NSF Importer v0.

5
Written by Brad Smith 11/21/2011
============================================================================
This is a modified version of FamiTracker for importing NSF files into
FamiTracker.
To use the importer, open the program, go to the file menu and choose
"Import NSF...", select an NSF file, then choose a track and a play
time. The importer will attempt to generate a FamiTracker document
from that NSF track. The speed/tempo settings will be at the fastest
possible to allow the highest resolution of data to be captured.
Editing is disabled deliberately to prevent anyone from using this modified
version of FamiTracker for any purpose other than NSF import.
The importer works by playing back the NSF internally, and reading the
emulated hardware registers once per frame to generate FamiTracker data.
It uses modified versions of two other open source projects:
Famitracker 0.3.7 by jsr
http://famitracker.shoodot.net/downloads.php
NotSo Fatso v0.851 by Disch
http://slickproductions.org/notsofatso.php
This project inherits the GNU Public License Version 2 from the open source
projects FamiTracker and NotSo Fatso it includes. Edits to the original
source of these projects are marked with an EDIT comment.
Only the core files of NotSo Fatso are included. NotSo Fatso and the
importer source code are located in Source\NSF_Import. The provided
source zip is an overlay onto the FamiTracker 0.3.6 source (available
at the above link). Simply unzip it on top.
The importer has a diagnostic option to export a debug_sound.wav file.
This is the sound output from NotSo Fatso, not necessary for the FamiTracker
import, but it is useful when comparing NotSo Fatso's behaviour to
what you are getting in the import.
If you received this without source code, search the FamiTracker forums,
but if you can't find it there, contact Brad Smith at: rainwarrior@gmail.com
============================================================================
Known limitations:
2A03/MMC5/VRC6
Harware length counters are not supported by FamiTracker, and are essentially
rounded down to the nearest frame by the import process. For the shortest
settings the sound may turn on and off faster than a single frame and
be missed entirely. This problem is sometimes seen in hi-hat sounds on the
noise channel, or blips in the triangle channel.
Hardware volume slides are not supported by FamiTracker, and are approximated
once per frame. For the fastest setting this gives a small loss of smoothness;
for other settings the difference is negligible.
DPCM
Changes to loop or length after the sample's initial trigger are not supported
by FamiTracker, and will just continue to play with the initial setting.
Sample offsets are partially supported. If a sample is played with
a low (or no) offset first, and then a higher offset later, the higher
offset will be picked up and the sample will be reused. If the higher offset
is played first, there will be redundant copies of that sample. (The importer
only does one pass, so it will not go back to replace earlier offset samples.)
This feature seems more or less particular to FamiTracker NSFs; I have not
yet found an example in an original NSF ROM.
Raw PCM playback is not supported, though direct $4011 volume writes are (Zxx).
If used, it may show up as a series of random looking Zxx commands.
FDS
The sound of FDS modulation tables in FamiTracker may sound very different
than in other emulators. This is not a bug in the NSF importer, but the
resulting import may not sound like you expect in FamiTracker. (You can export
back to NSF to verify that it is getting the correct values.)
VRC6
FamiTracker supports only 5 bits of sawtooth volume control (0-F in volume
channel, plus an additional bit as V00 or V01). The lowest bit is simply
discarded.
VRC7
Pitch and patch changes mid-note are accomplished by abusing 3FF to
avoid retriggering the tone. This seems to work okay.
============================================================================
Versions:
v0.5 - 11/21/2011
- Fixed inaccurate starting pitches for hardware slide.
v0.4 - 11/21/2011
- Fixed intermittent winodws dialog init problem. (Caused hang on some systems.)
v0.3 - 11/20/2011
- Updated to FamiTracker 0.3.7.
- Hardware pitch sweep support for 2A03 square channels (Hxy, Ixy).
- FDS modulation table and parameter support (Hxx, Ixx, Jxx).
- DPCM now uses new note release feature instead of halt, eliminates pop to 0.
- VRC6 supports full volume setting range (Vxx).
v0.2 - 7/15/2011
- Pattern length and starting row options.
- Namespaced the importer and NotSo Fatso code for better separation.
- DPCM samples now have a filename, prevents crashing.
- Limited support for DPCM offset (Yxx).
- DMC volume write support (Zxx).
- DMC halt support.
- MMC5 duty corrected (Vxx).
- VRC7 support for frequencies outside FamiTracker's gamut.
- VRC7 support for sustain/note release (===).
- Prevent crash on too many frames.
v0.1 - 7/08/2011
- First release.
- Support for all current FamiTracker expansions (2A03/FDS/MMC5/VRC6/VRC7).
- No support for high frequency FDS modulation tables.
============================================================================
If you have questions, e-mail Brad Smith at: rainwarrior@gmail.com