spc2midi-tsuu: A new SPC to MIDI converter

[aikiriao]

Thanks for your comments!

is there a way that a MIDI could be ripped where it extracts the instruments into their own channels? I'm guessing the answer is no.

You're right. However, I can add an option to assign an output MIDI channel per sample so that each sample is routed to its own channel. Note that drums would remain on the standard drum channel (MIDI channel 10).

Ah right, so, for the drift, this is on clock speed 1, you can see the note sizes of each bar are identical, but each bar starts just a little earlier than the last, resulting in bars starting well before they are supposed to by the end. no matter the clock-up setting it doesnt seem to change it really

Thanks, that description is helpful. I'll investigate the phenomenon using Rainbow Road.

[aikiriao]

I’ve released version 0.2.2:
https://github.com/aikiriao/spc2midi-ts ... /tag/0.2.2

which adds two new features:
- Instrument name (stored as a track name in the SMF)
- Output channel selection

To set an instrument name, select the output MIDI channel for the sample. All MIDI events for that sample are collected into the selected channel, and the tool writes the instrument name as the track name in the exported SMF.

To support the instrument name, I changed the output SMF format from 0 to 1. Because DAWs (Cubase and FL Studio) did not recognize the instrument name meta event. So I use the track name to represent the instrument name.

This release may be unstable due to the format change. Please let me know if there is any inconvenience. I am still investigating the root cause of the timing drift issue.

[LF222]

I’ve released version 0.2.2:
https://github.com/aikiriao/spc2midi-ts ... /tag/0.2.2

which adds two new features:
- Instrument name (stored as a track name in the SMF)
- Output channel selection

To set an instrument name, select the output MIDI channel for the sample. All MIDI events for that sample are collected into the selected channel, and the tool writes the instrument name as the track name in the exported SMF.

To support the instrument name, I changed the output SMF format from 0 to 1. Because DAWs (Cubase and FL Studio) did not recognize the instrument name meta event. So I use the track name to represent the instrument name.

This release may be unstable due to the format change. Please let me know if there is any inconvenience. I am still investigating the root cause of the timing drift issue.

Working well so far, small thing though, having instruments on thier own channels can lead to problems if theres multiple channels using the same one, good example is the guitar in the title theme of Spider-Man and the X men Arcade's Revenge, the guitar and its echoes overlap eachother and eat eachother's pitch events, making a warbly mess

[MixerProductions]

I’ve released version 0.2.2:
https://github.com/aikiriao/spc2midi-ts ... /tag/0.2.2

which adds two new features:
- Instrument name (stored as a track name in the SMF)
- Output channel selection

To set an instrument name, select the output MIDI channel for the sample. All MIDI events for that sample are collected into the selected channel, and the tool writes the instrument name as the track name in the exported SMF.

To support the instrument name, I changed the output SMF format from 0 to 1. Because DAWs (Cubase and FL Studio) did not recognize the instrument name meta event. So I use the track name to represent the instrument name.

This release may be unstable due to the format change. Please let me know if there is any inconvenience. I am still investigating the root cause of the timing drift issue.

Wow I didn't expect a response this quickly let alone any kind of changes! you are amazing for this I cant thank you enough.

Side Pocket, Aero the Acrobat 2 and Battletoads remixes here I come

[aikiriao]

First of all, thank you for using the tool and comments!

having instruments on thier own channels can lead to problems if theres multiple channels using the same one

Thanks for the report. You’re right: assigning multiple samples to the same MIDI channel may cause problems. Channel assignment is left to the user, so you can control routing, but please avoid assigning the same channel to multiple samples.

Notes: channels 1–8 may be used by the SPC emulator, and channel 10 is reserved for drums, so the following channels are generally available: 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

Side Pocket, Aero the Acrobat 2 and Battletoads remixes here I come

Thanks, it is my pleasure to use the tool. I can’t wait to see what you make.

[aikiriao]

I've released 0.2.3:
https://github.com/aikiriao/spc2midi-ts ... /tag/0.2.3

I improved the MIDI delta-time precision, which helped in some cases, but drift still accumulates in Rainbow Road. There are two likely causes: (1) BPM is estimated from the audio signal and can be incorrect, and (2) there may be timing implementation issues around the emulator timer.
For example, Rainbow Road's BPM detected by VGMTrans is 73.24, while spc2midi-tsuu estimates 146.34. Because spc2midi-tsuu uses signal processing to infer BPM, it may not always match the results of binary analysis tools like VGMTrans. If you think the estimated BPM is incorrect, please correct it in the Preferences window.

[aikiriao]

I've released version 0.2.10:
https://github.com/aikiriao/spc2midi-tsuu/releases

This release adds channel routing and CLI support.

Channel routing allows you to assign output MIDI channels for each SPC channel of each sample. I added this feature after noticing some echo-like parts where the same sample is played on multiple SPC channels with a delay (aka part echo). You can access it via the new "Edit Channel Routing" button.CLI support has also been added, so the converter can now be used from the command line.

These features are still new, so there may be bugs. Please let me know if you find any issues.

[quattj]

I had a question regarding some games that use channel switching (where the sound channel that would normally be just the bass for example, keeps switching between loads of different samples on the fly regularly), is there a way that a MIDI could be ripped where it extracts the instruments into their own channels? I'm guessing the answer is no.

The reason I ask is Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, and the Iguana games like Aero the Acrobat and Side Pocket use this technique and its really akward to edit the resulting midi (and time consuming).

I've been working on the SNES MIDI Remaster Project since 2021 using the original spc2midi to create the initial MIDI files. I did Battletoads in Battlemaniacs this past December. You can find the video on YouTube, and the file downloads in the video description.

With the original spc2midi, you can technically isolate an instrument by muting all other instruments. When you export the resulting MIDI file, it will only contain the un-muted instrument. It still will span all 8 channels however.

I also am working on a MIDI editor MIDI-MIS (MIDI Musical Instrument Switcher) to go along with this project and compensate for many of the flaws present in the original spc2midi. Perhaps you may find it useful. It allows certain edits (such as instrument changing, some volume, note, and pitch modification, etc) to happen per-instrument, so you can make changes based on the entire instrument, or a specific channel of the selected instrument. The link is also in the YouTube video descriptions. I also posted about it a long while back on this forum, thugh both the editor and the project have greatly progressed since then.
viewtopic.php?t=3619

That being said, I am VERY eager to try out this NEW spc2midi! I just found out about it this morning over on the midi.org forums. I've been hoping for someone to take up the spc2midi mantle for YEARS. I'm hoping it may finally help reduce the massive amount of time it currently takes me to complete a single soundtrack.