Corrupt wav file, Help needed Options

[Lready]

Hi,
I am a psychology student on the verge of a breakdown. I did an interview on my phone as part of an assignment and stupidly turned it off instead of stopping the programme and corrupted the file. The file has 36.2 mb but I can't open it.I desperately need this as I cant redo the interview.Please help
I have looked up the threads on the forum. I thought http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=75466 might be on the right track. I have downloaded the programs Hex Editor, and have tried importing it into Audacity , attempting to follow the advice of DVD Doug and I tried 'With Audacity, File -> Import -> Raw Data. Click on the file and when the dialog box opens-up you'll see Start offset. Try values of 0, 1, and 2.etc right channels might be mixed-up, but I assume Audacity has an easy way to swap channels.'
It sounds scrambled still. In fact my weeping on the kitchen table sounded just like it.
PLEASE HELP
I dont know how many bits and I dont understand what how to change the header. Can you please help before I loose my mind
PLEASE
Thanks
Laura

This post has been edited by Lready: May 30 2012, 01:08

[pawelq]

Can you post the file somewhere so people can download it and give it a try? Unless the interview is confidential, of course.


Also, it might help if you gave the exact settings used in the recording program (sample rate, number of channels, bit depth, any other parameters) and/or provided a file recorded in the same way but saved correctly. Can be a short example file.

[Lready]

Hi Pawelg,
Thanks for the fast reply,
It is supposed to be confidential, its with a close friend and she has given me permission to get help to retreive as long as its not going where every one in the world can access it. I tried to email to my brother who has more technical skills than me, but it would not attach, I also tried zipping it and that didnt work either, he suggested might be truncated. When you say post do you mean as an attachment, or on the internet?
I dont know how to find the exact settings , but I do have a file that is correctly saved.
I have recorded another file and turned off the phone with my voice on it that I could post , and then maybe you could help me with the steps?

Laura

This post has been edited by db1989: May 30 2012, 12:41

Reason for edit: reply was within a quote of above post, which has been removed

[EagleScout1998]

This is a shot in the dark, but does the file have a proper extension, such as .wav?

[Lready]

This is a shot in the dark, but does the file have a proper extension, such as .wav?

Hi,
I cant see an extension on this file, as I can't even open it . If I hadn't pressed the wrong button it would have that extension.
I had an idea also and I made another file with my voice and tunrned off the phone, to make the same mistake again so that I would have an example . I have no problem who sees this , and will happily post it on the net, and maybe if someone can fix this file, they might outline the steps and I could fix the confidential one then. I dont know how to post a file though as I tried sending it as an attachment by email, both zipped and unzipped and it would not atah.Its 36.2 MB.
Laura

[EagleScout1998]

By default, Windows hides extensions of known file types. If there is an exension, it might be hidden from view.

Try this first, though:

1.) Right-Click on the file and select "Rename".

2.) Press the "End" key or the right arrow (and that's right, as in the direction; not as in "correct") on your keyboard. This will move the cursor to the end of the filename.

3.) Add the following (without the quotes): ".wav".

Is there any change to the file's icon? If there is, try loading the file in your media player.

[bug80]

@EagleScout: It might not be a wave file, since it was recorded on a phone?

@LReady: did you try to open the file in VLC media player? http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

This player opens a lot of files.

If it still doesn't work, you might follow pawelq's suggestion: record a new file on your phone, switch it off without stopping the recording and post the result here. Then we could take a look how you could open such a file.

[EagleScout1998]

Or you can go to sendspace.com

Upload the file (you may have to Zip it first) and then post the download link it gives you.

[Kohlrabi]

If you record a new file with the intent to enable us to see what is wrong you could also upload it to the Upload forum here on Hydrogenaudio. Just create a new thread there, and it will show an extra entry below where you can add a file.

Let's hope the corruption is the same as with your original file.

[Porcus]

This is a shot in the dark, but does the file have a proper extension, such as .wav?

Hi,
I cant see an extension on this file, as I can't even open it .

You don't need to do open it to check for extension, do you?

But first, whatever you do: copy the file over to your computer. Copy it to two different locations. You need one to work with and one backup to fallback on if you ruin the work copy, and since the file on your phone is corrupted, you cannot trust your phone not to overwrite it. (I guess it won't, but I wouldn't trust it won't.) Hence a 'backup' version and a 'working' version, both off your phone.

Make sure you keep the backup and the work file apart. (You could for example upload the backup to your webmail drafts folder.)


Then you start experimenting.

First, you might try to play it in VLC. VLC is pretty good at guessing what kind of file it really is.

If that doesn't work: are you sure your phone stores as .wav? If so: rename thiscorruptfilewhateveritiscallednow to filename.wav . Now it should look like a .wav file. Try to play it again.


... whoever knows this: could there be an endianness issue here?

This post has been edited by Porcus: May 30 2012, 17:30

[pdq]

If this is recorded as a wav file, there is information in the header that can't be written until the file is complete and ready to close. Possibly all that is needed is to write something reasonable into the header to make it readable. Alternatively delete the header and access it as raw data.

Edit: On rereading your first post, looks like you have already tried similar approaches.

Edit2: You gave us the size of the file, but if you know approximately how many minutes long it is, that could tell us something. Also, since you have a hex editor, read the first 50 bytes or so and post those. We may be able to deduce something from that.

This post has been edited by pdq: May 30 2012, 17:52

[pawelq]

... whoever knows this: could there be an endianness issue here?

There may be a lot of issues: endianness, one of many 24/32-bit formats, or a specific compression. I could use Audition, which has many options of dealing with raw data, to try to do something, but the OP must provide the file first!

[Lready]

... whoever knows this: could there be an endianness issue here?

There may be a lot of issues: endianness, one of many 24/32-bit formats, or a specific compression. I could use Audition, which has many options of dealing with raw data, to try to do something, but the OP must provide the file first!

Dear Pawelg and EagleScout and all others whos ideas were used,
Thanks so much for all your help, its fantastic to get suggestions when you are in dire straits. I did create a new file with my own voice and got this suggestion.
It turned out that importing the file into Audacity, using import , raw data and then changing the value in the screen that pops up to 8000 mh sorted it out.
Thank you for your kindness in helping me out.
If theres karma I hope you get it back 1000 fold
You are superstars

Laura

[Porcus]

sorted it out.

Wheee!