct CD extraction.
For the remainder of this tutorial we will call our file "Mysong.wav"
Tip: Once you have your wave file and you've tested playing it back, you need to consider that this file is huge! 30-60 MB depending on content. With your wave editor you can manipulate the file multiple ways to reduce the size. One thing for sure is you'll want to resample the file to 16Khz or 22Khz, 8bit, mono. This will have dramatic effects on the file size while preserving a reasonable sound quality (at least for gaming...especially when accompanied by weapons fire and the blood-curdling screams of your dying enemies). In addition, you can make the length of the song shorter by removing sections completely. The latter is purely a matter of preference but do you want to download a 10MB (give or take) music file to play a single level?
The next step is to convert the wave file into a format that UnreaED/UTed can import. Yet another program is required. A good one for this is called "Modplug" and you can get it here!
Simply open the "Mysong.wav" file with Modplug and save it as an .IT (impulse tracker) file. You'll now have a file called "Mysong.it"
Finally, we are ready to use UnrealED/UTed!!
Open the UnrealED/UTed and browse to "Music". Select "import" and choose your newly created "Mysong.it". Now save it in UMX format; you guessed it, "Mysong.umx".
Open the level you wish to add the music to and select "Level Properties". Now select "Audio" and then "Song". Ensuring that "Mysong" is highlighted under the "Browse/Music" window, select "Use".
Note: If the level already has a music file associated with it, you need to hit "Clear" first. Now as above, ensure "Mysong" is highlighted and select "Use".
Save the level and your ready to rock & roll..er, rock and frag?
Seems like quite a bit of work just for a bit of audio but in the end you'll have a blast!
If you have any problems or know of a better way to do this then let me know!