I could not see a specific sub forum here to ask this but as it is a software and music related question I am putting it here - if this is wrong can a mod kindly move it?
I have been sent a zip file that contains two folders, one all audio files and the other a Pro Tools session and related audio but, they are all RAW DVD data.
Each folder has a *.smf file and a .DS_Store but the smf with a file extention, the rest have none. I can see the pro tools session file but again it only has a name but no prefex.
If I try and open one of the audio files in PTs it just does not even try to import it.
I am told that these folders are valid and when archived to DVD they were burnt as RAW DATA - a method of archiving.
I have tried the usual programs, Nero, Power ISO and ISO Buster but even though these apps will import the files and will save them to ISO images, they DO NOT convert them from RAW DATA back to a format that other apps (Pro Tools, Sound Forge etc) can open and play.
I have spent all afternoon, 5 hours and counting, hitting google I have got nowhere with most of the results relating to RAW image files from Photographs.
Can anyone help?
Convert RAW DVD data audio files back to normal audio files ?
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- KVRian
- 681 posts since 1 Jan, 2018
Are the files just uncompressed raw data without headers, or is there some special formatting involved? If they're just plain raw data, Sound Forge should be able to open them, but you need to specify the bit depth, sample rate, channel count and byte order (little endian/big endian) when opening. If someone did a proper job of archiving, raw files should come with a metadata xml or text file that has all of this information. If not, well, you'll have to experiment.
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- KVRian
- 681 posts since 1 Jan, 2018
Hmm, well I've got no insights there, as I don't know anything about Pro Tools files.
Sometimes opening a file in a text or hex editor and comparing it with another file (like a session file you know to be good) will give you some insight.
Other common issues with poorly archived data are trying to open big-endian files when a program is expecting little-endian (or vise versa) and project files that are looking for data using an absolute path (c:\audio\projectfinalfinal\stems\ or the like) instead of a relative one. I don't know whether either of these things apply in your case, but it may be worth investigating.
Sometimes opening a file in a text or hex editor and comparing it with another file (like a session file you know to be good) will give you some insight.
Other common issues with poorly archived data are trying to open big-endian files when a program is expecting little-endian (or vise versa) and project files that are looking for data using an absolute path (c:\audio\projectfinalfinal\stems\ or the like) instead of a relative one. I don't know whether either of these things apply in your case, but it may be worth investigating.
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- KVRAF
- 2066 posts since 8 Feb, 2013 from Switzerland
*.smf could be Apple QuickTime MIDI Files.
.DS_Store are also pointing in direction that all data was archived on a Mac computer.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 199 posts since 6 Mar, 2017
That would make sense as its a pro tools session....Etienne1973 wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:12 pm*.smf could be Apple QuickTime MIDI Files.
.DS_Store are also pointing in direction that all data was archived on a Mac computer.
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- KVRAF
- 2066 posts since 8 Feb, 2013 from Switzerland
Have you tried adding manually the file extension to the PT session file?
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- KVRist
- 31 posts since 19 Oct, 2020
You can use the open source program ffmpeg (https://ffmpeg.org/download.html) to rip the audio in any format you like. It's command line, but here's a script which you can copy and paste into a Windows batch file, or Linux/Unix/Mac OSX shell script:
ffmpeg -i "yourfile.any" -vn -f flac "youroutputfile.flac"
You may have to be more specific with the ffmpeg location, modifying ffmpeg to something like c:\ffmpeg\ffmpeg where the first "ffmpeg" points to the folder on the C Drive where the program is located, and the second "ffmpeg" points to the program itself. And if there are any spaces in the folder where it's stored, you'll have to put quotes around it like "c:\your folder\ffmpeg"
Also, if there are any spaces in the file and/or folder name, leave the quotes in place.
Using FLAC as your output will make your life most easy. You can then convert the resulting FLAC file using your favorite audio editor.
ffmpeg -i "yourfile.any" -vn -f flac "youroutputfile.flac"
You may have to be more specific with the ffmpeg location, modifying ffmpeg to something like c:\ffmpeg\ffmpeg where the first "ffmpeg" points to the folder on the C Drive where the program is located, and the second "ffmpeg" points to the program itself. And if there are any spaces in the folder where it's stored, you'll have to put quotes around it like "c:\your folder\ffmpeg"
Also, if there are any spaces in the file and/or folder name, leave the quotes in place.
Using FLAC as your output will make your life most easy. You can then convert the resulting FLAC file using your favorite audio editor.