SNES Music Pack issues

[Wafflem]

I've decided to start a new topic since the topic that discusses this is more related to the ordering of music, if they should follow the Amiga order or DOS order.

The last thing that was discussed was:

In regards to the SNES music pack, honestly, I can't be bothered with looping the tracks (and unfortunately, the Cheapo style didn't help). If anyone else wants to modify these IT files to make them loop properly, go ahead and I'll be happy to make a music pack out of them. The first 6 tracks are already done (included in case someone wants to use them for something else).

How come the Cheapo style didn't help? Were the music files unable to loop properly?

[namida]

I did manage to get IT files from ripped SNES music, but lost patience trying to make them loop properly. I think I posted the WIP in that other topic somewhere. If someone else finishes it off, I'd be happy to pop the files up on the NL website.

In regards to extracting them from the Cheapo styles, I wasn't able to extract them at all. This was using Essman's extractor, where it's somewhat expected (as non-midi files were never officially supported by Cheapo; this was a hack by (IIRC) ccexplore). Perhaps by writing my own code, it would be possible, but I really don't see it as a high priority.

[ccexplore]

In regards to extracting them from the Cheapo styles, I wasn't able to extract them at all. This was using Essman's extractor, where it's somewhat expected (as non-midi files were never officially supported by Cheapo; this was a hack by (IIRC) ccexplore). Perhaps by writing my own code, it would be possible, but I really don't see it as a high priority.

Don't bother.  If I recall correctly, I didn't use the IT conversions in the Cheapo styles (because I didn't know they existed at the time; indeed, it's possible no one had yet converted them to IT format at that point).  Instead, the tracks are in the original SPC700 format directly ripped from emulator.  It is basically a core dump of the RAM of the SPC700 sound chip, including both instructions to the chip as well as data.  The hacked version of Cheapo I created specifically includes some code or DLL for SPC700 playback as well as MOD/IT/etc. playback.

[Wafflem]

I might give it a shot then (unless there are more music experts out there than me; if there are, you're more than welcome to do it instead of me). What program do I use to loop files? Audacity doesn't seem to recognize IT files.

Unless you can modify NeoLemmix so it will be able to recognize the SPC700 format?

[Gronkling]

OpenMPT can open/create .IT and .MOD files (along with other files of that sort). It's a bit technical though

[Wafflem]

Thanks!

If there's no way to add support for SPC700, and if there's no one else who will do the looping, I'll go ahead and try it out.

[namida]

OpenMPT can do the trick.

All you need to do is delete all patterns after the loop, then insert a Position Jump command on the last note in the last pattern. If you need to jump to a certain note within a pattern, rather than the start of it, also put a Pattern Break command on the same line (you can only have one command per instrument, but you can just put it on a different instrument - it makes no difference which one it's on).

For the record, the same process can be used to convert MIDIs to ITs - just open them in OpenMPT, set up the looping, and do "Compatibility Export". I recommend using a proper MIDI editor to change their tempo to 128 first, then changing it back (in the patterns, not the global tempo) after opening in MPT. I have no idea why this works, but in my experience, it definitely does make a huge difference.