Posts by LupineDream - SMW Central

I just wanted to visit and say hello and get involved in SPC AddMusicK stuff. I'd recently found a rather interesting discovery when googling some of the filenames for my old MIDI files (HDD died, backup was stored on a ZIP disk of all things, desperately searching because khinsider had my old stuff for a while, and I wanted it back).

Stuff's like a dusty old photo you've been searching for. In this case music. So I found it, uploaded here, and decided to make an account to introduce myself. (on the hacking forum, as music hacking is what I'm into)

https://www.smwcentral.net/?p=section&a=details&id=10406
https://www.vgmusic.com/file/84851f8743d30964ad2865961c8adb94.html

The hack it made its way into (Grand Poo World - Echo Base [vanilla dome level replacement, bgm for the background music in the challenge pipe autoscroller]): https://www.smwcentral.net/?p=section&a=details&id=17289

In the tag information, MallowMan was the old IRC account and the name on the VGMA forums. Interesting. Its funny how things float around on the WWW like this until they find a home. This isn't a report, not mad or upset by it in any means. I was thrilled that someone considered this valid enough to dump over and evidently it made it into a hack as well.

If there's anyone here on over from VGMA (probably really old, I was there 2001-2005) (they used to use UBBThreads before we got a nice upgrade to PHPBB), [cough most of us used EsperNET, slow internet...] I'll go ahead and send a wave and a greeting as MallowMan for you all. The track is just as I saw it in my head, on the SNES in a Mario game, and I'm very pleased. Thank you to the person that put the work into it.

People that I knew, if you are here, I'll include a list so we can connect up: Lunar, The_Sorcerer, ForteBlast, Pongball, Blank, Teck, DrFruitcake, Yarharhar, Ray4552000 ... (probably more, but my memory fails).

And to the rest of you, hello from VGMA...I guess.

~ LupineDream
formarly MallowMan

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"A master is adept at the skill of observation. A journey involves getting there, and knowing how to get there."

Thank you for the welcome. Yes I'm aware of the feeling... Its always daunting getting established in a new community when you have been of the old, like walking into a new office first day on the job from a position you worked for many years. Like that feeling you want to fit in but you just don't quite know how yet, and the uncomfortably of reaching into a box without knowing what's inside.

From the looks of things and having a gander around the forums, there are some folks here that have been here a long, long time. My respects. The amount of development and documentation that's in the game information subsections especially tells quite the story.

Going to definitely just try and take things in slow. Always nervewracking to be 'that new guy'. ^.^;

~ LupineDream
formarly MallowMan

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"A master is adept at the skill of observation. A journey involves getting there, and knowing how to get there."

So I'd recently been wondering, do people around here generally prefer General MIDI Channel 10 tuning values for drums ?

You can see what I mean via this GM1 spec chart: https://www.midi.org/specifications-old/item/gm-level-1-sound-set (scroll down, Precussion Map)

Its in 256-key notation value but thats easily transmutable to octave/key value (for a musician), for tuning.

The docs on BRR say C natural at octave 4 (middle C) tuning values are "preferable". This confused me because of MIDI->MusicXML->Tuning Value in regards to drum track samples, as drums are mapped on an actual piano keyboard (and by note value in MIDI, very differently than all being set to middle C).

In my recent submission, I went for whatever worked to make the note sound good and to use a resampling trick by playing note-on at double-speed to save ARAM (8000hz vs 16000hz = 1:2 size ration), play at double speed to hear as intended, however if you change the pitch of the sample in an audio editor before converting to BRR, you can change the tuning value without effect to the SNES note pitch. Meaning you can basically initialize the tuning value to whatever you like by tweaking sample pitch.

Does this place generally recommend the MIDI standard tuning value to port drum tracks easier or is it okay to go with "whatever tuning value works"?

Your thoughts...

~ LupineDream
formarly MallowMan

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"A master is adept at the skill of observation. A journey involves getting there, and knowing how to get there."

Thanks for the insight. I'm aware of how GM MIDI drums work but my question is now...doesn't rapid sample bank switching on drum samples due to every note being played at octave 4 middle c lag the amk driver out on the DSP ? I'm sorry that these questions are so technical. I think technically.

In regards to AMK modding as a smaller part of your second statement, there, I was chit-chatting with Hyper and Maarfy picking up a little 65:816 asm experience from them guys last night. Hopefully that helps a bit with AMK driver tweaking, 65:816 backend knowledge. I take it the AMK driver does not provide any keymapping functionality to map notes on a track to samples from your second statement, there (like for drums, or effects). It seems like you'd lag the driver horridly by loading up a bunch of drum samples to the dsp and rapidly bank switching to play them all at their expected tuning note at the same time (middle c)...unless the DSP isn't that way by design.

~ LupineDream
formarly MallowMan

Quote

"A master is adept at the skill of observation. A journey involves getting there, and knowing how to get there."

"An Endless FM Challenge"

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Very happy with how pure these FM samples from the YM2612, 
the technique used here speaks for the skill of the composer to 
keep the SPC700 interpolation at bay.

It has a very 'go-go-go, floating' feel.  The contrast in mood is 
great.

Rating: 9/10 - based on the recognizably of SPC700 impact on the song. (minimal), and the technical skill in reference to hardware knowledge on the porters's part.

"Credits":

Code

Very vertical-flow groove for scrolling credits.  :-)  I'm into 
the Honky-Tonk and square riffs.  I dig it.

Although it does not sound authentically FM as I'd prefer to fit 
my taste, its a nice mellow grove that fits a rolling
Staff Credits well.

Rating: 8/10 - for groovy Honky-Tonk. :-)

"Law And Disorder":

Code

Oh, so hot.  This track's emotions definitely run raw.  Thug life.  
It is unfortunately very short and does not loop. This is a 
disappointment to me, I would have liked to hear more.  I have to 
comment on the way the distortion guitar samples where used.  Very 
cleanly.  You get points for that.  They often get in the way and 
in this track, they do what they are supposed to and compliment 
the emotion of the song without being an interference.  This is 
good.

Rating: 7/10 - Would have liked to give it a higher rating, but the song is short...

"Secret Base":

Code

Sonic Advance, you know, this isn't half bad.  I have issues with 
the way the organ's 'snap' gets in the way, but it helps you to 
hear the mood the song is trying to set.  This port unfortunately 
sounds very flat.  The razzy harmony line leaves something to be 
desired, it still  leaves the song sounding very flat, and unbalanced...

Otherwise, a decent port.  Lacking the meat of the GBA, though.

Rating: 6/10 - Port originality, tinny sounding, no meat. But a decent port nonetheless.

"Spacewalk":

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My word, this one almost beat the Endless FM Challenge, up until 
1:19.  Its so disappointingly empty, this part.  Kicks right back 
in at 1:32, but otherwise the rest of the song generates the 
vision of walking along the outer walls of a space station dodging 
incoming robot and space trooper fire, and leaping over 
electrified chasms.  It feels VERY electric.

Rating 8/10 - I had to knock two points off for the empty, void-like baseline jammed into the middle of the track. It was a mood-breaker for me. Otherwise, the composer has great potential.

"Stone":

Code

WOW.  Eat your heart out, RPG fans.  This one's on a road to 
destiny.  Maybe I'm biased here but the urgency of the mood in 
this track and the driving beef backing it was enough to tip the 
charts for me.  Even though it is short it was hard to place a bet 
between this track and "An Endless FM Challenge".

I was driven by this track to press the 'Play" button once more.

For that replayability it wins my contest vote.  The heoric 
struggle against a strong foe I felt from it was too

grand.  Bobbing and wavering while this monster with an ungodly 
amount of hitpoints goes on the rampage with its
strongest attacks and takes barely a scratch from your attacks. 
Stone guardian indeed.

Rating: 10/10 - Re-playable and memorable.

-

Final notes:

Endless FM comes in at a close second for me. VERY close. Wish I could vote for two, today. "Stone" takes my top vote.

~ LupineDream
formarly MallowMan

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"A master is adept at the skill of observation. A journey involves getting there, and knowing how to get there."

I fired this question on Discord but may as well here for those of you that don't use the platform. Has anyone grabbed any of Lukie Game's Super Nintendos and verified they work ? I requested a 1chip model to have it RGB-component modded. Just recently had finally come to the top of the list for an sd2snes and am going the full gamout for an RGB-component modded (by a professional service) 1chip SNES & repairs. They offer capacitor cap replacements, signal amp installation and restoration services so definitely going to get all that done in the coming months. As my own SNES is not a 1CHIP model I have to ask how rare are these units and are they even obtainable ? Does Lukie's or any other verified retailer sell good 1CHIP models that you know of ?

~ LupineDream
formarly MallowMan

Quote

"A master is adept at the skill of observation. A journey involves getting there, and knowing how to get there."