The most important thing first: These are "dual-audio" files. That is, one ends with "L" and the other ends with "R." For example, there's a "BM01_06_L.dsp" and a "BM01_06_R.dsp" file. One is the Left Stereo channel, and the other is the Right Stereo channel. VGMstream combines these files on the fly, so there's no need to decode both of them. If you're using Winamp, then remove all of the "R" (or all the "L" files. One or the other. Be consistent, and only remove the files that end in "R" or "L," not both "R" and "L" files) files from the playlist, and you'll still have 100% of the music.
The other thing is that there's no need for Winamp here. Personally I'd recommend using the "test.exe" command line application. If you read the readmen.txt file, it tells you how to use that program. If you don't want to bothered with a command line application though, I can't see anything specifically that would make Winamp a problem to use, so feel free to use that if you want.
If you don't know how to use a command line application, open a command prompt (start>run>cmd.exe), and browse to where you've extracted "test.exe" (use "cd" followed by the directory name to get there. Ex: If you've extracted vgmstream to "D:\Program Files\vgmstream" then this is how you'd get there from the command prompt (assuming it starts you on the C: drive): "D:" push ENTER [this will change the drive you're on] 'cd "Program Files"' push ENTER [you need the " marks around 'Program Files' because there's a space in the name] "cd vgmstream" push ENTER. You're now in the "D:\Program Files\vgmstream" directory. You could also do this to get there (again assuming it starts the command prompt in the C: drive): "D:" push ENTER [again, to get to the D: drive], "cd "Program Files\vgmstream" push ENTER.
Once you're in the directory with "test.exe" in it, then use the commands that the readme.txt file tells you to use. I was going to suggest the "-i" option, but I just looked at the MM NT DSPs, and it looks like they don't have any loop points at all. I've had these files on my PC for nearly 2 and a half years, and I've never listened to them even once... The reason being is that when I got the MegaMan X: Command Mission DSPs, they were completely broken. The loop points were completely wrong, and looped to random parts throughout the file (this is why the PS2 version of MMX:CM is so awesome. It uses ADX, and therefore loops correctly). I had heard that the MM NT DSPs were the same. I guess I probably misunderstood. They have no loop points at all.
So, personally I recommend using the command line application. However, it really won't make much of a difference either way, it looks like. Hopefully this has been helpful. Mouser X over and out.
I have a question about the DPS files I received in the first link for MM NT. Within Winamp I can view the Stream Info. The sample rate is apparently 32,000Hz and the encoding is 4-bit ADPCM. How can I get the DSPs with 44,000Hz (or 44,100Hz) sample rate and 16-bit audio like CD quality?
Edit: here's the information that's displayed: Image
Rule of thumb: You can't recover data that lossy compression throws away. GC DSP is a lossy compression, packing 16-bit PCM into 4-bit ADPCM. In practice this really doesn't lose much data, but the losses still exist. vgmstream decodes this back to 16-bit PCM because that's what the rest of the system wants to play, but it is never truly "CD quality" unless you consider that it is exactly the 16-bit audio played by the game, which is usually enough. Regarding the sample rate: 32000 Hz has been enough for Nintendo since the SNES. If you're making FLACs there really isn't any reason to resample it to 44100; this doesn't recover any data and will only serve to make it take up more space. If you are intending to burn it to a redbook audio CD then you have no choice, but that doesn't seem to be your goal.
You do realize you're wrong, right? If not, let me spell it out for you. FLAC IS LOSSLESS! IF YOU SAY OTHEWISE YOU ARE DOUBLE-YOU ARE OH EN GEE. Again, that means that you're WRONG. If for some reason you've come across information that says otherwise, then you've either misunderstood that information (language barrier), or the information you read IS WRONG. If you're going to say it's from Neill's site, then I'll say it again. YOU MISUNDERSTOOD IT, or Neill is WRONG. Yes, you saw that correctly. If Neill Corlett ACTUALLY said that (which I'm sure he didn't) then Neill Corlett is WRONG.
Have I made myself clear? Please stop with your misinformation. FLAC *IS* lossless. The WAV used to create the FLAC, and the WAV that you'd get from decoding the FLAC file are identical. Try it yourself. Take a WAV, make a FLAC, then decode that FLAC, and compare it to the original WAV. I hope that helps clear up any misconceptions you've had. Mouser X over and out.
Quote: "Rule of thumb: You can't recover data that lossy compression throws away. GC DSP is a lossy compression, packing 16-bit PCM into 4-bit ADPCM. In practice this really doesn't lose much data, but the losses still exist. vgmstream decodes this back to 16-bit PCM because that's what the rest of the system wants to play, but it is never truly "CD quality" unless you consider that it is exactly the 16-bit audio played by the game, which is usually enough. Regarding the sample rate: 32000 Hz has been enough for Nintendo since the SNES. If you're making FLACs there really isn't any reason to resample it to 44100; this doesn't recover any data and will only serve to make it take up more space. If you are intending to burn it to a redbook audio CD then you have no choice, but that doesn't seem to be your goal."
Oh OK, I understand that, I guess that I was thinking of the way game used to be where all of the data was uncompressed and the audio data alone took more then half of a disc's space. :)
So the only way to get true CD quality of this music is to either wait for an original soundtrack (very unlikely) or to do what I've been trying to do and that is to contact Shinji Hosoe (composer) directly and request this music in lossless format. I found his official website here: CocoeBiz Forums. He hasn't responded, I don't even know if he has even read my request but as you can see I really want this music in lossless. :)
Quote: "You do realize FLAC is not lossless?"
FLAC stands for "Free Lossless Audio Codec". So if you were to encode songs on a CD into FLAC then it'll sound and mathematically be 100% identical to the original source. If you were to encode an mp3 into FLAC then the data will be 100% like that Mp3 but of course a complete waste of space o your storage device.
No matter how well you encode something it will always lose quality. Although the quality lost from FLAC is basicallly 0. However, transferring sound to digital signals, whether it be *.WAV or *.FLAC or any other format you instantly lose some quality, becuase the sample rate is infinite in normal sound but in digital its set, usually 48kHz, although some use 96kHz and some stupid people use 44.1kHZ.
Just wondering, I guess you want him to send it in its original format?