Fixing all of the too-loud audio packs for good

Some problems
https://www.zeldix.net/t1437-super-mario-world-msu

what are the differences between the link to the past soundtracks? are they all compatable with each other? i have 3 different versions of altpp on my sd2snes and id like them to each have a different soundtrack, but im not sure which one is which really

The different versions are just that, different music tracks. You can use the same ROM for each, whether you want to use the MSU-1 only patch or the LttP DX patch, you can mix and match all you want.

Is the one made for parallel worlds unique? Or is it a copy of a different one?

It's mostly a copy of the ALBW pack, but I did a couple of things differently because Parallel Worlds has an extra dungeon track, and it uses 2 of the other tracks for post-Master Sword alternates. If you use that one with LttP, you'll get the wrong tracks playing in a couple of places, so you don't want to use that, just use the ALBW pack.

So for parallel worlds id use its own track, and im thinking of reorchistrated for vanilla altpp. But i also have dx, so i guess i have a couple options

qwertymodo wrote:Basically, I'm using nongnu-normalize to do the actual normalization, same as I have used for all of the packs I have released myself.  The only additional thing I needed to add myself was a quick way to strip the MSU-1 header off of the .pcm files and replace it with a valid WAV header so that nongnu-normalize could recognize it.  Once I had that little tool written, the rest is just a big for loop in a batch script

>msu2wav (my tool)
>nongnu-normalize
>wav2msu

qwertymodo, is your msu2wav the same one that was released by Kingizor on DKC Atlas (http://www.dkc-atlas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=2087)?

If not, can you provide a link to your version? I want a way to convert msu to wav that would preserve the loop point (when it's not at the end of the audio) so that it could be used to create other looping formats. That could be done if msu2wav either added an smpl chuck or exported the intro (everything before the loop point) and the loop section of the audio. Then people could use Looping Audio Converter (https://www.lakora.us/brawl/loopingaudioconverter/) to create for example a brstm for use in vgmstream.

That's not my version, no. I guess I never really released mine, so I guess I can do that. Let me take a bit to clean up the code and add a couple of export options for handling the loop points. Originally, I just appended the loop point to the output filename, but there are a couple of other ways I could output that information. I know .wav doesn't natively support loop points, but I might be able to figure out one of the various header extensions for loop points, or just print it to stdout or stderr. On Windows, I believe application exit status codes are 32-bit, so that would be another potential option, but I'm pretty sure *NIX just uses 8-bit status codes.

Ok, I forgot that I supported batch processing i.e.

Code:

msu2wav file1.pcm file2.pcm file3.pcm

so exit status code is a non-starter. I went ahead and implemented smpl chunk output for use with wavosaur or similar applications that read smpl loop point data, as well as stdout printing.

https://github.com/qwertymodo/msu2wav/releases

qwertymodo wrote:Ok, I forgot that I supported batch processing i.e.

Code:

msu2wav file1.pcm file2.pcm file3.pcm

so exit status code is a non-starter.  I went ahead and implemented smpl chunk output for use with wavosaur or similar applications that read smpl loop point data, as well as stdout printing.

https://github.com/qwertymodo/msu2wav/releases

Wow that was quick work, thank you so much! I did a quick test and it seems I can easily use your exe and Looping Audio converter to allow converting to other looping formats. I've also added in a request for Looping Audio Converter to directly incorporate your command line tool as well as wav2msu to give people the ability to easily convert to/from other game audio looping formats. This will make it easier to convert MSU-1 packs to a looping format supported by vgmstream (for use in audio players and other games) as well as using audio from Smash Custom Music as a source for future MSU-1 packs!
https://github.com/libertyernie/LoopingAudioConverter/issues/17

I reworked some of the tracks found in the Super Metroid Soundpack. Most of the Sythentic Orchestra are perfect, but some are off and too different from the original, like green Brinstar for example or the Intro.

So I hope you guys enjoy


Changelog by K4yr4h to the full Blake Soundpack

-all sound volumes adjusted
and

01 = Samus Aran's Appearance fanfare = replaced with Metroid Prime Fanfare
08 = The Space Pirates Appear = replaced and cut with Sound in Action (SMOST) 02
10 = Samus's Ship  = replaced with Sound in Action (SMOST) 03
11 = Brinstar with vegetation = replaced with javier7high remaster https://youtu.be/qteM9F7VUH8
14 = Lower Norfair = replaced with The Noble Demon remaster https://youtu.be/rhfDg2Sysgo
19/20 = Big Boss Battle 1 / Evacuation = replaced and edited (speed and alarm) with YoshiDude12 remix = https://youtu.be/XF6pPPlSP2w
28 = Theme of Super Metroid = replaced with Sound in Action (SMOST) 01
30 = Ending = replaced with Sound in Action (SMOST) 04


http://www.mediafire.com/file/yxac0xxzp55zt3u/supermetroid_msu1_Blake_rework_by_K4yr4h.7z/file

Sample:
https://youtu.be/DnWJR_qh-V0

K4yr4h wrote:I reworked some of the tracks found in the Super Metroid Soundpack. Most of the Sythentic Orchestra are perfect, but some are off and too different from the original, like green Brinstar for example or the Intro.

I re-did that whole soundtrack quite a while ago, myself, as I wasn't 100% happy with it either, but never posted it. Pev is the only other person apart from me, that has it.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ahue7izQZmouijVL14huAOMiVcb5

Relikk wrote:

K4yr4h wrote:I reworked some of the tracks found in the Super Metroid Soundpack. Most of the Sythentic Orchestra are perfect, but some are off and too different from the original, like green Brinstar for example or the Intro.

I re-did that whole soundtrack quite a while ago, myself, as I wasn't 100% happy with it either, but never posted it. Pev is the only other person apart from me, that has it.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ahue7izQZmouijVL14huAOMiVcb5

thats exactly the same package as in the first thread. you just adjusted the volume right?

Not exactly the same, no.

Qwertymodo created the original Super Metroid PCM's from an MP3 source. Mine are done from scratch from a lossless source, with better loops and slightly boosted volume.

Ok, I added your files:
https://www.zeldix.net/t1444-super-metroid#21601
(first comment, blake, below qwertymodo's original set)

Hi Guys....

Since upgrading my SD2SNES to Rev. H i am trying to update all of my MSU1 hacks.

One I am having issues with is Super Ghouls N Ghosts (PCM set by Kurrono). It sounds absolutely terrible at the moment as it is clipping badly.. especially the capcom intro at the beginning!

https://www.zeldix.net/t1486-super-ghouls-n-ghost

Is there a volume fixed version of this pack anywhere? Or can one be provided? If not is it possible to fix it myself somehow?

@flex Apparently, no. However, you can fix them yourself. You will need at least Audacity (freeware) and Qwertymodo's PCM tools (mainly msu2wav and wav2msu). You will need to use Google search to find them easily on the web.

msu2wav -> will convert the MSU-1 PCM format back to WAV
audacity -> you can use to normalize the audio (easiest way, but be warned, you may catch some flak from "perfectionist" audiophiles for using this software).
wav2msu -> convert normalized WAV files back to MSU-1 PCM.

Keep in mind, that you will need to find the loop points for each PCM, if any. If I remember, correctly, Kurrono never loops his own PCMs. I think he prefers letting the music finish and then restart from the beginning (similar to what TG-CD and Sega CD do with Redbook Audio).

You can check by opening a PCM using a Hex Editor like Windhex (really, any hex editor will work just find and look at the values marked in red, see image below).

In this example case, the value you care about comes after ASCII text MSU1 (4D535531), which is FA960B. You need to reorder it by going from right to left for 0B96FA. Now this value you can convert from hex to decimal to get the loop point needed to pass onto wav2msu (to preserve the loop).

For example: 0B96FA hex is 759546 in decimal. You would then use wav2msu like this via command prompt: type -> wav2msu -l 759546 name_of_track.wav
This command will produce your MSU1 PCM with the loop point intact. If a PCM has no loop point, you will just see all 00s after the MSU1 string.

The website to convert hex to decimal is below:
https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/hex-to-decimal.html

Or the super easy way is using the JSON Volume Change batch file script from Wild Guns to normalize the volume too (instructions are in the zip package). You will need to know the loop points for looping tracks ahead of time. Psalmsamuel took this package and changed it around for other games. You can ask for assistance on this. The Wild Guns link is below:
https://www.zeldix.net/t1762-wild-guns

I believe psalmsamuel posted somewhere in Zeldix a quick step through on how he changed it around for a different game (cannot find the link at this moment). Much luck.

Wow thanks pepillopev for the detailed guide! I will get this done  as looks like something I could do... I will let you know how I get on and if it is any good I can then upload it for other members.

@flex Qwertymodo also has a youtube video that may help out as well, link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLvXsKM9iUQ

Ok so I finally got around to fixing this pack. There was no looping as far as I could tell (as was expected from Kurrono) and I have normalized all of the audio files back down to a sensible level and have been testing as much as I can via my SD2SNES Rev. H and all is much better.

There were a number of audio clips which were so loud they have been clipped and distorted at some point as can be seen from the flat edge of the waveform, so no amount of normalising was ever going to bring the quality back to these.

Probably a good example is the Capcom logo sound at the begging.

Anyway the whole thing was a good experience and fully understand how these packs work now. Pretty cool.

How do I share my updated pack? I can upload it my onedrive / dropbox or whatever but assume i just include only the PCM files?

I did just add pcm input loop point reading support to msupcm++ so as soon as I've run it through its paces and tested that I didn't break anything, I'll upload a new RC and that should make pack fixing a lot easier, since you'll be able to build a JSON file with just track number and filename, and it will automatically fill in the loop point for you (assuming the pack already has loop points).

flex wrote:Ok so I finally got around to fixing this pack. There was no looping as far as I could tell (as was expected from Kurrono) and I have normalized all of the audio files back down to a sensible level and have been testing as much as I can via my SD2SNES Rev. H and all is much better.

There were a number of audio clips which were so loud they have been clipped and distorted at some point as can be seen from the flat edge of the waveform, so no amount of normalising was ever going to bring the quality back to these.

Probably a good example is the Capcom logo sound at the begging.

Anyway the whole thing was a good experience and fully understand how these packs work now. Pretty cool.

How do I share my updated pack? I can upload it my onedrive / dropbox or whatever but assume i just include only the PCM files?

Here is the updated pack of PCM files.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvXwQ7GFidfhjNc_NZMvMLbMNH1NcA?e=zAnoqa

OK, so the Chrono Trigger Plus mod recently added MSU-1 support. One of the things the mod does is restore 2 cut tracks to the game, Battle2 and Singling Mountain.

I figured that if the rest of the songs were already MSU, no reason those songs should remain SPC.  

Chrono Trigger Plus Restored Cut Songs PCMs [Remasters, FLAC Source] (-18 dB): https://mega.nz/#!mNAX2ApQ!A_agtCA158jVJXOQ1mOBeJwuPW0aSuOeIgxFiiKe_-8
This only contains the 2 missing tracks, use it in conjunction with a full Chrono Trigger PCM pack. Be sure to edit track names to match the rest of the PCMs.

Mod: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3691/
Mod Discussion: https://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=23466.0

I figured it'd be a good idea to add these to this list, as there's a good chance this is where people will be grabbing the PCMs for use with that mod.

I leave it up to qwerty to maintain his CT hack to add your plus set there or not...

Conn wrote:I leave it up to qwerty to maintain his CT hack to add your plus set there or not...

Erm... The pack isn't for Querty's CT hack, it's for ThegreatBen's Chrono Trigger Plus hack (which recently added MSU-1 support). The files would do absolutely nothing in Querty's hack but take up HDD space, since the songs aren't used in Chrono Trigger natively...

Asides from adding back in the 2 cut songs, CT+ also rebalances the game some, adds in a few new areas, makes 1999 AD explorable, and a bunch of other things.