MagicEngine

yoyodinepropulsion · Visitor Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4

Hi, I'm having some problems with music (on CD games) on magic engine, and i don't know what to do!

What's strange is that ME was working fine before, but I guess I did something, because now the music for CD games doesn't load. Sound effects and even voices can still be heard, but there's no music in the games...and like i said everything was working before. It's definitely not the games, because even ones that worked before don't work (originals and CDRs both).
The only thing I can think of that I might have done was download a Sega CD emulator with an audio plug-in pack.

-BTW I'm running a 2Ghz laptop w/ WXP

Kaminari · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 12:23 am Post subject:

Hi,

Can you hear the music through your CD-ROM headphone socket? Is your CD-ROM driver (in the Device Manager) 'accidentally' set to digital playback? Please post your pce.ini file here.

yoyodinepropulsion · Visitor Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4

Music isn't coming out through the headphones either. But what's strange is that some sound effects and voices are. and my cd drive is still working fine with playing normal cds, so it can't be a problem with just the drive.
music and all sound also plays fine on all roms, but just not cd games...

well, here's my whole pce. file, sorry about posting the whole huge thing...

# ----
# emulation settings
# ----

[emulation]

;
; soft reset (RUN + SELECT)
; --
; y -> enabled [default]
; n -> disabled
;

soft_reset=y

;
; frame delay
; --
; adjust video frame delay (15000-18000 µs)
;
; 16393 -> 61 Hz
; 16667 -> 60 Hz [default]
; 16949 -> 59 Hz
;

frame_delay=

# ----
# sound settings
# ----
#

[sound]

;
; sound
; --
; y -> enabled [default]
; n -> disabled
;

sound=y

;
; frequency
; --
; set sound frequency (8000 - 48000)
;

frequency=44100

;
; 16-bit
; --
; y -> enabled [16-bit]
; n -> disabled [ 8-bit]
;

16bit=y

;
; stereo
; --
; y -> enabled [stereo]
; n -> disabled [mono]
;

stereo=y

;
; interpolation
; --
; y -> enabled
; n -> disabled [default]
;

interpolation=n

;
; interpolation level
; --
; 1 -> light interpolation
; ..
; 15 -> full interpolation
;

interpolation_level=1

;
; delay
; --
; adjust sound buffer delay (2 - 30), in 1/60th of second
; (best delay is auto detected by default)
;

delay=

;
; CD-ROM audio input line
; --
; 0 -> first audio input line
; 1 -> second audio input line
; ...
;
; (see the log.txt file to find out what are the line numbers)
;

cd_audio_input_line=

;
; master audio volume
; --
; 0-100
;

master_audio_volume=

;
; fx audio volume
; --
; 0-100
;

fx_audio_volume=

;
; cd audio volume
; --
; 0-100
;

cd_audio_volume=

# ----
# video settings
# ----
#

[video]

;
; windowed mode
; --
; select windowed mode at startup
;
; y -> windowed
; n -> fullscreen [default]
;

windowed=

;
; fullscreen stretch
; --
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

fullscreen=

;
; fullscreen stretch mode
; --
;
; 0 -> always
; 1 -> only for 1x1 display size
; 2 -> only for 2x2 display size [default]
;

fullscreen_mode=2

;
; bilinear filtering
; --
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;
; (this option doesn't work with all the video card)
;

filtering=

;
; display size
; --
: select display size at startup
;
; 0 -> 1x1 zoom
; 1 -> 2x2 zoom [default]
;

size=1

;
; display zoom
; --
; 0 -> software [default]
; 1 -> hardware
;

zoom=1

;
; auto frame skip
; --
; y -> enabled
; n -> disabled [default]
;

auto_frame_skip=n

;
; video sync
; --
; y -> enabled
; n -> disabled [default]
;

vsync=n

;
; fullscreen screen resolutions
; --
; custom screen resolutions to be used for the different
; PC-Engine video modes (256x224, 320x224, and 352x224)
;
; (by default a resolution of 640x480 is used for all the
; video modes)
;

res_256=640,480
res_320=640,480
res_352=640,480

;
; windowed screen resolutions
; --
; custom screen resolutions to be used for the different
; PC-Engine video modes (256x224, 320x224, and 352x224)
; in windowed mode
;

win_res_256=256,224
win_res_320=320,224
win_res_352=352,224

;
; auto screen resolution lock
; --
; enable/disable auto screen resolution locking
; for games that change resolution often like
; Military Madness
;
; y -> auto lock [default]
; n -> no resolution lock
;

res_lock=y

# ----
# TV mode settings
# ----

[tv_mode]

;
; tv_mode
; --
; y -> start in TV mode
; n -> start in normal mode [default]
;

tv_mode=n

;
; wide screen
; --
; y -> enabled
; n -> disabled [default]
;

wide=n

;
; horizontal interpolation
; --
; y -> enabled [default]
; n -> disabled
;

interpolation=y

;
; scanlines:
; --
; 0 -> 100% (black scanlines)
; 1 -> 75%
; 2 -> 50%
; 3 -> 25% [default]
; 4 -> 0% (no scanlines)
;

scanlines=3

;
; gamma correction:
; --
; adjust gamma level (0 - 5)
;

gamma=1

;
; brightness control:
; --
; adjust brightness (0 - Cool

;

brightness=1

# ----
# gamepad settings
# ----

[gamepad]

;
; gamepad
; --
; y -> enabled [default]
; n -> disabled
;

gamepad=y

;
; auto fire speed
; --
; 1 (fast) to 10 (slow)
;

auto_fire_speed=2

;
; auto calibration control
; --
; 50% (default) to 90%
;

auto_calibration=70

# ----
# keyboard settings
# ----

[keyboard]

;
; type of keyboard
; --
; 0 -> AZERTY
; 1 -> QWERTY [default]
; 2 -> QWERTZ
;

type=1

;
; unlock numeric keypad
; --
; unlock numeric keypad keys 0 to 9, /, *, . and ENTER
;
; y -> unlocked
; n -> locked [default]
;

numpad=n

;
; unlock numeric keys
; --
; unlock keys 0 to 9
;
; y -> unlocked
; n -> locked [default]
;

numkeys=n

;
; unlock ctrl keys
; --
; unlock INS, DEL, HOME, END, PGUP, PGDOWN control keys
;
; y -> unlocked
; n -> locked [default]
;

ctrlkeys=n

;
; ESC key mode
; --
; change ESC key function
;
; 0 -> automatic mode : [default]
; --------------
; when the emulator is started from a shell or from a front-end
; program pressing ESC will exit the emulator, but when
; the emulator is started by double-clicking on its icon
; pressing ESC will open the menu screen
;
; 1 -> GUI mode :
; ---------
; pressing ESC will always open the menu screen
;
; 2 -> exit mode :
; ---------
; pressing ESC will always exit the emulator
;

esc_key_mode=0

;
; auto repeat delay
; --
; 1 (very fast) to 8 (slow)
;

auto_repeat_delay=2

;
; auto repeat rate
; --
; number of time the key is repeated per second (1 - 16)
;

auto_repeat_rate=9

# ----
# load menu settings
# ----

[load]

;
; drive list
; --
; list of disk drives displayed in the load menu
;

drive_list=CDEF

;
; ROM list titles
; --
; enable ROM filenames to be used as title in the load list
;
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

use_rom_file_name=n

# ----
# misc. settings
# ----

[misc]

;
; number of state file
; --
; 4 - 8
;

nb_state_file=4

;
; state file compression
; --
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

compress_state_file=y

;
; backup ram format
; --
; 0 -> old format (backup.ram)
; 1 -> new format (backup.dat, backup.idx) [default]
;

backup_ram=1

;
; enable debug log file
; --
; y -> enable [default]
; n -> disable
;

debug_log=y

# ----
# CD-ROM settings
# ----

[cdrom]

;
; CD-ROM drive
; --
; 0 -> first CD-ROM drive [default]
; 1 -> second CD-ROM drive
; ...
;

drive=

;
; CD-ROM drive letter
; --
; (Windows 2000/XP only)
;
; D:
; E:
; ...
;

drive_letter=

;
; SCSI driver timeout
; --
; change the delay that the emulator waits when accessing
; the CD-ROM SCSI driver, 0 is infinite delay
;

timeout=0

;
; CD-ROM cache
; --
; y -> enable
; n -> disable [default]
;

cache=n

;
; CD-ROM cache size
; --
; in KB [default is 512KB]
;

cache_size=512

# ----
# path settings
# ----

[path]

;
; system card paths
; --
;

system_card_1=
system_card_2=
system_card_3=
system_card_4=

;
; config path
; --
; (pce.cfg,
; backup.dat, backup.idx,
; games.idx,
; time.dat,
; k12x12.fnt, k16x16.fnt)
;

config=

;
; screenshot path
; --
;

screenshots=

;
; saved game path
; --
;

saved_games=

Kaminari · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 5:47 am Post subject:

yoyodinepropulsion · Visitor Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 4

problem solved, thanks! Smile

Dr_louie · Posted: Thu May 01, 2003 3:59 pm Post subject:

I have the same problem with Win XP. Where do you go to change the CD-ROM to drive D or E with the Magic Engine. I'm not a computer whiz, so if you could explain it to me in simple English it would be a big help. Thanks a lot! Shocked

Kaminari · Posted: Thu May 01, 2003 4:45 pm Post subject:

Louie>

Magic Engine uses a simple configuration file called pce.ini, which you can find inside its folder. Open this file with Notepad and you will see a bunch of settings (the ones listed above).

Locate the 'CD-ROM drive letter' option and simply indicate the letter used by your drive (E: F: Y: Z: whatever). The colon is important. You do know your drive's letter, don't you?

Yoyodine>

Good, my CD-ROM FAQ has just earned another piece of information Smile

Dr_louie · Posted: Sun May 04, 2003 3:46 am Post subject:

I switched my CD-ROM drive in the PCE notepad file. I tried D and E. I even put the colon after each letter. No sound. My D drive is a DVD-ROM and my E is a CD-RW drive. Could that be causing a problem? I saw some other posts saying that disabling digital sound would help, others said stuff about taking the cover off the computer tower and tinkering with the wires, but I wouldn't know where to start with that stuff. Any more suggestions? Think

Kaminari · Posted: Sun May 04, 2003 12:54 pm Post subject:

Since you're running WinXP, it seems almost certain that none of your drives is connected to your sound card. That's the reason why WinXP systems are always configured to play audio CD via 'digital audio' by default (the music is read from the CD through the IDE flat cable).

Magic Engine doesn't support (yet?) digital audio playback, only good old analog playback. Thus, you need to get an audio cable connected from your CD-ROM drive to your sound card.

Dr_louie · Posted: Mon May 05, 2003 2:22 am Post subject:

Just any old audio cable will do? I'll give it a try. Do I have to take the cover off my tower or can it be done through the outlets on the back of the tower? Or should I just wait for ver. 1.0 to come out.

(Thanks for answering all my questions, and trying to help me.)

Cain Belmont · Visitor Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 3 Location: London

I suggest you wait for 1.00. It will enable digital audio. I have WinXP, so that is what I am doing, because I dont want to mess with the insides of my computer just for Rondo of Blood. Well, til then. Anxious

_________________
...

Dr_louie · Posted: Mon May 05, 2003 3:48 pm Post subject:

Good idea cain. I'll be looking foward to it.

Kaminari · Posted: Mon May 05, 2003 4:31 pm Post subject:

Well, there's really nothing to mess around with. It's just a matter of getting a standard, so-called 'CD-ROM audio cable' and plugging it from the CD-ROM to the sound card.

In case you're wondering what a CD audio cable looks like:

Creative
Cablemax