The .tfi file format is the instrument format used for TFM Music Maker programmed by Shiru. It uses two Yamaha YM2203 chips and is largely backwards compatible with other chips in the OPN series by Yamaha.

Organization

Every .tfi file is composed of 42 bytes of info. The organization of these bytes are listed in the table below with abbreviated functions as an overview.

AL

FB

MT	DT	TL	RS	AR	DR	SR	RR	SL	EG
MT	DT	TL	RS	AR	DR	SR	RR	SL	EG
MT	DT	TL	RS	AR	DR	SR	RR	SL	EG
MT	DT	TL	RS	AR	DR	SR	RR	SL	EG

A brief description of the functions of each byte, their offsets and the valid range are listed in the chart below.

Hex Offset	Function	Range
0x00	Algorithm	$00-$07
0x01	Feedback	$00-$07
0x02	OP0 Multiplier	$00-$0F
0x03	OP0 Detune	$00-$06
0x04	OP0 Total Level	$00-$7F
0x05	OP0 Rate Scaling	$00-$03
0x06	OP0 Attack Rate	$00-$1F
0x07	OP0 Decay Rate	$00-$1F
0x08	OP0 Sustain Rate	$00-$1F
0x09	OP0 Release Rate	$00-$0F
0x0A	OP0 Sustain Level	$00-$0F
0x0B	OP0 SSG-EG	$00, $08-$0F
0x0C	OP1 Multiplier	$00-$0F
0x0D	OP1 Detune	$00-$06
0x0E	OP1 Total Level	$00-$3F
0x0F	OP1 Rate Scaling	$00-$03
0x10	OP1 Attack Rate	$00-$1F
0x11	OP1 Decay Rate	$00-$1F
0x12	OP1 Sustain Rate	$00-$1F
0x13	OP1 Release Rate	$00-$0F
0x14	OP1 Sustain Level	$00-$0F
0x15	OP1 SSG-EG	$00, $08-$0F
0x16	OP2 Multiplier	$00-$0F
0x17	OP2 Detune	$00-$06
0x18	OP2 Total Level	$00-$3F
0x19	OP2 Rate Scaling	$00-$03
0x1A	OP2 Attack Rate	$00-$1F
0x1B	OP2 Decay Rate	$00-$1F
0x1C	OP2 Sustain Rate	$00-$1F
0x1D	OP2 Release Rate	$00-$0F
0x1E	OP2 Sustain Level	$00-$0F
0x1F	OP2 SSG-EG	$00, $08-$0F
0x20	OP3 Multiplier	$00-$0F
0x21	OP3 Detune	$00-$06
0x22	OP3 Total Level	$00-$3F
0x23	OP3 Rate Scaling	$00-$3F
0x24	OP3 Attack Rate	$00-$1F
0x25	OP3 Decay Rate	$00-$1F
0x26	OP3 Sustain Rate	$00-$1F
0x27	OP3 Release Rate	$00-$0F
0x28	OP3 Sustain Level	$00-$0F
0x29	OP3 SSG-EG	$00, $08-$0F

Descriptions

Algorithm Values

Feedback values only affect Operator 0. In the descriptions below a "+" sign indicates that the operators involved are combined through additive synthesis and a ">" sign indicates that the operators involved are combined through FM synthesis where the operator(s) to the left are the modulator wave and the operator(s) to the right are the carrier waves.

$00 = OP0 > OP2 > OP1 > OP3
$01 = (OP0 + OP2) > OP1 > OP3
$02 = (OP0 + (OP2 > OP1)) > OP3
$03 = ((OP0 > OP2) + OP1) > OP3
$04 = (OP0 > OP2) + (OP1 > OP3)
$05 = (OP0 > OP1) + (OP0 > OP2) + (OP0 > OP3)
$06 = (OP0 > OP2) + OP1 + OP3
$07 = OP0 + OP1 + OP2 + OP3

Feedback Values

Number of times Operator 0 feeds back into itself

Multiplier Values

These Multiplier values are the same for all Yamaha FM chips

$00 = 1/2x or the octave below
$01 = 1x or at pitch
$02 = 2x or an octave above
$03 = 3x or an octave and a perfect fifth above
$04 = 4x or two octaves above
$05 = 5x or two octaves and a major third above
$06 = 6x or two octaves and a fifth above
$07 = 7x or two octaves and a minor seventh above
$08 = 8x or three octaves above
$09 = 9x or three octaves and a major second above
$0A = 10x or three octaves and a major third above
$0B = 10x or three octaves and a major third above
$0C = 12x or three octaves and a perfect fifth above
$0D = 12x or three octaves and a perfect fifth above
$0E = 15x or three octaves and a major seventh above
$0F = 15x or three octaves and a major seventh above

Detune values

Exact meaning for detune values and how they affect tuning are not clearly outlined in any literature regarding the YM2203 and may need further research to identify.

$00 = -3
$01 = -2
$02 = -1
$03 = no detune
$04 = +1
$05 = +2
$06 = +3

Notes

TFM Music Maker assumes that the "detune" value is 0 .. 3 .. 6, mapped to the sound of -3 .. 0 .. +3.
Yamaha registers use 0 .. 3, 4 .. 7, which maps to the sound of +0 .. +3, -0 .. -3

SSG-EG Values

When enabled, the Software Sound Generator-Envelope Generator will change the order in which the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release sections of the envelope will be stepped through. In the description below "OFF" means the envelope will cycle once and then will be silenced and "ON" means the envelope will cycle once and then play at the volume indicated in the operator's TL value.

$00 = Do not use SSG-EG
$08 = ADSR ADSR ADSR
$09 = ADSR OFF
$0A = ADSR RSDA ADSR
$0B = ADSR ON
$0C = RSDA RSDA RSDA
$0D = RSDA ON
$0E = RSDA ADSR RSDA
$0F = RSDA OFF

Tools

neologix' vgm2pre
consolethinks' vgm2tfi
Older version of Shiru's vgm2tfi from this page

Voice libraries

The archive tfmmaker10.rar from this thread contains some .tfi and .y12 voice files.
The archive tfmmaker152.rar from here contains .tfi, .y12 and .ins files.
The zip file from this page contains a few .gyb and .tfi files.
The 7zip file from this site has a bunch of Project2612 .tfi extracted presets.

Links