How to convert 24-bit audio files to 16-bit .wav and be able to create audio CD.

stf92 · 10-09-2011, 04:31 PM

Hi: I used the flac command to convert some 24-bit flac files to wav. Then I used cdrecord to burn the CD. But cdrecord said "Incorrect audio coding". Then I tried to use k3b to burn the wav files. He reject them. And he also rejected the flac files! However Nero has no problem with these flac files. Is this possible? Notice that k3b has no problem with 16-bit flac files.

EmaRsk · 10-10-2011, 03:19 AM

You can use

Code:

sox your-24bit-file.flac -b16 your-16bit-file.wav

or, to convert a bunch of files:

Code:

for i in *.flac; do
  sox $i -b16 ${i%flac}wav;
done

cascade9 · 10-10-2011, 03:37 AM

Audacity can convert from 24bit to 16bit flac...and AFAIK k3b should automatically convert 24bit to 16bit if you have selected 'CD audio'. Maybe I'm making a mistake, I'll need to test it and that requires digging up the few 24bit flac files I have.

BTW, you can also convert from 24bit to 16bit flac files with some linux media players. Deadbeef has the option to do that, not that I've tried converting with deadbeef yet.

stf92 · 10-10-2011, 01:18 PM

Thanks cascade9. And thank you very much, EmaRsk, for your code. I will use flac first to convert to WAV and then sox to convert from 24 to 16 bits, because the flac command tests the file integrity.

I was looking at the WAV files output by flac with hexdump, and found a pattern. The audio signal is grouped in groups of six bytes, which was to be expected if the sample size was 24 bits:

Code:

-00131b     001329
-00147f     001552
-00148a     001446
-0017b7     0017cf
-001686     001868

So, the files output by the flac command when decoding 24-bit are 24-bit wav files. I did not even know that they existed.

knudfl · 10-10-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

24-bit wav files. I did not even know that they existed.

3 years ago, stf92 http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...io-cds-826505/
"" dvda-author -o DVD -g *.wav -X 'working directory' ""
That was 24-bit .wav files ..... e.g. exported from Audacity.

Mara · 10-10-2011, 02:43 PM

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Linux-Software and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

cascade9 · 10-11-2011, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stf92

So, the files output by the flac command when decoding 24-bit are 24-bit wav files. I did not even know that they existed.

Wav is more of a 'container' format than most people realise. Mist people think that 'wav = CD-DA' (CD- digital audio) but its not the case, you can have wav files with higher than standard CD-DA sample rates (16bit/44.1KHz) and more than 2 channel sound. You can also have wav files with lower than the CD-DA standard sample rates, bit depth, etc., and even 'compressed' wav files.

H_TeXMeX_H · 10-11-2011, 06:41 AM

I think sox will convert to cdda if you use it as a prefix, so:

Code:

sox your-24bit-file.flac -b16 your-16bit-file.cdda

stf92 · 10-12-2011, 12:21 PM

But does it test the file integrity?

H_TeXMeX_H · 10-12-2011, 12:32 PM

What do you mean ?

If you are converting from a lossless format to a lossless format, no quality is lost.

Wsettle · 05-15-2012, 04:27 AM

Converting FLAC to 16/24 bit WAV is not so difficult and hard. Just type how to convert FLAC to WAV on Mac and Windows in Google to find the guide or way you prefer to.

qrange · 05-15-2012, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

What do you mean ?

If you are converting from a lossless format to a lossless format, no quality is lost.

he is modifying resolution, so some quality will be lost in any case.

stf92 · 06-28-2012, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

What do you mean ?

If you are converting from a lossless format to a lossless format, no quality is lost.

The FLAC file may have been corrupted. Too much time stored in a low quality medium, errors arising during the transmission if ddownloaded from the web, et cetera. But a FLAC file has error detection code built into it. And the flac command makes use of this code to check for file integrity.

qrange · 06-29-2012, 01:21 AM

I forgot that if he were to convert from, say, 8-bit to 16-bit lossless, (or to 32-bit) quality shouldn't be lost.