Win Media 10: Need 24 bit/48 kHz PCM Codec (.wav)

Soniclight wrote on 12/9/2007, 12:19 AM

I'm focusing on creating music these days (video is on hiatus) but ... I can't play higher quality = 24 bit/48 kHz PCM sample .wav files in Windows Media Player v.10 (v. 11 is too buggy for me). I can pop 'em into Vegas or Cubase and they play fine, but for quick auditions, I like to use WM when surfing the Net, etc.

Any ideas on how to -- safely -- add such a codec to WM 10?
Thanks.

Comments

MarkWWW wrote on 12/9/2007, 7:16 AM

Technically speaking it's not that WMP is missing a codec, it's that it doesn't accept "standard" (WAVEFORMATEX) .wav files in 24-bit format - it will only accept 24-bit audio in.wav files that are in the newer WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE format.

It's unclear whether Microsoft have done this deliberately to be annoying or have just repeatedly forgotten to fix the oversight. Either way, the effect is that WMP can't play 24-bit .wav files created by most audio software.

Fortunately it is easy to add this ability to WMP. Just download and install the Legacy Audio HD Filter from here - look under Useful Apps for an explanation (along with source code if you are interested).

Mark

Soniclight wrote on 12/9/2007, 11:17 AM

Mark,

Thanks for the info and link/tip -- I downloaded the two necessary .zip files, but doubt I know how to implement it. I wish there were more instructive, step-by-step, uh, instructions about and why to use the source code thing :(

Worse case scenario, I'll just create a one track Cubase or Vegas project and use that to audition such files. A tad more tedious, but do-able.

MarkWWWW wrote on 12/10/2007, 5:55 AM

There's only one zip file needed (you don't need the source code - I only mentioned that in case you were interested to see how it worked).

Once you've unzipped the file, just do as it says on the webpage - "Save the .ax file somewhere convenient on your system and register it from the command line with regsvr32 AudioTypeConvert.ax".

To be a bit more long-winded (in case those instructions are too concise for you), what you need to do is this:

1. Download the AudioTypeConvert.zip file.

2. Unzip it - it just contains one file called AudioTypeConvert.ax

3. Copy this file to somewhere safe - I'd suggest you make a directory for it somewhere, e.g. C:\WmpFix

4. Open up a CMD window by clicking on Start|Run... and typing CMD and pressing OK.

5. In the CMD window, change directory to the location you have saved the .ax file to, e.g.:

cd c:\WmpFix

6. In the CMD window, register the file with the system by typing:

regsvr32 AudioTypeConvert.ax

7. You should see a message saying that the file has registered OK.

8. Close the CMD windows and open up WMP. You should now find that it will play 24-bit .wav files.

Mark

Soniclight wrote on 12/10/2007, 10:08 AM

Bingo! Much appreciate the clarification-instructions.

jbolley wrote on 12/10/2007, 10:34 AM

Mark,
I have been looking for a fix to this for YEARS!
THANK YOU!!

Jesse