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FailSandwich's Subpar Music Port Thread


Okay, here's my music port thread. I know most of these will sound terrible, but I'm trying my best, okay? Also, I probably won't put music here often, only when I feel like it.

So, here's my first song that isn't that terrible:
After about 8 hours of trying to rip Somari songs to MIDI, I finally did it. I found a working Hummer Team NSF-to-MIDI converter, and ported the Somari title theme.
Here's the SPC
Actually, that one sounded pretty bad. Here's an improved version.
"Glauben Sie nicht alles, was Sie im Internet lesen." - Karl Marx
Originally posted by FailSandwich
Warning: It's kind of accurate even though it's unsampled and pretty quiet...

I have to disagree there.

Here's my take on it. Assuming it's a port of this theme, you definitely chose a poor MIDI since I'm hearing wrong pitches of notes all over the place. The bass note sequence doesn't even match up (the original bass had fewer notes), and it just sounds dissonant as a whole. I'd try to find a better MIDI to convert, or try to transcribe it by ear if possible (and use headphones too!).

Also, if you're trying to aim for making a port as accurate as possible while unsampled, you should change some of the instruments you're currently using since I feel that there's better SMW samples that can work here. The bass could be a @0, the melodies could either be @1 or @6, and the percussion is using noise (although I'd say it's optional idea since noise can behave strangely at times). Keep in mind that there's ADSR commands that can make SMW samples sound more acceptable. I like using this thread for finding good ADSR values for SMW samples.
Twitter

Originally posted by Giftshaven
I'd try to find a better MIDI to convert

I transcribed it by looking at the MIDI I ripped from the NSF in a piano roll editor. You mean I should use a MIDI-to-MML converter and port it that way?
And yeah, the instruments could be better.
"Glauben Sie nicht alles, was Sie im Internet lesen." - Karl Marx
If you do plan on using a MIDI → MML converter, you'd want PetiteMM for just the sequence of notes in MML format.
Twitter

Originally posted by Giftshaven
Keep in mind that there's ADSR commands that can make SMW samples sound more acceptable. I like using this thread for finding good ADSR values for SMW samples.

I looked through the list of ASDR values but when I used the #instruments command it just didn't seem to change anything.
"Glauben Sie nicht alles, was Sie im Internet lesen." - Karl Marx
Here's an example of how it would appear in a .txt:

Code
#instruments
{
@0 $A9 $A7 $B8 $06 $00 ;@30
@8 $AD $C4 $B8 $0F $00 ;@31
@1 $89 $C1 $B8 $03 $00 ;@32
}

Use the newer pointers created with #instruments such as @30 and @31 in your MML instead of the original instrument pointers.

(EDIT: Oh, I have the Weedle rank now.)
Twitter

Originally posted by Giftshaven
Here's an example of how it would appear in a .txt:

Code
#instruments
{
@0 $A9 $A7 $B8 $06 $00 ;@30
@8 $AD $C4 $B8 $0F $00 ;@31
@1 $89 $C1 $B8 $03 $00 ;@32
}

Use the newer pointers created with #instruments such as @30 and @31 in your MML instead of the original instrument pointers.


My MML, when renamed to .txt, looks like this:

I don't see any numbers specifying instruments. In the piano roll editor, the instruments are displayed, and I put them in after the tildes for the instruments I used, but there was still no change whatsoever. My TXT looks like this:

(I didn't feel the need to give one of the instruments ASDR, and the reason for the 2 noise instruments is that when I only specified one it wouldn't raise the pitch at any point)
"Glauben Sie nicht alles, was Sie im Internet lesen." - Karl Marx
Originally posted by FailSandwich
Warning: It's kind of accurate even though it's unsampled and pretty quiet...

Don't know how accurate and unsampled can go together. That's implying everything BUT the instruments are accurate.
Originally posted by Giftshaven
I have to disagree there.
Here's my take on it. Assuming it's a port of this theme, you definitely chose a poor MIDI since I'm hearing wrong pitches of notes all over the place.

Likely because the instrument (DWAV?) or waveforms might be innately detuned. If my Brass Section is F# then F# would be C. I don't know how the NES works but some SNES SPC channels (when converted to MIDI) are not in key and require to be transposition, heaven help you with many instrument changes.

EDIT: If you use the same MIDI it won't matter what converter you use. Unless Somari is just buggy you'll likely get the same/similar MIDI (converted) every time. What you have is normal PetiteMM output. All it converts is note data and you're required to add everything else.
Just to get this clear: Custom instruments start with @30 ‒ they can't replace default instruments locally. The instrument number behind the semi-collon (which in reality marks the rest of the line as a comment, btw, and isn't compiled in any way) actually doesn't do anything and is only done to get the instrument number (it isn't uniform, either, as different porters use different definitions, in fact).

tl;dr If you don't use custom instrument numbers, they obviously don't do anything in music.