Audacity Forum

I have just downloaded Audacity so I am a rank beginner.
1. I have a .wav file that I created on a cheap USB digital recorder. iTunes and Windows Media Player both have no trouble playing the file. When I open the file with Audacity it says that it doesn't recognize the format and asks me to use "Import Raw" to copy the file.

2. After I do the import and click on Play, this 3 min. file plays back in under 10 sec.

I appreciate your help with these beginner problems.

<<<3 min. file plays back in under 10 sec.>>>

That's what happens when Audacity is presented with a sound file it doesn't understand. Most compressed file types do that and they almost always play back like they're on fire.

Right click on the sound file and select Properties. That should give you the "long" filename and I'm interested in the dot and last three letters. .mp4? .ACC?

[time passes]

OK, well, I really love Windows. Apparently that doesn't work any more. Do you see a clicky for "Open As" or File Association under Properties? If you single click on one of those, that might tell you what the long form file name is.

Koz

Right click on the sound file and select Properties. That should give you the "long" filename and I'm interested in the dot and last three letters. .mp4? .ACC?

VOC002.wav
Bit rate 32kbps
Sample size 4 bit
Audio samplerate 8kHz
Audio format IMA ADPCM
Type of file WAVE audio file

Thanks for looking into this.

ADPCM is a compressed, lossy, audio format ( http://www.xentec.be/products/vox_studi ... format.htm ) and I don't think that it's supported by Audacity. You need to convert them to "Microsoft PCM wav". A free conversion tool that will do this is "SUPER".

stevethefiddle wrote:ADPCM is a compressed, lossy, audio format ( http://www.xentec.be/products/vox_studi ... format.htm ) and I don't think that it's supported by Audacity. You need to convert them to "Microsoft PCM wav". A free conversion tool that will do this is "SUPER".

That worked. thanks everyine.