next »

[Rich Nagel]

(Note: This was a message that posted on another message board quite a while back, well over a year ago. Figured I'd post it here as well, as I never received any helpful replies to the message on that other board.)

Yeah, I know it's an oldie, but it's a goldie -:)

Does anyone know of any utility that will convert the music from Codemaster's "Micro Machines 2" into a standard Tracker type format? The in-game music is Redbook audio spooled from the CD, but the various menu and title tunes are contained in the ".MUS" files located in the "MM2\MUSIC" directory.

After looking at the files in a hex editor, they appear to be a very close variant of the Tracker style formats (i.e. S3M, MOD, XM, MTM, PSM, IT, etc...), but of course, no Tracker music player can play them back, even when renaming them with one of the above file extensions.

The first four bytes of each of these music files (the file header) is "SONG" (minus the quotes).

Just to prevent confusion, these so-called ".MUS" files are not the same format as id Software's MUS format (like that's in DOOM and Hexen). id's MUS format is a variant of a plain MIDI file, and can be converted to MIDI format using several of the MUS2MIDI utilities on the Net.

The "MUS" files in question that are in Micro Machines 2 appear to be a very close variant of the Tracker/Module type of format. ModPlug Tracker attempts to load them in, and allthough it thinks that they are Protracker format, the files are really not, and Modplug Tracker can't play or convert them properly.

I also discovered that the music from Codemasters "Psycho Pinball" uses the exact same format. Same so-called ".MUS" files, with the file header of "SONG" (minus the quotes) in the first four bytes of each of the files, as well as a header for each of the sound samples contained in them that reads "SMPL".

Dunno if this helps, but the sound engine for both of these games (directly from the games' EXEs):

"PC Music/FX System" (c) Karl Morton 1994

Any ideas?

[raina]

Tracker files? Really? I remember MM2 musics being, apart from annoying, only short guitar riffs and stuff. But yeah, I guess the menu did have a continuous background music. Since I was an 3\/iL PiR473 I never heard the redbook stuff, was it any better?

[Rich Nagel]

The Redbook audio was the same genre, but sounded considerably better than the Tracker format music. There were a few other sections of the game were Tracker files were used, but offhand I don't remember them (I'm thinking the main menu, loading screens, and the high score screens).

[Rich Nagel]

Extremely sorry to bump this old thread, just a-wondering if maybe anyone may have stumbled across any info regarding this -:)

[Rich Nagel]

Again, extremely sorry to bump this old thread, but...

*FINALLY* found 'em!

Dunno how they/the guy did the rip/conversion, but here ya go -> http://www.mirsoft.info/gmb/game_info.php?id_ele=OTU3OQ==

("Micro Machines 2.zip" - ~1.6MB - MOD format)


(EDIT)

P.S. The "Psycho Pinball" tunes -> http://www.mirsoft.info/gmb/music_info.php?id_ele=MTQwMDA=

("Psycho Pinball.zip" - ~4.1MB - MOD Format)


WOOHOO!

[saga]

Heh, now that took you quite long to find *g*. I could have told you that they're on MirSoft if I had seen that thread before. The Psycho Pinball is pretty damn excellent indeed.

[Rich Nagel]

Heh, now that took you quite long to find *g*.

Hehe, you'ld be surprised at the number of 'side projects' of mine that literally taken me YEARS... I NEVER give up <G>! This one, I prolly started in the beginning of 2004 or so <LOL>.

I could have told you that they're on MirSoft if I had seen that thread before.

I'm surprised that I had never found them there before. Although, looks like they were uploaded sometime in Sep. of 2007 though. I've searched MirSoft previously, but dunno if I had since that time <G>.

The Psycho Pinball is pretty damn excellent indeed.

They sure are Although my primary quest was for the MM2 tunes (I only mentioned P.P. as an example of another game that used the same format), I'm glad I found those as well... definately some good stuff


Speaking of old stuff in general: Just dug up my copies of some of the old Creative Labs' stuff (for DOS)...

* Creative Multimedia Presentation Player (and it's demo) for SB 16
* Creative Multimedia Presentation Player (and it's demo) for SB Pro
* Creative Talking Parrot (*NOT* "Prody Parrot", if you're thinking of that one)
* Sound Blaster Pro Intelligent Organ
* SBTalker, and Dr. Sbaitso (hehe, "Shall - we - play - a - game - ?" <G>)

<BG>

[saga]

Well, I was pretty happy when I read the news on the MirSoft page that they have the Psycho Pinball music now...

[Rich Nagel]

Along the same topic, do you (or anyone else) know of any other CodeMasters' games that use this same obscure format for music? Might be nice to have those tunes as well, if someone had previously uploaded them to MirSoft

(Edit)

Actually, I guess I should have said tunes that were composed by Tim Bartlett... and sort of answered my own question -> http://www.mirsoft.info/gmb/musician_info.php?id_ele=NTY=

[Sebek]

Can you give a link or send Psycho Pinball tunes? The link to mirsoft doesn' work anymore


Sebek

[saga]

Seems like mirsoft is not reachable once again, but I guess (read: hope) that it's not permanent. While it's offline, go to http://modarchive.org and search for "tim_bartlett_-_psycho_pinball*" (choose option file name only). I've uploaded the main tracks there (not the subtunes).

[Sebek]

Seems like mirsoft is not reachable once again, but I guess (read: hope) that it's not permanent. While it's offline, go to http://modarchive.org and search for "tim_bartlett_-_psycho_pinball*" (choose option file name only). I've uploaded the main tracks there (not the subtunes).

Saga
Thank you for that upload. I'm preparing myself for another pinball remake at Future Pinball platform (check Pinball Dreams: Ignition, BeatBox & Pinball Fantasies: Billion Dollar Gameshow - it's my current job). I'm going to recreate Wild West now. I would be very grateful if you upload there (or send me on priv to sebek74@go2.pl) anything you have linked to Psycho Pinball music & sounds (subtunes, effects, whatever you have).

Thank you in advice, Sebek

[saga]

I wonder if you have the permission from the authors, since there are projects like "Pinball Dreaming" already...?
Anyway,  you're lucky, modland has them all. IIRC, the sound effects are stored in a RAW wave format, should be easy to extract (for example load them into ModPlug/OpenMPT as an 8-bit unsigned wave.

[Sebek]

I wonder if you have the permission from the authors, since there are projects like "Pinball Dreaming" already...?
Anyway,  you're lucky, modland has them all. IIRC, the sound effects are stored in a RAW wave format, should be easy to extract (for example load them into ModPlug/OpenMPT as an 8-bit unsigned wave.

No, I don't have permission yet, but don't worry I thought about that. It seems that Psycho Pinball is abandonware now, but it's still wise to ask.
Thank you again for that link, it will be easy to convert the music. It seems that samples in mods are quite good quality - much better than playing during the game.
As you said the samples for effects are stored in one big file (8 bit unsigned). But it seems the have various bit rate and qualiy is not good when played (f.e. with Cool Edit), too much noice. Do you have any idea how to improve them?

Sebek

[Sebek]

(8 bit unsigned)

Correction - 8 bit signed.


Sebek

[saga]

They *are* noisy, because they're 8-bit samples. Just listen to them in-game with music disabled. Finding the correct playback frequency should be easy, it should vary between 8khz or 11khz and their multiples.