Audacity Forum

I have used Audacity for recording (mostly from vinyl, a few cassettes and radio programs) for several years with excellent results. Everything, but one, works like a charm. The problem is, that when I attempt to open an existing WAV file for editing, instead of getting the blue squiggles of the waveform, the entire panel is solid blue as if it was recorded at 1000 dB. When I "Play" I only get static. MP3 files load and work fine, and I can do any editing and saving that I wish.

For years I have ignored the problem, and do all my editing immediately after the recording, making certain that it is just the way I want before I close out. If I absolutely need to edit an existing WAV, I go to an inferior program such as Roxio 6. It used to be this way in 1.2.6, and upgrading to 1.3.9 did not change anything. I have a very capable computer running Windows XP Home with a high-end Creative X-Fi sound card.

I have been through the manual and the online instructions, but do not see anywhere this problem is addressed. Everything else about Audacity works just as it should, and I have recorded, cleaned, repaired, and edited at least a hundred LPs over the past 3-4 years, and made CDRs, MP3s, you name it, with no other problems.

Surely I am not the only person in the world that this has happened to. Thanks!

This is usually caused by files that have a .WAV extension, but are not really WAV files (they are not Microsoft PCM WAV)
Unsupported file types will give this problem, though the current version of Audacity (1.3.9) will often give a warning that there is a problem with the file.
Any file can have a .WAV extension, but that does not make it a WAV file.

Where do these problem WAV files come from?
Why do you think they are WAV files?
Which (exact) version of Audacity are you using? (including build information/date. Look in Help > About Audacity)

Steve - thank you for your quick reply. I did not realize that there were incompatible files with the same extension, but this is straight Audacity for 95% of my WAVs. The rest were done with versions of Roxio beginning with about 4, through about 8, but I have been using Audacity pretty much exclusively since about 2006.

I can rip/record an LP in Audacity, edit it, save it ("Export" as a WAV), close it, then immediately attempt to re-open the same file (with or without closing down and re-opening Audacity itself, makes no difference) in Audacity, but no-go. And, by the way, if I exported it as a WAV, then exported it again a second time as an MP3, the MP3 will re-open properly for editing, but the WAV will not.

And as I said, I have had this problem since the beginning with Audacity 1.2.6, and when I upgraded to 1.3.9 about half a year ago, nothing changed. The problem has also followed me onto a newer, faster computer about a year and a half ago, with a complete re-install of all software including Windows.

thanks, Harry

<<<Surely I am not the only person in the world that this has happened to. >>>

I'm going with yes.

<<<And as I said, I have had this problem since the beginning with Audacity 1.2.6, and when I upgraded to 1.3.9 about half a year ago, nothing changed. The problem has also followed me onto a newer, faster computer about a year and a half ago, with a complete re-install of all software including Windows.>>>

I've never heard of this happening to anybody else and the symptoms are basically impossible. You're going to have somebody who knows computers and doesn't know you stand behind you while you type and discover one little odd thing that you do different from everybody else. I can't even begin to guess what they might be, but just the fact that you completely built a new machine and the symptoms followed you means it's you.

Koz

From the detailed description you have given I can see no explanation. It sounds like you are doing everything correctly.

Can you import this file into Audacity http://audacity.easyspacepro.com/examples/piano.wav

Do you have any friends/relatives with computers + Audacity? Can they successfully Export /Import WAV files? Can you successfully Export /Import WAV files on their computer?

Your file does the same as all the others. It IS IN THERE somewhere, if you listen very hard you catch the occasional note, but it as if there is a wheelbarrow full of white noise on top of it.

Looking at it visually on screen, I feel that the WAV file is graphed out, sitting there just as it should be, but it is as if somebody had taken a blue crayon and just completely colored over it with noise. I record using "Line-In" and all that works properly, of course, since my LP rips are beautiful and the CDs I burn sound spectacular.

Also, if the wall of noise was added at 200dB or something, then that little note would never come through at all.

It is just mind-boggling that I can record a song with my X-Fi sound card, using Audacity, "Export it As a WAV" ("Export Selection as WAV" behaves the same way), close it, immediately re-open and have Audacity's own file be completely crazy.

I have discussed this with friends who use Audacity (including the guy who first turned me on to you, and with whom I have exchanged hundreds of WAVs and MP3s that we have both made and edited in Audacity) and for everybody else, it seems that you can "Open File" and IT JUST WORKS!

Attached is a WAV file that I recorded from vinyl, using a Creative X-Fi sound card and Audacity software. I recorded an entire album side, and this was a brief track that I edited from it. It plays fine with Windows Media Player, and I have burned it to a CDR successfully, but I cannot re-open it properly in Audacity.

thanks for your help, Harry

The previous attachment failed because it was a WAV, apparently your server doesn't like that.

Attached is the file with an extension .WAX you can change the X to a V and see if it will play.

Hey, that is something I have not tried, changing file extensions then changing them back. That is about crazy enough to work!

WAX failed too. I will try changing the WAV extension to TXT. Change it back, it is obviously not a test file.

<<<The problem has also followed me onto a newer, faster computer about a year and a half ago, with a complete re-install of all software including Windows.>>>

What did you bring with you from the old computer to the new?

Koz

Upload your WAV here then post the link
http://www.sendspace.com/

Did the WAV file I sent play correctly on your computer in other programs (Windows Media Player)?

thanks for the advice - here is a short file


http://www.sendspace.com/file/gm88lg