---
name: "bsvplay"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "hxtools"
version: "20231224-2+b2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bsvplay"
---

# bsvplay(1)

convert BASICA music data to PCM

## Name

bsvplay — convert BASICA music data to PCM

## Syntax

**bsvplay** \[**-i** *part*\] \[**-q** *part*\] \[**-r** *rate*\] \[*file*...\] **\| aplay -f dat -c 1**

## Description

bsvplay will convert BASICA binary music data to linear 16-bit raw PCM. Normally, you will be wanting to pipe it into a raw PCM player like [**aplay**(1)](/aplay/1.md) to actually output it to a sound device. Be sure to lower the volume beforehand to avoid nasty surprises that come with square waves. By default, bsvplay will mix 1:1 square:sine waves to give a medium tone hardness.

Do note that the music data is embedded in BSV/EXE/COM files and needs to be manually located. It is usually very evident from a regular pattern in hexdumps.

## Options

- **-q** *part*

  Part to mix square waves in (default: 1.0)

- **-i** *part*

  Part to mix sine waves in (default: 1.0). If **-q2 -i1** is specified for example, the final PCM output will consist of 2/3\*squarepcm + 1/3\*sinpcm.

- **-r** *rate*

  PCM sample rate (default: 48000 Hz)

- **--pianoman**

  Assume the input is Pianoman MUS.

## File format

The BASICA format is defined 6-byte tuples of divisor, duration and pause.

```
	struct bsv_insn {
		uint16_t divisor;
		uint16_t duration; /* in ticks */
		uint16_t af_pause; /* in ticks */
	};
```

where divisor specifies the divisor value that it directly handed to the x86 PC speaker. The following formula holds:

```
	frequency = 1193181 / divisor;
```

## See also

[**aplay**(1)](/aplay/1.md), [**qplay**(1)](/qplay/1.md), [**hxtools**(7)](/hxtools/7.md)