Repair Header on Audio File

[lbrm]

I have a situation where a 1.5G .wav file which I want to edit shows a 00:00:00 duration. The initial recording was done on an Edirol R-09 plugged into a mono output going to the PA speakers, and at the beginning of the set, I verified levels on the incoming signal. At the end of the set, by the time I got back to it, the Edirol had been unplugged from the power strip by the soundman. I then transferred the .wav file to my own external HD, confirming that both byte sizes were identical (but not actually playing back either the original or the copied file).

I know that 2 hours worth of 0 db sound (all bits zero) would have the same byte size as two hours of actual signal. Given that I witnessed actual signal levels at the outsets, I'd guess there's a decent chance that when the Edirol got unplugged, the file never go a chance to propeerly finalized the header, leaving the duration field at "00:00:00". I'd love to find that all that was needed to restore this file was some text correction in the header.

Anyone have an idea where I could get this fantasy debunked? There were other recorders in the audience, but we were all interested in the sound from the board's mono output

lbrm

[fairuse09]

After duplicating the file would QuickTime read it? Got an editor like Sound Studio?

Using a Hex Editor do you have WAV in the 1st 3 bytes of the file? I don't have the header structure handy. See if DVD2oneX will read the file in audio remaster mode. Believe me, if it reads ok the DTOX numbers will be good. If read ok then process it as PCM 48k or 96k, 16 20 or 24 bits. The VOB would be overkill on mono -- hay if a repaired file is the result no biggie. Extract audio with MPEG StreamClip or ....

[lbrm]

Someone elsewhere suggested I dig into my audio editor and sure enough, Peak 5.2 recovered it for me. The current challenge: trash the white-noise right channel and make a two-channel mono out of the left. I don't want to have to do this via DA out the Line Out and AD into another 'puter. Peak looked as though it was willing to normalize the RH channel at 0.000db, which would have been just the ticket, but after going through the motions it didn't deliver. No Alerts or Warnings, just no goods.

At least I've confirmed the data's there.

lbrm

[fairuse09]

And people ask me why I use Sound Studio 2 -- shots echo, "Peak, stay dead this time.

R = trash
-------------
L = good

Peak should do this too;
In SoundSv2 select L chan, do Copy, Create empty work area (works like new folder in Finder. do Paste, Mixdown to Stereo, Export then Save As. That is it. Well almost. Trash all but tested copy.

[lbrm]

And people ask me why I use Sound Studio 2 -- shots echo, "Peak, stay dead this time.

Just downloaded the v3.0 demo. Heap thanks, Masked Man. (Am also checking out LineForm to see whether it will operate on fonts, ie., bend text.)

lbrm

[fairuse09]

And people ask me why I use Sound Studio 2 -- shots echo, "Peak, stay dead this time.

Just downloaded the v3.0 demo. Heap thanks, Masked Man. (Am also checking out LineForm to see whether it will operate on fonts, ie., bend text.)

lbrm

Cool. Thought about getting v3 but have not. When a problem hits that is beyond v2 then yes it is pay for upgrade time.

Note on post that has export then save as. The export is there to get wav file, save as will be aiff. Just anal-retentive me. Sound Studio v2 will accept wav natively. No QT involved.

Other: MP3 does use QT because SSv2 doesn't have lib. As for v3 and mp3? Don't know, don't care 'cause I don't listen to mp3 except in experiments.

good luck
-f

[demonsangels]

And people ask me why I use Sound Studio 2 -- shots echo, "Peak, stay dead this time. :|

Just downloaded the v3.0 demo. Heap thanks, Masked Man. (Am also checking out LineForm to see whether it will operate on fonts, ie., bend text.)

lbrm

peak 6 pro isn't a disaster by any means; and i haven't been a peak fan for years. i started to migrate my [co-workers] from it, preferring unix apps, ardor (when necessary), audacity (ditto), but definitely soundhack for header repair. it is free, and one of the best apps i have ever used. parts are becoming commercial; and so they should, as it is so excellently excellent. mac only, including pre-os x.

hex editing codec information in wrappers can be hazardous territory. (look up various codecs for audio and video on wikipedia, say, for mpeg-class codec/wrappers. daunting. even simple things like .bwf type wave pcm, or aiff, have their idiosyncracies.) knowing the difference between a wrapper and a codec, too, is useful. (i'm not jumping to the conclusion that people don't know these things; i have always found it useful knowing how all the major wrappers wrapper, and how the codecs code and decode.)

BB (D+A)

[ukkitun]

I was recording an interview directly to laptop pc and was nearly done when the computer shut down prematurely. The interview file is on the hard drive with data in it, but my programs won't open it. Is there a utility that could repair the WAV file and allow me to work with it again? Any other suggestions how to repair and recover my work?