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SMW Remastered - Customized BRR samples (AMK)

So I finally got around to posting this.

SUMMARY

This is a (partial) pack of custom BRR samples to replace SMW's default samples. All samples are named according to AddMusicK samples/default. I also included a set of SPC files generated from AMK.


I've always disliked SMW's stock samples, with its abundance of 65-byte waveforms, and poorly designed longer sounds. Last year, I began a project to replace them with better-quality, longer samples.

One of the more notable changes are a brand-new and unique-sounding brass sample. I assembled it from SMW brass, LTTP brass, and sped-up sample from TimGM6.sf2. Oh, and it ruins the game's sound effects.

The strings were shamelessly stolen from Seiken Densetsu 3. Very synthy, but I've grown attached to the sound in this SPC pack. I'll change it if I ever get back to working on it.

The flute is a heavily trimmed-down Secret of Mana sample. It's a compromise between good musical performance, and in-game sound effects.


DEMO

I picked out some of the better tracks from the remixed version, and uploaded them online, playable from your browser. (THIS IS DOWN!)

http://floorchan.org:8080/d/6b166c72aa/
(alternate link) https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1qqkfeqzli8mzw8/AAAddWcxpwdEwQg3pgeukZfoa/smw-remastered/demo

DOWNLOAD

This project uses AddMusicK to insert custom samples. The download includes all BRR samples, as well as a SPC soundtrack generated through AMK.

http://jimbo1qaz.github.io/dropbox/smw-remastered/smw-remastered.7z
(source) http://jimbo1qaz.github.io/dropbox/smw-remastered/smw-remastered-src.7z


Note: The source is messy, outdated, and only works on my machine.

The BRR generation script (all.py) is written in Python and uses pbs to call SoX and brr_encoder. However, pbs is outdated, and sh (the author's rewritten version) doesn't work on Windows and lacks foreground mode (send output to console).

I recently discovered plumbum, a Windows-compatible, better-designed, and more up-to-date version of pbs/sh.

Also, my code uses eval to transform an arbitrary file into a Python dict. It's better to use Python's safe parsing functions.

I think an automatic wav-to-brr tool (like the one I wrote) could be very useful to sampled music porters and experimenters, if better designed. Feel free to build on top of my work.


ISSUES

The main issues as of right now are:

  • This pack takes up significantly more space than default SMW samples. Keep a copy of the default around for custom music.
    • The brass sample is 4 times as long as necessary, and consequently takes up most of the space. Sadly, I couldn’t get it to loop well any other way. In fact, I was lucky for the shortened TimGM6 sample to loop at all.

  • Piano is not great. Percussion is unfinished. Acoustic and electric guitar, as well as music box, are unchanged.
    • Some other samples are unchanged because I’m happy with the original.

  • Many of the altered samples don’t work well with in-game sound effects. In particular, the brass completely fscks up Yoshi sound effects.
    • The flute (Mario jump) is still a touch quiet, though much improved since I shortened the attack.

  • Overall, this is primarily a SNES composition/soundtrack project. It’s absolutely not optimized for in-game sound quality, and it shows.



Also, what's the deal with HTML comments not working? ...Oh, the irony of a buggy bug-list. Not laughing? Oh well, nobody ever gets my jokes...

What do you people think?
I myself think this is a pretty interesting idea, you did a good job in enhancing the quality of the original music so far.

I have a suggestion, for SFX, maybe you can find a way to fit in the original samples used for SFX in someway only for the SFX while finding a way to keep or possibly replace some of the samples to make room, so you can keep the quality of both the music and SFX? I have no exact clue as to how the samples add up into the ARAM so this just a suggestion I'm simply giving out.

I look forward for your project to progress.
Hey y'all, Scott here!

PFP by: https://twitter.com/GinCalico (🔞 Warning)
Just listened through the SPC files. I think you've done a great job so far. The samples sound far less dull. The piano is great, Starman music is a brilliant alternative and I guess that's the intention here. The BRR samples are also useful for custom music makers who can use them. I'd say keep at it #smw{:TUP:}
Are those Square (e.g Seiken Densetsu) strings? Sounds good overall but the strings feel too thin. Think it's a good idea most certainly.