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Topic: Illegal WAV files output from Foobar (Read 3994 times) previous topic - next topic
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Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Sir.

I was using FooBar 2000 with the DTS decoder, and when I tried to open the resulting 24 bit file it wrote, I could not do it.
I have found out since that the upper limit for a WAV file in a 32 bit system is 4Gb.
Therefore, a 5.43Gb WAV file is an illegal WAV file.

Is there any way I can get it to output individual files instead of the (useless) multichannel one?

Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Reply #1 –
Bump.
Surely someone knows why FooBar is writing a 5.43Gb WAV file that seems to be illegal.
4Gb is the upper limit for WAV files, so is this a WAV64?
Is it a BWAV?

Can someone please explain to me what FooBar is doing please?

Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Reply #2 –
What are you hoping to do with the WAVE?  Do you want to keep it as WAVE; encode it to a lossy or lossless codec; or split it into tracks?

Audacity will handle WAVE files over 4GB IIRC.  You can always chop it up in that.

Alternatively you could get foobar to write as FLAC or WavPack instead of WAVE.  Or now you have your gargantuan WAVE maybe you could get Audacity to convert it to something else.

The thread regarding the 2/4GB limit may be worth a read.
I'm on a horse.

Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Reply #3 –
Quote
What are you hoping to do with the WAVE?  Do you want to keep it as WAVE; encode it to a lossy or lossless codec; or split it into tracks?

Audacity will handle WAVE files over 4GB IIRC.  You can always chop it up in that.

Alternatively you could get foobar to write as FLAC or WavPack instead of WAVE.  Or now you have your gargantuan WAVE maybe you could get Audacity to convert it to something else.

The thread regarding the 2/4GB limit may be worth a read.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=366279"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Appreciate the info.
I am being told that there is an inherent limitation of 4Gb to any WAV file, unless WAV64 is being used.
What I was attempting to do is decode a DTS file back into 24 bit 48K WAV files - ideally as split files, but this does not seem to be possible with FB2000. All I get is a large multichannel WAV file that simply freezes up when attempting to import into Nuendo 3.
A long conversation with the tech team in Germany is telling me that it ain't ever going to happen, as a 5.43Gb Multichannel WAV file is actually an illegal WAV file.

I quote from the reply I recieved:

Quote
The 4 Gig limit on a wave file ( as I understand it)  is defined in the data chunk...

Data -
ChunkID           Char[4]
ChunkSize        DWord
SampleData        []

As you can see, the size of the data chunk is a 32bit word giving a max size of 4 Gig
Also, note that the sample data starts immediately after the Chunk size, so the chunk size cannot be increased without breaking backward compatibility


So it appears that the resulting 5.43Gb file is never, ever going to work as it should do.
Or am I missing something here?

I read the linked thread, but this told me nothing I don't already know about. I understand there is an inherent 4Gb limitation in any 32 bit system - it's hard wired into the 32 bit application, and cannot be altered unless using WAV64 - which is a bit of a fudge.
So that brings me right back to FooBar 2000 ooutputting an illegal WAV file, yes?

Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Reply #4 –
Non-standard, yes.  But sometimes it's the only way; the standard is lacking.

I would forget about foobar creating a non-standard WAVE and look to a resolve, like outputting to lossless, or splitting in Audacity.

If you want to split the file you could try creating a cuesheet for the file, loading that into foobar, and getting foobar to split the DTS using the cuesheet.

If the DTS has come from DVD you may be able to get a good cuesheet in the same way I achieved it.
I'm on a horse.

Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Reply #5 –
Quote
Non-standard, yes.  But sometimes it's the only way; the standard is lacking.

I would forget about foobar creating a non-standard WAVE and look to a resolve, like outputting to lossless, or splitting in Audacity.

If you want to split the file you could try creating a cuesheet for the file, loading that into foobar, and getting foobar to split the DTS using the cuesheet.

If the DTS has come from DVD you may be able to get a good cuesheet in the same way I achieved it.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=366874"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


It's much, much simpler to use a different application.
Cue sheets are far too much messing around.
Simpler to just use Tranzcode, or else feed everything through my CAD5.
The main reason for the post was to point out the problem - FooBar shouldn't really be creating these files.
Outputting to lossless?
Call me stupid, but I don't see how this will produce a compliant file though - I'm already telling FooBar to output as 24 bit fixed PCM, and it doesn't get any more lossless than that - unless, of course, I'm missing something.....?????
(The files are not from a DVD, but straight .dts padded data files)
 

Illegal WAV files output from Foobar

Reply #6 –
A lossless codec like WavPack or FLAC wil compress WAVE information without losing quality; generally to between 50 and 70% of the size. Your 5GB WAVE would then come out between 2.72 and 3.8GB.

These formats can store 24bit multichannel audio.  With no loss of quality.

I suspect Peter knows that a 5.43GB WAVE is non-stndard, but what is the alternative?  Some applications can handle WAVE files >4GB, so why not produce something rather than nothing?  I guess the file could get split at intervals... dunno.
I'm on a horse.