Is it worth updating my Final Fantasy VI GBA sound restoration ?

[Spooniest]

I figured as much. Oh well, it's no biggie.

Just once again reiterating my support for this project, wish I could bump it but I already posted.

[Spooniest]

You know, not even the PC version has all the correct sound effects.

[SC]

I support this too! I've been expecting it anyway after the last time you updated FF5.

Also a good chance to fix the intro logo sequence synchronization with the music.
Might be more obvious if you compare the unpatched version side by side with the patched version.

As for the no fades, I think the GBA version had that problem originally ... ? 

[Kallisto]

The only thing I noticed was a little noticable slowdown caused by the music patch or the color-uplift patch, but either one of them is causing something.

[TheZunar123]

Vanilla FF6A has slowdown (e.g. some of the Blitzes and Bushido techniques), so it might just be the original. I think the old sound restoration tried to fix some of it though...?

[Granville]

Bregalad's FF5 Advance sound restoration fixes the slowdown (it's mentioned in the documentation). I don't know whether his FF6 hack does the same, but I don't see anything in the readme about it. If it does fix any, there's still plenty left over. It has been a while since I played vanilla FF6A (I always use Bregalad's hack now), so I can't recall if it was better or worse before, but there's still a good deal of lag present. His patch shouldn't have introduced new slowdown though, it's supposed to reduce CPU cycles used by the sound engine and should actually (if anything) run better.

The original FF6 Advance had quite a bit of lag. Even slow down in towns (especially noticeable when running and using speed boost relics). There was also lag during some of the more visually intensive spells and skills in battles.

But i'd say the worst (and most constant) slowdown occurs when riding vehicles on the world map (chocobo, airship and underwater). The town and battle slowdowns are just temporary spikes. But the world map vehicle slowdown is consistent, I actually wonder if these parts are actually locked at a slower pace. The normal non-vehicle world map parts seem to run just fine (which also uses a mode7 equivalent), it's just during the vehicle parts where the horizon and/or sky is visible.

I've also found that the lag spikes can adversely affect the responsiveness of the controls. Especially noticeable in the world map sequences. It does sound like Bregalad wants to fix the battle slowdown with his new patch, but i wonder if anything can be done to help some of the world map mode7 slowdown.

[Lariria]

Likely significant recoding would need to be done. At this point, it's not really worth it to most folks.

[Bregalad]

Also a good chance to fix the intro logo sequence synchronization with the music.

I am unsure about which synchronozation you are talking about. Synchronization has been one of the major issues with version 1.0 and had to be reworked for version 1.1. I'll attempt to do my best for version 2.0.

Vanilla FF6A has slowdown

Yes, just like vanilla FF5a. I can only fix those who are introduced because the CPU time exceeds the time that is available in one video frame, I cannot fix other slow down effects due to bad programming, those are especially present in FF4a but also in FF5a, I am not sure if any are present in FF6a.

I don't know whether his FF6 hack does the same

Version 1.0 and 1.1 uses a mono version of the original Nintendo sound mixer, but uses a higher sample rate, so overall it takes about the same CPU time than the original FF6a, that is between 25-40% of the CPU for the music engine.

Version 2.0 will use the same variant of sound mixer used in the latest FF4a and FF5a patches which will greatly reduce CPU consumption, to 15-25% of CPU time.

It is very difficult to predict how much slow down this will actually fix, but very likely it'll fix at least some of them, like my FF5a patch does. The time the sound engine takes is extremely variable, as it depends on the # of active sound channels, the frequency of the samples being played, the length of the loop points of the said samples and the reverb parameters among other things. That is why the CPU usage of the sound engine is so volatile and variable.

[SC]

I am unsure about which synchronization you are talking about. Synchronization has been one of the major issues with version 1.0 and had to be reworked for version 1.1. I'll attempt to do my best for version 2.0.

I mean synchronization between the intro logo animation and the intro logo music. Just comparing side by side it is very evident that your old patches broke it.
It was also synchronized in the original Super Famicom version and it creates an interesting visual/audio effect for the player (was very probably intended to
be like that by Yoshinori Kitase and Nobuo Uematsu), so that's why I  think it is important for this patch.

[Spooniest]

When the line of fire gets drawn through the middle of the screen, the plagal cadence on the organ (in a diminished chord?) should be in its "rise." Then, as the logo "floats" up, the cadence "falls," and then the organ is silent.

Next, as soon as the picture of Terra riding the Magitek Armor appears in the background, the plagal diminished (?) cadence repeats, holding the "rise" until the "Copyright Square X year" message appears below, and we have our title screen, punctuated by the music.

I hope this helps.

[SC]

When the line of fire gets drawn through the middle of the screen, the plagal cadence on the organ (in a diminished chord?) should be in its "rise." Then, as the logo "floats" up, the cadence "falls," and then the organ is silent.

Next, as soon as the picture of Terra riding the Magitek Armor appears in the background, the plagal diminished (?) cadence repeats, holding the "rise" until the "Copyright Square X year" message appears below, and we have our title screen, punctuated by the music.

I hope this helps.

Yeah, exactly that, probably! Sorry for lacking the musical jargon myself. 

[Bregalad]

Speaking of synchronization, could someone send me a .sav file near the end of the game, so I can check the synchronization of the ending music? I never beat the GBA version of FF6 myself, so I lack such a save file.

[SC]

I don't think I have one readily available right now (would have to dump it, really), but doesn't the gamefaqs site have savefiles?

EDIT: Here's some... http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/930370-final-fantasy-vi-advance/saves

PS: Wow, spellchecker tries to change "gamefaqs" into "gamecocks", what the hell? LOL

[TheZunar123]

Here's some... http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/930370-final-fantasy-vi-advance/saves

If I'm not mistaken those aren't .sav files, they're rips from a physical GBA pack. I don't know if there's a way convert them.

Fortunately, I just so happen to have a .sav file near the end of the game. Second file is right at the end of Kefka's Tower, ready to kick some Kefka arse. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ip30nvvi94pfr5d/ff6ae.sav?dl=0

[Bregalad]

Thanks !

[TheZunar123]

No problem, glad to help.

Y'know, I recently started playing through FF6A without the sound restoration just out of curiosity, and I actually liked some of the original Advance music. For example, I think Kids Run Through the City actually is pretty nice, as well as the drums in the Veldt. Decisive Battle and Cyan's Theme aren't half bad either.

Of course, you still have the tracks like the battle theme, Devil's Lab, Protect the Espers, and Searching for Friends (not to mention the sound effects) which definitely need the improvement so I'm not trying to discourage the restoration, I'm just wondering if there might be a way to keep the parts of the original advance that sound good enough and fix up the rest with the SNES counterparts.

This probably isn't feasible, but I wanted to throw it out there.

[Bregalad]

It is perfectly feasible, however it is not the path I have chosen. The earliest version of FF5 sound restore (version 1.x) were like that, but finally I've decided removing everything from the GBA version. Why? Because it's completely subjective what sounds "better" or "worse" than the SNES version. So even if some parts might actually be better in some contexts, I decided to add all the SNES sounds back in, with no exception.

[TheZunar123]

Understandable. I'd be more of a sound enhancement than a restoration in that case. It'd be the kind of thing I'd just do for myself if I knew anything about the GBA sound engine, but sadly I don't.

[Bregalad]

Fortunately, I just so happen to have a .sav file near the end of the game. Second file is right at the end of Kefka's Tower, ready to kick some Kefka arse. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ip30nvvi94pfr5d/ff6ae.sav?dl=0

I'll reiterate my question:

could someone send me a .sav file near the end of the game, where the party is not ridiculously weak and where kefka can been defeated effortlessly, so I can check the synchronization of the ending music? I never beat the GBA version of FF6 myself, so I lack such a save file

I have something else to do than trying to beat him again and again with a totally under levelled, empty item inventory, bad equipment and helpless party.

[Spooniest]

Eh, I'll get to work on it and be back w you in 4 hours.