ROM Hack Ripping Music off a NDS ROM

[hyhfct]

So this topic might seem kinda old, but I'm having trouble using the sdattool application to extract files from a sound_data.sdat file. So I open up Command Prompt, and put in the path of where the sdattool and sound_data.sdat file were, but once I press Enter, I get "sound_data.sdat: Couldn't open file for reading!
sdattool: no input files" So how do I fix this error???

 

[Sausage Head]

3 of the same topic, really?

 

[hyhfct]

Noo...I'm just asking...

 

[FAST6191]

You haven't got the sdat open in a hex editor or some such have you? Failing that it should not be a problem but try having the files in a directory without spaces in the name.

Anyhow give vgmtoolbox http://sourceforge.net/projects/vgmtoolbox/files/vgmtoolbox/ a go.

Also SDATTOOL is ancient so try http://www.4shared.com/file/Ut_RM4Pi/ndssndext_v04.html instead.

 

[hyhfct]

You haven't got the sdat open in a hex editor or some such have you? Failing that it should not be a problem but try having the files in a directory without spaces in the name.

Anyhow give vgmtoolbox http://sourceforge.net/projects/vgmtoolbox/files/vgmtoolbox/ a go.

Also SDATTOOL is ancient so try http://www.4shared.com/file/Ut_RM4Pi/ndssndext_v04.html instead.

Great, now how do I use ndssndext? Is it the same as using sdattool, where you open command prompt as usual?

 

[FAST6191]

I usually just drag and drop

If you need to drop down to the command line then

Usage : ndssndext.exe [options]
Options:
-x extract files only(no decoding)
-s show processing status
--help show this usage

It is a great little program but I do suggest you have a look at vgmtoolbox as well- SSEQ2midi, ndssndext and the like attempt to convert the SSEQ format which is a tracker type format into midi which is still a tracker but has different instruments and it works well enough but vgmtoolbox wraps the file up and the players then emulate the hardware allowing for really good reproduction (sadly the player plugin was based on a slightly older emulator so it is not truly top notch).

 

[hyhfct]

With ndssndext, I got the midi files from a game, but how do I get the whole music (mp3 format)? Which application do I use next?

 

[FAST6191]

In SDAT there are three types of audio

SSEQ- this is the tracker format and what programs attempt to convert to midi.
SWAR- short wave samples.
STRM- long tracks.

There are various packing and helper formats on top of this but it breaks down to those three. Most conversions for the latter two will spit out a wave file which is easy enough to convert to MP3. Midi is slightly harder to convert to wave in that some conversion programs might not have the ability, midi to wave should be simple enough to search for though and otherwise you can just use the loopback option of your sound card and record it by hand (if using foobar2000 with the mini2sf plugin right click and convert provides some options).

I still suggest you opt for vgmtrans though and by way of example (first is vgmtrans, second is an admittedly older version of sseq2midi)


Track is Jake Marshall - Wandering Detective From the Wild West from Phoenix Wright.