Sound font repository? by WeretigerRei at 6:09 AM EDT on June 6, 2012
Sorry if this has been asked its hard to search these forums.
I was wondering if there is a repository for all the sound formats out there. I found the psf dsf and 2sf on joshw.info site i was wondering if there were more cause I dont know all the sound fonts that exist. I usually look to zophar to get all my rips but that site doesnt seem to list all the sound fonts.
I was also wondering if someone could point me to the current version of "Highly Theoretical" plugin for Winamp and Foobar?
There's only one version of Highly Theoretical in existence (that I know of). It was written more as an experiment, and thus has never had any updates. Yes, it's faulty, unfortunately. Your only other option is to use aoDSF and aoSSF. They use the Audio Overload core(s) for DSF and SSF playback. In some ways they're not as good as HT, but in others, they're better. Mostly, aoDSF doesn't crash as much as HT. You can find aoDSF, aoSSF, vioGSF, aoQSF, and a SNSF plugin, at this site. Worth noting is that aoDSF apparently has had an update recently (Feb. this year. The previous version was from a year or 2 ago). Generally speaking (for me), I only use the ao/vio line of plugins, when there's no serious alternative (aoDSF vs. HT. vio2SF vs ???, etc.). Also, as near as I can tell, there's no search feature on the site I linked (well, I used Google Translate, and it looked like all the text fields were for uploading files, not searching). To find the plugins you're looking for, just peruse the pages, and the "comment" column. My guess is that you won't need to go past page 3 or 4.
Regarding a "sound font repository", my understanding of what a sound font is, doesn't match what you seem to be describing.... PSFs, GSFs, 2SFs, USFs, DSFs, SNSFs, SSFs, and QSFs aren't sound fonts. They're closer to IT, MOD, S3M, and XM files (see here for more info.), which in turn are similar to MIDIs, except that in the case of MOD and IT files, the "sound font" is stored in the same file as the sequence data.
As for where you might find more of these xSF files? In the previous paragraph, I've listed all the xSF formats I can remember (excluding MSF, because that one never got off the ground. There are no working MSF rips that I can think of).
PSFs (Playstation Sound Format) can be found here, though the PSFs on JoshW's site are likely better named and cataloged (though, this link might have more rips? I'm not sure).
GSFs (Gameboy Advance Sound Format) can be found here, but most likely, the GSFs on JoshW's site have more rips, and better names.
2SFs (Nintendo DS Sound Format) can be found here, though you most likely already knew of that one.
USFs (Ultra 64 Sound Format, aka N64 rips) can be found here. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty involved, it's unlikely that you'll see an increase in USF rips (or improvements in the existing rips/plugins).
DSFs (Dreamcast Sound Format) can apparently be found here. This is most likely the best place to look. Honestly, I can't think of anywhere else to look....
SSFs (Saturn Sound Format) can be found here. Again, I don't know of anywhere else to look.
SNSFs (Super Nintendo Sound Format) can be found here. Yes, this link contains SPCs. The SNSFs are intermixed in there. Basically, SNSF rips are for games that can't be ripped as SPC. For example, Tales of Phantasia's opening song has vocals in it. The song itself can be ripped as SPC, but the vocals aren't there. With the SNSF, you get the song, and the vocals. See here for a list of SNES games that might benefit from the existence of SNSF. However, like all xSF formats (even 2SF, when done "correctly", aka, without using the Generic Driver Kit), it requires a fairly advanced knowledge of assembly (programming) to create rips. Thus, since SPCs are so much easier to do, SNSF rips are extremely uncommon.
Last, QSFs.... I haven't seen a QSF file, let alone a site hosting them, in years. I don't know where to look for those. I'm pretty sure one exists somewhere, but I don't know the address for it. QSFs are rips from games that use Capcom's Q-Sound engine (or something like that...), which if I recall correctly, is an arcade unit (see here). However, QSFs never really took off (even though they're likely the easiest xSF rip out there, excluding 2SF when using the Generic Driver Ripkit), because the CPS2 is already supported by M1, which has a huge list of supported games in it. Basically, M1 is easier to use (and better supported, most likely) than creating QSFs.
On that note, that's what MSF was *supposed* to be, if I recall correctly. MSF was, I think, supposed to use the M1 core, to play M1 supported games in Winamp, thus making the music from those games more accessible. As I said, it never got finished.
Something that needs to be mentioned is that the vast majority (probably all...) of the rips hosted on JoshW's site were personally handled by Knurek, in one way or another. I don't know how many rips Knurek has made (I don't think it's very many), but his contributions to the VGM community are staggering. He has collected, recollected, renamed and reorganized countless archives (SNESmusic, PSF Mirror #1, GSF Central, etc.), and continues doing so. I know it's been said before, but he seriously deserves a HUGE THANK YOU.
Anyway, although there's likely more to be added here (regarding places to download xSF files, and other formats (SPC (SNESmusic, NSF (I'm sure there's a site for this...), GBS (Portable Music History (updates every 6 hours), VGM Project 2612 (look for a torrent - it's more up-to-date than the site), etc.), I think this should cover most of what you're looking for. Hope that helps. Mouser X over and out.
This reminds me, I should send the updated VGM sets to Knurek. I keep being told Project2612 is close to being updated, but it's been a year now with nothing.
What updated sets are there, and what are the updates?
Personally, I'd love a full VGM rip of the MegaDrive/Genesis version of Columns that includes the normal, bell, fast/suspense, and even the fast/suspense bell versions of each of the stage BGMs.... with, as usual, loop info, and one that doesn't (like a version I got from here) have half the channels cut out after 1 loop, aren't timed.
I dont know why but Ive always regarded SNESmusic.org as inferior to zophars archive. I remember getting some files on there that were different than the ones on zophar. Stuff like sound effects mixed in with the music itself. But the ones I remember are all fixed so i dunno. Maybe Im confused or something.
Also I cant seem to find an spc of the romancing Saga 3 Magical Tank Battle without the tank sound effects like the OST. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2VlvNVSeQY
I did not know about SNSFs but I did know about this issues with ToP.
Are there any more formats that are hosted on Josh-Ws site?
Actually it's the other way around, Zophar's archive is/was pretty bad, many SPC sets were untagged, many were misdumped (not on first note, missing channels, etc).
Other than the ones Mouser X has listed, JoshW has also archives of Wonderswan music (wsr.joshw.info), MegaDrive/SegaCD (smd.joshw.info), rips from Japanese personal computers (s98.joshw.info, kss.joshw.info, hoot.joshw.info), NES games (nsf.joshw.info), Neo Geo CD redbook audio (ncd.joshw.info), PC Engine/TurboGraphx-16 (hes.joshw.info), FM Towns redbook audio (fmtowns.joshw.info) and a bunch of Amiga games (amiga.joshw.info)