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Author Topic: Help to convert a peculiar file format  (Read 3403 times)

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Offline anr

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Help to convert a peculiar file format
« on: December 16, 2011, 07:27:13 AM »
I've been asked to edit and, hopefully, improve the sound quality of the recording of a Coroner's Inquest (England).  For those of you in God's Country, that's a Sheriff's Fatal Accident Inquiry. 

It is recorded in (get this ) Quadraphonic, 16bit, 64kbps, 22kHz Wav.  I believe they used FTR Reporter to record it.  They will provide a codec for £200, which is beyond my means.  The alternative, as far as I can see, is to play this in real time (in the freeware "The Record Player") and record it in my DAW software (in stereo).  The inquest lasted 5 days, 8 hours a day, so.....

Anyone with any experience of this who could recommend a codec?  I've tried everything that comes with dB PowerAmp, with no joy. 

Many thanks. 

Offline scb

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2011, 08:04:30 AM »
how large is the file?  i could try to convert it for you if it's small enough to let me try to download it

Offline anr

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2011, 01:31:01 PM »
scb

Many many thanks for the offer but the nature of the material is confidential and I would not breach that confidence.  That's why I said a little about the source. 

Offline Brian Skalinder

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2011, 01:44:51 PM »
I know I've done this before*, but am wracking my brain trying to remember how I converted the 4ch x 1 WAV to mono x 4 WAV and/or stereo x 2 WAV.  I vaguely recall I used a BWF converter of some kind.  (BWF and WAV are essentially the same thing.)  I didn't use this one, but one option found Googling for "BWF converter":

http://www.one-n.com/bwfsplitter.html

Edit to add:  Pretty sure I used the Fostex BWF converter:  http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/tech_support/bwf_manager.shtml

*The R-4 supports 4ch x 1 WAV, and I used it at some point before switching to stereo x 2 WAV.
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Offline scb

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2011, 02:57:47 PM »
maybe try one of these:

http://sounddevices.com/products/waveagent.htm
http://sounddevices.com/download/waveagent-1.htm

That was my first thought for splitting a multi-channel WAV into seperate stereo or mono tracks.  The strange part I don't get is the portion of the file properties I've bolded below:

It is recorded in Quadraphonic, 16bit, 64kbps, 22kHz Wav. 

WAV files are an uncompressed format, but 64kbps would seem to indicate a lossy compression data rate.  Are you sure it's actually a WAV file and not a multichannel MP3 or some other lossy format?  I would think lossy compression formats would be commonly used for court reporting to keep file sizes managable.
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dorrcoq

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2011, 03:27:26 PM »
They want you to do this (I presume not for free), but want to charge you for the codec needed?  Seems weird to me.

ilduclo

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2011, 04:20:11 PM »
is this the Lady Di coroners tape?

Offline rhinowing

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2011, 11:25:58 PM »
is there a way to load BWF files in Audacity? It would be quite simple to bump it down to a stereo mix in that way
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Offline easyed

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2011, 10:20:35 PM »
Reaper is a free multitrack program, maybe it can open the files:
http://www.reaper.fm/technical.php
says it can work with bwf files
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Offline anr

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2011, 09:23:04 AM »
Guys

Many thanks for all the suggestions and help.

In the end I simply played the files in The Record Player and recorded them in SoundForge. 

In answer to questions,

1. Yes, in Wav format.
2. It was the family of a deceased who enlisted my help; the codec / conversion program is sold by the software house.   Due to public service cutbacks, the Coroner did not have a court stenographer - they just recorded it with very poorly placed mics and there is no official transcript.  An appalling state of affairs. 
3. Not Lady Di.  Far more important.  7 dead - 6 UK and 1 US Servicemen.   

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Offline yousef

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Re: Help to convert a peculiar file format
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2011, 01:58:30 PM »
  Due to public service cutbacks, the Coroner did not have a court stenographer - they just recorded it with very poorly placed mics and there is no official transcript.  An appalling state of affairs.   

This is shocking. I do hope that this is an isolated situation.
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