question about PS import game audio

[RMila75]

I'm using a game enhancer in the rear port of my PS to play import games. When playing SD Gundam Over Galaxian, I notice that the music tracks will not play during the levels. A similar problem occurs with at least one other game. Could this have something to do with the game that I am using as a boot disc?
I have read that some boot discs may screw up the way the import game runs after booting.
Any advice to help make the audio tracks play properly?
Thanks!

[Ganelon]

Don't use a boot disc. The only way the sound fits perfectly is if the tracks perfectly match and are timed the same. Boot discs won't even have tracks so any game that verifies the existence of a track will crash. Use a JP system or install a modchip.

[Warp_Rattler]

The thing with using those game enhancers is that it reads the number of tracks on the US disc you're using to boot the system, and since the Playstation is fooled into thinking it's running the original disc, it's going to assume the same number of tracks. This is problematic for games with Redbook audio for the music, as if your boot game only has five tracks total and your import has ten, the system is only going to search for the first five, and you'll just get dead silence for the audio any time the last five are supposed to be playing, and possibly a crash as mentioned above. I'm not sure if the length of the tracks has any effect on proper music playback (it hasn't in my experience, at least), I think it's just the number of tracks defined in the disc's table of contents. Don't know much more on the technical end than that.

You can get around this problem by booting with a game that has a larger number of audio tracks than the import you're playing. I've found Castlevania: Symphony of the Night gives flawless music playback on all of my imports; I've heard lots of people say various demo discs like the Jampacks also work wonderfully.

[RMila75]

Great advice. Thanks!
I have SOTN and possibly an old demo or two that I'll try out.

[Ganelon]

Not great advice since it's incorrect. The length of the tracks absolutely matter for games; otherwise, the system has no clue when the tracks end and will either extend to the next track (if it's too long) or cut off early (if it's too short). And sometimes, it seems to be based off absolute track time so that you get the entirely incorrect track being played. So it sounds to me that some folks using boot disc-based means to play imports with Redbook tunes either aren't getting all the music that they should be or they're getting the wrong tunes.

First off, SOTN only has 2 tracks: the normal data track and one music track (for that bonus tune). So that's not a great boot disc at all in the first place. I've even tested that personally since I was recommended that (and the demo discs, none of which I've seen have any Redbook tracks) back around the turn of the century. They didn't even work for a JP game I had that required the tracks to exist; even games that do have lots of tracks don't work well as boot discs.

I actually got a Gold Finger to play imports since I heard that it played imports just fine. However, it just wouldn't play Gundam The Battle Master 2's music correctly. It's interesting that even if you put in Gundam Battle Assault (with the same quantity of music tracks and track lengths but a different sized data track) to boot it up, all the sound symptoms I mentioned above (music gets extended to the next track, music gets cut off short, different track gets played and cuts off/gets extended) can be heard.

So as I said, if you really want to play it with the right music, go with another approach.

[StarCreator]

Wow... I'm somewhat amazed you guys still have working PS1s to be discussing this now. While my PS1 hadn't bitten the dust yet when I stopped using it, the laser was in such bad shape that I had great difficulty booting my games even without using my game enhancer to boot imports. (Years of swapping discs completely modless does that...)

Anyway, I also used a demo disc, and haven't had a problem with it. However, I don't think I ever encountered a PS1 game that uses Redbook audio. I had thought most, if not all, PS1 games used XA audio... I haven't had a need for this setup in quite some time, since my hardware-modded PS2 boots all my PS1 games just fine (as long as the copy protection code from the games that include it is disabled).

Failing all else, I would think PS1 emulation has matured enough by now to provide a pretty decent experience...

[Ganelon]

Right, emulation is decent. It may even render the 3D models better than the PS itself but it's still not accurate. But last I checked (years ago, so it's probably better now and I know there's another emulator out there), ePSXe didn't even handle Redbook audio correctly. And some games like Toaplan Shooting Battle and Gradius Gaiden mess up on a PS2.

I have a PS3 with Emotion Engine and a PS2 but I still use a PS1 to play PS1 games for the utmost accuracy. It's actually really easy to replace the laser of a PS. Even from the earliest model to the last PS model (not sure about the PSone), the shape and ribbon is compatible (although it's sometimes a close fit).

The reason I remember this issue so well is because I was pissed when all the info I read on the net turned out to be wrong. I could have easily gotten a JP PS or a modchip (although modchips still weren't fully reliable even at that time) but I went with the Gold Finger based on everyone's recommendations and was completely disappointed when the music turned out wrong. Plus, you have issues swapping games, which is always annoying.

[J-Manic]

The same thing happened with my PS1 copy of Donpachi. The music wouldn't come in during gameplay. I was using an Action Replay cartridge on my US PS1 to play it.