Types of .wav files - please help

[Garry Sharp]

I just bought a funky little EQ programme called HarBal (www.har-bal.com) I'm finding it very useful for ear training - learning more about how EQ affects the sound ona stereo mix (before Blue Bear jumps on me, I'm not using the word mastering here, and I see it as a learning tool)

Anyway, the problem I have is that after processing .wav files, it saves them again as .wav files in a format that is either corrupted or unreadable by n-Track or Wavelab. Everything I have (Yammie recorder, PC with Audiowerk 2) is 16 bit. I emailed the HarBal guy with the problem, and received the following reply. I am sure it is 100% correct, but the problem is that I can't understand more than two consecutive words of it. Can anybody help? There are various file type saving options in the programme - I was using the "Windows PCM .wav" one

Reply was:


The problem is that you are using a type 1 floating point format, which due to an internal ambiguity in the LIBSNDFILE library, gets written out as a 32 bit pcm (ie. integer format). Clearly your softwarer does not support this format correctly. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to use either type 3 floating point files or 24 bit PCM (integer) files.

 

[dachay2tnr]

I am assuming that the "processing" you are referring to is occuring in the har-bal program. His note seems to suggest that you can change the default format within that program.

You need to figure out how to change that default to the settings he has recommended.

I have no familiarity with har-bal, so I'm guessing this is the issue based on your comments and his response.

Is har-bal a standalone program, or a plug-in?

 

[Garry Sharp]

dachay - all your assumptions are correct, and I guess I just need to try different file save formats. The programme is a stand alone.

Thanks for responding

 

[Hugh Jazz]

I may be wrong, but it seems like that email is saying the har-bal program is saving it as a 32 bit file, and the other programs you use don't support 32 bit waves. You may need to save them as 24 bit files, which most programs do support.