How do I create an SPC dump?

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:13 am

Hi all. First, thanks for your wonderful emulator. This and SNES 9X have made my millennium with all the previously untranslated or never-before seen games I missed in the 16 bit era.

I have searched all over the net for SPC dumps, but haven't found one of FEDA, the emblem of Justice. (The one in Zophar's is only silence. Kuroneko plays all their other SPC files just fine.) The Readme included with ZSNES is not clear about how to do it.

So how do I do it on ZSNES Windows? I also have SNES 9X, but all I get is one second of music. (DIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!) If someone could give me a hand, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Specineff.

blackmyst · Post by **blackmyst** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:44 am

The option is in the F1 menu. I forget what it's called (haven't used it in ages) but it's pretty obvious. You select it the moment before the song that you want, starts.

Btw, have you tried different SPC players to get the zophar one running?

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:58 am

Haven't tried other players. I used the F1 menu, but all I get is one short drum hit, and that's it. I should try others. Thanks.

illegal eagle · Post by **illegal eagle** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:17 am

Some SPCs require that the game sends them data while they're playing. SPC players don't emulate the SNES, so these SPCs can't be played.

Dunno if FEDA is one of them, though.

blackmyst · Post by **blackmyst** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:31 am

Surely it wouldn't have been posted at Zophar if it was?

Post by **grinvader** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:31 am

To correctly dump most SPCs you have to pre-empt them by one or two seconds.
You can bind any key to the 'dump spc' feature. Save a state ~5 seconds before a music starts, then press the bound button, reload state, wait a fraction of second more, dump the spc; repeat this at least 5 times.

Test the spcs you've dumped in your favourite player. If all of them are bad, there's good chance the game is a hard-to-rip one (ToP, SO, and some more)

Of course, if there's any sound effect before the real music starts, you'll dump the sound effect. You must press the button as soon as possible after the last song/last sound effect.
I warn you, spc dumping can be tedious. You may want to check SPC archives for your game before doing it yourself.

More over, as illegal eagle pointed out, some games use streamed music. You can't dump them currently. One of the most famous is ToP's intro song.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:31 am

Actually, it wasn't posted at Zophar in the first place. I made a mistake. Second, I must be doing something wrong. I did the "wait before the song starts" thing with Castlevania 4, and ZSNES registered the start of the song once it begun, but again, all I get is just one second of audio. How strange. Wonder how the people at Zophar did it in the first place.

Again, any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.

Post by **grinvader** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:39 am

Which game exactly are you trying to rip ? FEDA or Castlevania 4 ?

illegal eagle · Post by **illegal eagle** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:12 am

grinvader wrote:Of course, if there's any sound effect before the real music starts, you'll dump the sound effect. You must press the button as soon as possible after the last song/last sound effect.

If the game has one channel reserved for sound effects then this channel can be disabled with the extended SPC tags.

[/side note]

Post by **Nach** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 1:19 pm

I ripped most of Castlevaina 4 (what I liked) without difficulty. It's realy easy with the built in sound tester too. Which track you trying to rip?

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:26 pm

grinvader wrote:Which game exactly are you trying to rip ? FEDA or Castlevania 4 ?

FEDA, but I tried Castlevania in case FEDA was one of those hard-to-dump ones. No luck with any .

Astxist · Post by **Astxist** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:42 pm

If you goto http://www.zophar.net you can download spc sets for all sorts of games.

Astxist

kevman · Post by **kevman** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:18 pm

illegal eagle wrote:Some SPCs require that the game sends them data while they're playing. SPC players don't emulate the SNES, so these SPCs can't be played.

Dunno if FEDA is one of them, though.

FEDA is. When you dump an SPC, you'll only get the notes that were being played when you pushed the button.

This means that SPC dumping of FEDA is not possible. Not that the music was any good, anyway.

Post by **grinvader** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:47 pm

kevman wrote:This means that SPC dumping of FEDA is not possible.

CaitSith2 can do miracles.