Extract midi files from DS games?

jbullfrog · April 20, 2008, 02:47:38 PM

Is it possible to run a wire from a DS to a computer and extract the music files the DS is currently playing as a midi file on the computer?

How in the world do video game midi sites (i.e the midi shrine) get their midis?

Thanks!

kkan · April 20, 2008, 03:17:10 PM

Quote from: jbullfrog on April 20, 2008, 02:47:38 PM
Is it possible to run a wire from a DS to a computer and extract the music files the DS is currently playing as a midi file on the computer?

How in the world do video game midi sites (i.e the midi shrine) get their midis?

Thanks!

spose the fastest way would be with a headphone jack cable type setup with the 3.5mm jack plug on both ends of the cable one to the headphone socket of the ds and the other end to the LINE in of the pc

dantheman · April 20, 2008, 08:32:56 PM

But that wouldn't be a MIDI file now would it?

My understanding is that the DS does have a tracker-based format like MIDI but it's not MIDI itself. I know very little outside of that however. See if FAST6191's post from http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=82825 helps out at all.

jbullfrog · April 20, 2008, 09:29:00 PM

Thanks you two! I'll read the instructions dantheman posted and see whether or not this is too complicated for me.

I really want the midi from Picross DS. The music is fabulous.

Perseid · April 21, 2008, 01:50:10 AM

I used a program called DSLazy to get the files out of the ROM and a program called SDATTool(http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=33647) to convert the SDAT sound packages to individual files. I used Ontamarama US and it crashed partway through, so your mileage may vary. If anyone has a newer more stable version let us know. This gave me, among other things, a bunch of SSEQ files, so the final step is to run those files through sseq2mid(http://loveemu.yh.land.to/) and boom, MIDI files playable in WinAMP.

EDIT: Picross worked just fine.

EDIT 2: ndssndext(http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=33647&st=60) is a program that will take an .NDS file and automatically convert the files in it to Windows wav/midi format. Much simpler.

jbullfrog · April 21, 2008, 03:34:59 PM

I know this sounds quite stupid...but how do I run an .exe program using DOS or command prompt?

I know how to open the command prompt (Go to Run... type "cmd")

I don't know what to do next...

jbullfrog · April 21, 2008, 04:15:41 PM

Well, I figured how to use a .bat file, so I got the midi files to work. Here you guys go! Hope you enjoy some classic Picross music!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/n58hzk

jbullfrog · April 21, 2008, 04:16:49 PM

BTW, can anyone can give me simple instructions on how to run an .exe program using DOS or command prompt?

Thanks

onekelly · April 21, 2008, 04:31:10 PM

Quote from: jbullfrog on April 21, 2008, 04:16:49 PM
BTW, can anyone can give me simple instructions on how to run an .exe program using DOS or command prompt?

Thanks

[for dos] From the dir it is in you type the name of the file. for example program.exe you would type program (then press enter).

jbullfrog · April 21, 2008, 04:38:16 PM

unfortunately I have Vista, which does not have dos...

Thanks anyways

kkan · April 21, 2008, 04:51:20 PM

Quote from: jbullfrog on April 21, 2008, 04:38:16 PM
unfortunately I have Vista, which does not have dos...

Thanks anyways

it has a kind of pseudo dos ...

go to your search bar in your start menu ....

type CMD and hit enter

jbullfrog · April 21, 2008, 05:54:28 PM

when I do that, I get the DOS screen with

C:\Users\MyName>_ The _ is the blinking text bar. This doesn't help...

Anyways, I am now able to extract midis from all the games I play! I am so happy!

dantheman · April 21, 2008, 10:32:06 PM

You navigate the command-line with a few simple commands. "dir" shows a listing of the files and folders in your current working folder. "cd" is for change directory and lets you move to a new folder within your current one (example: cd "My Documents"). There are two special CD commands to memorize: "cd .." moves you up one folder, and "cd \" moves you to the root of the drive, in this case C:\

Anything with spaces requires quote marks around it. If you start typing the first few letters of a file/folder and hit Tab, it will auto-complete it, adding quote marks if necessary.

That should be enough to get you navigated to the folder with program.exe in it, at which point you can run "program.exe" and it will probably tell you exactly what data it expects and how to format the command.

Perseid · April 23, 2008, 01:55:03 AM

You can also drag the .NDS onto the ndssndext.exe and it will do it for you.

jbullfrog · April 24, 2008, 09:20:17 AM

Thanks dantheman for the clear instructions, and thanks Perseid for the tip.

Dragging the nds file onto Ndssndext.exe is definitely the easiest way to extract midis.

For the last two days, I have been looking for a good midi to mp3 converter. (Freeware)

There is only one app I found called MidiMeow, and it stinks.

As of now, I am using Winamp to convert the midis to wav, and then wav to mp3 using a different program.

Anyone have any better suggestions on how I might convert midis to mp3s faster? Are there any programs you'd suggest?

Once again, THANKS!