WDW Forever off-pitch issue

[thx99]

I researched the archives for messages dealing with the issue of off-speed WDW Forever files, namely from World of Motion and Horizons, and found THIS. But instead of replying to the old thread, I thought I'd start a new one.

I did some initial testing on trying to determine the percentage by which these files are off. I took a track each from WoM and Horizons and simply changed the sampling rate from 44.1 kHz (CD standard) to 48 kHz without maintaining the pitch, and the files sound more correct (from my memory of the WoM OA track and the Horizons attraction). However, I'm not certain that this is the correct adjustment, and I have no idea if anyone's figured it out. The next step would be a detailed comparison between my adjusted WoM tracks with the OA track and see how they match up.

If they match exactly, then my theory is that the WDW Forever source tracks for these files were sampled at 48 kHz, but when the files were dumped into the Forever system or when CDs were burned for the customer, the files were incorrectly converted to 44.1 kHz for the audio CD. Instead of preserving their pitch during the resampling process, the sample rate was simply changed to 44.1 kHz without maintaining the pitch, which would "slow" down and lengthen the recordings. This would be akin to playing back an analog recording made at 15 inches/second at 13.8 inches/second (~92% of its original rate).

Does anyone have any real insight into this issue and/or know the exact percentage by which these files are off? Also, exactly which files are affected?

I think the 44.1-to-48 conversion is very close but I'd like to have more solid evidence before I go correcting the files with this method.

 

[almandot]

No idea about World of Motion and Horizons as I've paid little attention to those attractions over the years, but a friend and I are still curious about the ongoing pitch change in several of the loops actually playing in WDW's Haunted Mansion ride right now. They're like half a key lower and it leaves itself to wonder if it was done intentionally or if it was a sampling error.. when I went on the ride the organ loop sounded slightly longer(judged the gap at the end of it before it starts up again) making me think they might have even stretched it to fit with some other loops, and fit whatever sync standard they made for the new audio system and new vocals and such, but not corrected the pitch... that might just be me not having heard the original organ for some time though(I got kinda used to HMH ).

 

[Horizons]

They're like half a key lower and it leaves itself to wonder if it was done intentionally or if it was a sampling error..

Man, are we going to have to get recordings of these as well? When will it stop?

 

[Magic Music]

...when the files were dumped into the Forever system or when CDs were burned for the customer, the files were incorrectly converted to 44.1 kHz for the audio CD.

There is also a problem in that the WDW Forever system inserted 2 seconds of silence at the start of every track on a CD except for the first one. And, no, I'm not talking about a 2 second gap. I'm talking 2 seconds of actual silence that was attached to the beginning of tracks 2 to whatever on every burned CD. So, if the track was supposed to be exactly 2:00 in length, it ended up as 2:02 on the CD, with the first 2 seconds being dead silence. Cool, huh?

Man, are we going to have to get recordings of these as well? When will it stop?

Holy crap! This is really starting to freak me out! It's another damned episode of The Twilight Zone?!



It's like we're Burgess Meredith in Time Enough at Last... except that instead of having all the time in the world to read every book we've ever wanted to read, but have broken eyeglasses, we're faced with an endless supply of Disney theme park tracks that all play back at the wrong pitch!

It's a... living... HELL!