If you've played video games before, you'll notice that many of the
musical tracks play a short intro and then loop the melody over and
over. Most of the RPG Maker 2000 default MIDIs also have this
property. Normally, you'd only be able to achieve looping MIDIs
by using Music Mucker (or Melody Raiser) 1999, but with the newer
versions of Anvil Studio, you can do the same thing. In order to do
this, you'll need the latest version of Anvil Studio (2002.08.03 or
higher), and several MIDIs for editing. Make sure to create back-up
copies of your MIDIs in case you mess up.
*** Steps to Making a Looping MIDI ***
Step 1: Install Anvil Studio if you haven't done so already.
Step 2: Save your MIDIs to the "Music" folder in your RM2K project.
Step 3: Run Anvil Studio and search for your MIDI, and then open it.
Step 4: Listen to your MIDI until you find a section that you want
to repeat. When you reach the end of that section, or find that the
section plays more than once, stop.
Step 5: Select View -> Composer from the top toolbar, and scroll
back to the first note in the section that you want to repeat
(if you have a Final Fantasy battle MIDI, you'd want to start the
loop after the first note of that ever-familiar intro).
Step 6: Once you've found your starting point, select Edit ->
Insert MIDI Controller Event from the top toolbar. A list of
events pops up, which will allow you to change the dynamics of your
MIDI, such as pitch bending and channel volume. The looping event
goes under the code number "b06f", which is not in this list. In
order to make it appear, you'll have to check the box that says
"Show all controller events". When you do this, the "Kind of event"
box will expand its list to show events that don't have official
names. Move down the list until you find "Event: b06f". Set the
channel to 1, and set the Control value to 111. This will set the
event in place.
Step 7: Save your MIDI and listen to it thoroughly in RM2K. If you
did the above steps correctly, you should hear your MIDI play, but
instead of going back to the beginning of the song once it reaches
the end, it should restart at the point where you inserted the
MIDI.
Step 8 (optional): If you listen to your MIDI and something
doesn't sound right (such as notes not playing again after fading
out at the end), delete ALL of the notes at the end of the song
EXCEPT those that you want to keep in your loop. You may have
to go through all of the channels in your song in order to get
this step right. For added precision, go to the first point in
the song where the loop starts again, and memorize its position
in the song (it will be shown underneath "Time" near the top of
the screen), and make sure to delete all notes that play after
that time. Save your MIDI when you're finished.
Step 9: Voilà! You're finished!
You can also use this MIDI controller to create songs that don't
loop (such as short fanfares for victory, or when a person joins
your party) by placing it at the end of the song.
*** Steps to Making a Non-Looping MIDI ***
Follow steps 1-3 for Looping MIDIs, and then do the following:
Step 4: Select View -> Mixer from the top toolbar, and scroll all the way to the end of the song.
Step 5: Select View -> Composer, and then Edit -> Insert MIDI Controller Event from the top toolbar.
Step 6: Check the box that says "Show all controller events", change the "Kind of Event" to "Event: b06f", the channel to 1, and the Control Value to 111.
Step 7: Save your MIDI and listen to it thoroughly in RM2K. If you did the above steps correctly, your MIDI should play all the way through, and stop once it hits the end.
Step 8 (optional): If you listen to your MIDI and there are still short notes (or drumbeats) playing at the end, you probably didn't set the controller far enough to the end. Make sure that it is placed at the VERY end of the song before saving and playing it in RM2K.
Step 9: Voilà! You're finished!
