Tool: GBA Music Editor (GME)

[GoGoJJTech]

GBA Music Editor (GME) is a program ipatix and I have created to listen to and edit music in most GBA games (not just Pokémon GBA games)

Currently, all the program does is play songs from a compatible ROM. Compatible meaning the game that was loaded has the M4A sound engine and a song table is found

Below I have a video that shows an example of playing a few songs



There is no release for this tool yet. So why make this thread?

Well, I want to hear from the community what you people would like to see in this editor. I know almost everyone doesn't like Sappy (I have no idea why that would be the case other than it only works on Windows), so I think it's good that I am open to suggestions. Feel free to let me know!

Current Features:
~ Plays directsound instruments from the ROM
~ Plays songs correctly and loops

Currently In Need of Improvement:
~ Notes that last longer than a measure do not play
~ Release on instruments is ever so slightly too quick

On "To Do" List:
~ Play "GB Sounds" correctly
~ Correct the "TIE" command
~ Implement "MOD" along with "MODT" (Slightly done)
~ Pause and stop buttons
~ Stuff

Spoiler:

and Things (MUST NOT FORGET!! (╯°□°）╯︵┻━┻)

Questions for the Community:
I've set up a small Strawpoll for a quick question. Check it out at https://strawpoll.me/5600134

 

[LucasThePlatinumMaster]

Looks good so far! Can't wait for the release.

 

[C me]

How about changing voicegroups and instruments?

 

[GoGoJJTech]

How about changing voicegroups and instruments?

Not included yet, it's part of the "actually editing the ROM" part

I have a few things planned for that, but I'm still doing other stuff and things before I get to it

 

[Jaizu]

Can't wait to see stuff and things implemented in your tool. Best of luck with it!

 

[NewDenverCity]

If we're on the topic of what we'd like to see from a music editor, the capability to rip all the midis(or even a choice to choose which ones we'd like to rip) or the soundfonts is a good feature.


Other ideas I'd like to see; editing soundfonts, voicegroups, and have the ability to put in an offset for the songtables and other things in cases like Mother 3, which I'm fairly sure uses M4A but Sappy and other music tools can't find it.


Then I have two more things I feel I should say. The first one is more important. Can you give us an idea of how to find the songtable and the M4A engine in games manually? I know a lot of tools have the ability to do this, so I was wondering if you could show it to us. This ties in to one of my suggestions from before. The second thing I have to say is; why GMI? GME is GBA Music Editor, so where did the I come from?

 

[GoGoJJTech]

If we're on the topic of what we'd like to see from a music editor, the capability to rip all the midis(or even a choice to choose which ones we'd like to rip) or the soundfonts is a good feature.


Other ideas I'd like to see; editing soundfonts, voicegroups, and have the ability to put in an offset for the songtables and other things in cases like Mother 3, which I'm fairly sure uses M4A but Sappy and other music tools can't find it.


Then I have two more things I feel I should say. The first one is more important. Can you give us an idea of how to find the songtable and the M4A engine in games manually? I know a lot of tools have the ability to do this, so I was wondering if you could show it to us. This ties in to one of my suggestions from before. The second thing I have to say is; why GMI? GME is GBA Music Editor, so where did the I come from?

Completely porting those things was already on the list

Editing voicegroups is already a thing in sappy. You can't edit "soundfonts" because there's no such thing using this engine. I don't know what that would entail
You can also put in the offset for a songtable in Sappy's database

Currently I have no clue how those tools find the engine; they probably just look for the ASM related to it or something
And GMI was originally "GoGoJJTech | Music | Ipatix" but I guess I forgot to change it. I must be super tired ;-;

 

[Leafbarrett]

Editing voicegroups is already a thing in sappy. You can't edit "soundfonts" because there's no such thing using this engine. I don't know what that would entail
You can also put in the offset for a songtable in Sappy's database

What is the most recent version of Sappy? I can't find a single thing from after 2013. I'd like to do this, but I can't find a download for a functional version...

 

[NewDenverCity]

What is the most recent version of Sappy? I can't find a single thing from after 2013. I'd like to do this, but I can't find a download for a functional version...

17.1, but I don't remember when it came out, sorry.


I also forgot to mention that a free space finder would be good, because as far as I can tell, Sappy doesn't have one.

 

[GoGoJJTech]

17.1, but I don't remember when it came out, sorry.


I also forgot to mention that a free space finder would be good, because as far as I can tell, Sappy doesn't have one.

You can always use a hex editor to find free space (which is far better than any free space finding tools) but I'm going to be implementing something similar anyway

 

[GoGoJJTech]

Here's a derpy square wave test:
[link removed]

This link won't stay up for long since I constantly change it, but you can check it out if you want

 

[GoGoJJTech]

I think I got the BEND and BENDR commands working. But since I'm deaf in my left ear I can't tell:
[link removed]
Again, link will remain temporary
(this is from Pokémon Platinum Red)

 

[GoGoJJTech]

I have a small update video to show everyone:


It's just a few song examples. Nothing too major
I also made sure to show where the current flaws are

Let me know what you all think so far

 

[NewDenverCity]

It's just a few song examples. Nothing too major
I also made sure to show where the current flaws are

Let me know what you all think so far

Looks nice! It's sort of hard to tell which track is playing what at first, but that's not super important, huh? When you get those waves down it looks like everything will sound nice, as that's the only thing that really struck me as 'off'.

 

[GoGoJJTech]

Looks nice! It's sort of hard to tell which track is playing what at first, but that's not super important, huh? When you get those waves down it looks like everything will sound nice, as that's the only thing that really struck me as 'off'.

If you mean the visual representation Sappy has, I'm still not sure how I'm going to do something like that. But I of course want something

 

[GoGoJJTech]

Little update; I fixed the weird circumstances where notes wouldn't play correctly
You could hear it a few times in the latest video and I wanted to demonstrate it, but now it's fixed!

 

[GoGoJJTech]

And another small update:

Pink values display MOD type (MODT) of the track

May be moved elsewhere or color-changed. I meant it to be a superscript for the MOD value

 

[Sirzechs]

And another small update:

Pink values display MOD type (MODT) of the track

May be moved elsewhere or color-changed. I meant it to be a superscript for the MOD value

Haha sounds great but I have 1 question.

- When I convert a .mp3 into .midi the Mid2Agb doesn't convert it to .s but when I use the only 1 .mp3 to .mid converter it does but the mid sounds like a piano mostly the song but few notes are out of place and when I load it in Sappy. It just corrupts and the drum is there even when the song doesnt have a drum in it. Anyway I use sappy with mod 17.1 and have tried both FR and Ruby and both corrupt anyway the tracks should have multiple tracks and it only shows 1 I can send pictures If I confused you. :)

Can your tool help me out? :) wish it did

 

[GoGoJJTech]

Haha sounds great but I have 1 question.

- When I convert a .mp3 into .midi the Mid2Agb doesn't convert it to .s but when I use the only 1 .mp3 to .mid converter it does but the mid sounds like a piano mostly the song but few notes are out of place and when I load it in Sappy. It just corrupts and the drum is there even when the song doesnt have a drum in it. Anyway I use sappy with mod 17.1 and have tried both FR and Ruby and both corrupt anyway the tracks should have multiple tracks and it only shows 1 I can send pictures If I confused you. :)

Can your tool help me out? :) wish it did

Well assuming you have a magic converter for mp3 to midi, it'll still be a bit cruddy because mp3 is streamed sounds and midi is sheet music.

The converter you're using sounds like garbage if it only can track pianos, but converting streams into sheet music is not something you ever want to do anyway

And once you import to the GBA rom, you sound like you don't understand voicegroups since you think it should automatically become a piano

I'm already going to write a detailed tutorial on my site for this so everyone understands everything and so no more music misconceptions take place (there are hundreds)

In that sense, I can help you

 

[Sirzechs]

Well assuming you have a magic converter for mp3 to midi, it'll still be a bit cruddy because mp3 is streamed sounds and midi is sheet music.

The converter you're using sounds like garbage if it only can track pianos, but converting streams into sheet music is not something you ever want to do anyway

And once you import to the GBA rom, you sound like you don't understand voicegroups since you think it should automatically become a piano

I'm already going to write a detailed tutorial on my site for this so everyone understands everything and so no more music misconceptions take place (there are hundreds)

In that sense, I can help you

Thanks alot and yea it is crappy xD

Basicly what it does is I convert .mp3 to .midi and it sounds exact same it's wonderful and all great but Mid2Agb only accepts not .Midi but .Mid files which is non sense cuz it's exact the same and that .mid sounds crap then it corrupts my whole music in rom and have to get a new one each time. Yea I wont convert it but how do I get midis of the songs I got? [wait lemme check Google because that's my only friend I've got] Yea.... there is no midi for the song but there is 8 bit remake on youtube which sounds like it can be played flawless in game but I forgot to mention... whenever I convert to .mid and sometimes .midi it converts into piano playing sound when it's not even a piano xD

magic crappy converter ^.^

So yea can't wait for your tutoral :)