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INTERNET: usufi4@finf.upv.es
Version 1.4B
COPYRIGHT
INTRODUCTION
MOTIVATION
At the same time that was added more available formats for the input files,
these same formats, if it was possible, they were available also like
output, so that virtually, any input format would be converted in any
output format.
FEATURES
- The program may work with input files of until 16 bits and
2 channels (Stereo), doing the necessary conversion of these values for
generating the output format (this is,a WAV file of 16 bits Stereo will
be converted in 8 bits Mono upon converting it to VOC, for example).
- Varios Keyboard Disk Images have been added: Directly supports the
disk image formats GKH and Giebler Enterprises (both are the most
common in the internet) for VFX-SD, SD-1, TS-10 (DD y HD), VFX-SD, EPS
(normal, 16 and 16+), and ASR keyboards and racks units. Convert
doesn't need, as a difference to other programs, external programs for
converting these disk images.
- It Comes in this version with some useful utilities: SND2WAV and JOIN
SND2WAV converts files that can't carry out Convert (files without
header) and JOIN links pieces which form a unique sample disk for
Kurzweil and Ensonig formats.
NEW!! - Full support for the SoundBlaster AWE32 format. Now, you can read
and write SBK files (Vienna compatibles) with many features. Try it.
NEW!! - Three pro formats have been added as output: Yamaha TX16W, Yamaha
SY-85/SY-99 and Ensoniq Instrument file. The files generated with
this option haven't been tested. Please test it and tell me.
FORMAT IDENTIFICATION
The formats which Convert works in this version are the following:
Alias Meaning
----- -------------------------------------------
669 669 Tracker Module
AIFF Audio Interchange Format File (AIFF)
AU Sun/Next Audio File
DMF Delusion Digital Music File
DSF Delusion Digital Sound File
DSM Digital Sound Module
DSP Dynamic Studio Professional Module
FAR Farandole Composer Module
FSM Farandole Composer WaveSample
F2R Farandole Linear Module
F3R Farandole Blocked Linear Module
GKH Ensoniq Disk Image (VFX, SD, EPS, ASR, TS)
IFF Interchange Format File (IFF)
INS Ensoniq Instrument File
KRZ Kurzweil K2000 File
MED MED/OctaMED Module
MOD Protracker/Fastracker/Startrekker Module
MTM MultiTracker Module
OKT Oktalizer Module
PAC SBStudio II Package or Song
PAT Gravis Ultrasound Patch
PSM Protracker Studio Module
RAW PCM Signed Raw Sound File
SBK Emu SoundFont Bank (AWE32 Bank)
SDK Roland S-550/S-50/W-30 Disk Image
SDS MIDI Sample DUMP Standard File
SDX Sample DUMP Exchange File
SF IRCAM Sound File"
SMP Samplevision File
SND PCM Unsigned Raw Sound File
SOU SBStudio II Sound File
STM Scream Tracker 1 & 2
S3I Digiplayer/ST3 Sample File
S3M Scream Tracker v3 Module
SYW Yamaha SY-85/SY-99 Wave File
TXW Yamaha TX-16W Wave File
ULT UltraTracker Module
UNI UNIMOD Module
UWF UltraTracker WaveSample
VOC Creative Lab's Sound File
WAV Microsoft Windows RIFF WAVE
XI Fastracker 2.0 Instrument File
XM Fastracker 2.0 Module
SYNTAX
Where:
SearchFile is optional to InputPath and is a text file which let you specify
files to convert, one file path in each line. Comments can be included behind
simbol #. Order can be achieved also specifying number=filepath. This order
is supplied mainly to support AWE32 program numbers, although is valid for
the rest of formats. E.g:
---File sample.ini---
# Sample File to obtain the bank sample.bank
# Use convert @sample.ini -sbk
0=c:\sounds\bdrum1.wav
1=c:\insts\snare2.aif
8=d:\krz\voices.krz
# This bank will have the sound bdrum1.wav as program 0
# the sound snare1.aif as program 1
# and sounds included in voices.krz as programs 8,9,...
OutputPath specifies the destination directory where Convert will place the
files converted. If this directory don't exist, Convert creates it.
OutFmt is a switch that allows to specify the output format for the files
to convert to.
Switches are -8 and -1 , and serves actually to force 8 bits and mono
conversion.
Notes:
If you run Convert without parameters, the program shows a small help.
If you have specified only InputPath (or SearchFile) , the program shows
information on the contents of the input files (sample name, number of Bits,
number of channels, loop points, etc...). For example: Convert flute.pat
�����������������������������������������������������EXAMPLE Output
CONVERT v1.4B, (c) 1994 Jesus Villena
Converts sounds among several kinds of music and sample files
File : FLUTE.PAT
Text : Copyright 1992,1993 EYE&I Productions and Advanced Gravis
Source : Gravis Ultrasound Patch
The output file generated acquires the same name that the input file, if
this has a waveform. If the input file has various waveforms, the name of
each file generated is the original name adding an index that differentiates
it of the others (Caution: this may override existing files with equal names).
If the output format is SBK, the file generated will be named sample.sbk,
except if you use the @SearchFile option to specify file paths; in this
case the name of the ouput file will be the same of the @SearchFile with
".sbk" as extension.
The switch -OUT has a special meaning and it is only accessible from some
formats. Basically its meaning is to extract all the waveforms that there is
in the input file to individual files, with the same format (or of it same
"family") that the initial. Logically, this switch only is available for
that formats that may have multiple waveforms on an only file:
NOTES
The GKH format accept Giebler Enterprises image format. The first class files
have ".gkh" extension and include various Ensoniq formats. The second class
have ".ed?" extension, where ? is character which indicates disk tipe (e.g.
".eda" is a ASR disk image file of Giebler Enterprises, ".edt" es a TS-10 disk
image,...). These formats basically are an Ensoniq disk image. For it, when
Convert has to carry out the conversion to other formats, first the internal
files are converted to MSDOS files (INS) and subsequently the conversion is
carried out. I recommend you use the -OUT option with this format in order
to avoid this process every time this file is accesed.
The INS and KRZ formats support multisample instruments , this is, it allows to
assign various waveforms to several ranges of the MIDI keyboard. This feature
is supported upon converting it to PAT if and only if the ranges are not
overlapped. In this way, a complete percussion kit for example would generate
simply one multisample PAT file.
KRZ format supports stereo waveforms, but this version of convert don't
recognize it, and some waves are incorrectly converted (sounds at lower pitch).
For the SBK format, Convert shows only wavesamples for the RAM area,
do not display ROM based wavesamples because they cannot be extracted (for
this reason, synthgm.sbk which come with SoundBlaster AWE32 don't display
nothing, this bank uses only the General Midi Set stored in the ROM area of
the board and the file only contains instrument info).
I have included the Searchfile (@filename) in this version mainly to let you
to specify which files will compound the SBK bank and which programs will
play each sound. This can be achieved using 'number=sound' (like ultrasnd.ini
but using full path names). Files with multiples waves can missunderstand the
number choosed (only in SBK conversion), E.g:
1=tr808.krz
2=kiss.wav
if for example tr808.gkh has 15 wavesamples, it will be played through programs
1 to 15. The user wants kiss.wav into program 2, but it can't be because
this is in use already. The program seek an available program (16) and assign
it to kiss.wav.
Second, inside Windows click at the AWE Control Panel and find "User Custom
Synth" in the Synthesizer Bank section. Later click on Stablish and if you
have memory enough, you will have the sounds in the memory.
You can now use Sequencer programs to sound the samples, specifing anyone
program number you have specified.
You can load SBK files generated with Convert inside Vienna too. This version
of Convert supports all feautures of SBK formats and is compatible with Vienna
SF editor.
GRATEFULNESS
Since I commented at first, this tool surged with ideas of expansion. For it
I request to all users that is interested in including other formats to the
program, that they will send to me a description of the format, and if it
is possible, some file(s) for testing. I am specially interested on Maui and
Rio Patch, Drum and Bank format.
START NOW
To start to delight with new and vibrant sounds, this is a small list
where you will find them through the INTERNET. Personally, I have more
than 200 Mbytes of this sounds!!!
HAPPY CONVERSION!!!!!