In the News

TCTD Links for 2010-10-18

  • Nerd Music on the Project S-11 Soundtrack http://ow.ly/2VaVa #
  • I spaced doing a tctd bday post, so expect a trickle of crap this week. Maybe. #
  • +_ I_CACTUS http://ow.ly/2VcMm #
  • RT @anamanaguchi: happy 25th birthday (in america), NES! we couldn’t have done it without ya! :D :D <3 -luke #
  • RT @Radiograffiti: The deadline for the Radiograffiti art-poll is tmrw! Be sure to vote/enter for your chance to win a copy of each RG 7″ #
  • RT @8bitweapon: Check out our collaboration with MC Frontalot on the FREE mp3 compo by Hipsterplease! #
  • RT @gamesdaypodcast: hey you! know any chiptune artists who want to get their tracks better known? we wanna talk to them! #
  • Three Cave Story audio treats – Tiny Cartridge http://ow.ly/2VkZe #
  • Tool to manage Ds-10 Songs and Patch info http://ow.ly/2Vm85 #
  • little-scale: Making of Visual Confirmation Video by XXiirii http://ow.ly/2VmqC #
  • 8bc’s Chinese Whiskers Compilation : 8bc.org forum members http://ow.ly/2VmtB #
  • Pulsar Updates: manual, screenmap teasers http://ow.ly/2VnTM #
In the News

TCTD Links for 2010-03-25

Chipmusic • Games • software

PXTONE crack deprotects “*.pttune” modules

PXTONE by pixel

PXTONE by pixel

PXTONE by pixel is an extended piano-roll sequencer for Windows based on the Cave Story sound engine.  The sequencer in PXTONE is called ptcollage; which is normally able to open up *.ptcop project files.  These files can be exported as *.pttune files which are essentially write-protected files sharing the same exact data — but with a different header containing the protection info.  CaitSith2, hacker extraordinaire, has recently cracked all current versions of PXTONE to allow the novice hacker to hex edit ptcollage.exe at the offsets mentioned by CaitSith2:

Version 0.9.0.3, Patch offset 0x28842 to 0xEB to disable the edit prohibit. (Not compatible with older format files though, but still, the protection is completely stupid, if it only checks one thing.)

Version 0.8.8.8, patch offset 0x29182 to 0xEB

Version 0.9.1.4, patch offset 0x293D2 to 0xEB.

Any other version, search for 0x3E E0 01 00 00 74. There should only be one instance, if so, replace the with 0x3E E0 01 00 00 EB.

(This took me less than 5 minutes to crack.)

You will then be able to open the previously edit-protected *.pttune files after selecting *.* from the file type on load; just as you would be able to edit the original *.ptcop project files.

I believe this opens an ethical debate.  How would you feel if you had previously felt your PXTONE created music was safe from n00bz editing and remixing your material?  How do you think pixel feels having his file format protection circumvented?  Do you think this does more good than it does harm to musicians?  Is anything really protected or safe?

What do you think?  Please comment. :)

Chipmusic • Games

Cave Story Soundtrack Converted to Impulse Tracker

Fun Looking, but Deadly Difficult

Fun Looking, but Deadly Difficult

Random reports on the 8BC forum:

Coda wrote a program which enabled him to reverse the music from everyones favorite game Cave Story and output .it-files (Impulse Tracker modules)!

This is very exciting news to me, since I’ve only previously found a soundtrack consisting of about half the tracks in shitty mp3 quality, and since it’s a lovely soundtrack (to a lovely game). It seems the stereo information was lost when converted to .it, but it’s still very enjoyable, and otherwise accurate. Perhaps Coda will figure out how to get the stereo information as well…

Anyway, here’s the .rar with all songs: http://engramstudio.com/crap/cavestory_it.rar

PS. And just in case you didn’t already know, .it-files are best played with XMplay if you are using Windows, and CocoModX if you’re using OSX.

So listen, loop, remix, enjoy!