Enable MSU streaming music for Alttp

Information: This patch to hear CD-Quality Music while playing (bsnes, sd2snes). Optionally you can now also play a video between name entry and game start (plays only when new slot was created).
Rom: extented US ALTTP (min 1.5 MB)

Video:



IPS patch:
http://bszelda.zeldalegends.net/stuff/Con/zelda3_msu.zip
Read the included readme how to enable. Included is also bsnes 0.75 and a XML. If you want to use Higan, you Need a bml instead of xml, the code is found at the end of this post.

A Link to the Past MSU Audio Complete:
http://dl.dropbox.com/s/rqmcchi7j61pxof/A%20Link%20to%20the%20Past%20MSU%20Audio%20Complete.rar?dl=0

MSU Opening Intro and Audio:
http://dl.dropbox.com/s/9tfg549to1cpbrn/MSU%20Zelda%20Opening%20Intro%20and%20Audio.rar?dl=0.

Despite following all instructions, this does not work on SD2SNES, and only works on a single instance of BSNES.

Yes, everyone pretty much knows that. MSU needs external files, which are not a part of the game and most emulators can not run that. Snes9x and Zsnes won't support this as well. In fact only Bsnes can run such external files (ie not a part of the actual rom).

Puzzledude wrote:Yes, everyone pretty much knows that. MSU needs external files, which are not a part of the game and most emulators can not run that. Snes9x and Zsnes won't support this as well. In fact only Bsnes can run such external files (ie not a part of the actual rom).

This I know. I'm less concerned about it not working on emulators, as I've moved away from them. I have a patch, though, that WILL work on the SD2SNES, but it's buggy. I'm just expressing my irritation that this, despite claims to the contrary, DOES NOT work on the SD2SNES.

I'm even more irritated due to the fact that Drakon, putz that he is, keeps making successful patches and then saying "I won't release this unless I'm paid/at all".

Sounds interesting since I completely failed with sd2snes and ikaris wasn'ttoo keen to help out. If you like you can post your patch and I can look inside to try fixing the bugs. But I can't promise anything.
If you have some infos about the patch please post as well.

It's not my patch, but is an open github project.

Frankly, if more people in the community can work on this, the better off we'll be.

I'm less concerned about it not working on emulators, as I've moved away from them. I have a patch, though, that WILL work on the SD2SNES, but it's buggy. I'm just expressing my irritation that this, despite claims to the contrary, DOES NOT work on the SD2SNES.

It seems like that site actually made the correct Asm for the MSU1, which is compatible to sd2snes.

PS
We don't have that version here. The ASM for MSU1 on this site has been tested (is only for) Bsnes emulator.

Myself I have no sd2snes. I carefully checked the code from this guy and adapted some stuff to my code, so please try out whether you get some Music in sd2snes with this code.

If this won't work, there's a last Chance but this is complicated to code. So try this first.

As for this "egocentric" Thing. Pls stop talking about this. In the end every code is an "intellectual property" and People can decide whether or not they want to publish their work for free or not. Personally I give my codes for free since I see it as a Hobby, but much time and effort is put inside so´I can't blame People want to have been paid for. Even if this is sad.

Fair enough. Applying the patch for testing right now.  We'll see how things go.  I appreciate your quick reply.

EDIT:  That seems to have done it!  Played through the opening Intro, checked the beginning outside, Hyrule Castle, and the map (which in the github project above caused major problems), but aside from there being no 'fade-out/fade-in' during music transitions, I have no problems with this.  Colour me impressed, mate.  I'll be testing this thoroughly today and I'll see if I can find any bugs, but...you have my total respect and awe.

I'm also a little jealous at how quickly you fixed it, even without an SD2SNES.

Apologies for the double-post, but how easy would this be to adapt to other games? I'm thinking Mega Man X, X2, X3, Final Fantasy II & III, things like that.

Is the music patch largely universal, or does it need to be tailored on a per-game basis?

not only you find this awesome ^^ I tried a lot with EmuandCo and didn't succeed. Seems this guy's template gave the breakthrough here :p

As for the fade-out... I actually coded one. Is it not present in sd2snes? You have not always a fade out, but when you e.g., enter Hyrule Castle you should have one. Listen closely when you enter a door, e.g., at 0:34
I actually renounced on a fade-in (I think it isn't present in native ALTTP either).

Does the Music have half volume when going on the map or entering some houses?

I wait for your Response about the Music fade out and will publish the updated code then, together with the optional Video and send a PU Version to SePH.

I have no clue how easy this will be to adapt to other games... and no, I won't code. Zelda already takes all my time (and nerves). Of course you can't take this code but you can create a similar code for your games using this template.

I'm not a coder. Object REXX and Visual Basic.NET were about all I could manage...and I only did VB.NET badly. I'm a hardware guy - circuitboard design and electronics tomfoolery. ASM is readable to me, but don't ask me to code in it - I just don't have the mindset for it.

I'm going to double-check on that fade-out, but the HalfVol function works perfectly on the map screen.  I did load up a game save file from my normal playthrough to check, so maybe one of your code calls wasn't initialized or something.

My question was mainly since I'm operating under the assumption (which may be horribly incorrect) that the music locations in SNES games is pretty standard.  I was theorising the possibility of creating a 'general patch' program for the MSU-1 that could auto-patch the common stuff across games...I dunno.  I'd have to think about it more, put together a project prospectus if I really wanted to get this rolling.

I rechecked the fade-out and if the map Music half works, this should work as well. bsnes also makes the fade-out. well I wait for your rh test.

No, you Need to hack it specifically into each Rom. The difference why my hack appears to work better than mweichelt's(?) is that I made a code whenever Music is changed while he used a global code.

Bug report:

1) Screen briefly flickers black when beginning a new music track. This does not always occur, but seems more likely when moving from one area to another when the SAME music track gets reloaded. Not present when looping same music track.
2) During the beginning of the game, dropping down the hole into Hyrule Castle's basement causes the music track to restart itself instead of continuing to play.
3) When music tracks loop, they fade out and leave silence for up to five seconds before playing again. There should be a way to set a LOOPSTART and LOOPEND point within the metadata of the tracks. This only appear to be present on the "Rain Scene" music at the beginning of the game.
4) Very top (top 3 horizontal pixel lines) of inventory screen flickers constantly. This may actually be due to the MSU-1 implementation, and is in an area that is probably part of the overscan area.
5) Volume change between normal gameplay and map mode seems very abrupt. Perhaps increase time for volume change?
6) "Rescuing Zelda" from Hyrule Dungeon theme briefly seems to play over itself. Will verify this on a later playthrough.
7) "Kakariko Village" music does not play upon entering Kakariko Village. Music disappears entirely. Entering a home in Kakariko Village causes Hyrule Field music to play - what appears to be happening is instead of changing tracks, the Hyrule Field music continues, but with a Volume of zero. "Kakariko Village" music will only play (so far) if the cave on the east side of Kakariko is entered and exited.

I will try to check more as I play through the game.

Conn wrote:I rechecked the fade-out and if the map Music half works, this should work as well. bsnes also makes the fade-out. well I wait for your rh test.

No, you Need to hack it specifically into each Rom. The difference why my hack appears to work better than mweichelt's(?) is that I made a code whenever Music is changed while he used a global code.

Fade-out/Fade-in seems to work fine now. It was probably just a random hiccough on my end.

great that the fade out works. I go Swimming now, will bbl.

To your bug list:
1 - this can be due to the msu-1 ready Loop and should be a sd2snes Problem. check with bsnes.
2 - will check
3 - is this a theme Problem or a code Problem?
4 - I noticed this in native zelda too sometimes, can you check without msu?
5 - for me it is ok, coding this is aweful with only Little gain
6 - ?!
7 - will check

Conn wrote:
2 - will check

In addition, exiting from the basement into the courtyard does the same thing.

Conn wrote:
3 - is this a theme Problem or a code Problem?

Just looked at my actual waveforms. Both of them have extensive 'dead audio' after the playthrough. I usually play things in MediaMonkey, which automatically skips dead space like that on playthrough. This is my fault, not yours.

Conn wrote:
4 - I noticed this in native zelda too sometimes, can you check without msu?

Verified - appears in 'vanilla' Zelda. However, I've noticed that this only occurs AFTER you have an item in your inventory - the flickering is nearly invisible (still there, but only upon very close inspection) before you pick up the lamp, but is much more visible after you have it.

Conn wrote:
5 - for me it is ok, coding this is aweful with only Little gain

Okay. It wasn't super-critical, and if it's truly more trouble than it's worth, I've got no real issue with it.

Conn wrote:
6 - ?!

Yep. I've also found this to occur with the "Lost Woods" theme. The first playthrough of these two themes (so far) has TWO simultaneous plays start, about half a second apart, but this quickly resolves itself, with the second one muting itself less than five seconds after starting. It also does not do this on 'loop' - it's a first-time only type of thing.

Further bug report:

8 - Pressing 'A' or 'Start' repeatedly during 'Triforce' intro screen will cause the screen to turn black and softlock.
9 - Saving appears to be broken - just beat First Dungeon and saved, to no effect. May be related to issue #8 - will check back later.

phew, that was really a pain to code, but I think I fixed the Music bugs (rain theme repeat, zelda rescue, kakariko, lost Woods).

I cannot confirm the bugs 8 and 9 in bsnes, and honestly I would not understand how the code possibly could cause this (it is mainly impossible that this hack affects save function and in bsnes it works). My best guess is that your Rom is corrupt, try to expand it to 1.5 MB first with Lunar expand before applying above hack.

Well, before patching, I always verify the Checksum with NSRT, and the same ROM pre-patch does not have this issue.

That's okay, though - I know that BSNES is a cycle-perfect replication of an SNES, but it may actually just the difference between hardware and software. In any case, I'm off to check.

...also, I think the saving thing was just a hiccough in my aging SNES. I'm going to test it on my late-model SNES Mini instead.

Bug Report:

1) Opening "Triforce" music does not play.
2) Intro cutscene music does not play.
3) "Rain Scene" music does not play inside Link's house. It plays once you exit the house, but not inside.
4) "Rescuing Zelda" music does not play.

I have just rescued Zelda, and will continue to check, but I thought you should know about this.

I have noticed that, at the start of the game, when you leave Link's house, as you are leaving, you can briefly hear the music that's supposed to have been playing (the MSU-1 music, not the original MIDI-style) as it fades out - there appears to be a volume issue rather than it not actually playing, as it does not start at the beginning of the music file, but seems to be where the music would be if it had been playing from the beginning.

I'm sorry to throw so many problems with your new patch your way.

However, the 'restarting music' issue is fixed beautifully.

I also came to the thought that your save issue might be related to the XML file. Does sd2snes use XML? Pls ensure to use that one inside the zip package provided in the first post.

I'm sorry for the bug. I should have tested better ^^
Check this out

Further Bug Report:

5) "Lost Woods" does not play upon entering from the East. Must enter a room inside the LW and re-exit in order to get it to play.
6) Dropping into the Thief's Hideout does not change the music from "Lost Woods", and leaving it does not cause the music to re-start; it continues on like Hyrule Basement>Castle Courtyard. Entering it from the proper entrance, however, does. Upon further reflection, I'm thinking that the new problems are all because of the fix implemented for the Basement>Courtyard - it seems to have been implemented globally instead of a per-instance fix, ie, that it effects all similar actions throughout the game instead of only specific ones.
7) Exiting and re-entering two locations with different music (Like Hyrule Field and the Lost Woods) several times in succession will cause the wrong music to load in the wrong area.
8) Kakariko Village music still does not load. Must enter and re-exit an INTERIOR area (simply switching zones, like going to the Lost Woods, will not work) within Kakariko where the music changes (like the Merchant or the Cave) in order for it to load...and then it overrides the Hyrule Field Theme until I enter a similar location with an exit out in a location with the Field Theme, like Link's House.

Have you checked my latest post above?

I also came to the thought that your save issue might be related to the XML file. Does sd2snes use XML? Pls ensure to use that one inside the zip package provided in the first post.

I'm sorry for the bug. I should have tested better ^^
Check this out Wink

I'll test this as well now

I did, and I do use the XML file. I don't know if the SD2SNES uses it, but I extract it with the other files.

I've noticed something rather odd with the saving, but I'll wait to test it more before I make an issue out of it.

1) Very minor issue - exiting Link's House at the very beginning causes the "Rain Scene" music to fade-out and then fade-in on the same music track without the track re-starting. In this one instance, either the track should re-start once you emerge outside into the rain, or the fade mechanic should not be implemented for Link's House until the rain stops.
2) Kakariko still bugged. I have discovered that, when entering from "Hyrule Field" locations, the volume drops to zero instead of changing to "Kakariko Village". By entering the map screen in Kakariko, the music volume changes to 50% (like it should on the map screen), but it's the Hyrule Field music instead of Kakariko Village. Exiting the map screen causes the volume to restore itself. Again, only entering the East Cave or the Southeast Merchant interior locations and then exiting again will cause "Kakariko Village" music to play.

No other bugs (aside from the black flicker when a track begins to play, which is likely the MSU-1's fault and not yours) are now known. I'll continue to play through, though. Gotta say, I'm really impressed with how quickly you can pin this stuff down.

I've noticed a single issue so far - in Death Mountain, the cave just to the left of the very long ladder/step up to the summit has a misplaced tile. I'm working off of v4 right now, so that may not be present of v5.