View source for VCOMP (Blaster Master)

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Audio and Music
|released=1991
}}
'''VCOMP''' (long name: '''Blaster Master VOC Compiler''') is a DOS utility that converts a [[Creative Voice File|VOC]] or [[WAV]] audio file to a self-playing [[MS-DOS EXE|EXE]] file.

VCOMP is a component of versions 4.1-4.2 of Blaster Master, a toolkit for working with [[Creative Voice File|VOC]] files. Blaster Master and VCOMP were developed by Gary Maddox.

== Format details ==
The executable part of a compiled file is pre-compressed with [[LZEXE]]. A copy of the original audio file appears in the ''overlay'' segment (refer to [[MS-DOS_EXE#Special file positions]]).

== Identification ==
The first 6000+ bytes of a generated file are probably always the same, for a given version. All the distinctive bytes are compressed, but there are probably only two versions, so they could be identified in any number of inelegant ways.

Note that the signature-like bytes at offset 28, {{magic|7d 26 5c 7c}}, are not specific to VCOMP format. They appear in other Blaster Master files, for example.

== Software ==
* {{CdTextfiles|swextrav1993/disk1/sblaster/bmstr41.zip|bmstr41.zip}} - Blaster Master v4.1, with VCOMP v1.0
* {{CdTextfiles|garbo/PC/SB/BMSTR42.ZIP|BMSTR42.ZIP}} - Blaster Master v4.2, with VCOMP v1.1
* {{CdTextfiles|swextrav1993/disk4/tblaster/bmstr45.zip|bmstr45.zip}} - For research purposes: Fake "Blaster Master v4.5", with fake "VCOMP v1.2" (which does not seem to produce working EXE files). Refer to WHATS.NEW from v4.6.
* {{CdTextfiles|smsharew/MUSIC/BMSTR46.ZIP|BMSTR46.ZIP}} - Blaster Master v4.6. (For reference; does not include VCOMP.)

== Sample files ==
* {{CdTextfiles|640swstudio/SB/CMP_VOIC.ZIP|CMP_VOIC.ZIP}} → COMPUTER.EXE

[[Category:Executable envelopes]]