[Tutorial] Covarr's New FF7Music Tutorial

[Torazo]

Well, umm..no What I meant is Once you split the mp3 file. Opening will just be opening. And after the train scene. The Bombing Run.mp3 should kick in and supposed to be looped and that's that..( You have to time the split so It would not sound awkward once the bombing.mp3 loops.) If you're really confused Check this in your FFVII Music:

1. Open FFVII Music Prog.
2. click Configure
3. Click Files Tab
4. Browse thru the profile you're usin. Mine is OSTRemastered ( I'm using The Remastered OST's)
5. look for this names= oa and ob
    oa Should be the Opening.mp3
    ob should be the Looped Bombing Run.mp3

That should be there correct placements in game.

I am also using OSTRemastered

oa and ob have "02 - Opening ~ Bombing Mission.mp3" which indicates they are playing the same mp3 file which would explain why it does that... I guess I just need to replace the one that runs and repeats second, which means I need Looped Bombing Run.mp3... I would just need to find a cut version of the mp3 or find a program that can allow me to cut the music up while keeping the quality and reducing the size of the mp3.

You just have to redownload it man.The files you received are corrupted I think. Check your connection. Although its a really big video file (AVI that is). And it wont work if you're not usin Aali's Graphics Driver.

I would love to have Aali's working properly with FF7Music... Not sure why it doesn't initially.

not your windows dude...The Aali's Custom Graphics Driver's version is what I meant.( Latest is 0.6.10..I think)
 Hmm..Your usin CCCP Codec pack?..Well, everyone insists you should use KLite because This would also help in fixing the video problems you'll encounter in the game...  

I downloaded the newest one and tried it. I use CCCP mainly because I have had problems with KLite in the past. After changing, the only problem I have really had was that I cannot use the videos created and placed for download on this site...  The 1:59 video is one that I have yet to see, but that is because I need the Indeo Codec to view it in any of my players... Otokoshi's opening video.

Hm.. I'll try to upload later. It is in Mp3 version. But its no different than the PSF counterpart

Found the problem... oa and ob are both playing the same mp3. Just need to replace ob with the proper, Looping mp3 instead of the Opening mp3.

Aiya....Nope.  It shoud not stop the FFVII music from workin..Actually It helps to make it work...Hmm..Could you pls. Specify? Did you change the config.ini included in Aalis Custom Graphics?

I didn't change anything at all. I downloaded it, followed the instructions and played... The game worked fine, but FF7Music wouldn't work.

Ok, don't install the Indeo codec pack.  Or any of the other packs like K-Lite and so forth.  There is no reason if you're only doing it for FF7.  Aali's driver has the codecs included with it to properly play ALMOST anything

That's good to know. Would like to be able to play the video in Media Player to see what it's like though. So even if I cannot view Otokoshi's 1:59 video in a player, I would be able to view it in game if I had Aali's Drivers installed?


On a side note, you may have noticed that my replies seem like I don't know something, but then I come up with something, it is because I am searching the site as I go through each section so I am much more thorough.

 

[Harruzame]

Nice!..It's good to be thorough...so carry on...

So lets get back to your queries:


I am also using OSTRemastered

oa and ob have "02 - Opening ~ Bombing Mission.mp3" which indicates they are playing the same mp3 file which would explain why it does that... I guess I just need to replace the one that runs and repeats second, which means I need Looped Bombing Run.mp3... I would just need to find a cut version of the mp3 or find a program that can allow me to cut the music up while keeping the quality and reducing the size of the mp3.


Correct! Actually oa or Opening.mp3 is actually playing with the First Video of the game. So you only need to find Bombing Run (looped). Search in the internet, The one I have comes from Crisis Core entitled First Mission


I would love to have Aali's working properly with FF7Music... Not sure why it doesn't initially.

Hmmm.. Have ta see a sample picture of it for me to analyze...

I downloaded the newest one and tried it. I use CCCP mainly because I have had problems with KLite in the past. After changing, the only problem I have really had was that I cannot use the videos created and placed for download on this site...  The 1:59 video is one that I have yet to see, but that is because I need the Indeo Codec to view it in any of my players... Otokoshi's opening video.

Ah! Yosh! Don't use the old ones ... Use the HD version of the same AVI  that's the one you should use..Not the old one mostly because It needs the Indeo thing...Thats why ya really need Aali's custom Graphics Driver..

If you could show me some pics or send it to me thru PM..I can manage to help ya more...

Found the problem... oa and ob are both playing the same mp3. Just need to replace ob with the proper, Looping mp3 instead of the Opening mp3.

I didn't change anything at all. I downloaded it, followed the instructions and played... The game worked fine, but FF7Music wouldn't work.

Could Ya show what pops out everytime it doesn't run? Error message or something


That's good to know. Would like to be able to play the video in Media Player to see what it's like though. So even if I cannot view Otokoshi's 1:59 video in a player, I would be able to view it in game if I had Aali's Drivers installed?

Nope. If you're goin to play it in a media player you don't have to. But I suggest gettin the HD versions..Theyre mush more friendly


Just message me immediately if ya need further help!

 

[Torazo]

Correct! Actually oa or Opening.mp3 is actually playing with the First Video of the game. So you only need to find Bombing Run (looped). Search in the internet, The one I have comes from Crisis Core entitled First Mission

Getting the music to go from one mp3 to the next makes it stutter a bit and makes it lose a very short period of time when changing over... Hmm

I need to find a way to get rid of the delay before it decides to start looping again...

Hmmm.. Have ta see a sample picture of it for me to analyze...

Ah! Yosh! Don't use the old ones ... Use the HD version of the same AVI  that's the one you should use..Not the old one mostly because It needs the Indeo thing...Thats why ya really need Aali's custom Graphics Driver..

If you could show me some pics or send it to me thru PM..I can manage to help ya more...

Could Ya show what pops out everytime it doesn't run? Error message or something

It would seem as FF7Music does not have any errors when this happens. Would it have something to do with setting fake_midi to true? If so, I have no idea where to go to change that.

Just so you know, the version I have is 0.7.1b

 

[blargiefarg]

It isn't working, I think it's because i cant find fake midi!

 

[obesebear]

It isn't working, I think it's because i cant find fake midi!

The fake_midi option in the driver .cfg simply means that the midis will not play.  So basically, if you use FF7Music, you can turn on fake_midi so that the midis won't play while your mp3s are playing

 

[Curlyoxide]

0.7 opengl driver

just remove # next to #music_plugin = plugins/ff7music.fgp in the ff7_opengl.cfg file
that enables it once you remove the # so it looks like this
music_plugin = plugins/ff7music.fgp instead of this
#music_plugin = plugins/ff7music.fgp

 

[Torazo]

just remove # next to #music_plugin = plugins/ff7music.fgp in the ff7_opengl.cfg file
that enables it once you remove the # so it looks like this
music_plugin = plugins/ff7music.fgp instead of this
#music_plugin = plugins/ff7music.fgp

Thanks. Now FF7Music works with Aali's OpenGL Driver.

Is it possible to have smooth music transitions, when FF7Music changes from one mp3 to the next or where it repeats the same one, it will start right away instead of having a delay?

Do PSF's have smooth transitions? If so, is it possible to cut a minipsf file into 2 minipsf files where the first has one portion of the music and the second has the second portion? I have searched and have only found that you can turn a minipsf into an mp3, but I haven't seen one where you can change it back.


Also, does anybody know of a cutting program that can cut an mp3 to the millisecond rather than to the second?

 

[DLPB_]

Ideally if you started with an MP3, you can use editors (expensive one like Adobe Audition, I am sure there are freeware ones) and then save the cut sound back to mp3.

The best way is to try and rip direct from Music OST CD if you own them.  But you shouldnt really hear much difference with a double loss, if the source MP3 is good and if you save to a good bitrate.

It is 100% impossible to save back to minipsf or PSF.  They are not streamed data like MP3 and their technology and implimentation are totally different.

 

[Torazo]

It's just that, when I play FF7 with FF7Music going, whenever it attempts to loop a song, it tends to stop for a second or two at the end of each play through of the mp3. I am trying to figure out a countermeasure to this.

I have thought of an idea, but it would require to preload each mp3, which FF7Music does not allow right now. Basically, instead of FF7Music having 1 mp3 loaded at a time, it loads the 1st one, which is playing, and it loads the 2nd one in case it needs to loop. This should prevent the music from cutting out upon looping. Unfortunately, I have no control over the changes for FF7Music, nor can I create my own.

Right now it is...
Load mp3, play mp3, load mp3

My idea is...
Load mp3, play mp3, while playing mp3, preload the next mp3 to prepare for a loop.


Well... Seeing as Sony created PSF's, I would assume that it is possible to change various audio files into PSF, but we just don't know how to do so... Would be nice to be able to copy, cut and recreate a PSF file though.

 

[titeguy3]

Quite frankly I don't know how FF7Music is implemented but I do know that there is some buffer time (less than a second) when looping a track. There are many ways to counteract this, but they all entail editing the source code for FF7Music (or completely making a new version).

BTW Torazo, a lot of your questions have already been addressed in this thread.

Also, a .psf file is just a music file that was ripped from a PSX disc and re-encoded into the .psf format (by someone?), so you're half correct in stating that it was made by sony. The initial encoding was devised by sony and burned onto CD's, but the .psf file itself was made by someone who ripped them from those CD's.

 

[DLPB_]

As I said, it is *Impossible* to change MP3 to PSF.  PSF are more like a midi file.  They are justa  collection of instruments and instructions being used by a plugin which emulates the sound programming of the playstation.

 

[Torazo]

Quite frankly I don't know how FF7Music is implemented but I do know that there is some buffer time (less than a second) when looping a track. There are many ways to counteract this, but they all entail editing the source code for FF7Music (or completely making a new version).

BTW Torazo, a lot of your questions have already been addressed in this thread.

Also, a .psf file is just a music file that was ripped from a PSX disc and re-encoded into the .psf format (by someone?), so you're half correct in stating that it was made by sony. The initial encoding was devised by sony and burned onto CD's, but the .psf file itself was made by someone who ripped them from those CD's.

That thread helped me little, that is why I asked my own questions. If a question is not answered the way someone is looking for, then the question is not answered for them. I still needed more clarification regarding the few questions that I asked that were addressed.

As for the PSF files, I was talking about before it was ever ripped off of a CD. The person that ripped it just happened to call it PSF to help clarify what it was. It was originally placed on a PSX CD as a music file, which we now call a PSF today because of that ripper.

As I said, it is *Impossible* to change MP3 to PSF.  PSF are more like a midi file.  They are justa  collection of instruments and instructions being used by a plugin which emulates the sound programming of the playstation.

I highly doubt it is "Impossible"... They are stored as data on a computer just like mp3's. If you can change a psf into an mp3, it is possible to reverse that process, the only thing is, is that it might take a different program per mp3 to psf conversion.


These are completely off-topic though.

Does anybody know of a free program that can cut mp3's to the millisecond? I am looking around and I will be checking out Audacity. Audacity works. Only thing is, you cannot specifically tell it from what millisecond to start at.

 

[obesebear]

Does anybody know of a free program that can cut mp3's to the millisecond? I am looking around and I will be checking out Audacity. Audacity works. Only thing is, you cannot specifically tell it from what millisecond to start at.

Yes it can.  You need to zoom in on the track.  It can cut down to nanoseconds almost

 

[Aali]

Sony didn't create .psf files and there is no way you can recreate a .psf file from an mp3, it would be like trying to recreate a game from a recording of it.

You see, .psf is just a handy modular format for PSX machine code. The actual music player was ripped from the game, not just the samples or whatever.

 

[Torazo]

Yes it can.  You need to zoom in on the track.  It can cut down to nanoseconds almost

I was meaning the ability to tell it a specific number to go to rather than placing a line.

Sony didn't create .psf files and there is no way you can recreate a .psf file from an mp3, it would be like trying to recreate a game from a recording of it.

You see, .psf is just a handy modular format for PSX machine code. The actual music player was ripped from the game, not just the samples or whatever.

Who created the original PSF files for use on a Sony Playstation CD? I am not meaning the person who created the PSF file (Niel Corlett), I am talking about the origin that started it... Also, how were PSF's originally created?

The Music Player you would be talking about would be... FF7Music?

 

[DLPB_]

probably Minoru Akao (although the specification was created by others at Sony, obviously)

It is just as Aali said, a proprietary like Midi file for PSX (with differences, that is just an analogy).  Instruments that get played at certain times.  If you search the PSX discs all you find is the instruments and the voices for Sephiroth one winged angel

 

[Harruzame]

@Torazo


You say you want to cut it to a millisecond?... one question though...

Is your PC capable enough to do that?...Because according to the site of Audacity it largely depends on the PC's speed to be able to determine exact timing of a single Mp3..Does it mean it needs amiable speed to endure countless times of reverse/forwarding of a song? And be able to tackle 100+ songs at once too?

I think that should be considered because thats how lags where found out in the first place...

Correct me if I'm wrong though...Coz I'm also just as curious as to the capability of this wonderful program....

 

[Torazo]

I just tested it on Audacity and I don't seem to have any problems. I even tried going as far zoomed as possible and still no problems. I just wanted to get it as close as possible to a certain sound ending and I have done it on Windows Movie Maker on a worse computer.

I have no clue as to what you mean by "countless times of reverse/forwarding of a song" seeing as I am only playing the song forward from the point in which I place the line at in Audacity. As for 100+ songs at once, I am only playing 1 single song. Haven't tried playing multiple songs at once, if it can.

My main goal was to eliminate delays when mp3's changed over while using FF7Music... This is one way of making that gap smaller.

 

[Aali]

Who created the original PSF files for use on a Sony Playstation CD? I am not meaning the person who created the PSF file (Niel Corlett), I am talking about the origin that started it... Also, how were PSF's originally created?

The Music Player you would be talking about would be... FF7Music?

There are no .psf files on a PSX CD, .psf's are created by extracting the SPU code from a game and it's associated data.
I'm talking about the actual music player from the original game. That's what's contained in the psflib for FF7, along with the samples.
Highly experimental (.psf player for winamp) is just a stripped-down PSX emulator with just the CPU, RAM and SPU.

 

[Harruzame]

Ah ...Thats it you want to be as seamless as possible right?...well consider this...FFVII music is an outside source program to be exact right?

So by knowing this It means were practically using two programs at once.(Main Game and outside program) so would you think that might be the cause of your distress?

You cannot actually 100% emulate the songs timing on every Mp3 it needs to play. If you observe how FFVII Music works you'll see how it firsts plays the midi then finds its counterpart mp3.. So by actually doin that, it causes it to delay a bit ( mere 1 sec I noticed just now). But with using Audacity to cut the intervals..You can shorten it further and thats it.

Everything cannot be too perfect or else we wouldn't have APPLE or IBM or LINUX to begin with..

You're already playing it aren't ya? Some of the hard core gamers out there even consider buyin new PC's or install new parts just to play this Game..( Think of the dough they spent...Man. I wish I was Gates... :roll

So be content with it for now...But hey..I'm just tryin to help you out..No harm here..Peace out!