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UNIX based audio file

andyx181x

andyx181x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 28, 2008
132
5
hello there folks, got a curiosity here. I recently was going threw some old programs for my old mac back on the good old Mac OS 9.2 days, and i found a file folder containing special sounds from a popular video games Metal Gear Solid 2. Back then these sounds could be used to replace certain action sounds for the OS or for AIM messenger. now as i try and use it OS X 10.4.11 i really have no options on what to do with them. it plays the sound in the info window but i don't know what program will actually open it. i'm hoping to convert them to a different type of audio file and use it for the sounds in the system preferences, or better yet use it garageband to make ring tones for the iphone. as mentioned before it says its a Unix base file, if anyone is interested i can email you a file (ridiculously small barley even a 1000 KB at most), and miind tinkering with it
 
andyx181x said:
hello there folks, got a curiosity here. I recently was going threw some old programs for my old mac back on the good old Mac OS 9.2 days, and i found a file folder containing special sounds from a popular video games Metal Gear Solid 2. Back then these sounds could be used to replace certain action sounds for the OS or for AIM messenger. now as i try and use it OS X 10.4.11 i really have no options on what to do with them. it plays the sound in the info window but i don't know what program will actually open it. i'm hoping to convert them to a different type of audio file and use it for the sounds in the system preferences, or better yet use it garageband to make ring tones for the iphone. as mentioned before it says its a Unix base file, if anyone is interested i can email you a file (ridiculously small barley even a 1000 KB at most), and miind tinkering with it
Click to expand...

If it plays in the info window, it means quicktime will recognize it. So you could re-encode the files in quicktime pro.
I'd also imagine that if quicktime recognizes the files, then iTunes will seeing as it runs off the quicktime engine.
 
that sounds like my only option, is there any other programs that might be able to convert these files? i'm just saying cause i would have to obviously pay for the upgrade to quicktime pro. garageband didn't work either for these files
 
andyx181x said:
sorry its been a while since i heard file extension, please tell me where i get that info
Click to expand...

You know the way an mpeg 4 audio file will have .m4a at the end of it, or a wave file WAV, etc.
Does it have a .*** next to its name? Or when you open up the info box, do you see the full name under 'Name and Extension'?


In the meantime try one of these and tell us how it goes:

Max

Switch
 
junior said:
You know the way an mpeg 4 audio file will have .m4a at the end of it, or a wave file WAV, etc.
Does it have a .*** next to its name? Or when you open up the info box, do you see the full name under 'Name and Extension'?


In the meantime try one of these and tell us how it goes:

Max

Switch
Click to expand...



there are no file extensions names what so ever for the files, not even under the info, they are stand alone files with the name of the sound it produces
 
They're called Unix base files because OS X automatically calls anything that has no extension and does not identify its file type that. If they're sound files from OS 9, they probably are AIFF files. I think Max (linked above) or Audacity or something like that should convert them.
 
all three of the programs didn't work, max wouldn't even accept them for opening, switch couldn't convert them cause it doesn't understand whats their format, and audacity keeps crashing when i try to open them
 
Try using file /path/to/audio_file and see what it says about it, it should have some idea of what type/format it is.
 
andyx181x said:
how do i do that? lol
Click to expand...

You go to your Applications folder then Utilities folder click on the Terminal application once opened you type in the command and the path to the file you want the information on, it will show similar to the below.

Code: 
:~ MacUser2525$ file /Volumes/music/ogg/38_special/bone_against_steel-1991/38_Special-Bone_Against_Steel-01-The_Sound_Of_Your_Voice.ogg 

/Volumes/music/ogg/38_special/bone_against_steel-1991/38_Special-Bone_Against_Steel-01-The_Sound_Of_Your_Voice.ogg: Ogg data, Vorbis audio, stereo, 44100 Hz, ~112001 bps, created by: Xiph.Org libVorbis I (1.0.1)
 
MacUser2525 said:
You go to your Applications folder then Utilities folder click on the Terminal application once opened you type in the command and the path to the file you want the information on, it will show similar to the below.

Code: 
:~ MacUser2525$ file /Volumes/music/ogg/38_special/bone_against_steel-1991/38_Special-Bone_Against_Steel-01-The_Sound_Of_Your_Voice.ogg 

/Volumes/music/ogg/38_special/bone_against_steel-1991/38_Special-Bone_Against_Steel-01-The_Sound_Of_Your_Voice.ogg: Ogg data, Vorbis audio, stereo, 44100 Hz, ~112001 bps, created by: Xiph.Org libVorbis I (1.0.1)
Click to expand...


let me know if i'm doing something wrong, i went ahead and took one of the files out of its folders and simpy placed in the music volume and i been typing it like this:

file/Volumes/music/aiff/ItemUsed

i put the aiff at the end of it to help better find it but it still claims the file doesn't exist, does it have anything to do that i originally set it to open under garageband?
 
andyx181x said:
let me know if i'm doing something wrong, i went ahead and took one of the files out of its folders and simpy placed in the music volume and i been typing it like this:

file/Volumes/music/aiff/ItemUsed

i put the aiff at the end of it to help better find it but it still claims the file doesn't exist, does it have anything to do that i originally set it to open under garageband?
Click to expand...


Just upload the frickin' file onto yousendit!
 
andyx181x said:
let me know if i'm doing something wrong, i went ahead and took one of the files out of its folders and simpy placed in the music volume and i been typing it like this:

file/Volumes/music/aiff/ItemUsed

i put the aiff at the end of it to help better find it but it still claims the file doesn't exist, does it have anything to do that i originally set it to open under garageband?
Click to expand...

You need a space after file and before /Volumes

Oh, and make sure it is the correct path on your computer, not the one shown above.
 
andyx181x said:
you going to give me money to start an account?
Click to expand...

Type this in Google:

free file upload


There will be a gazillion number of free services available.
Are you going to pay us for the help being provided?:rolleyes:
 
Some formats may only be 'read' by middleware such as CRI or Wwise that are used to develop the game audio. You would need developer SDK, also which is not available unless you are working on the game. :)

Doing a

'file filename'

does not do any good. One of the files is named 'exit.'

$ file exit

gives this output:

$ exit: empty

All files range from 40KB to 704KB, so probably little sound effects.


[And btw the file you sent is not in a zip, but rather stuff-it. There is no need for stuff it anymore, as compression is built into OS X 10.4 and up.

Just right click on the file and add to archive/compress , etc.]
 
Okay, figured it out!

Well, it's not as simple a process as pressing a convert button on an app, seeing as nobody knows what file format it is, but there is a way nonetheless.

Toast recognizes these files as audio (Mine's toast9 but I'm sure previous versions will be fine). So select the audio CD option, drag the files in there, choose 'save as disk image' and save it onto your desktop or whatever.
Then go to the file that was created, right click and choose 'mount'.
You'll now have an audio CD image mounted, so go to itunes and import these files in a format of your choice.

Done!
 
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