While recording line in to a Tascam DR-03 portable digital recorder, the power cable was unplugged. Recording was monitored as fine in real time. Batteries were installed a few months ago but unfortunately I later discovered were dead (I always record with USB power). 2GB microsd card had no other files and was formatted just prior to start of recording. Recording was for 2 hours. Screen shows 1 hour left (consistent with about 1.2 GB; the 2GB card will record for 3 hours). Therefore, the recording took place but apparently did not finalize, and will not play in recorder. I can copy no more than an additional 600 MB to the 2GB card, indicating that the file is on the card. The file name and extension (.wav) but not the file itself can be copied to a computer (it shows 0KB on properties and will not play in at least six standard players as well as in pro-level audio software). Generic file recovery software will not fix. Please advise as to whether Audacity software can restore file. Thank you very much.
Our standard line is Audacity is a complete slave to whatever the computer is doing. If the computer does not deliver a good, stable, complete file to Audacity, there isn’t anything we can do.
Contact Tascam or see if they have a web site with Frequently Asked Questions. I can’t believe you’re the first Tascam user on earth that has file corruption issues.
This is the down side to digital recording. It does a terrific job capturing every single thing in the performance – until something goes wrong.
Audacity captures work as a series of tiny, independent files and if everything goes into the toilet, there is a remote chance of putting your show back together up until that point. Other file systems may not be so lucky – particularly if the recorder can’t play it.
Koz
As I understand it, the recording was to the SD card.
Repeating my reply on feedback@. you could try File > Import > Raw Audio… in Audacity. It will be essential to match the encoding and sample rate with that in the file itself.
However if the file cannot be dragged off the SD card in a form recognisable to the computer, and the recorder will not play the file, there may be little else you can do. Try a Google search for focused SD card data recovery:
http://tinyurl.com/cb5alse .
As Koz says, worth asking Tascam too.
Gale