Difference between revisions of "SMPS"
From Sega Retro
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| − | The '''Sample Music Playback System''' is a sound engine used in several games for the [[Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] and the [[Sega 32X]], including all the major ''Sonic'' games except ''Sonic Spinball'', which uses [[GEMS]] instead. | + | The '''Sample Music Playback System''', is a sound engine used in several games for the [[Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] and the [[Sega 32X]], including all the major ''Sonic'' games except ''Sonic Spinball'', which uses [[GEMS]] instead. The engine's name has not been completely confirmed, as a large group of users have come up with serious doubts about it and no concrete proof has been found. |
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A few versions of this engine exist; most notably, both a 68K and a Z80 version were developed. | A few versions of this engine exist; most notably, both a 68K and a Z80 version were developed. | ||
It is possible to port songs between two games that uses the SMPS engine; however, several games use a slightly different revision of the format, and the chance that the ported song will need extensive editings by hand (usually with an hex editor) is very high. | It is possible to port songs between two games that uses the SMPS engine; however, several games use a slightly different revision of the format, and the chance that the ported song will need extensive editings by hand (usually with an hex editor) is very high. | ||
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Many sceners have been working on the SMPS format, doing an extensive work of research. Most credit should be given to [[sonic:User:saxman|saxman]], the man who started it all, but a lot of hackers continued his work up to our days, including [[sonic:User:Puto|Puto]] and [[sonic:User:Tweaker|Tweaker]]. | Many sceners have been working on the SMPS format, doing an extensive work of research. Most credit should be given to [[sonic:User:saxman|saxman]], the man who started it all, but a lot of hackers continued his work up to our days, including [[sonic:User:Puto|Puto]] and [[sonic:User:Tweaker|Tweaker]]. | ||
| − | We now have a quite complete knowledge of this format, and several tools are available to hackers who want to tweak the music in their hacks. In particular, the [[xm4smps]] tool, created by [[sonic:User:Puto|Puto]], allows music to be imported into the SMPS format with ease, generally having very favorable results. | + | We now have a quite complete knowledge of this format, and several tools are available to hackers who want to tweak the music in their hacks. In particular, the [[xm4smps]] tool, created by [[sonic:User:Puto|Puto]], and [[xm3smps/oerg]], created by [[sonic:User:Oerg866|Oerg866]], allows music to be imported into the SMPS format with ease, generally having very favorable results. |
It should be noted that both [[GYM]] and [[VGM]] files are logs of the data sent to the sound chipset rather than a dump of the sound data itself. | It should be noted that both [[GYM]] and [[VGM]] files are logs of the data sent to the sound chipset rather than a dump of the sound data itself. | ||
Revision as of 05:36, 19 November 2010
The Sample Music Playback System, is a sound engine used in several games for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and the Sega 32X, including all the major Sonic games except Sonic Spinball, which uses GEMS instead. The engine's name has not been completely confirmed, as a large group of users have come up with serious doubts about it and no concrete proof has been found.
A few versions of this engine exist; most notably, both a 68K and a Z80 version were developed. It is possible to port songs between two games that uses the SMPS engine; however, several games use a slightly different revision of the format, and the chance that the ported song will need extensive editings by hand (usually with an hex editor) is very high.
Many sceners have been working on the SMPS format, doing an extensive work of research. Most credit should be given to saxman, the man who started it all, but a lot of hackers continued his work up to our days, including Puto and Tweaker.
We now have a quite complete knowledge of this format, and several tools are available to hackers who want to tweak the music in their hacks. In particular, the xm4smps tool, created by Puto, and xm3smps/oerg, created by Oerg866, allows music to be imported into the SMPS format with ease, generally having very favorable results.
It should be noted that both GYM and VGM files are logs of the data sent to the sound chipset rather than a dump of the sound data itself.
See also
- A very comprehensive guide detailing the SMPS format; mainly focused to Sonic games, though it contains a few resources for other games as well.