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DOSBox

Current version: 0.74 (released on 2012/07/07)

Technical discussion about the VGM format, and all the software you need to handle VGM files.

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  • ValleyBell Offline
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DOSBox

Post by ValleyBell »

Program: DOSBox 0.74 (homepage)
Program Type: DRO Creator/Emulator
Platform: Windows (32-bit), (Linux, Mac OSX via source code)
Logs chips: YM3812 (OPL2), YMF262 (OPL3)
Comment: Logs DRO files instead of VGMs. (use dro2vgm for that) DRO logging improved by Valley Bell.

EXE / Source

Depending on the oplmode setting, the resulting DROs can have various chip types:

Code: Select all

oplmode   | logged chip type
----------+-----------------
opl2      | OPL2
dualopl2  | OPL2 / Dual OPL2
opl3      | OPL2 / OPL3
Note: There's no support for the Tandy sound chip (yet).
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  • ValleyBell Offline
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Post by ValleyBell »

I updated my DOSBox mod with the latest fixes and added the source. Also I addded a nice table to show you, which oplmode setting allows which OPL types in DRO files.

If your DOSBox version is older than 29 June 2012, you should update it.
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  • neologix Offline
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Post by neologix »

the dosbox homepage link in OP is borked, pls fix.
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Post by Tom »

Done. Thanks for the heads up.
Also known as nineko.

Post by Rotating Username »

hello, I have a triple very low-priority questions/requests about this (appreciated) mod of DOSBox. I apologize if I missed this information elsewhere.

1. How exactly is the DRO logging improved from vanilla .74?

2. Exactly how would one know what the oplmode setting should be for different games? Or should it be left on "auto"? I'd appreciate any insight you could give me on how things should be set in the [sblaster] section of the .conf file, and under what circumstances I should be aware of needing to change those settings.

3. This is extremely, extremely low-priority, but is there any chance you could produce a version of any recent DOSBox SVN-Daum with your DRO logging improvements?

As you can see, SVN-Daum is a considerably expanded release which incorporates not just the main SVN updates but several (mostly defunct) parallel SVN projects which add considerable functionality (and a somewhat unwieldy GUI). The source should be available at the bottom of this page. If you have no interest in such a tweak - due to time needed, suspicion about stability/the logging being compromised, whatever - I totally understand.

Anyway, cheers and thanks.
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Post by tails_ »

I'm not VB but probably can answer some of your questions.

1. In DOSBox 0.74 (and probably 0.73) output is optimized, like with vgm_cmp tool making it really hard to trim recordings, there's also buggy auto record start which doesn't start if song begins with OPL drums. VB just removed these improvements to make it easier to deal with recordings later

2. It's better to set oplmode to auto and before making a log you change sbtype according to one which game uses. There are 3 types AFAIK 1xYM3812 (sb1, sb2), 2xYM3812 (sbpro1) and 1xYMF262 (sbpro2, sb16). Some games have just Sound Blaster Pro, you might want to experiment with these to check soundblaster type and some games have autodetection (that's why you should change sbtype instead of oplmode), note that some games detect SB Pro 1/2 but fallback to SB 1 on newer cards.
Last edited by tails_ on 2013-02-12, 10:59:05, edited 2 times in total.
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  • kyusawamura Offline
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Never sounds the same as in the emulator

Post by kyusawamura »

Hello. I've been using the portable DOSBox 0.74, also the modded build you provided, and also the MB6 version. In all three I noticed that the resulting VGM converted from the DRO never sounds the same as it does in the emulator when I change OPL and SB types. No matter what changes I make it always sounds the same, and it does things like, for example: in Cruise for a Corpse, in the hallway music (which, in order of appearance, I believe is the second music counting the intro as the first), the leading melody sounds an octave lower than the original.
And another issue I've encountered is the fact that, to log the music from Darkseed, in the intro most particularly, I can let the song play entirely before the screen switches to the first dream by downgrading the cycles to 1000 (enough for the music to play at the same speed while the credits advance much slower, thus allowing the whole song to play). But even though I stop capturing DRO a few seconds after I hear no sound so as to make sure no decay is lost, the resulting VGM sounds cropped in the end.

What am I doing wrong?
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Post by TEOL »

I guess it must be hard to make it log every DOS format out there it's a shame really as most games have about 5 versions in it's setup.
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Post by MaliceX »

Just posting for the record since it's not on this thread.

Since January 2015, DOSBOX SVN-DAUM has incorporated the logging mode used by this mod. Just launch with command-line parameter -vgmlog after the dosbox exe.

http://ykhwong.x-y.net/
-dj.tuBIG/MaliceX
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Post by Alianger »

I'm looking for a list of PC games that used OPL2/YM3812 specifically, as I'm trying to make a separate list of impressive music for this chip. Is there one?

I found this: www.mobygames.com/attribute/sheet/attributeId,40/p,2/
And this: http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?tit ... _For_Music

But I guess I still have to check each game since the OPL3 sound cards could also play OPL2 music.
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