Re: Import Raw Data

[Gale_Andrews]

@Roddy

From Private Message
Gale, Last time I contacted you was mid last year, and I want to thank you for the help you gave me. At that time I was on a Windows PC, but now I am on Mac OSX Lion. Audacity works great on tho anew system. I wonder if you or someone you know may be able to inform me if what I am trying to do is possible in Audacity 2.0.0 for Macintosh.

I have several audio files from my old PC system that i saved onto DVD. Now, in the new Mac computer, those audio files are generic executable files, but still retained the filenames. In Audacity, if I select to import Raw Data, the file opens, and I am able to hear and export the file as a usable audio file. Two things I can not figure out though, are:

1. Is it possible to import as Raw Data multiple files at once (batch import)? I am able to import several files into one project window, but I need to import more than 50 files. I know I can export multiple files, which is fine, but I still need the names.

2. Once the file is imported, the filename is no longer available in the Track Control Panel, it is just blank (nameless). Having to write in the name of the file that was just imported for hundreds of files is very time consuming.

Is this possible?

Hi Roddy,

The Forum rules don’t allow help by Private Messages. Why not post the question so everyone can read and benefit from it, as you did last year?

Q1 = No; you can only select a single file with Import Raw Data. What stops you selecting multiple files in File > Import > Audio in Audacity? What format are the files on the DVD in (what extension is given after the file name and the dot)? I can import multiple MP3 files from a data DVD on Mac by using FIle > Import > Audio and shift-selecting them.

Q2 = Track Name should be populated if it is an understandable uncompressed audio file.


Gale

[Roddy]

Gales,
Thanks for responding so quickly. The problem is that the files have as a file extension: “Unix Executable File”, and they have lost their headers. So the only way to import them into Audacity is via “Import Raw Data”. Even though the import window allows me to select multiple files at once, it will only import the first file of all selected, and none of the other selected files (they are all the same type of files: Unix Executable File).
Once the file is imported, then I can convert it to, let’s say, a WAV file. But, I have to manually enter the filename because it does not import. This is probably due to the missing/broken headers of the original file.

I would have gladly posted this question, but I could not find the link to post it. If you are able, I am fine with you taking all this info and posting it. Just give me the link for the post.

In God’s Harmony,
Roddy

[steve]

“Unix Executable File” is not a real file type, it is just what Mac calls a file when it does not know what the file type is and can’t even guess what it is. This is likely to happen with files that are completely without header information.

Importing RAW (headerless) files requires user input because Audacity has no way of knowing what the file format is.

As user input is required and each file could be different there would not usually be any point to being able to select multiple files. The exception being if you have a bunch of RAW data files that all have the same format (as you have). In this case I can see that it would be a useful feature if you could tell Audacity to import all selected RAW files using the same settings as the first file, but Audacity does not have such a feature. It may be possible to do something like that with a specialist format converting program (for example dBPowerAmp or SUPER) but I’ve never tried that myself.