Vib Ribbon Retroarch Setup and Custom Music

Vib Ribbon setup and custom music on Retroarch
2020-09-19

INTRO
Retroarch is currently the best emulator frontend, and the worst to learn and set up.
Retroarch's UI kinda sucks. It's better than years ago, I tell you.
I'll cover setting up Retroarch and getting custom music to work.

INSTALL
Install Retroarch
Notepad++ (or equivalent to edit CFG, CUE, and M3U text files)
Audacity (or equivalent to dump raw audio)

SETUP
Left click (or enter key) is enter, right click (or backspace) back.
Familarize yourself with the Settings tab.
Set Settings->Directory->File Browser to your rom folder.
Go to Main Menu->Configuration File->Save Current Configuration to save any changes made in Settings.
Go to Main Menu->Load Core->Download Core->Sony - Playstation (Beetle PSX HW) to install the PS1 emulator core.
Download the PS1 BIOS files, rename them, and place them in the retroarch/system directory.
http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Emulator_Files#PlayStation
Find ps-30j.bin, rename it to SCPH5500.bin, and place it in the retroarch/system directory.
Find ps-30a.bin, rename it to SCPH5501.bin, and place it in the retroarch/system directory.
Find ps-30e.bin, rename it to SCPH5502.bin, and place it in the retroarch/system directory.
Download Vib Ribbon EU version (check reddit /r/roms if link is broken)
https://archive.org/download/SonyPlaystation-EUR-Part2-Redump.org2019-06-05
Download Vib Ribbon JP version, if you want 60 fps instead of EU's 50 fps (but with moonrunes).
https://archive.org/download/Sony-Playstation-JP-ASIA-Part-2
Go to Load Content->Start Directory and find the Vib Ribbon CUE file.
You should now be able to play Vib Ribbon

KEYBOARD CONFIG
This is my custom control config for keyboard players.
I save this in a new config file. Main Menu->Configuration File->Save New Configuration
You use your middle fingers and pinky fingers to play.
Not really ideal, I admit. Go change it yourself.
You WILL have to edit the cfg file manually with Notepad++ to unbind button conflicts. Ctrl-F is your friend.
Add binds in Settings->Input
esdf is up left down right
ijkl is tri square x o
a is l bumper
; is r bumper
No other buttons are needed to play Vib Ribbon.
I also have these custom-bound:
Tab increases speed when held.
F1 toggles the in-game menu.
F5 loads or unloads the current disk.
F6 decreases the disk index when unloaded.
F7 increases the disk index when unloaded.
F11 toggles fullscreen.


MANUAL CUSTOM MUSIC

ABOUT FILE FORMATS
You will need to make these files.
CD audio is raw (headerless) 16-bit signed little-endian PCM binary audio at a 44100 Hz sample rate.
CUE files are text files that describe what's on a CD.
For our purposes, swapping CDs is the same as swapping CUE files.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_sheet_(computing)
M3U files are text files that is just a list of files (at its simplest).
For our purposes, a M3U is a set of CUE files, aka a set of CDs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3U

EXPORT RAW AUDIO
Open Audacity
Drag and drop your audio
Make sure the Project Rate (Hz) is set to 44100 Hz
File->Export->Export Audio...
Set "Other Uncompressed Files", Raw, and Signed 16-bit PCM
Save it as .raw or .bin, doesn't matter.

ADD AUDIO TO CUE FILE
Open Notepad++
Read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_sheet_(computing)
Example:
FILE "Fearofdark - Motorway - 08 Surfing On A Sine Wave.raw" BINARY
  TRACK 01 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE "DDRKirby(ISQ) - Love Everlasting - 03 Love Everlasting -Lonely Rolling Star-.raw" BINARY
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:00:00

ADD CUE FILE TO M3U
Open Notepad++
Example:
Vib-Ribbon (Europe) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).cue
vib-ribbon-play.cue

RUN M3U
Go to Load Content->Start Directory and find the M3U file you made.
Press F1 to open the menu, and scroll down to Disk Control.
Or, use disk swap keys as I have bound.

Congrats! You can now load custom music.
HAPPY VIBING