Topics

Thanks to LardonCru's work on the original Cutie Mark Crusaders song, this should be quite easy to do!

Also, this version totally sounds epic.

Done !

There's no background at all yet; work is being done to restore the official video (and remove its on-screen lyrics), since the source is a low-resolution interlaced VOB file.



Could someone give it a try? Thanks!

To separate two words, you have to manually add a space to the closest word when creating the song in your editor.

There are two ways of doing this: adding a space before the next word starts (A) and after a word ends (B):




According to the USDX documentation, the recommended way of doing it is A (before each word) so I'd advice to use this. It also makes things easier to read when opening the raw txt file. ;)

This seems to be a common issue when songs are created using Composer: the last syllable of phrases doesn't render fully, and the game clips to the next phrase.

Here's a brief frame-by-frame breakdown showing the issue. Focus on the blue bar and notice how it doesn't go all the way to the end:


















YASS seems to be aware of that common issue, and offers a way to fix it automatically in its own editor.



However, using that feature might break the song.

I don't know of any reliable way of fixing the issue yet, so just keep syncing as usual and we'll figure out how to resolve this eventually.

I'll take this slot. I won't actually try to create a lyrics track at first, but convert what the Pony Rock Project worked on first and see how it will turn out.

Done ! Every single musical number now has its background video. They should be crisp enough to be enjoyable on a 1080p display, and lightweight enough to be redistributed and played on even netbooks.

They are all available in the Dropbox "Video" folder.



These videos have no audio track, since Ultrastar / Performous will mute them anyway and just play a MP3/OGG alongside (in sync). They can be re-used for any other language.

https://thebrickyblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/ultrastar-txt-files-in-more-depth/

#TITLE: Title of the song
#ARTIST: Artist behind the song
#MP3: The name of the MP3 being used for this song. Must have a .mp3 extension included here
#GAP: The amount of time, in milliseconds, before the lyrics start. This allows for any instrumental (or other type of) introduction to the song. It is important to note the number of the first note below. If it is not 0 (which is rare) then the #GAP will be less straightforward. If the lyrics aren't set to start until 8 beats into the song, but the singing starts straight away, then the #GAP may need to be set to a negative number, to force the lyrics to start early.
#BPM: Beats per minute. This signifies the rate at which the text should display. Put simply, fast songs have a higher BPM, slow songs have a lower BPM. To complicate it slightly, the BPM can be upped for slower songs as long as more beats are added in the main body of the song below. If the BPM of a song is high then it generally means a good, smooth .txt file with more attention to subtle changes in tone. But if that means nothing to you, then you don't need to worry about this tag. If it is a good .txt file, then it won't need changing.
#GENRE: The genre of the song. As UltraStar has a 'sort by genre' option, it's a useful tag to use. That, and the search option uses the word(s) in the #GENRE tag when you're on the song selection screen, so you can automatically find all 'rock' songs, for example, if you use this tag.
#EDITION: Typically refers to the SingStar edition, if applicable, that the .txt file is taken from. For organisational purposes, it's good to leave this tag in.
#COVER: Typically the single/album art appropriate for the song, to be displayed on the song selection screen. This is not necessary but it does brighten up the look of the game (and makes certain songs identifiable when not selected). This must be in .jpg format and the .jpg extension must be displayed here.
#VIDEO: The name of the video file used for this song. Must have the file extension included out of the many types of video file that UltraStar accepts.
#BACKGROUND: If you don't have a video file, then you may prefer to have a background image displayed instead of a plain background or visualization. This must be in .jpg format and should have the .jpg extension attached. If the song is set to have a #VIDEO file and is linked in properly, then this tag is disregarded. If the .txt is set to have a #VIDEO but the video is not linked in properly for whatever reason, then the game will automatically display the background image.
#RELATIVE: This is an unusual tag that I will talk about later. It is simply set to YES or NO. If it is set to YES, then it specifies a particular format of .txt file that functions in a different way to a typical .txt file. If the tag is absent, or is set to NO, then the .txt file functions as the others do. It is essential for this tag to be applied on a relative .txt file (these are rare. If you find one on USDB then the tag will be readily applied anyway).




A few things to note:

• That file should always use ANSI encoding with CRLF (Windows compatibility)
• The #GAP: should always be 0 in the final releases
• The #CREATOR: tag should be used to credit who synced the song
• Should we fill the #EDITION: tag with "My Little Pony"?
• #GENRE: should be "soundtrack" - maybe we could set something a little more specific here?

Taken by Aellyx -

[something@derpy.fr]

I'm starting a little contest. As I own the derpy.fr domain name, I can give out a few email addresses. Only a few, though, because it's just a domain name and there's no hosting plan behind it at all (hence, the redirect to another domain in order to host this project).

I can give out 5 email addresses. Because that's a very limited quantity, they will be given as a prize to our top contributors.
They will look like: something@derpy.fr, with "something" being anything you want (if not already taken).

Webmail access: http://mail.derpy.fr/


I might extend this contest to provide @rainbowdash.fr email addresses later on.

Working on it!

[http://www.yass-along.com/]

Another neat lyrics editor is YASS, which runs on Java. What sets it appart from Composer is that it supports importing a melody from MIDI or KAR files; is you have a proper file with vocals correctly set up, there's not much more to di after importing it.

Official site: http://www.yass-along.com/

Creating a new file, by importing from .mid:



Editing lyrics:

I'm investigating the possibility of creating Duet songs in UltraStar. It seems only USDX and Vocaluxe supports it for now, and the file format is not yet clear.

Duet mode allows two singers to take part in a song with a different vocal track for each. A player can be a lead singer and the other produces the backing vocals, for instance:



It can also be used when two characters are singing. For instance, the first player could sing Fluttershy's verses and the second player could sing RainbowDash's part in the Find a Pet song.

Unfortunately, that's still an experimental feature in USDX, so there isn't much documentation on how to create Duet tracks.

Note: Up to 6 players can join the fun in USDX (but you need a dual-monitor setup, with 3 players per screen). I have no idea if the Duet Mode works with 6 players, with each his/her own track. If it works, this could be awesome to use.

[Server: irc.ponychat.netChannel: #karaoke]

The MLP Karaoke project now has an official IRC channel on the Ponychat Network. Join in for live chat, support, fun and massive amount of idling!

Point your favorite IRC client (mIRC, Xchat, irssi...) to:
Server: irc.ponychat.net
Channel: #karaoke
or click on <a href="irc://irc.ponychat.net/karaoke">this link</a>.

If you don't have any IRC client installed on your machine, you can use this web client.
Some recommendations for Windows users: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-7-free-irc-clients-windows-7/

is being done. Yay!

Love is in bloom!
A beautiful bride,
A handsome groom!

Two hearts,
Becoming one!
A bond that cannot be undone!

Because love's in bloom!
A beautiful bride,
A handsome groom!

I said, love's in bloom!
You're starting a life,
And making room...
For us!
-
Your special day!
We celebrate now,
The pony way!

Your friends,
Are all right here!
Won't let
These moments disappear!

Because love's in bloom!
A beautiful bride,
A handsome groom!

I said, love's in bloom!
You're starting a life,
And making room...
For us...
(For us...)
For us!

Each song folder will consist in various assets. Here's a proposal on how to name the files :

/[SxExx] Full Song Name/    ? replace with the actual title, ie: [S1E25] Pinkie Pie's Singing Telegram/
      notes.txt                         ? lyrics file
      song.mp3                       ? song file
      video.avi                         ? background video file
      cover.jpg                         ? CD cover art
      wallpaper.jpg                  ? background art (will be seen upon loading a song)


This is only a proposal, in order to make things consistent. Comments are encouraged.

First issue with this forum's configuration: new users could not post new topics, or reply in a thread. This should now be fixed, everyone can now jump in the discussion!  :P

[Interface basics]

Composer is a song editor, capable of exporting to the UltraStar / Performous file format. This is so far my tool of choice to edit karaoke files, so here's a quick look on how it works.

You can download it here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/performous/files/editor/1.0/



This is the main window. This is where you'll spend most of your time working on the rhythm and pitch. At first, it will be completely empty, and you'll be greeted by a small how-to screen providing a few directions.

You may want to load a music file and throw in some lyrics at this point.

On the left side, you'll notice a keyboard. This will help you greatly with setting the pitch, syllable by syllable.
If you click on the keyboard, you can play a note.

Let's get into the details.

Interface basics



There are a few things to notice in the "Playback" zone of this screen.
- The Play button, obviously, will start the music playback.
- "Grab Playback" means that the score will scroll automatically during the playback.
- "Synthesizer" is an interesting option. If checked, each note you added will be played with its current pitch. This makes it easy to check if it's in tune.


Note properties
- Normal notes: the usual
- "Golden" notes: the player will gain extra points if they consistently sing well the segment (from its start to its end).
- "Freestyle": no given pitch, it's up to the player. No points are awarded for these parts.


Phrase beginning: This is important for the overall timing. Each syllable starting a phrase HAS to be checked as such; that will start a new line in the Karaoke player.
Syllable starting a phrase will receive a red mark, as seen on the above picture.


How to sync a song
You'll need a background music file and some lyrics.

The first thing you will want to do in Composer is to find the correct rhythm for all syllables.
When you first load a song, Composer will try to guess both the rhythm and pitch of the lyrics you first paste in it. This isn't always accurate, but sometimes can be a good start.

As seen here:

The background trace is what Composer thinks what the lyrics should be in text and pitch. That's a wild guess.

Rhythm
You'll have to break down the whole lyrics into syllables. Then, specify on which syllable each phrase starts.

Once done, it's only a matter of dragging the speech bubbles on screen so they coincide with the lyrics you hear when pressing the "Play" button. This usually requires some trial and error, and you'll need to work phrase by phrase. Use the "Time Phrase" button to repeat the same phrase over and over again.

Once you're happy with the timing, move on to the next phrase. Repeat until the end of the song.

Pitch
Simply drag the speech bubbles to the desired pitch. You can also select a bubble by clicking on it, then move it with your keyboard's arrow keys.

Repeat for each syllable.

[Download page]

Download page

Performous is actually UltraStar-NG's new name. It is a fork of the original Ultrastar project, and changed name when its dev team decided to add support for more instruments. Performous not only support karaoke files, it can also be used to play Stepmania and Frets-on-Fire song packs, making it an all-around software for rhythm games.
Head to the download page and pick the installer for your OS.
Ubuntu users can simply click <a href="apt://performous">this link</a>, since the game is already available in the official repositories.

Song library
Songs are located in the "songs" subdirectory of your Performous install.
http://wiki.performous.org/index.php/Songs

Sound setup
Head to the preferences. You'll find a list of all your system's sound cards and sound sinks; this works like a grid.



Move the microphone icon on the line of the sound card you wish to use. Singstar microphones will be on a "USB Microphones" line, or something akin. Two players can use the same sound card if it has various inputs. For instance  Singstar microphones consist in an external USB sound card with a Stereo microphone input; the first player uses its left channel as a mono input, and the second player uses the right channel as a mono input.

Check that the output is on the sound card you'll want to use (this should already be the case, without doing anything) or just use your OS' default sink.

Double-check for lag / latency with a test song.

[Download page]

Download page

Setting up UltraStar Deluxe (USDX) is pretty straightforward. Head to the download page and pick the release fitting your OS. Ubuntu 12.04 users, please not that USDX has not been yet updated to use the newest version of ffmpeg and therefor will not work on your system (or at least, not without hassle); please use Performous instead till then.

Once installed, there are two things to consider: configuring your song library, and configuring your audio system (microphones, and eventually extra sound cards).

Song Library
Ultrastar DX songs are located, by default, in its installation folder. You'll find a /songs/ subfolder here, that's where you will want to place your karaoke library (by simply copying over the files).
Songs consist actually of subfolder, each of which containing a few files: the music, the background elements, and the lyrics themselves.
Try installing a sample test song to sort things out. You'll also be able to use it to set up your audio system.

Setting up audio
You'll need to pay attention to a few things here:
- Sound output: should be already set up, but if you have specific needs, fill them in!
- Sound input: you'll want to set up your microphone in UltraStar preferences. Before that, check they are correctly working from your OS; they fire up USDX and set them up in the preferences. You can also use the official Singstar microphones - note that they will provide their own USB soundcard, so you'll have to specify USDX not to use your system's default sound card for input - more info here.
- Lag / latency. Please test a sample track and ensure you don't need to adjust the audio or video latency before going any further. You might have a lot of latency if you're using a audio setup (external amplifier) ou HDMI display (mainly TV sets; if you're using one, set it to its "Game"mode when possible to avoid latency).

[Important]

So far, all the ressources are gathered in a MediaFire folder. I'm in the process of moving everything to DropBox.

Done. There's now a Dropbox folder shared between all users, PM me if you wish to gain access to it.
This shared folder contain every resources we currently have validated, including audio, video, and test files.

Important
If you do not have a Dropbox account yet (you'll need one for that), do not create it yet. Just ask me and I'll send you an invite - we'll have more free space for stuff that way!

[Ressources]

This is your singing telegram
I hope it finds you well
You're invited to a party
'cause we think you're really swell

Gummy's turning one year old
So help us celebrate
The cake will be delicious
The festivities first-rate

There will be games and dancing
Bob for apples, cut-a-rug
And when the party's over
We'll gather 'round for a group hug

No need to bring a gift
Being there will be enough
Birthdays mean having fun with friends
Not getting lots of stuff

It won't be the same without you
So we hope that you say "yes"
So please, oh please, RSVP
And come and be our guest

Ressources
English track with vocals (Stereo)
Instrumental track (Stereo)
Background video

[With vocals]

All of these tracks are taken from CaptainComedy's awesome work.

With vocals
- Intro: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?h9x5e3zgq43431c
- Giggle: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?kiq7sk34osccgw1
- Oh, Gala: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?asiiqv85moz4e1u
- Pinkie's Ticket: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?l25bsfmicnn23s2
- Hop, skip, jump: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3no9q36hiqygpn4
- Evil enchantress: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?guxp16grszjg4tx
- EE / Flutterguy: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3ul8yu3u2e83h20
- Winter WU: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?momtcdqidnktfab
- Cupcakes: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ttz6wzcsdl4hdg5
- Art of the dress: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?0185o9wid44ywax
- Hush now: on hold (should we only make one track, or separated Fluttershy / SweetieBelle?)
- Crusaders: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?pz8vxy0v2r7ii6j
- Gotta share: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?b34vc525pnf2vvx
- Wonders: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?t94uitk1ahx7tm7
- Singing telegram: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?79874fwh8xl4ex7
- Pokey: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y99iw4r9cjd6434
- At the gala: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?n1uu1lm9v9pj300

Intrumental tracks
- Intro: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y6judh3z70l0dcr
- Ghostie: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?uiid7248v233z4z
- Gala: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?4rd3lwdl0jltyvx
- Pinkie's ticket: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3tjddw696flwreg
- Hop, skip: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?7n6j447eyxwkx48
- Evil enchantress 1: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9dw70q95pmz2dff
- Evil enchantress 2: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ck74dmq19keryav
- Winter WU: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1adbttft97bzz8s
- Cupcakes: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qaw1x88nw8j55h9
- Art of the dress: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?rprx245crxtr4ot
- Hush now: on hold (should we only make one track, or separated Fluttershy / SweetieBelle?)
- CM crusaders: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?hnng0cch39l1i8c
- Gotta share: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?95ela61wcazc5zi
- Wonders: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?12bm36sg5b6v8em
- Singing telegram: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?65h53f2tz0vym5b
- Galloping gala: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?l769ur83n7ltqrn
- Pokey: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?hm2txij9mj6e4h8
- At the gala: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?2ku5cb0ltfp58s8

Work on the graphical assets for each S1 song is discussed here.

[Ressources]

Apparently, somepony already worked on this song. Will have to get in touch with him Myke Greywolf said we could use his chart, yay!


Here's a screenshot of this release in UltraStar Deluxe:

Three months of winter coolness
And awesome holidays
We've kept our hoovsies warm at home
Time off from work to play
But the food we've stored is runnin' out
And we can't grow in this cold
And even though I love my boots
This fashion's getting old

The time has come to welcome spring
And all things warm and green
But it's also time to say goodbye
It's winter we must clean
How can I help? I'm new, you see
What does everypony do?
How do I fit in without magic?
I haven't got a clue!

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring–
-is here!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Bringing home the southern birds
A Pegasus' job begins
And clearing all the gloomy skies
To let the sunshine in
We move the clouds
And we melt the white snow
When the sun comes up
Its warmth and beauty will glow!

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Little critters hibernate
Under the snow and ice
We wake up all their sleepy heads
So quietly and nice
We help them gather up their food
Fix their homes below
We welcome back the southern birds
So their families can grow!

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

No easy task to clear the ground
Plant our tiny seeds
With proper care and sunshine
Everyone it feeds
Apples, carrots, celery stalks
Colorful flowers too
We must work so Very hard
It's just so much to do!

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Now that I know what they all do
I have to find my place
And help with all of my heart
Tough task ahead I face
How will I do without my magic
Help the Earth pony way
I wanna belong so I must
Do my best today,
Do my best today!

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Ressources
English track with vocals (Stereo)
Instrumental track (Stereo)
Background video

[Languages]

This thread is dedicated to quick questions and answers, for which you wouldn't want to create a whole new topic.

Languages
To make things easier, please use the english language in the General sections. Each country-specific subforum is allowed to use its own language, but please include a small summary in english in all major posts.

OwnCloud
OwnCloud is basically a shared folder between team members, containing all songs and allowing contributions from one another. It is similar to Dropbox, but self-hosted. Access is limited to project contributors (you can be one, too!).

Because the current one doesn't quite cut it. :P

Expected size: 256px × 34px
Expected format: PNG (alpha channel ok)

Any other improvements (such as smiley packs) are welcome too.

Spam prevention: all new registered members are now asked to create at least one post (even short) in this section.
Thanks!

[Various]

Mostly from MLP Wikia

Various

• MLP:FiM Theme Song
• MLP:FiM Theme Song (Remastered)
• MLP:FiM Full theme song
• Equestria Girls

Season 1

• S1E02 - Laughter Song
• S1E03 - Pinkie's Gala Fantasy Song
• S1E05 - Junior Speedsters Chant
• S1E07 - A Hop, a Skip and a Jump
• S1E09 - Evil Enchantress Song (Pinkie Pie)
• S1E09 - Evil Enchantress Song (Flutterguy)
• S1E11 - Winter Wrap Up (topic)
• S1E12 - Cupcake Song
• S1E14 - Art of the Dress
• S1E17 - Hush Now Lullaby
• S1E18 - Cutie Mark Crusaders Song (topic)
• S1E21 - You Gotta Share, You Gotta Care
• S1E23 - So Many Wonders
• S1E25 - Pinkie Pie's Singing Telegram (topic)
• S1E26 - At The Gala
• S1E26 - I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala
• S1E26 - Pony Pokey

Season 2

• S2E07 - Find a Pet Song
• S2E09 - Becoming Popular
• S2E11 - The Heart Carol
• S2E13 - Happy Monthiversary
• S2E13 - Piggy Dance
• S2E15 - The Flim Flam Brothers Song
• S2E17 - The Perfect Stallion
• S2E18 - Smile, Smile, Smile
• S2E18 - You're a Cranky Doodle Donkey
• S2E18 - Welcome Song
• S2E18 - Cranky Doodle Joy
• S2E25 - B.B.B.F.F.
• S2E26 - This Day Aria
• S2E26 - Love is in Bloom (topic)

Off-Topic

• Friendship is Witchcraft - Art of the Mattress
• Friendship is Witchcraft - Pinkie's Orphanage Song
• Friendship is Witchcraft - Pinkie's Brew (extended)
• Friendship is Witchcraft - Princess of the Night
• Friendship is Witchcraft - SweetieBot's Big Race

Automatic BPM detection yields these results:

[Tools]

Tools

Syncing music with lyrics and pitch requires the use of some tools to generate the karaoke files. Here's a list of what can be used, for a start:
http://wiki.performous.org/index.php/Creation_tools




You may want to check out Composer, made by the Performous team:
http://performous.org/composer

Then, there's also SongEasy: http://people.umass.edu/jvight/SongEasy/

A quick start guide is available in this topic : How to use Composer

(This post will be expanded with a more in-depth how-to)

[So what is UltraStar?]

There's a lot of singing in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Good singing. And awesome music too.
I'm pretty sure anyone who watched an episode felt the urge to sing along. Well, that's the very goal of the Karaoke Project!


The MLP:FiM Karaoke Project aims at creating quality song packs for Singstar clones, such as UltraStar or Performous.

So what is UltraStar?

UltraStar is a clone of SingStar, a music video game. UltraStar lets one or several players score points by singing along to a song or music video and match the pitch of the original song well. UltraStar displays lyrics as well as the correct notes similar to a piano roll. On top of the correct notes UltraStar displays the pitch recorded from the players.

UltraStar is basically to Singstar what Stepmania is to DDR. It's an open-source project, and allows for custom tracks designed by its users.

Aim of this project

The goal of the Karaoke Project is to provide songpacks for Ultrastar, for all possible languages.

- All tracks should be perfectly synced, with pitch-perfect on-screen vocals and an appropriate background video (no watermarks, color-corrected).
- SD versions are the regular releases, with stereo sound, while keeping a reasonable file size and allowing for a smooth playback on all computers.
- HD versions should be over-the-top, with (possibly) 5.1 surround sound and 1080p video.
- Vocals are here if you wish to sing along. Instrumental versions (or, when not possible to get the optimal file, voice-removed songs) will let you sing solo.
- A pack with only the txt files will also be released, if you do not wish to download the videos nor the songs.

First milestone: the english stereo pack.

Bronies, I'm counting on you to help!
There's a lot to do, including helping others out, providing lyrics, high-quality media, syncing, and misc suggestions. ;)