Hacking Rock Band Customs (Wii/vWii)

[HarveyHouston]

This thread is no longer needed for support. Please visit our GBAtemp Group: https://gbatemp.net/group/the-rock-band-customs-project.109/info

About This Thread​

This thread is about my work on Rock Band titles on the Wii, in Wii U's Wii Mode (vWii), and Dolphin. You may comment in this thread to:

• Ask about customs for the Wii versions of Rock Band 2, Rock Band 3, The Beatles: Rock Band, and Green Day: Rock Band. I do not have Green Day: Rock Band, and never intend on getting it, but I can still offer some assistance.
• Ask questions about my GitLab repository, wiki, or anything having to do with it.
• Link to a related thread where you may have questions on Rock Band for Wii.
• Post accolades!

Current Statuses of Customs​

Note: Dolphin has not been fully tested yet, as I am focusing on the consoles. However all customs for all Wii Rock Band versions should work. This thread covers how to use official DLC obtained from the Nintendo Update Servers, if you're lucky to have gotten them on your computer, but it is NOT for questions on obtaining official DLC! This can be considered by some here on GBAtemp as piracy, and I will not share DLC nor downloaders here. Please discuss this in my DIscord instead.

• Rock Band 3: Confirmed working on Wii/vWii.
• Rock Band 2: Only available for the Wii via the old RawkSD method; not yet possible on vWii.
• The Beatles: Rock Band: Confirmed working on Wii/vWii.
• Green Day: Rock Band: I'm not going to test this one, but the results should be the same as TB:RB.

Links​

Not all links are Wii/vWii specific!

• The Rock Band Customs Project Official Website: https://rock-band-customs.gitlab.io/
• The Official GitLab Repo of Rock Band Customs for Wii and vWii: https://gitlab.com/rock-band-customs/wii-vwii-dolphin
• Rock Band Customs for Wii and vWii Wiki: https://gitlab.com/rock-band-customs/wii-vwii-dolphin/wikis/home
• GBAtemp Tutorial for Rock Band 3 Customs: https://gbatemp.net/threads/a-guide-to-creating-rock-band-3-custom-songs.534832/
• Discord Invitation https://discord.gg/TPak2b3 (If it becomes invalid, let me know and I'll post a new invite)
• Troubleshooting GitLab Snippet: https://gitlab.com/rock-band-customs/wii-vwii-dolphin/snippets/1982143

Updates​

GitLab repository updates will be marked with a bold red header. This includes new branches, new files, changes to existing files, or removal of files. When you see that it's been updated, use git pull on your clone of the repo to add the changes. If you're not using Git, download the new/updated branches and extract to your project folder, letting it overwrite duplicate files.

New and updated GitLab Wiki pages, GitLab Snippets, and other announcements will have a normal-colored bold header, which appears black in the Default GBA theme and white in the Dark/Black themes. These do not require cloning the repo or downloading ZIPs, but are important as they offer new information either never known before, lost in time (i.e. RawkSD), or mentioned on other websites and has been copied/enhanced in RBC.


Please note: The repo has software which can give you access to copyrighted material. Read my Terms and Conditions before using the repo software. Do NOT share Wii or vWii NANDs, ISOs, or other copyrighted material here in this thread.

The Rock Band logo is a trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, inc. The logos and images used in the Rock Band Customs Project have been modified from the original logos and images provided by Harmonix, and are not protected by copyright. The Rock Band Customs Project is a non-profit independent organization, and is not directly affiliated with Harmonix or it's corporate partners.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Mainly, the one software suite that shouldn't be discussed here is Arktools. Everything else is fine, even talk about stuff on the Rock Band discs, so long as you're not requesting it or distributing it. Also, I read the Terms of Service thoroughly, to make sure this doesn't violate the rules.

If you want to see older changes, please browse comments in the first 4 pages of the Rock Band 3 Tutorial linked above. You're also welcome to view my GitLab commit history (as embarrassing as it might be! ).

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Wiki Updated
A new page has been added! This page covers a handful of sites (including this one) where you can learn more about adding customs to Rock Band.

At least one of these sites allows you to download copyrighted material if you create an account. Please make sure to read all warnings on piracy before downloading. Because of the potential of legal problems, that site CAN NOT be linked to or discussed here. Fortunately, it's the only site thus so far that has content which could be used for warez; I wouldn't have linked it except that it was very helpful on hacking RB and adding customs.

 

[Alexander1970]

Hello.

This is getting "easier and easier" to do thanks to the work of you.
I have REALLY time in the late August 2019 and I am looking forward to it to finally do your Rockband-self-creating-tutorial(s).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME (testing and testing.... ) AND THIS GREAT TUTORIALS !

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Wiki Updated (New Pages!)
Bink files are good again! While I still haven't figured out how to break the Bink encryption on RB2-type discs, StackOverflow's RockBiink converts multiple tracks into a unencrypted "songname.bik" file which can be used for Rock Band customs in place of MOGGs! This fixes the out-of-sync problem of when you pause/resume a song during game play, or try to practice a segment and realize that you're hearing the second chorus even though you're only trying to practice the first. Great work, StackO!

Some other notable edits:

• "Additional Guides" has now become "Creating Your Own Customs"! As a result, the pages in that category have been renamed (again!), and two new guides on making MOGG and BIK files have been added!
• Due to some changes in page names and their categories, some links had to be redirected. If any links in the wiki are broken, let me know.

 

[HarveyHouston]

So, I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to make MILO files for Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 3 (and probably Green Day and The Beatles use them too) for the files that come from the first Rock Band and all Track Packs. Some are included in RBHP, but not all.

Here's the situation I'm in:

• Using Magma would be easiest if it weren't for the MIDIs. The MIDI files in RB1 and Track Packs are not RBN2 compatible, but even cleaning them, Magma claims they're still invalid. I try to edit them via Reaper, but I don't see the errors it complains about.
• Someone on Rock Band ScoreHero suggested using zlib, but I have no idea how to use that in Windows.
• Simply editing them in MiloMod does NOT change the vocal track in the MILO. This only changes the character actions and optionally adds the VENUE. I added a MILO from "Surfer Girl" to "Back In Black (Live)", and my guy mouthed "Do you love me? Do you surfer girl?" to "Back in black! Yeah, I'm back in black!"

Anyone who might have some info on this is welcome to post in this thread on creating MILOs.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Snippet Updated (Known Issues)
The Known Issues Snippet, which was a direct import of Koetsu's issues in his ScoreHero guide, has become Rock Band 3 Customs Known Issues. It covers many of the common errors that plague customs, especially those that are direct imports from the Rock Band discs (specifically Wii). After trying to help someone get a custom working and having it not show up, I thought I'd update this Snippet to explain what might happen, what could be the cause, and how to fix it.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Now on Discord!
Rock Band Customs now is on discord! You can talk about hacking for Rock Band 3, Rock Band 2, and The Beatles: Rock Band on my new Discord server. Invite yourself here!

 

[Alexander1970]

Now on Discord!
Rock Band Customs now is on discord! You can talk about hacking for Rock Band 3, Rock Band 2, and The Beatles: Rock Band on my new Discord server. Invite yourself here!

Great that you did it.It makes Rockband Fans now easier to help and discuss on "issues" nad "Troubles".

THANK YOU !!!!!

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Wiki Updated (Rock Band 3 Guide)

• Album covers can reappear IF you supply a preview MOGG and the (preview # #) line in the DTA. What is expected to happen:
  1. Enter Quickplay or Practice mode. Select a custom DLC from the list. You should see your album cover (the songname_keep.png_wii) and hear the preview MOGG (songname_prev.mogg).
  2. Start the song. Play it or not; if not, press + and choose "Back to Song Selection". Upon returning to the list, you will see no album cover and hear the preview from the actual song as chosen by the DTA.
  3. Scroll to another song and then return. The album cover will reappear, and the preview MOGG will be playing.
• LEGO Rock Band has a folder on the disc which includes MILO files and album covers in PNG_WII for every song in RB1 and some of the Track Packs. This has been mentioned in the guide, so if you don't have LEGO Rock Band for Wii yet, I say get it if you plan on using the files from RB1 as customs!

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Repo Updated (New Branches)
In this thread, comments about important repo updates will be marked with a red header. This suggests that you need to update your copy of the repo files.

The DLC Packers have been moved to a new branch! The branch is named DLC_Packer_NTSC, and is now a bit more precise on what each packer is for. I expect to be adding more packers soon, so keep an eye out for updates to this branch! The one truly complete guide (the RB3 one) has also been updated to reflect the changes made to the repo.

 

[Alexander1970]

Great.I really appreciate it that you always keep us on the newest and latest news,i like that support from you.
Thank you for your Time and your work.

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Repo Updated (New DLC Packers)

More DLC Packers have been found! Thanks to a member over at Customs Creators, almost every missing NTSC Rock Band 2 and Rock Band 3 DLC packer has been found and added to the DLC_Packers_NTSC branch! Most of the PAL packers for RB2/RB3, and both the NTSC and PAL packers for The Beatles: Rock Band, have also been discovered, but have yet to be added due to them being "too messy". Once they're properly structured, they will be released soon.

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Repo Updated (PAL DLC Packers Added)

The PAL Packers are finally here! After a two week hiatus, I finally worked on and released the DLC Packers for Rock Band 2 and 3 on PAL Wii/vWii! I haven't added the sZGP one yet, I forgot to. Some custom generations are still missing; I will add them when I find them.

You can either checkout the new branch by doing a git pull, then git checkout DLC_Packers_PAL, or simply download a ZIP of the DLC_Packers_PAL branch and extract it to a new project directory.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Now on Rock Band ScoreHero!
The Rock Band 3 guide has been reposted on ScoreHero! For those who don't know, ScoreHero originally was a dedicated forum for Guitar Hero, but when Rock Band came along, they made a separate (yet linked) forum site known as Rock Band ScoreHero. It is where StackOverflow0x's old guide How to play upgrades, customs, and imports on Wii resides, and now a basic guide based off of the GBAtemp tutorial has been posted there! Go check it out! If you have a ScoreHero account, you may also leave comments and questions there!

 

[Alexander1970]

Now on Rock Band ScoreHero!
The Rock Band 3 guide has been reposted on ScoreHero! For those who don't know, ScoreHero originally was a dedicated forum for Guitar Hero, but when Rock Band came along, they made a separate (yet linked) forum site known as Rock Band ScoreHero. It is where StackOverflow0x's old guide How to play upgrades, customs, and imports on Wii resides, and now a basic guide based off of the GBAtemp tutorial has been posted there! Go check it out! If you have a ScoreHero account, you may also leave comments and questions there!

Great news !!!! Now Your work is getting better known !
Congratulations.

 

[HarveyHouston]

New Snippet (SD Card Problems)
Many users of my repo have been complaining over SD card issues. A lot of it has to do with customs not being able to be seen on there. I've attempted to cover every issue I can think about in regards to customs on the SD card, and I now have a Snippet for it on GitLab. Also, the Known Issues Snippet has been modified to redirect to this new snippet, with some problems affecting either BINs or APPs expanded upon.

In the near future, I will create a separate Snippet for APP issues, but for now this should suffice.

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Wiki Updated (Rock Band 3 Guide)
The section Learn The Packing Structure has been further expanded on to try to help noobs understand better about the packing structure. There's a better explanation of slots, headers, content generation differences, APP naming, and limits in each generation. Some of this I recently discovered myself, so if any of it seems a bit off, let me know in the comments here!

 

[HarveyHouston]

It's been a long time since I came to this thread. A lot has been happening that I forgot to report on, so I thought I'd cover what has been going on as of late. This is gonna be a little long, but just bear with me.

Rock Band Customs Discord - Now Covers Everything Rock Band

If you want help on consoles other than the Wii/vWii, you might want to consider joining Discord instead of messaging me. RBC Discord covers customs for titles and platforms I can't help on, including Green Day: Rock Band, Rock Band 4 (Yes, it is possible on the PS4), Playstation 2, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360, among others.

There are a lot of other changes too. You can assign yourself a Customs Tester role in which you can help out by giving your exact specifications on the state of your customs, so that we can better help others. With this role, you also get to help out others with what you've learned, and maybe you'll also learn while helping!

You'll find some channels dedicated to sites where Rock Band hacking is discussed (including here on GBAtemp!), but you can also do some fun stuff like brag about a high score on a custom song, or play music with the Groovy bot Mothership Q. It's been a hard day's night - er, month's work, and it just keeps getting better!

If you need assistance, I've managed to get interest from some of those on C3. The more active administrator, Farottone, has joined, as well as StackOverflow0x (which I announced on my blog already) and Alternity, two others who are not admins or mods on C3 but contribute a lot to Rock Band hacking.

Please Note: Some copyrighted material may be shared and discussed on Discord which may not be allowed here on GBAtemp. While I am still against promoting warez, the material shared is mainly for Wii/vWii, and it comes from the now-dead Wii Shop, which can be considered abandonware. Please respect GBAtemp's Terms and Rules on this matter, and always check with moderators of this site before posting about such things!

Rock Band Customs -- Wii and vWii GitLab Wiki - Work in Progress

Because of some discussions on what is considered piracy over on RBC Discord, I have made a new wiki page on my repo which outline not only what the repo is intended for, but how I feel on custom songs. You can read the Terms and Conditions here. As I continue to think on the matter, the wording for proper usage of the repo software and my thoughts about what we're doing will probably change, but for now here is the basic document.

I'm also starting to add more images to my wiki. Some of the software shown also are available in Ubuntu, and that's what I happen to be using for programs like Audacity. Images for Windows software thus so far has been supplied by others, but eventually I'll supply my own screenshots for these. Editing (adding red arrows and cropping images) is done using a wonderful program called the GIMP, which I've used for years. It's the open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop and other popular image editors, and supports many plugins.

For the sake of my privacy, full paths, console IDs, and other identifying information will be stripped from or altered in these images (hey, shouldn't everyone have a private life?), but they should still be useful for their intended purpose.

Rock Band 2 for vWii - Unhackable?

While there exists the RawkSD project, which is a severely outdated software suite intended for Rock Band 2 customs for Wii, that only works for the original Wii and the Wii Family Edition. For Wii Mode on the Wii U (or vWii, as we in the homebrew community call it), it's a bit complicated. For one, RawkSD 2.x only works if you patch IOS 37, which is not possible on the Wii U since vWii requires a different version, and patching IOS 37 freezes the Wii U whenever anything tries to use it. RawkSD 3.x would be more ideal, if it wasn't left in the beta stage. Unfortunately, the beta requires setting your console's time back in order for it to work.

I've attempted to contact AerialX about this problem, but he seems absent entirely. So, a request to anyone reading this, if anyone knows where he is, tell him to get in touch with me! I would like to see the RawkSD project revived and completed, or some other hack which should work despite the Wii Shop being closed.

Future Ideas

While there are still enough people interested in Rock Band hacking, I would like to be able to do more with this project. Therefore, I'm just gonna spit-ball some ideas that have been hanging around in my head:

• If other people in Rock Band hacking decide to use GitLab, I may create a Rock Band Customs group where repos for other platforms, and the relevant software, would exist. Ideally, the repos in this group would be named Rock Band Customs -- PS2 and PS3 and Rock Band Customs -- Xbox 360, but may also include other repos. I may also move my repo there, which would require every link to my repo updated.
• If I can ever get AerialX or someone else involved who knows about RB2 hacking, I may feature their software on my repo.
• I'd like to invite more people from GBAtemp, ScoreHero, and FoF in RBC Discord. That way, there would be more minds at work on these issues that persist.
• There are some better alternatives to some of the software on my repo, but not all of it can be replaced. For instance, there is a standalone OGG2MOGG Windows executable which is better than MahoppianGoon's, bundled in the Rock Band DLC Tools, but MG's songs.dta Editor is very good, and I have yet to find a something just as good or better.
• The Rock Band Harmonies Project files featured in other branches are really old. I would like to improve on these files myself, and re-release them as files for making Rock Band songs from Wii discs compatible as customs for Rock Band versions that support DLC, complete with RB2/RB3 compatible album covers, multiple DTAs for each song (with each being compatible with different Rock Band titles and whether you convert them to a MOGG or BIK), and perhaps even RB2/RB3 compatible MIDIs. That would take a LOT of time, but would be well worth it.

Well, that about covers it for now! Keep on rockin'!

 

[HarveyHouston]

GitLab Repo Updated

First things first, I removed some unnecessary files that were cluttering up the repo ever since I pushed them into there earlier this year. That included FS Toolbox. This is not needed anymore since my new wiki exclusively uses WiiXplorer.

GitLab Wiki Updated - A Complete Rewrite!

WHEW! This took a lot of time and effort, but I finally managed to rewrite the entire wiki! Let me explain what has changed.

First of all, there is no longer a "Complete Guide". There are four wiki pages which make up the Basic Guide to Adding Customs section, which should work with all Rock Band versions on the Wii that support DLC. The title-specific guides are now moved to Rock Band Titles, and each one is basically a fifth and final step for the Basic Guide. If you're a noob, you need to read the Basic Guide first before going to a Title Guide.

Second, each one is in a section (Section A, Section B, etc.). Each one is literally a folder containing the wiki pages. I put them in order of importance, thus the most important pages are at the top of the list.

Third, there are no cross-reference links anymore. That means that there are no links in a wiki page which direct you to another wiki page. For one, it got tiring having to redo the links every time I changed a page's title or location, so I removed them. Also, if you want to find out more, you should read the entire wiki.

Which brings me to my last point. I noticed that in several pages, I kept getting redundant. I would tell how to do something when it wasn't necessary to tell it in that page. For instance, the page about aligning track should be about aligning tracks, not including about how to make songs from Wii discs MOGGs again - there is already a wiki page on that! So, I attempted to remove redundancy. If you want to learn how to make a MOGG, look at Create Song Files as MOGGs in Section D.

I know that this means that links I posted all over the place referring to my wiki are now dead. I will fix them eventually, but for now, feel free to browse my new and improved wiki!