Trouble reading AIFC files in AA3 (1.5 too)

As you may all know avid/digi (in their infinite wisdom) chose on their MAC versions to use AIF- compressed format (AIFC) for Audio files, but without any compression, so in a way the same as straight AIF & the files have an "AIF" extension.

 

As you may also know I'm beta testing AATranslator & one of the many things we can do is to extract xxx.AIF files from an OMF & these files load fine into all DAW's, bar for me AA3 (or v1.5). They load into AA3 on my colleagues AA3 PC too, but not mine.

 

I get a totally nonsense Msg about these being video files that need to be inserted in the MT page (which I am in btw, if loading one of our conversions).

If i drag one of these "aif" files to a blank, either EV or MT page they will open just fine. But "Insert" on MT or File open on EV page gives the same rubbish msg about this being a video file bla bla, total crap.

 

If I convert the file from AIFC to AIF, then that is ok too. unfortunatly converting inside AA, (Raw -WAV) is not an option because the header (that AA doesn't bother to read) becomes a "splat" at the head & another at end of the audio.

 
Enc as a Zip
wind1.aif   [AIFC, Original file]
wind1(1)(aiff).aif [Pro Convert conv to straight AIF]

If the orig is dragged into AA MT page, it gets called "Audio for wind1" {with
no ext}
The Pro Convert vers shows an AIF ext

And there is a V minor difference between the 2 files particularly at the
very beginning.
As this particular file is just a load of noise or hiss I don't actually hear a
click/splat as has happened on other attempts at conversions inside AA


John L

I think that John would probably appreciate it if as many people as possible try opening this, noting the exact results and reporting back. It started life as an Adobe U2U thread, but as there have been difficulties with the file attachment, it's ended up here, where it appears to be fine.

I only have 1.5 installed on the computer I'm typing this on. This says that wind1.aif is Raw PCM or Unsupported Format while the other file shows up as Apple AIFF, 48000Hz, 16 bit Mono.

I had similar problems with an Open TL session from Logic a few days ago where the .aif files didn't seem to contain sensible data. Fortunately, I just wanted to know where the edit points were in the session so I didn't really need the audio.

Cheers

James.

I only have 1.5 installed on the computer I'm typing this on. This says that wind1.aif is Raw PCM or Unsupported Format while the other file shows up as Apple AIFF, 48000Hz, 16 bit Mono.

I had similar problems with an Open TL session from Logic a few days ago where the .aif files didn't seem to contain sensible data.

thanx James. I get the same with AA1.5.
Thing is the 2 files are VERY similar, a few bytes in the header, the audio data is exactly the same. My immediate thought was that Adobe had just got a too limited idea of a valid xx.AIF file. But my colleague runaway (who is on line i see) does not have these problems.

Delay here caused by an extended test - and I can tell you a little bit more about this, but not why.

Basic conditions - files unzipped onto a network drive, so identical files get opened each time.

One machine; New build of XP with very little software on it, and AA3.0 installed. Everything as described, except that I can't drag the original file into Audition at all. The Pcon one drags in fine. Both files will open if processed as RAW.

Second machine: Older XP build, but this has AA1.5 and 2 installed on it. Both files drag in fine on 2, but the original file won't drag in on 1.5; it comes up with the 'insert it as RAW' message.

With AA3, I didn't get any indication at all as to why it wouldn't drag in, but I'm pretty damn sure that this is an AA3 issue, not anything else.

As for weird noises at the start, I didn't get any at all on any version - all the files opened the same way.

FWIW Both files drag in fine and both files 'insert' fine in my AA3.01

I've had a look at the 2 files and they are essentially identical other than one indicates that it is an AIFF file and the other an AIFC file that contains additional bytes indicating that it is "Not Compressed".

The addition of the "Not Compressed" in the header accounts for the extra file length

Go figure

I have tried with both 1.5 and 3.01. Won't open except as RAW. But can be extracted from video OK in Multitrack view although AA 3 takes about 10 X as long to do it as AA 1.5!

Must be something to do with installed codecs since the Extract from Video must go and find a suitable one whereas opening from file can't connect to an appropriate audio one on some setups.

I have tried with both 1.5 and 3.01. Won't open except as RAW. But can be extracted from video OK in Multitrack view

Must be something to do with installed codecs since the Extract from Video must go and find a suitable one whereas opening from file can't connect to an appropriate audio one on some setups.

I do wonder about the codecs, anyone know what ones AA3 uses? I have quite few on my system, as far as Video ones go, Video for windows type + some more modern Windows ones the acronym of which escapes me & what came with QuickTime Pro ver 7.4.5.

I had previously thought the EV page was a video free zone. But just found out not only can I Drag N Drop these AIFC files but also AVI & MOV.  I then get an "extracting Audio" message & the load is fast. "File info" (Ctr P) for the AIFC = File type is 48k, 32bit, mono, no file extension is shown & if I were to save, my default choice of Windows PCM (*.wav, *.bwf) is shown.

Now if I go the EV > File > Open, AVI is not on the "All Supported Media" list. AIF is & the file info panel shows Apple AIFF, 48k, 16bit -Mono. Auto play does not work however & if I try and open it get told to insert this "Video"  in MT page.
QT MOV is not on the "All Supported Media" list either but the audio can be extracted via DnD, but slower than from AVI or AIFC.
Strange

BTW the AIFC file as well as being understood in Reaper, Samplitude & Nuendo is also fine in Windows media player ver9 & Quick Time.

I had previously thought the EV page was a video free zone. But just found out not only can I Drag N Drop these AIFC files but also AVI & MOV.  I then get an "extracting Audio" message & the load is fast. "File info" (Ctr P) for the AIFC = File type is 48k, 32bit, mono, no file extension is shown & if I were to save, my default choice of Windows PCM (*.wav, *.bwf) is shown.

Hehe! It is a video-free zone! Try getting the video back again...