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Convert NSF Files to MP3s
indecks writes "This tutorial shows an easy way to convert NSF (NES Sound Format) files to mp3s so they can be played in normal media players, or even used as ringtones. Now I have the Super Mario Bros '1Up' sound for my text message notification, and I have Mega Man 3's 'Snakeman' stage music as my ringer. Sah-weet!" (The method demonstrated does require Windows, note.)
why oh why is this on slashdot? it's totally not news-worthy.
I just make sure none of my coworkers are around when I look at something tagged NSFW. It's easier than using steganography to hide the offending content in an mp3. Oh wait...
"What kind of music do pirates listen to?" -Paul Maud'dib
"Yeeeaaarrrrr n' Bee!!" -Stilgar, Leader of Sietch Tabr
... just use Winamp and get the .NSF plug in. Or any input plugin for any exotic format that you enjoy. And switch to the disk-writer output plugin. It's rather beautiful and has worked for, what, like 8 years now?
More Twoson than Cupertino
With Linux (or almost any other unix-like OS), you can just record off the sound card using ALSA-based tools.
I've had Zelda's 'secret revealed' jingle as text message and the original overworld tune as ringtone for ages. Just recorded the output from an emulator. Easy.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
I'm not a fan of video tutorials, how about a step-by-step process, anyone? They work for some people, but not for me. Yes, I use Firefox. Yes, I do know how to install programs. Not only should I know it, but I do know how. Again, yes, I do know how to do it. Thanks.
Either an emulator while recording from the audio mixer, or nosefart (nsf winamp plugin) and diskwriter as output.
Then I trimmed the sounds and used lame in high quality mode to compress to mp3 format.
I've been doing this for a while now. I have a whole CD of NES music that I listen to in the car all the time, have all my ringtones as NES songs, I just can't get enough of it. I do it differently though, I use the built in NSF players in the emulators, they all natively output to wav. I keep all my music in wav so that if I need to put it on something besides a CD I just convert from there. Good to know, though.
For a slightly more obscure video game ringtone, you can use VGM2MIDI to turn your Sega Master System VGM music file into a perfectly useable MIDI ringtone. The FM processor in the Japanese version of the SMS made for much better music than the square and triangle waves the NES was capable of, and as a result the games have much better soundtracks for listening to.
I've got the Phantasy Star theme going right now, and it's better than most NES theme songs. Mario and Zelda are too pop culture, and just about anything else isn't worth the effort.
Well the problem with that is A, MIDI SUCKS and sounds like crap. And B, stuff like Castlevania's themesong or Mega Man's themesongs were not on the SMS.
Why WAV, when there's lossless compression?
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
...How do I set my ringtone to the title screen music from E.T. for the Atari 2600?
Winamp did NSF -> MP3 conversion fine in 1998.
Xine can play it (as can anything that can use Xine as a backend, i.e. Totem, Kaffiene). There's also Nosefart. However my Xine-fu is not strong enough to surmise if there's an easy way to convert it such as foobar2000 has.
Colin Dean Go a year without DRM
Don't worry, AC. We're talking noncommercial, personal use of only part of the game (the soundfiles) in a way that ain't cutting into Nintendo's profits. In other words, textbook fair use and legal as sea salt. Not that you are likely to have meant that comment to begin with.
(rot13) rpbzbab@tznvy.pbz
so I can share my nsf music files with the world. or something like that.
no wait why would anyone bother when they can listen to radiohead instead.
When I saw the headline I was wondering why someone would want to convert a Lotus Notes database to MP3.
It can compress several minutes of audio and video into only 64 KB..
As everyone (most people) knows; anything you can play in Winamp* can be written to disk through the diskwriter output plug-in into a RIFF-WAVE format, which can then be converted to an MP3.
*the standard MIDI plug-in plays through the internal synth and not through Winamp's audio buffers, thus a full duplex method is needed.
PS: I don't want anyone else to know this, though, so please don't post such things in the future..
Mac and Linux users can try Audio Overload (also runs on Windows) to play over 32 different console audio file formats, including NSF. The software exports to WAV. So conversion to MP3 is trivial.
What's the deal with this trend in youtube-tutorial wankery? It's a 3 step process FFS. What is this, digg?
Anyone know of a program to rip the NSF files on linux? Seem to be hitting a wall there.
No, MIDI doesn't suck, most MIDI songs do, GM is way too limited, and most patches/soundfont/DLS banks are too "small". Many Genesis, and PSX titles are basically MIDIs, for example, Shinobi 3 and Final Fantasy 7.
Second, the US SMS had a lame three channel sound chip, and yes, these songs in MIDI will suck. The Japanese SMS had an extra nine channel FM sound chip (inferior to the one in the Sega Genesis). Those MIDIs are actually nice.
Third, MegaMan was available on the GameGear, which is a SMS with more colors. (Ok, the game is awful, and the music is even worse). Also, there were MegaMan CPS arcade games, which have Q-Sound, MIDI-like renditions of the NES MegaMan songs. And it's available in miniQSF/Highly Quixotic format, although they're almost impossible to find.
You are right about MegaMan and Castlevania music, they're awesome. BTW, I highly recommend hearing Japanese Castlevania music instead of the USA/Europe ones. CastleVania I and II used the NES (or Famicom) floppy (FDS) which has extra sound hardware. Japanese Castlevania III cart (Akumajou Densetu) included a sound chip, the music is noticeable better than the USA/Europe one.
Audacious conveniently plays a large amount of console formats out of the box (i.e. with the default plugin set), including NSF/NSFE. While Audio Overload does support a few really obscure formats (WonderSwan!) that can't really be played on anything else on Linux, Audacious supports many more console and old-school computer formats, including SID (Commodore 64), a ridiculous amount of Amiga formats (using UADE) and lots of Adlib formats (e.g. CMF). Audacious also has the advantage of having a large amount of input and output plugins, including I/O of WAV, MP3, Ogg Vorbis and FLAC. Generating an MP3 (or a large bunch of MP3s!) of an NSF is therefore a simple matter of switching the output plugin to FileWriter, telling it to output an MP3 (CBR, VBR, ABR; take your pick) and feeding Audacious the NSF file(s). Feed it properly tagged NSFE files and you get even get properly tagged MP3 files.
I think the Castlevania series and Metroid would certainly be worth the effort, and Blaster Master has always been a favorite of mine. Especially the themes to levels 1, 3, and 5.
Probably won't get read this far down, but I believe audacious has an NSF player builtin, and you can just select the audio file output plugin to get a nice normal wave output.
-- All your booze are belong to us.
I can't be the only one who read 'NSF' that way....
My first thought was "Great, now I can listen to my bank telling me my check bounced!"
"Slow down, Cowboy! It has been 3 years, 7 months and 26 days since you last successfully posted a comment."
Are NSF files sound waves (like WAV, AIFF) or note tracks (like MIDI and MOD)? I am curious, since I am curious to know whether MP3 or MIDI would be the better destination format.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
No, MIDI doesn't suck, most MIDI songs do
And most MIDI synths do. The software synth driver that came free with your AC97 integrated audio is going to sound like crap, yes, but the very same data played back through a $5,000 arranger workstation keyboard will sound much better. And data customized specifically FOR that keyboard will sound fantastic.
For converting chiptunes to ringtones, MIDI synthesis will probably provide all the fidelity you'd need. The tone generators in modern handsets are, in a lot of ways, the descendants of the PSG and FM sound chips used in 8- and 16-bit game consoles of yore.
Maybe, but midi RINGTONES rule; it's just about the perfect way to capture an 8 or 16 bit console tune since most of them were made in midi or midi-like formats anyway. I call BS on this article because ever since handsets have been able to support polyphonic ringtones I've had all my as-obscure-as-you-like-8-bit-theme-tune-ring-tone needs more than met by The Video Game Music Archive. I've currently got the theme from Baloon Fight (NES) as my ring tone and a pre-match jingle from Mega Bomberman (Genesis) as my SMS, and they sound absolutely perfect. I've been through all sorts, mostly Gameboy stuff over the last 7 or 8 years and, while there's a small amount of chaff to sort (in terms of piss-poor renderings by dedicated but clueless game fans), when you get the right one it's SOOOO satifying. (Of course, YMMV depending on your phone's midi card!)
CheShA: Manchester Breakcore / Drill and Bass Yes I'm a s
The point is the MIDI versions at VGmusic.com don't sound as good as the original. Regardless of what you may think, they are NOT perfect. They don't have the same tone, and they sound horrible. Using the ACTUAL music from a game as a ringer is much better.
Bow-ties are cool.
Its because WMP sucks.I use Wingroove.
You can search for MetroidMetal then :)
Metroid Style, but for real!
No mfnickster you aren't the only one that thought about Non Suffecient Funds (I do work in a bank mind you...). I can understand someone making this instructional vid but this is in no way breaking news. About 3 years ago I had my pc booting up to the Mortal Kombat II character select theme and shutting down to the Fatality tune. Right now I have the old Capcom jingle (from the old Street Fighter/Final Fight games) as my text alert and a sound clip from Soul Blade of Cervantes being possessed by Soul Edge as my ringtone (my coworkers joked that they thought they were going to hell when they heard my phone ring).
I was curious if there was a good reason why not, because it's actually genuinely possible that he'd never heard of Flac.
And of course, no one has to change.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!