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MAME/MESS VGM mod

Current version: 0.256 (released on 2023-06-28)

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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Post by ValleyBell »

2ch-H wrote:There is no Overclock CPU and Screen refresh rate of Slider controls.
Did you disabled?
You need to enable cheats to make them appear. (That's also the reason I was unable to find the sliders until a few weeks ago.)

You can do that by either editing mame.ini and set cheat to 1 (CORE MISC OPTIONS section) or you run MAME with mame.exe -cheat.


@all: I forgot to include a mame.ini. You can generate it with mame.exe -createconfig
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Post by 2ch-H »

Thank you, I forgot to enable the cheat.
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Post by bluemonkey »

Hi, I would like to work on some rips, but I have a couple of questions. Hope someone can help me.

I'm interested in games using the Qsound chip, I have downloaded the latest MAME mod, enabled the option to rip vgms in the ini file. Then I enter the sound test and start playing the songs. But when I exit the emulator, I can see only one vgm file is generated, is that the expected output?

Do I have to rip one song at a time? And is there a tool to automatically find loop points? Or do I have to manually set the song length and loop points, etc.

Thanks in advance.
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Post by tails_ »

blemonkey
MAME writes one file for one game, usually you record all tracks together an then split them with tool. Yes there is tool for finding loops, tale a look at VGMTools thread. Also feel free to visit IRC channel for assistance.
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Post by 2ch-H »

Rohga is Audio CPU HuC6280 is not 2.685MHz, I think probably 10.740MHz.
I want to set to 400% Overclock CPU. (The current can be set up to 200%)
Can you add a setting like that?
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Post by ValleyBell »

I'll see what I can do...

Anyway, according to M1 it is 32220000/8=8055000.
MAME says 32220000/4/3=2685000 and says it was verified, but the comments say something about 8.050 Mhz, so M1 is probably correct.
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Post by 2ch-H »

According to some of HuC6280 clock is 21477270/3=7159090 "source (Timer.cpp)" of Ootake.
I seem to let the operation clock is divided by 3.
I'm a slow tempo it clock 8055000.
I think I might become the correct tempo 32220000/3=10740000.
I think it will be fit also calculate YM2151 the clock 3580000x3=10740000.

sample Rohga - Demo:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vieu9tn7gxh27fc
rohga_ost.mp3 is Sound Track CD
rohga_hoot.mp3 is Hoot Recording (Tempo is faster than the OST)
rohga_M1.mp3 is M1 Recording (Tempo is slow than the OST)

I seem to be operating above the clock 10740000, I do not know of Hoot.

Edit:
I've found a video that was recorded from the actual arcade board.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KhqOP1KrNg

It is a sample of the data recorded in MAMEPlus. (MAMEPlus can be set to 400% Overclock CPU)
http://www.mediafire.com/?bkuabhcxrjer5ck
Rohga_300%.mp3 is 300% Overclock CPU (8.050 MHz)
Rohga_400%.mp3 is 400% Overclock CPU (10.740MHz)

I seem to be running at 10.740MHz Judging from this video.
Last edited by 2ch-H on 2013-02-21, 10:44:52, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by MaliceX »

2ch-H, I noticed some of your more recent packs were dumped using ValleyBell's MESS mod. Despite enabling the vgmwrite flag in the mess.ini file, I can't seem to get it to log a VGM from launch using the NEC PC-9801RS and related targets. Am I missing something?
Last edited by MaliceX on 2013-05-04, 6:25:44, edited 1 time in total.
-dj.tuBIG/MaliceX
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Post by 2ch-H »

I use the MESS148, vgmwrite flag of ini/pc9801rs.ini is enabled.
I think it's VGM output possible.
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Post by MaliceX »

2ch-H wrote:I use the MESS148, vgmwrite flag of ini/pc9801rs.ini is enabled.
I think it's VGM output possible.
._. thank you ^^;
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Post by 2ch-H »

Mess vgm output Bug?
Mess is giving errors at the end by playing a specific song.
vgm that is output is not normal.

This VGM sample, Journey to Silius - Opening:
Edit : I deleted the file
Last edited by 2ch-H on 2013-06-14, 10:54:53, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by ValleyBell »

Code: Select all

0x00028549: 67 66 C2    Data Block - Type C2: NES APU RAM Data
			Data Length: 0x00000A91		Write to Address: 0xFC00
I guess it uses one of these tricks where the DPCM sample crosses the border of the memory area.
MAME/MESS doesn't handle that correctly (because I read about that behaviour after adding NES logging).
Also, VGMPlay crashes at the end, because the data block writes beyond the bounds of the RAM array. (and I didn't catch that - I do now) Something similar probably happens in MESS, too.

I'll try to fix this with the next MAME/MESS update.

EDIT: Ah, no. I think that just the way my logging works is a little buggy.
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Post by Duchemole »

i have problems with mega cd emulation using mess 0.148
i want to rip some games (tried snatcher & urusei yatsura), but none of them worked
i have mega cd (or sega cd for snatcher) bios running, tried to browse to the iso file, it says "push start", then, it crashes mess completely
i even tried to read directly the CD, did not work
valleybell> how did you rip sonic CD ?
do i need to transform the cd into chd file, like it's done for mame cd or hdd games ? if yes, anyone knows a tutorial about it ?
thanks
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Post by RichterEX2 »

Gens GS/R7+ will do SegaCD/MegaCD rips as well as 32X. Although it still seemed a bit buggy last time I tried it.
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Post by ValleyBell »

Gens GS/r7+ worked very well with Sonic CD. I also did Popful Mail with it.
32x should be fine, too.
The only bug I noticed was when ripping Knuckles Chaotix, where it sometimes missed to play drum sounds, but I later found out that this is a bug/race condition of the sound test screen. (It works well during the rest of the game.)
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