This page includes tools and a tutorial which will help you to create your own set of sounds for Hammerhead to replace the default set.WARNING You may damage your Hammerhead files, and conceivably make your whole system unstable (although if you've got Windows, I suppose it's unstable already..). Make sure you have backups of all the files you will be altering. I except no responsibility for you messing anything up (it is unlikely that you will, but still...).

To alter the sounds in Hammerhead, you need to know where they are stored. They are stored in a file called CUSTMGUI.DLL in the Hammerhead directory. Make a copy of this file and place it in another directory before you begin editing this file. If you can't find this file, Windows is hiding it from you. In Windows Explorer, go to view.. folder options .. view and under hidden files click the "show all files" option.

Using your favourite Audio editor, open the file as a 16 bit, 44100Hz (44.1K) mono raw data file. You may have to change the extension from DLL to SND or RAW for this to work.

If this has worked, you will hear all of the samples in Hammerhead one after the other when you press play. this sounds like a drumkit falling down stairs...

This is what we have been looking for. At this point I am assuming you have chosen your sounds, and you have some idea of how to use your audio editor. Basically, you are going to replace the existing samples with your own samples. BUT it is very important that the new sample you put in is exactly the same length as the one that is already there- if it's the wrong length, the files will not play back properly in Hammerhead. Check your file periodically to make sure it is still the right size. Also, make sure when you save it you are saving as raw data and not a .wav or something other format

This is the bit were I come in. I have written a list of all the samples in Hammerhead, where they start and end and how long they are. Using this list you should be able to fit your samples into the file pretty easily.

Download the list as an Acrobat file (15k) or MS Excel worksheet (24k)

Remember that if you want to have loops, you need to pitch them to fit into one of the last six slots. Another things that is important to remember is that if any open Hihat is playing, playing a closed Hihat will cut it's sound off and vice-versa. So make sure you don't choose two sounds you want to use at the same time to put into Hihat pairs. Things like cymbals, where the sustained sound is important, should go into tha longest slots where possible. To fit a sample into a slot that is a little short, cut the end off the sample and then, using your audio editor, fade the end out for a more natural sound. Fitting a sample into a slot that is too long is just a case of adding some silence on the end.

Once you have replaced the sounds you want to, save the file, give it an extension that will help you remember what it is, and copy it into your hammerhead directory. To us it, rename you original CUSTMGUI.DLL CUSTMGUI.OLD, and rename your new file CUSTMGUI.DLL. Start Hammerhead, and you will have a brand new set of sounds to play with! (Just note that you will be stuck with the old names for all of them- it'll still say Hardcore 909 BD 1 even if it's a cowbell)

Hope this helps, ?eter