SND (AdLib)

Ad Lib Sound Bank
Developer:	Ad Lib, Inc.
Header:	Custom
Content:	Instrument
Instruments:	Intrinsic
Target Output
Released:	1988-06-29
First Game:	Kung Fu Louie Vs. The Martial Art Posse (DOS)
Extensions	*.snd *.tim *.tbr

An AdLib Sound Bank (SND) file doesn't store music, but it does contain the definitions for instruments to be played in MUS files. Since this format isn't actually an audio format, the list of players don't actually "play" SND files, but rather utilize them when playing a MUS file.

Technically the format is very similar to BNK, which in many ways can be regarded as the successor to this format. SND was developed first (1988) as a way of storing all the instruments necessary to play a single song, and then when the utility of this became apparent, BNK was developed (1989) which stores the data more efficiently and also adds additional fields to make managing instrument libraries easier.

Players

(Category)

• AdLib Play - DOS
• Camoto - Linux, Windows

Converters

(Category)

SND to ?

• Camoto - Linux, Windows - [all supported OPL formats]
• CoktelADL2VGM - Linux, Windows - VGM
• MIDIPLEX - Windows 32 - BNK, MDI
• Vinyl to CMF - DOS - CMF

? to SND

• AdLib Convert - DOS - INS
• MIDIPLEX - Windows 32 - MDI, SOP

Games

(Category)

Since SND files do not store music, there are no samples, but this is a list of the games that use SND files.

Released	Title
1989-??-??	Kung Fu Louie Vs. The Martial Art Posse (DOS)
1989-??-??	Weird Dreams (DOS)
1990-01-??	Avoid the Noid (DOS) (Version 1.1)
1990-??-??	DarkSpyre (DOS)
1990-??-??	DragonStrike (DOS)
1990-??-??	Faces ...tris III (DOS)
1990-??-??	X-Rock (DOS)
1991-??-??	Gobliiins (DOS)
1992-??-??	Balda (DOS)
1992-??-??	Color Lines (DOS)
1992-??-??	The Summoning (DOS)
1992-??-??	Vetka (DOS)
1993-??-??	Regatta (DOS)
1993-??-??	Veil of Darkness (DOS)
1994-??-??	Nine (DOS)
1994-??-??	Popo Car (DOS)
1995-??-??	Vinyl Goddess From Mars (DOS)

Technical

• File size can be calculated with this formula:

FileSize = iInstCount * 65 + 6

File Header

Data type	Name	Description	Default value
UINT8	iVerMajor	Version major	1
UINT8	iVerMinor	Version minor	0
UINT16LE	iInstCount	Instrument count
UINT16LE	ofInstParams	Offset to instrument parameters	iInstCount * 9 + 6
SND_NAME[iInstCount]	aInstNames	Array of instrument names
SND_PARAM[iInstCount]	aInstParams	Array of instrument parameters

Instrument Names

Each instrument name is null-terminated ANSI string with 8 fixed characters (9 bytes per name).

Instrument Parameters

Instrument parameters are expressed with this structure:

Data type	Name	Description
SND_OPLREGS	oplModulator	Register values for the Modulator operator (op 0)
SND_OPLREGS	oplCarrier	Register values for the Carrier operator (op 1)
UINT16LE	iModWaveSel	Modulator wave select (OPL base register 0xE0)
UINT16LE	iCarWaveSel	Carrier wave select (OPL base register 0xE0)

The SND_OPLREGS structure is defined as:

Data type	Name	Description	OPL base register
UINT16LE	ksl	Key scaling level	0x40 (bits 6-7)
UINT16LE	multiple	Frequency multiplier	0x20 (bits 0-3)
UINT16LE	feedback	Feedback [op 0 only, op 1 ignored]	0xC0 (bits 1-3)
UINT16LE	attack	Attack rate	0x60 (upper four bits)
UINT16LE	sustain	Sustain level	0x80 (upper four bits)
UINT16LE	eg	Envelope gain (nonzero value is on)	0x20 (bit 5)
UINT16LE	decay	Decay rate	0x60 (lower four bits)
UINT16LE	releaseRate	Release rate	0x80 (lower four bits)
UINT16LE	totalLevel	Total output level	0x40 (bit 0-5)
UINT16LE	am	Amplitude modulation (Tremolo)	0x20 (bit 7)
UINT16LE	vib	Frequency Vibrato	0x20 (bit 6)
UINT16LE	ksr	Key scaling/envelope rate	0x20 (bit 4)
UINT16LE	con	Connector [op 0 only, op 1 ignored]	0xC0 (bit 0, inverted)

Links

• shikadi.net/moddingwiki/AdLib_Timbre_Bank_Format - Modding Wiki.