Rev. Date 06-07-2009
What you Need
1. Battlefield Vietnam Music Tools. This package contains two tools: (1) The .mrfa builder tool (makes new .mrfa’s) and (2) The .mrfa music patcher tool to install your .mrfa’s into BFV to use. This can be downloaded at: http://www.download.com/Battlefield-Vietnam-music-tools/3000-7441_4-10302640.html
2. GoldWave sound editing software. The Trial version will let you process 100 files (or 100 commands, not sure which). This should be enough to let you know if you really want to get into .mrfa building. After that, you can either buy the program or aquire it through other means (legal hopefully). This tutorial was written for GoldWave v5.18. Since then, there have been several revisions. The pull-down menu’s and screens should be pretty much the same on newer versions. From what I can tell, it looks like the newer versions add functionality, improves navigation, and fixes Vista problems (no way!..lol) so the old stuff should be in the same spots on the pull-down menu’s. It may be possible to use another sound editor. If you can find a sound editor that has the same or similar filters you may be able to experiment and get that to work (but your on your own with that one) after you’ve tried GoldWave. GoldWave can be downloaded at: http://www.goldwave.com/release.php#notes
Building and using an .mrfa files has 2 advantages;
1. You can create the ability to hear 32 different songs in BFV (not just 16). When setup properly, you can hear 16 songs while you are the pilot (or vehicle driver) of a vehicle and 16 different songs while you are the gunner or when someone else is flying/driving near you in the game.
2. Share these with your BFV friends when you don’t want to share your MP3 files. These files (.mrfa) can only be used in Battlefield Vietnam.
Before we get started
I want to warn you that the process of creating on .mrfa file (a list of 16 songs) can take around 2 hours to create from start to finish, give or take…that’s when you’ve done it a few times. If this is your first time, it could take a little longer but hang in there, it gets easier with time and when you have set up everything for batch processing in GoldWave(preset filters, batch process parameters, file storage locations, etc)
There are some things you can do to speed things up a bit but your .mrfa won’t be 100% like the .mrfa that came with BFV.
Two things you can do to speed up the process;
1. Partial song lists will work. You can make a 10 song list instead of 16 (but why would ya wanna do that?)
2. You don’t have to add the song names into the list. If you do this, the song names in the in-game popup menu will be blank.
Another thing worthy of note, you cannot edit .mrfa files after they’re built. You can, however, create an MRFA project file when you’ve added 16 (GoldWave-processed songs) into the MRFA project. This will allow you, in the future, to edit an MRFA project and rebuild it with the new edits. You can keep or get rid of your old “built” .mrfa file before the edits or you can keep both, whatever turns you on…lol.
Now if that doesn’t scare you, lets begin making an .mrfa music file (or as =ArA Crashfistfight would call it, a Mr. fa file (pronounced Mister fa)…)
Processing with GoldWave - Things to Know (Trial version available)
If you build your own mrfa you might have issues with the music being very quiet. The reason is that the BFV game engine is trying to treat every sound (including your music) as a 3D sound source - which requires all the sounds used to be a fairly uniform volume.
The file processing part has four steps:
1. Convert files to 16-bit mono .wav files (BFV requires sound to be mono in .mrfa's)
2. Reduce bass with a Low/HighPass Filter.
3. Compress the music to a specific dynamic range.
4. Use Volume Matching to make the volume of the files uniform.
There are four steps. Before starting, in step one you will open a music file(any music file) and use it to create three filter "presets" for steps two, three, and four by using the three sections below (Goldwave will not let you access the filters without an open file to use them on.).
Figure 1-1: Filter 1 and Filter 2 Menu Locations Figure 1-2: Filter 3 Menu Location
1) Low-Pass/High Pass Filter (Reduce the bass level in the music.)
In Goldwave: Click Effect (pull-down menu)->Filter->Low/HighPass (see Figure 1-1)
1. Change filter settings for Low/Highpass filter values to (see Figure 1-3):
2. Create a "Preset Name". Type a name in the 'Presets' pull-down box (like BFV music, etc)
3. Create Preset by Clicking the plus (+) sign to the right of the Presets box. This saves your preset in the pull-down menu with the Filter Settings entered.
Figure 1-3: Low/Highpass Filter settings.
Results: This filter makes your music sounds a bit thin (that's on purpose and will be remedied by Step 4).
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2) Compress/Expander Filter (the music to a specific dynamic range.)
In Goldwave: Click Effect (pull-down menu )->Compressor/Expander (see Figure 1-1)
1. Change filter settings for Compressor/Expander to (see Figure 1-4):
2. Name Preset. Type a name in the 'Presets' pull-down box (like BFV music, etc)
3. Create Preset by Clicking the plus (+) sign to the right of the Presets box. This saves your preset in the pull-down menu with the Filter Settings entered.
Figure 1-4: Compressor/Expander Settings
Results: You will notice in the wav display how the music is crunched in a fairly uniform manner.
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3) Volume Matching Filter (makes the the volume of your file uniform)
In Goldwave: Click Effect (pull-down menu )->Volume->Match (see Figure 1-2)
1. Change filter settings for Match Volume to (see Figure 1-5):
2. Create Preset Name. Type a name in the 'Presets' pull-down box (like BFV music, etc)
3. Create Preset by Clicking the plus (+) sign to the right of the Presets box. This saves your preset in the pull-down menu with the Filter Settings entered.
Figure 1-5: Volume Matching settings.
Results: Once this filter runs your music should be VERY loud - but without distortion.
Before proceeding, close the music file that you used to create the presets (this file will not be used to make your .mrfa, only to create the presets). When the presets are setup, you will not have to do it again each time you want to make an .mrfa file.
Once the filter presets are created, you can do all of your files in one batch operation(very cool and convenient).
Start processing your music files using GoldWave
>> Copy 16 files that you want to use and put them in a folder. Note: The files sound better if you start with wav files. (MP3s have had parts removed for compression.)
>> Open Goldwave and select File->batch processing. Click the "add Folder" button and put the folder you created with 16 songs in it to process (see Figure 2-1). You could add all 16 files in your “Files and folders to process” list if your music files are in all in different locations. The “Folder” tab will define an output folder for the newly created “processed” music files (your original music files will remain intact). Note: A Preset can be created in the “Batch Processing” folder for the entire process from start to finish located near the bottom of the “Batch Processing” window (use it the same way you created your filter presets).
>> Batch Processing Step 1 : Click the "Convert" Tab. If your files are already in .wav format, uncheck the "Convert files to this format" Check Box to skip this step. “Convert files to this format" should be checked. Use the “Save as type” pull-down box and change it to "Wave (*.wav)" type. Change “Attributes” pull-down box to "PCM signed 16 bit, mono" (see Figure 2-1).
Figure 2-1: Steps used to setup Batch Processing
>> Batch Processing Step 2 : Click the "Process" Tab. Click the "Add effect" button and pick the Low/high pass filter "preset" that you previously created in step 1 above. Click the "Add effect" button again and pick the Compression/Expander preset you created in step 2 above. Click the "Add effect" button again and pick the Match Volume preset you created in step 3 above(see Figure 2-2).
Figure 2-2: Setup Preset filters for processing your batch.
>> Batch Processing Step 3 : Click the "Folder" Tab. Select the Filepath where your finished "Batch" of processed music files will be saved after Batch Processing (see Figure 2-3). These are the files you will use with the MRFA Builder to create an .mrfa file to use in BFV.
Figure 2-3: Folder where Batch-Processed music files will be saved.
>> Batch Processing Step 4 : When all settings are entered for Batch Processing the "Begin" button will be enabled. Click begin to start Batch Processing.
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Creating an .mrfa using MFRA Builder
1. Open MRFA Builder. Optionally, you can use the “File” pull-down menu to save your project so that, if needed, you can come back later to make changes and rebuild the changes .mrfa file. Note: Leave the “Ogg Quality” in the bottom left corner set to “4”.
2. Click on the top slot with the letter A.
3. Click the “Browse” button next to the File Path box below to assign the file path of the first song on your list. If the “Status” column says OK for that slot then the .mrfa should build correctly. A “not mono” status means that the file is still in stereo and it still needs converted. ALL SONGS MUST SAY “OK” IN THE STATUS WINDOW FOR IT TO BUILD.
4. In The Editing window below, Change the “Title” of the song from “empty slot” to the name of the song for that slot (This step can be ignored but you won’t have any song names in the in-game menu). Note: Pay close attention and make sure to enter in the correct Title for each file slot. It’s not hard to get your Titles and your Files mixed up. This won’t screw up the process, it will just be annoying that the song name on the in-game menu doesn’t match the song playing. If this happens, you will have to rebuild the .mrfa after you have matched the titles with the correct songs.
5. Click on Slot B and repeat steps 3 and 4 until all sixteen slots are filled. Note: All 16 slots do not HAVE to be filled, but why leave slots empty for the love of Pete!?
6. If you don’t like the order of the songs, you can use the “Move Up” and “Move Down” buttons to change the order.
7. When finished filling out the list, Save your project (optional) and select “Build MRFA” in the File pull-down menu. I you get the message “One or more items are not valid. Unable to build”, MRFA builder has detected a problem with your song files (invalid, not mono, etc) and the problem needs to be fixed before the build can continue. Finding the problem is beyond the scope of this tutorial. You can always ask me (=ArA= Captain Kirk) when we are on TS and I’ll try to help you out.
When you have built your new .mrfa, use the Music Patcher that comes with in the BFV Music Tools Package (separate tutorial coming soon requested by =ArA= AnAngelOfDeath) to install the music file into Battlefield Vietnam.
To set up your music so you can hear 32 different songs from 2 music sets;
1. Put 16 mp3 songs of your choice into the C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield Vietnam\My Music folder (or whatever the path to this folder is on your PC). These are the songs you will hear when you are the pilot flying or driving. They will be better in quality than the .mrfa songs because the MP3 files are processed differently.
2. Install the .mrfa file with the song list of your choice. These are the songs that you will hear when you are the gunner. It’s always fun for me to share the .mrfa file with someone that you fly & gun with often so you can listen to the same music together when your gunning/flying. For both of you to hear the same songs, neither one of you should put any MP3’s in your “My Music” folder because they will override the .mrfa songs in the game.
Enjoy your new Tunes…
Tutorials 
