module ripper alpha testers needed

[snyp]

hi everyone,

i've been working on a windows application to scan through binary files for amiga module formats.

at the moment, i've got a decent gui set up and some hopefuly useful features, but what i need is some input from you guys here.

currently it's just picking up sidmon v1 modules; however the actual module scanning processes are going to be the easiest thing about it. basically all i need is to know what i should be doing with the thing to make it easier for people to use, so i can speed up the work i put into it in the long-run.

what i really need is for some of you guys to throw test data at it;
amiga memory dumps.. old ripped sidmon files (it looks like it's working with everything from exotica).. any demos/games which you are pretty sure include sidmon music.. and then have a play around with the gui to see what i need to do with it.

the long-term goal of the thing is to make an encyclopaedic ripping tool for windows, for amiga modules.

comments/help/observations/suggestions/praise/insults/bad criticism - all appreciated

[jrom]

Wasn't it easier to help out coding Pro-Wizard and/or Exotic Ripper? ;)

[Crown]

maybe you should contact the coder of prowizard : http://asle.free.fr/prowiz/

[bobbybearing]

what Exotic formats (FC,Sidmon...) are possible to convert in protracker format ? is it possible or totally impossible ?

[Crown]

ONE should NEVER convert exotic formats to Protracker!

it is senseless!

[snyp]

Wasn't it easier to help out coding Pro-Wizard and/or Exotic Ripper? ;)

maybe you should contact the coder of prowizard : http://asle.free.fr/prowiz/

nah..

for one thing, prowizard i'd consider more of a converting tool than a ripper. it doesn't even deal with hippel music as far as i remember.

for another.. exotic ripper is for the amiga platform.. this is supposed to be for windows.

and. exotic ripper does fail sometimes. and i don't. =p
i am obsessed, see.

what Exotic formats (FC,Sidmon...) are possible to convert in protracker format ? is it possible or totally impossible ?

ONE should NEVER convert exotic formats to Protracker!

it is senseless!

i agree with Crown..

but.. i plan to do some other types of conversions.. example;
sidmon image module <> sidmon song
sonic arranger image module <> sonic arranger song

- so at least the music is editable or it can be loaded into the editor again.

[bobbybearing]

it was just a TECHNICAL question about format and conversion (not a question if you are agree or not...I have nothing to do with your feelings)

[snyp]

it was just a technical QUESTION about format and conversion (not a question if you are agree or not...I have nothing to do with your feelings)

calm down.

i asked for input, and it appeared as though you were giving it.

so you are in the wrong thread.

[snyp]

what Exotic formats (FC,Sidmon...) are possible to convert in protracker format ? is it possible or totally impossible ?

to answer your question, nothing's totally impossible.

you'd need to parse the pattern data.. notes, effects.. etc..

then possibly convert the synth-sounds (which are given their cool effects with real-time processing) into samples instead.

some hippel-format songs were converted into fc13 for use in cracktros.. but they didn't sound the same as the original.

[Carlos Ace]

to answer your question, nothing's totally impossible.
you'd need to parse the pattern data.. notes, effects.. etc..
then possibly convert the synth-sounds (which are given their cool effects with real-time processing) into samples instead.
some hippel-format songs were converted into fc13 for use in cracktros.. but they didn't sound the same as the original.
Here some examples of FC,SIdmon, Delta Music, MON, Hippel, DW, MarkII, Fred, and others, converted to Protracker by Paradox (http://sfx.paradogs.com/estrayk.html).
Enjoy.:spin

[Carlos Ace]

(...)
some hippel-format songs were converted into fc13 for use in cracktros.. but they didn't sound the same as the original.
I think they sound the same, but there are not sub-songs, many of theme are converted directly to FC with the subsongs as one song.

[snyp]

yeah, future composer was based on replay code from hippel's work

[Carlos Ace]

As an example of conversion to protracker, look in The Zone for the Great Giana Sisters protracker conversion.

[Frog]

someone was working on a pattern data converter to convert synthesis format to protracker, in fact it was a genie for Delitracker that catch the ouput of the noteplayer but unfortunately he never finish this project... at my knowledge.

To convert synth-sound into samples, it sounds more difficult but as you said, nothing is impossible.

to answer your question, nothing's totally impossible.

you'd need to parse the pattern data.. notes, effects.. etc..

then possibly convert the synth-sounds (which are given their cool effects with real-time processing) into samples instead.

some hippel-format songs were converted into fc13 for use in cracktros.. but they didn't sound the same as the original.

[demoniac]

Playing with this now. Just a few features that you'll need to finish/enhance:

The filename scan? bar should be editable via keyboard. Hexdump should work w/ Pg[Up,Dn]. Working Deliplayer launcher. Ability to click on file map and play area. Resizable window? Internal module replayer? File history. Highlighting of module in hexdump.

Would test more, but out of 1244 modules that I've ripped, there were only 4 SM1 mods and I have 2 in my current collection.

[Asle]

Yop,

Discovering the thread ...

nah..

for one thing, prowizard i'd consider more of a converting tool than a ripper. it doesn't even deal with hippel music as far as i remember.
Prowizard is indeed, and originaly, a protracker clones ripper/converter. That's in Gryzor's doc and mine. Though, my version _does_ rip a couple of exotic formats. But you're right, not "even" hippel music ... .

for another.. exotic ripper is for the amiga platform.. this is supposed to be for windows.
So is Prowizard ... . One of the ER coders was seen recently on Exotica. Maybe you could sort something out with him.

and. exotic ripper does fail sometimes. and i don't. =p
i am obsessed, see.
ahaha .. ok, maybe your project is a bit too young and featureless to come up with such hasty conclusion !. What do we have ?, a 2.5 Mb prog that does rip Sidmon v1. Well, that's a start, agreed, but maybe you ought to add-up some more formats before anything else.
Try Sidmon v2 for example. I remember having sent a few created by Einstein/Betrayal to Peter Kunath that drove him crazy :). Well, nothing that can't be done since, well, it _is_ done :). A lot of work upcoming, for sure.
Anyway, good luck chief. Btw, you should do something for truncated files because I believe it's a failure :o.

Cya
Sylvain

PS: Where's the source code ?

[Carlos Ace]

There are a few rippers for PC (they are very rare. at least like the ones that were made for the Amiga).
One is Multi Ripper, this one is able to extract over 110 different file format (including pics), and its opensource.
You can find it here (http://www.baccan.it/index.php?sezione=mripper&email=si).

[bippym]

snyp you have my full support

Regardless of what others think.. the more Windows applications we have for handling the various amiga formats (be it audio, visual or whatever) the better :D

Good luck and I hope to see a fully functional ripper with some super-duper features soon :D

[snyp]

hehe.. before i concentrate on anything anyone's said here..

Asle..

honest friend, no offense with "doesn't 'even' deal with hippel".. i apologise.

your work is fantastic and people who are using it will agree.

i see prowizard as a conversion tool for protracker formats, you must agree it's function is best used for this purpose.. and what i said there was because i think the comparison between the ripper i'm making and a tool that is most widely used for converting protracker-packers wasn't fair.. especially when told i should give up the thing to help work on someone else's project.

but you're absolutely right.. my program does nothing at the moment. i just need some of you guys here to tell me what i need to do to make it better for you to use.

*tips hat*

[Carlos Ace]

(...)... my program does nothing at the moment. i just need some of you guys here to tell me what i need to do to make it better for you to use.*tips hat*
You have my support too, thats why i´ve mencioned the Pc util, for some ideas...

[Asle]

hehe.. before i concentrate on anything anyone's said here..

Asle..

honest friend, no offense with "doesn't 'even' deal with hippel".. i apologise. no offense taken, really :).

your work is fantastic and people who are using it will agree.

i see prowizard as a conversion tool for protracker formats, you must agree it's function is best used for this purpose.. and what i said there was because i think the comparison between the ripper i'm making and a tool that is most widely used for converting protracker-packers wasn't fair.. especially when told i should give up the thing to help work on someone else's project. Well, my work is anything but fantastic. It's cheap C that should have been written by some real coder, which I'm not. And contrary to the common belief, I've recieved very few feedback overall. Not that I complain, mind :). This tool was made for myself in the first place, so ... . And yes, it really is a converter.

but you're absolutely right.. my program does nothing at the moment. i just need some of you guys here to tell me what i need to do to make it better for you to use.

*tips hat* Not nothing, as it's obvious you've setup a powerful background, here. But, from my experiment, the serious thing begin now :). This reminds me of the old MS-DOS MOD players or trackers. Some were very beautiful, with near perfect design. Just, might sound strange, the replay was very bad for a lot of them. I guess you're in the position of having the nice GUI (no kidding, it's real great). Now, there's the ripping code to write.
To that end, and if you wish to add PTK clones (with or without converting), please, feel free to use some parts of my own sources. That is if you're ready to read amateurish C :).
There are also a couple of informations regarding various exotic formats here : http://www.exotica.org.uk/tunes/formats/
All compiled by Laurent Clevy (one of the few who did some feedback for Prowiz :).

Keep in touch, as I'll gladly betatest any forthcoming version.
Sylvain

PS: there's _really_ a problem with truncated files :). Take any Sidmon1 well formed file, remove a couple of bytes at the end and rip it .. you'll understand the pb :agree.