vgmrips

Installing, updating and using Hoot

Get the lastest version of Hoot and extract it to some directory (it will be referred as hoot directory from now on).
Get the Drum samples for OPNA sets and extract it into the hoot directory.
Get the lastest ini enhancements from http://hoot.joshw.info/. Extract it into the hoot directory and agree whenever it asks about overwriting existing files. Once new ini enhancements are available you can repeat this.
Down packs from ttp://hoot.joshw.info/ and put in subdirectories in the hoot directory. They should be packed, don't extract the sets themselves.
Now start hoot.exe, using the Enter, Esc and arrow keys you can browse your collection. If packs don't show up try system>reload titles. Enter on a song will play that song, P stops it, 0 restarts it, the keys 1-8 and Q-I can be used to mute the respective single channels, O to mute all and 9 to unmute all channels.

Installing Vermouth synthesizer

Get the vermouth.dll and put it into the hoot directory.
Get GUS patches. For example, you can use eawpats11_full_beos.zip. Extract it to some directory.
Put the timidity.cfg into the hoot directory and edit the "dir" statement in timidity.cfg to point to your GUS patch directory.

##############################################################################
#
# Instrument configuration file for timidity
#
# Specify library directory: dir <directory>
#
# - Multiple library directories may be given. The ones given last will be
# searched first so you can override them in later configuration files.
# Extra configuration files and MIDI files will also be searched in these
# directories.
#
# Set tone bank or drum set to modify: bank <number>
# drumset <number>
#
# Map program number to patch map: <program number> <patch name>
#
# - If the patch can't be found in the library directories, TiMidity will
# search again with ".pat" appended to the name.
# Programs without a loaded patch will be silent, except that for
# banks/drumsets >0, the corresponding patch in bank/drumset 0 will
# be used (if one exists).
#
# Read another configuration file: source <file name>
#

##############################################################################
# If you've moved things around since compiling, uncomment and edit this to
# point to the library directory:
#
dir /boot/home/config/share/timidity
#

##############################################################################
# This sets up the default patches in the TiMidity support package
# "timidity-lib-0.1.tar.gz":

#bank 0
# 0 patch/acpiano.pat
# 24 patch/nylongt2.pat

##############################################################################
# If you have Dustin McCartney's "wowpats" patches, you can source the
# config file to set them up for TiMidity:
#
# (Note that later entries in config files always override earlier ones)
#
#source wowpats.cfg
#

##############################################################################
# If you have Dustin McCartney's GS drum sets, you can source the config
# file to set them up for TiMidity:
#
#source gsdrum.cfg
#

##############################################################################
# If you have the GUS General MIDI patch set, uncomment the following lines
# and edit the "dir" statement to point to your GUS patch directory.
#
dir /boot/home/config/share/timidity
source gravis.cfg
source gsdrums.cfg
source gssfx.cfg
source xgmap2.cfg
#source proteus2.cfg
#source mt-32.cfg
#source sndfont.cfg
#####
# you don't usually need sustain.cfg anymore, use the -m option instead
#source sustain.cfg
#

##############################################################################
# If you have the Midia patch set, you can source midia.cfg to set them up.
# Note that midia.cfg sources gravis.cfg in turn, since the filenames are
# almost identical.
#
#source midia.cfg
#


##############################################################################
# End of configuration file

Okay, I think I FINALLY got the program to recognize the files. Even though I can't read Japanese, I (accidentally) discovered the action on the menu bar, I believe refresh, accessed by hitting CTRL-R. It reloads all available roms from the path you give it in the configuration file. I had wondered why I have aimlessly been trying all these methods with different XML files and paths with Hoot, without any visible effect. Thanks!

Next question is that, I know that Knurek said that to bypass the 1-minute limit from the program before all goes silent, I have to register on the Japanese site. But I click on the bottom link with my email address, and I get an error on the following page? Does this mean I'm stuck with the time limit?

http://dmpsoft.s17.xrea.com/hoot/getkey.html