Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

DubLogic19

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 4, 2011
75
0
South Carolina
Okay as most of you will probably understand, most .wav files can be played outright without the need of a seperate program/app, simply by clicking the play button on the file itself. However I've come across several .WAV files that won't appear with the play/pause option, just the ability to open them with my default media player, which happens to be itunes. This is a problem because the files are samples or quick bits of audio and opening each file in itunes is highly unnecessary and bothersome. Why would these files be acting differently and how can I get them to act like most .wav files ?:confused:
 
Nov 28, 2010
22,670
30
located
Last edited:

DubLogic19

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 4, 2011
75
0
South Carolina
I would try VLC Player, and in preferences make VLC the 'preferred player' for .wav files as it were..

If you came from a PC World, I think you wiil find VLC about as easy as it gets to play MOST Video and many Audio files too..

http://videoplayerdl.com/play-wav-files

This doesn't answer my problem, I'm not looking for a media player at all. I want to know why some .wav files won't let me play them only open them, while most .wav files will let me play them as is. This makes little sense to me.
 
Nov 28, 2010
22,670
30
located
This doesn't answer my problem, I'm not looking for a media player at all. I want to know why some .wav files won't let me play them only open them, while most .wav files will let me play them as is. This makes little sense to me.

Does it also happen in another, even temporarily created, user account?

And what Mac OS X version do you use?
 

spoonie1972

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2012
573
153
This doesn't answer my problem, I'm not looking for a media player at all. I want to know why some .wav files won't let me play them only open them, while most .wav files will let me play them as is. This makes little sense to me.

it's possible some .wav or .aiff files are not playable by your player because:

1. they might be 24 bit, and your playback mechanism only supports 16bit
2. they might be higher than 48k, and your playback mechanism doesn't support that.

please note, i have no idea what the internal limitations are of the core-audio onboard macbooks
 

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
This doesn't answer my problem, I'm not looking for a media player at all. I want to know why

SOLLUTIONS: Free. EXPLANATIONS: $$$ :D

At least in Windows' World, not all wavs are uncompressed PCMs, some wavs are compressed in some fashion.

Also in Windows, files have metadata that tells the OS what application is is its default for OPEN and PLAY which can be different or same. Not all MS app use this metadata however.

Do a GET_INFO on those files see what they tell you.
 

bobcan

macrumors 6502a
Jan 8, 2007
680
5
Sunny but Cold.. Canada
The official VLC website: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

Why link to a rather spammy looking site instead of the official? The download link there also downloads the Windows version, thus it looks rather fishy.
Has your account been hacked? Not that the hacker would answer that, it is probably rhetorical.

Agreed 'simsaladimbamba' .. I was 'too quick to post' that one after quickly looking it up via my iPhone.. :eek:

However, seems the OP isn't looking for a Player as much as a reason that his current player does not 'play nice'.. Not so sure that VLC will help with the quick little Bits n Bytes either.. :confused:

Hope the search goes well!! :apple:
 

DubLogic19

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 4, 2011
75
0
South Carolina
it's possible some .wav or .aiff files are not playable by your player because:

1. they might be 24 bit, and your playback mechanism only supports 16bit
2. they might be higher than 48k, and your playback mechanism doesn't support that.

please note, i have no idea what the internal limitations are of the core-audio onboard macbooks

I'm not trying to play them in any player, you know how you can just play the file within the Finder? That's what it won't allow me to do.

----------

Agreed 'simsaladimbamba' .. I was 'too quick to post' that one after quickly looking it up via my iPhone.. :eek:

However, seems the OP isn't looking for a Player as much as a reason that his current player does not 'play nice'.. Not so sure that VLC will help with the quick little Bits n Bytes either.. :confused:

Hope the search goes well!! :apple:

I just want the .wav files to play within the Finder itself as most other audio files will do, the whole point of this is so that I don't have to open the files in a media player.
 

TheRdungeon

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2011
545
93
Not sure if this applies but have you tried clicking once on the file and pressing spacebar to preview it? Probably the same as clicking play but that's what I do to preview samples, agree its annoying when they go in itunes
 

bobcan

macrumors 6502a
Jan 8, 2007
680
5
Sunny but Cold.. Canada
I just want the .wav files to play within the Finder itself as most other audio files will do, the whole point of this is so that I don't have to open the files in a media player.

Hmmmm.. I do understand what you would like to have happen, but I am not so sure FINDER actually 'acts as you think it does'.. FINDER is not a 'player' of any sort, or so I believe, but it will 'Direct the File' selected to be opened by a specified Application.. Methinks.. but I could certainly be mistaken at this hour..

That being said, what other Audio Files are you playing and what Player are they being opened with, if you could confirm by doing what you normally would, and maybe 'Control ~ Clicking' to see what shows up as 'Open With > Preferred'..?? This should confirm what is playing your Files at least..

I guess the other 'solution' would be to convert the .wav files to whatever format you are currently happy with the performance of, if that is possible.. :confused:
 

DubLogic19

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 4, 2011
75
0
South Carolina
Not sure if this applies but have you tried clicking once on the file and pressing spacebar to preview it? Probably the same as clicking play but that's what I do to preview samples, agree its annoying when they go in itunes

The spacebar method is suffice! Thanks everyone who showed interest in helping me.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.