"Append to current data window" failing with 32-bit files

Douglas-Lacey wrote on 4/10/2023, 12:40 PM

I have ten 32-bit WAV files that I'm trying to append using the "Append to current data window" function in SF 16.1.4 (build 71, 64-bit), but every time I try it, the result includes only one of the ten files.

I made separate 16-bit files of the 32-bit files and they can be appended without issue.

So it seems that the error is limited to 32-bit input files, at least with my very limited testing. Anyone else experience this issue?

FYI, I need SF regions within each input 32-bit WAV file to carry over to the concatenated version, so using other tools to join the files is not an option because the regions are lost in the process.

- Doug

Comments

rraud wrote on 4/10/2023, 1:59 PM

Welcome to the Magix Sound Forge users community @Douglas-Lacey

Based on your description, I created five 44.1/32 files to test and could not duplicate what you experience. The new files audio were added to the existing (44/32) timeline and markers/regions were included. I also checked this in SFP-15 and 17 with same result .
Confirm the added files had regions to begin with. When you save a file make sure, "Save metadata with file" is enabled, or the markers/regions will not be saved.

I will convert the 32 bit files 16 bit and try that ASAP.

Douglas-Lacey wrote on 4/10/2023, 2:27 PM

Thanks for the reply, @rraud!

I did some more testing and determined that the issue is occurring specifically with 32-bit floating point files, NOT with 32-bit signed LPCM files. I created sample 32-bit LPCM files and was able to concatenate them without issue in SF 16. Can you re-test with floating point files?

For more context, I started with ten MOV files, and I used FFmpeg to convert their audio tracks to separate 32-bit floating point WAV files. Then opened the 32-bit WAV files in SF, created the regions, and re-saved/closed them. Then tried the "Append..." function and ended up with only one file, not the ten files concatenated.

I can manually produce the concatenated version via copy/paste into a separate composite file, but I have another set of 53 MOV files that I'd like to be able to use the "Append..." function with. If no solution comes along, I'll convert to 32-bit signed LPCM files from the outset and go from there.

EDIT: Actually, scrap the above. I just went back and swapped out floating point for LPCM in the original FFmpeg conversions and I'm experiencing the same problem.

Douglas-Lacey wrote on 4/10/2023, 3:39 PM

Okay, so I think I narrowed down the problem even further. FFmpeg produces WAV extensible files, with an expanded "fmt" chunk. SF doesn't seem to like these files when using the "Append..." function.

When I was adding the regions and re-saving/closing them, SF retained the extensible structure. BUT, if I "save as" instead of "save", SF creates new WAV files without the extensible structure, and these files can be appended.

rraud wrote on 4/11/2023, 11:53 AM

Hi @Douglas-Lacey, I do not have any FP32 files off-hand, if you can upload some on a cloud drive, we can check them out. However, there is really no reason to use floating point 32 bit after the initial location recording anyway. Sound Forge internally proxies all files to FP32... though "Always proxy compressed formats" 'may' need to be enabled for lossy file types. If you need an exorbitant amount of headroom, save to 32 or 24 bit PCM and maybe use a brick-wall limiter (or other leveling process)..

I do not understand why you are converting the files in ffmpeg to begin with, You should be able to open the MOV files directly in Sound Forge, assuming you have a Quicktime codec installed. The regions should be saved when you render to PCM and subsequently transferred when appending to the timeline. I would assume the MOV files can also be opened/appended to the timeline and skip the individual file steps. Using the 'Event' tool with multiple files can be useful, as is saving as a non-destructive Sound Forge project file <.frg>. The batch converter and scripting are other SFP tools.