so now that VGM Music Maker is out and people can make use of the YM chip, the PSG chip, and samples, there should be a format category for it. maybe just a Sega category since both SMS/GG and Genesis/MD are exported as .VGM? (although technically SMS/GG .VGM files are just Genesis sound files that only use the 4 PSG channels). either way, someone's gotta start a VGM Music Maker OHC!

It has been added.

I also wrote this crap article about the format --
http://battleofthebits.com/lyceum/View/sgen+%28format%29/

Lemme know if there is more info I should add as your n00b status will keep you from editing teh BotB wikyCeum! :D/

With the invention of Shiru's VGM Music MakerT

we're due for a revision of submission formats.

VGM MM is capable of tracking SegaFM, PSG, and the DAC on the Sega Genesis.

Currently our formats are Adlib for FM and Sega for Sega PSG.

At the moment there is no true way to define our formats as console specific. Sega SG-1000 is capable of only using the PSG. Sega Game Gear is capable of using the PSG with stereo output added. Sega Master System is capable of using PSG and FM. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is capable of using PSG, FM and DAC for samples.

MOD2PSG2 is capable of doing PSG and stereo PSG. it2vgm.py is capable of only doing mono PSG at the present time. VGM Music Maker is capable of doing PSG stereo pan for Game Gear.

Potentially we could have a LOT of different formats here.

Sega SG-1000 format could be PSG only without stereo.
Sega Game Gear could be PSG with stereo optional.
Sega Master System could be PSG with FM optional. No DAC or stereo PSG allowed.
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive could be FM with PSG and DAC samples optional. No stereo PSG allowed.

Potentially VGM Music Maker would be the go-to of all these formats. Hopefully he fixes the current awkwardness with pitch control on DAC samples and allows for binary or source export for the multiple formats; other than the logged VGM format.

-----

How would BotBr's and puke like to pull this off? :X

http://www.smspower.org/uploads/Music/vgmspec160.txt

Perhaps reading bits of the 128 byte header could allow BotB to maintain the console specific formats.

i think cats would work best as:
SMS - psg, stereo allowed // so SMS/GG
genesis - FM with psg and samples
adlib - opl2/opl3 only
FM unlimited - combined genesis and adlib formats and any other obscure FM toolz i dont know about rite now

adlib already has a huge list of supported filetypes (basically anything adplug can play back) so adding .vgm there isn't a big deal, but, again, i'd prolly feel best if I was reading the header bytes.

I'd have to make sure all clock speeds are set to 0 except the ones in use? So which ones again huh wha-?

Well, I had a talk with Shiru about VGM MM. Looks like there won't be any hardware or emulator compatible format export for VGM MM any time soon. Our best bet would be to hope for someone to make a VGM > BIN converter that strips the VGM format down to essential sequencer information that a custom replayer could use.

At the moment let's just create formats that are fun and competitive for BotB until the next phase begins.

do you mean VGMPLAY?
converts .vgm to .bin, 3.00 doesn't work with VGM MM files though, so grab 2.00
http://www.mjsstuf.x10hosting.com/SEGA%20DEV/VGM_PLAY%20v2.00.zip

With VGM_PLAY for Genesis/MD and VGMPlayer for SMS/GG, we are able to output hardware playable songs for SegaPSG and FM. I think until we can more easily export SGC format and there is a binary music format for Genesis/32X, we should encourage the use of binary explort for emulators and hardware. :) Until the formats are more accepted, perhaps the BotBr can gain double Chipist points for exporting .sms, .gg, .bin, etc... Hardware renders would be superior!

I like Chip Champion's idea. The addition of stereo doesn't seem like nearly enough to warrant making Game Gear and SMS/SG-1000 two different categories.
In fact I doubt I'll ever do a mono VGM again...
Is there realistically a way to utilize the SMS FM expansion? If not, then I propose not worrying about it...if so, then supposedly it's the same as the VRC7 and some C64 music expansion cart. Maybe that would warrant an entirely separate section in itself?

Maxim's VGMPlayer for SMS supports FM VGMs.

Maybe GG, SMS, and Gen formats then.

GG for PSG (+/- stereo), SMS for PSG+FM, and Gen for PSG+FM+PCM.

I still stress the use of hardware compatible formats. VGM_PLAY allow for export to Genesis. VGMPlayer allows export for GG and SMS, however I don't think GG stereo is enabled in the stub build. It does however have the code available in the source to enable it. All we would really need to do is uncomment the code, create another stub for GG and create the GG binary.

http://www.smspower.org/maxim/SMSSoftware/VGMPlayer

Er...! By 'utilize' I actually meant 'make music for'. Is there anything people can use to create SMS+FM tunes?
That said, I also gotta make it distinctly clear that SMS+FM is much more akin to VRC7, where you're working with lots of presets built into the chip and only get one custom patch at a time. One could not simply ignore the DAC part of VGMMM and call the resulting FM + PSG "SMS+FM" or whatever, 'cuz it's still way beyond what the YM2413 is actually capable of.
In terms of categories, what I had in mind was more along the lines of a GG/SMS format for PSG (+/- stereo), Genesis for the crazy conglomeration of stuff which that encompasses, and perhaps a completely separate YM2413 category when the time comes, which would include things like MSX-Music, VRC7, SMS+FM and whatever other craziness utilized that soundchip.

speaking of FM check out mvstracker at http://www.neobitz.com/ which i couldnt get to play but everybody luvs teh toolz

Kulor: DAmn you're right. I guess that the VRC7 is a crippled YM2413. XPMCK is capable of making SMS+FM music then. I bet if we bug GreaseMonkey enough, he could add YM2413 support to it2vgm.py with MML-ese in the comment field for the custom instrument.

b00daw: I had a look into trying to make an it2vgm for mega drive, but it's unlikely, so I'm taking the "let's make a tracker" approach in Java. I currently have a VGM player with PSG/SN7whatever support, although the only OPN2/YM2612 feature that's working is the lovely sample support.

Shiru: PLEASE stop outputing v1.01 .vgm files. They're bloody HUGE. v1.50 should be sufficient (it has 1-byte arbitrary delays and PCM data blocks).

I'm still amazed at how well they compress, the ridiculous 1.5MB VGMs that I tend to get go down to ~60kB VGZs.
Only thing is, my file manager recognizes the fact that they're just GZip files, and I have to use the open with menu to play them...

1. It is a really bad idea to ask me for something in a long thread on a random forum I'm not visiting often. Chances are great that I miss your message.

2. Before asking something, it is a good idea to check what you have. VGMs are already 1.50 in the latest version, 1.02, released a week ago.

iamgreaser: I wasn't talking about it2vgm for Mega Drive, but Sega Master System with its additional FM chip. Should be easy to do except for the custom FM instrument; which could be created via MML-ese in the comments field and generated via Python by reparsing the IT.