Changing WAV sample rate?

[Dave Swift]

I don't know whether anyone will know how to do this, but I need to change the sample rate of my .wav files, so that I can compress them. (Make their file size smaller.)

I anyone knows how to do this or some other means of compressing .wav files, then please reply.

[Wabanaki Web]

There is probably better software to do this but I just use Windows Sound Recorder. What you are talking about is converting wav files to different formats. With a wav file openned in Sound Recorder, click on file, then click on properties, click the button that says convert now, ignore the box that says CD quality-Radio quality-telephone quality. Go straight to the drop down box that says format. Depending on the codecs installed on your computer there should be several file types that you can convert to, one of the best is MPEG Layer-3, BUT alot of people don't have that codec installed on their computer, so either make it available for download, or choose, Microsoft ADPCM or IMA ADPCM, they are basically the same. From there you choose how compressed you want your file to be from the attributes drop down menu. Be careful of using stereo because alot of people can't hear those files either. Almost every file I convert is IMA ADPCM, 11,025 Hz, 4 bit, mono. Really small files without losing alot of sound quality. If sound quality is really important to you then you might want to boost those numbers up.

[Jason]

That was the software that also came to my mind Wabanaki (although I'm sure if you hit http://www.freewarefiles.com , http://www.download.com or http://www.davecentral.com you might find something more advanced, or at least a freeware trial.

[Dave Swift]

Well all weekend I've been looking for one...and I still can't find one.

I've been to www.monkeysaudio.com www.freewarefiles.com www.yahoo.com www.google.com www.hitsquad.com and I just can't find one.

Oh well.

[Wabanaki Web]

You could download Goldwave. I hear its one of the best for playing around with wav files. I have it but since I already know how to convert files with Sound Recorder that's the one I use. Goldwave I use for special effects. I'm sure it will convert wav files to other formats, as well as change the sample rate. I've done that before too, and Goldwave does an excellent job of it. It takes a sound file and compresses it into a shorter play time, not a different format necessarily. It also does this without speeding up the voice or other sound that it is compressing. So that you could take a song that takes a minute to play and compress it into a 1/2 minute recording. It sounds the same only at a faster tempo.

[Ian]

Hi Dave,

You shouldn't need any third party software. If you have the standard windows "Sound Recorder" (Start > Programs > Accessories > Entertainment ), you can open your .wav file and then click "File > Properties" which should give you a Details window which includes a "Format Conversion" part, then you click "Convert Now" and you can select any sample rate you wish from "8000Hz,8 bit mono (8KB/s)" to "44,100Hz,16 bit stereo (172KB/s)".

[Wabanaki Web]

Yup Ian, check my first post. But what you are suggesting leaves the file in the PCM format. Those files are HUGE. You have to convert to a different format not just different attributes to really compress a wav file.

[Dave Swift]

Many thanks to Ian and Wabanaki, I've used Sound Recorder.

[jbulger]

You can change the sample rate to make a smaller file but the quality of your sound will degrade. Flash has compression abilities built-in that provide high quality with a fraction of the memory (less than 1/10th). If you strictly want to work with wave files, I use goldwave. This will even allow batch conversions of mp3 to wave, though I use Audiograbber to do a batch conversion of wave back to mp3. For example, I've edited all my personal mp3s using goldwave to equalize the volume. I use these mp3s for background music in my dental office, thereby eliminating all those irritating commercials. The patients, many being "boomers", quite enjoy it - although my younger team of co-workers considers it "dinosaur music".

For help on using flash for sound compression visit the tutorials at flashkit.com.