Wave files that won't work in Logic

Question

Level 1

9 points

Wave files that won't work in Logic

Hello!

I started to import several wav files for mixning session the other day, songs with 40-60 tracks/stems.

Suddenly Logic started to hang up and I realized that it was just some (not all) of the wav files that caused this problem.

These files makes logic pro hang on 3 of my computers and a friend also confirmed this, so its not a "try to reinstall matter".

What I know:

1. These wav files open with no problems in Cubase, Ableton and Reaper.

2. It also makes GarageBand hang.

3. It doesn't seem to be any difference between the the working wav files and the wav files that makes logic hang, they are all 24 bit 44,kHz, mono (some stereo) and the length doesn't seem to be a matter (working/not working files can be longer or shorter in time).

4. If I open a non working wav file in cubase etc, bounce it again it works (but this doesn't solve the problem right.. Its still a problem).

5. The wav files from my client comes from Cubase, he can´t see any connections why some files don't work.

6. The bad files work fine in preview and itunes

I haven't had any problem importing wav files in my 7 years of working with Logic until now.

Anyone else encountered this? Suggestions?

/Eric

Logic Pro X, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on May 4, 2015 1:09 PM

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Answer 1

May 4, 2015 1:31 PM in response to Eric Vo

It sounds like there is some form of corruption going on with the original wave files.. as saving them out again fixes the problem.

Maybe related to Cubase........

However....

Given it hangs GB as well as LPX it probably rules out either app itself as the issue.. (though they might be sharing some part of OS X's file handling so that could be a suspect too) so then it comes down to File problems or the medium they are being stored on or transported by from PC to Mac.... and that causing some kind of random corruption which prevents them from correctly loading into a Mac app....

When you say they open fine in Ableton.. is that on the same Mac from the same location?

Other possibilities...

OS X issue...

Use of Paragon's NTFS driver on a Mac which can be flakey to say the least, at times.. ..... (if the files are being transported via a NTFS formatted drive?)

Memory problems / lack of... on your Mac?

Free space left on your system drive? (You should have about 30% free for optimal OS X performance...)

Failing all of this..

Upload one of the non working files to say dropbox.. post up a link and Ill see what i can find out about the file and why it won't load... if that is, it wont load on my systems either ...

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Answer 2

Eric Vo Author

Level 1

9 points

May 4, 2015 2:29 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Thanks for replying!

Sharing a dopbox link here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bgifmf2m3f3ktdw/Bas.wav?dl=0

This is just one of the wave files that mysterious wont work in logic.

As for mac apps, iTunes and preview handle the file well, so it may be something about GB and Logic trying to convert it to an aiff file (as i assume it does when imported?).

When you say they open fine in Ableton.. is that on the same Mac from the same location?

Cant say about Ableton, it was just a friend of mine trying and it worked fine, same goes for Reaper and Cubase.

Use of Paragon's NTFS driver on a Mac which can be flakey to say the least, at times.. ..... (if the files are being transported via a NTFS formatted drive?)

Don't know what Paragon's NTFS is, my client work on a PC and delivered the files on a random USB 2.0 drive and I copied the files directly to my Mac Pro (2013 with its preinstalled SSD drive). My guess is that it won't change the problem but I can ask him to resend a nonworking file differently, I will return in this matter.

Memory problems / lack of... on your Mac?

Free space left on your system drive? (You should have about 30% free for optimal OS X performance...)

No memory or space problems for sure, its also tested on 4 different macs.

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Answer 3

May 4, 2015 3:59 PM in response to Eric Vo

The problem appears to be.. the header information in the wave file is incorrect or is being interpreted incorrectly....

OS X sees the file as a 24bit audio file but an app like VLC sees it as the 32bit floating point audio file...

So... The bas.wav file you uploaded is actually a 32bit audio file not a 24bit.. and Logic does not support the import of 32bit audio files.. hence the problem I suspect.

Ableton does support 32bit audio files.. I don't know about Reaper...

Trying to load up a 32bit audio file in LPX results in a hang or crash at this time... Poor error checking I suspect....

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Answer 4

Pancenter

Level 6

14,644 points

May 4, 2015 5:08 PM in response to Eric Vo

I can confirm, the file is a 32-bit floating point file...

Loads into everything on my PC, even Windows Media Player plays it. Mac Reaper loads it as well.

You can use the free cross-platform Audacity to convert it to standard 24-bit file.

Use "Export" Then "Other Uncompressed Files".

Format = wav file 24-bit signed

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Answer 5

May 4, 2015 5:21 PM in response to Pancenter

Thanks Pancenter for the comfirmation...

...and for the suggestion to use the excellent Audacity to convert it over to 24bit..

The weird thing about the file is, however, that OS X (via get info) deems it to be a 24bit audio file... even though it is a 32bit FP audio file..

Bug in OS X maybe... or something unusual about the file header?

I was wondering if that is why Logic hangs or actually crashes when you try to import it in to a project.... because it thinks it is a 24bit audio file...

Odd!

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Answer 6

Pancenter

Level 6

14,644 points

May 4, 2015 8:21 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Yes, same here... don't quote me on this but a 32-bit floating point file actually contains 24-bit audio in a 32-bit format. The extra 8-bits on top allow a lot of processing to be done without affecting or degrading the audio. This is how SoundForge shows it... Audacity lists it as a 32-bit float file.

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Answer 7

May 4, 2015 8:44 PM in response to Pancenter

Ah.. that does indeed make sense....

Thanks Clancy...

Cheers..

Nigel

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Answer 8

Eric Vo Author

Level 1

9 points

May 4, 2015 10:34 PM in response to Eric Vo

Thanks guys!

I would definitely considered that problem but assumed it was 24 bit cause of the data information in finder.

I know Logic runs in 32 bit internal so I checked it now and it seem that Logic only support 32-bit i AIFF format (could not even export a 32 bit wav file). So I exported a aiff file and this is stated as a 32 bit in finder.

Thanks again for tracking down the problem. This might be something for apple to ad as a feature in both the OS and Logic 😉

/Eric

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