VGM emulation and slowdown (Thunder Force)
Technical discussion about the VGM format, and all the software you need to handle VGM files.
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- dissident93 Offline
- Posts: 204
- Joined: 2012-02-17, 5:54:01
- Location: USA
Simply put, the "problem" I have is that I want to be able to overclock <something> so that VGMs can take off their original constraints or put on new ones. In the case of Thunder Force III and IV, those constraints hurt the songs to me and some kind of slowdown removal would do them justice, as shown with the Hyper Duel version of Venus fire.
I feel that the VGM format should (or even already does) support this simply because it functions as an emulator at some level and has to be doing that emulating well enough to get some internal slowdowns right. Surely there would be a way to screw with how each chip/processor runs? Even MAME supports all that.
(If this was just a tempo problem, I'd just use Pacemaker and be done with it, never mind how weird it runs.)
I feel that the VGM format should (or even already does) support this simply because it functions as an emulator at some level and has to be doing that emulating well enough to get some internal slowdowns right. Surely there would be a way to screw with how each chip/processor runs? Even MAME supports all that.
(If this was just a tempo problem, I'd just use Pacemaker and be done with it, never mind how weird it runs.)
Last edited by Despatche on 2013-07-30, 7:25:25, edited 1 time in total.
- ValleyBell Offline
- Posts: 4784
- Joined: 2011-12-01, 20:20:07
- Location: Germany
Let me clarify something: The VGM format itself does NOT emulate any CPU (only the hardware that produces the sounds) and so you can NOT overclock anything to make VGMs play more "fluid".
VGM is a logged format, that means it takes all things the CPUs send to external hardware and writes it down, similarly to recording WAVE files.
The sort of opposite of this are ripped formats (like NSF and PSF) that take some of the game's code (sound engine) and data (songs and instruments). Of course they emulate the sound hardware, but they also emulate one (or more) CPUs that run this ripped code.
In such a format, it would be possible to overclock something.
I you feel that the VGM rips have some slowdown and you want to fix this, you need to find an emulator that logs VGMs and is able to overclock some of the CPUs (like MAME/MESS) and rerip the songs.
VGM is a logged format, that means it takes all things the CPUs send to external hardware and writes it down, similarly to recording WAVE files.
The sort of opposite of this are ripped formats (like NSF and PSF) that take some of the game's code (sound engine) and data (songs and instruments). Of course they emulate the sound hardware, but they also emulate one (or more) CPUs that run this ripped code.
In such a format, it would be possible to overclock something.
I you feel that the VGM rips have some slowdown and you want to fix this, you need to find an emulator that logs VGMs and is able to overclock some of the CPUs (like MAME/MESS) and rerip the songs.
- dissident93 Offline
- Posts: 204
- Joined: 2012-02-17, 5:54:01
- Location: USA