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Participant
August 30, 2020
Question

Import RAW Audio Showing Combined File, Trying To Get Isolated Track

  • August 30, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 580 views

I recorded a session with myself and someone else on a Zoom H4N with our Shure SM7B microphones each plugged into it and recording two separate MTR files in Mono each (WAV, 16 Bit / 44.1 Hz) into a SanDisk 32GB memory card. The H4N said it was recording fine the whole time (we were continually checking) but then when I put the memory card in to check on my computer to get the files, it wasn’t playing each file. The files on the memory card were saying one was 1GB and the other was 0KB. But in Disk Utility, it says there's 2GB taken up on the card.

 

For the 1GB file, I was able to get it to work. However, the only time I can hear or get close to the 0KB file is when I import the RAW card image copy into Audition, it brings it in as one combined file of the two recordings. So it'll cut after a few seconds between each file. I need to get a separate proper isolated audio file of the other track.

 

The settings below are what get that combined file:

Sample Rate: 44.1 Hz 
Channels: 1
Encoding: 16-bit PCM 
Byte Order: Little-Endian (Intel Bye Order)


Start Byte Offset: 0 bytes 

 

It is pulling from the DMG of the memory card, so that may be why it's drawing both (and since that 0B file seems to have something otherwise for regular importing). I tried making another image copy of the memory card but with deleting the other file (the 1GB) but it still brings in both files still.

 

However, based on being able to clearly hear the audio in the combined version, I know it's in there somewhere. I just don't know how to locate it or import it

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1 reply

SuiteSpot
Inspiring
August 31, 2020

Is the combined file stereo or mono?

"The files on the memory card were saying one was 1GB and the other was 0KB. But in Disk Utility, it says there's 2GB taken up on the card."

It sounds to me like the 2nd wav file didn't get closed properly which means that while the space has been used on the USB drive the header file of the wav file has not been written to the file.

This can probably be fixed by someone with a hex editor and some patience.

You would need to isolate the raw audio from the used disk space (there is probably an existing utility for this somewhere) and adding the wav header (based on the wav header of the existing audio).
Don't even think about doing this without making several image copies of the USB drive.

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 31, 2020

Zoom's H4N firmware has always struck me as a little strange - and bugged. They even admit as much. There was a firmware update in 1995 that most people aren't aware of that gets it up to v. 1.90 and it's worth applying that if you haven't already done so.

 

Zoom H4N firmware update to 1.90