Does anybody know a program capable of playing back a four-channel wav-file-format ?

Sam S Z · Feb 12, 2005, 12:57 AM

I'm looking for years now for this, because it is already possible to make them.
The protocols for it are written down a long time ago in the Orange Book (about Cd-formats, etc.)

And, because of the current hypes, I mean with emphasis : just four discrete channels simultaneously ..!
So please, no replies about all those silly surround and 5.1 decoding things ..

Judas · Feb 12, 2005, 04:13 AM

windows media player 9 or 10 SHOULD be able to.....

Necrosis · Feb 12, 2005, 06:02 AM

Hmm with the proper sound card, and software yes. I bet Vegas or any audio program that will let you work with multiple channels would let you do it.

Sam S Z · Feb 13, 2005, 01:54 AM

To be more specific : I mean four channels, all in just one wav-file.
Of course I can handle two stereo-files in a multitrack-mixer simultaneously already, if this mixer
can be set to more than one stereo output device.

Necrosis · Feb 13, 2005, 09:07 AM

So you basically want Quadraphonics? Hmm..well it has to be possible since records existed for this years ago. I would be interested if you learn more.

Judas · Feb 13, 2005, 09:17 AM

Microsoft has Media player made to play 4 channel wave files..... quadraphonics wav file..... they even provide the tools to make a 1 all the way through to 8 channel wave files.....

Sam S Z · Feb 13, 2005, 09:46 PM

2Necrosis
Yes I want quadrophonics (it was a good try with those records, but one required a special element). Or as I call it : 4C. If you want to know more about my ideas of this concept, check this :
http://www.xs4all.nl/~samzen/4c/quad.html (unfortunately still only a short version in English)
2Judas
Thanks. Indeed the protocols go up to 8 channels. Is this tool also from Microsoft ? I hope not, to be honest.

Sam S Z · Feb 16, 2005, 01:25 AM

So Media Player can play back those files. Question remains : how ? What's the actual output ?
Is it still mixed down to stereo, or is it possible to assign more output devices ?

**dj_stick** · Feb 16, 2005, 04:06 AM

wmp10 supports upto 5.1 channel files i think

test and see for yourself

Necrosis · Feb 17, 2005, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam S Z

2Necrosis
Yes I want quadrophonics (it was a good try with those records, but one required a special element). Or as I call it : 4C. If you want to know more about my ideas of this concept, check this :
http://www.xs4all.nl/~samzen/4c/quad.html (unfortunately still only a short version in English)
2Judas
Thanks. Indeed the protocols go up to 8 channels. Is this tool also from Microsoft ? I hope not, to be honest.

Do you want to copy some Quadrophonics recordings to a digital format?

Sam S Z · Feb 17, 2005, 03:08 AM

2dj_stick
5.1 ? Read my request at the beginning of this thread.

2Necrosis
No. I simply want to have the convenience to save my 4 channel compositions into one wav-file and be able
to play back that file straight to four amplifiers thus four speakers.
Instead of the method I'm using now : playing back two stereo-wavs simultaneously from a multitrack mixer
with each track assigned to another stereo-output-device. Which works fine, but well, not everybody has a
multitrack-mixer.

MindlessOath · Feb 18, 2005, 08:25 PM

i dont know of any tool to make 4 channel wave files.

tho from what is said above it looks like its possible, i think that Super audio CD's and various types of audio dvd formats can do this effortlessly, but they may be expensive to buy a player etc etc, and that isnt even on topic :P you want a wave to play 4 channels i know :P

interesting idea u have above.

Sam S Z · Feb 19, 2005, 11:45 PM

2MindlessOath
I only know one tool, that has a save-option for this format : ModPlug Tracker. (but no app to open such a file).
Super audio CD's and various types of audio dvd formats should, one may think, because they use more audio channels. But because everything is dedicated to the 5.1 and 7.1 hype, the tracks are not filled with discrete tracks, but with
encoded material.
One can also read the confusion about channels in the above. dj_stick even talks about 5.1 channels. A 10th of a channel, what is that ? Soundcards that have a 5.1-format output will still decode from just a stereo-track, nothing multitrack about it. To know if a soundcard is capable of handling more than 2 channels, one should check the number of inputs of that card, not the number of outputs. Like the Terratec cards.

**dj_stick** · Feb 20, 2005, 12:34 AM

creative 10kX cards have a maximum of 8 or 10 inputs i think

Sam S Z · Feb 20, 2005, 11:52 PM

Thanks. I didn't know Creative produced multitrack cards as well.
According to my concept, a final 8 output channels is enough, nothing more necessary to place a sound anywhere in a room.
Talking about dimensions : Often a surround system is also called '3-D'. This is a mistake. It's still only two dimensions : The x-axis for left and right, and the z-axis for front and rear.

**dj_stick** · Feb 21, 2005, 12:01 AM

you have to use the kX drivers, internal/external drives or custom built connections

Sam S Z · Feb 23, 2005, 11:01 PM

I've checked about the kX drivers and downloaded. But, to be honest, I'm too afraid to use them, because my system is running fine now and I don't want to take any risk by disturbing that. I can playback 4 channels simultaneously with one SB Live! card and one simple Creative 512 PCI card. The second one doesn't even has its driver installed. In my multitrack mixer I can choose which track goes to which card.

stamvas · Mar 12, 2005, 06:03 PM

Well...
Adobe Audition has the Multichannel encoder (or Cool Edit Pro previously) wich allows to do the job you're asking: export a 5.1 channel WAV or WMA file.
After that the WMP 10 ia capable for this kinda playback if your soundcard is multichannel, not only soundblasters but any 5.1 output-capable card.

Steinberg's Wavelab can also do the encoding.

stamvas · Mar 12, 2005, 06:11 PM

If you need to do a quick test :
encode a 5.1 channel WAV. Make this WAV out of 6 seperate tones so that everyone can be recognized( 440hz, 1 khz, 2khz etc.)
Play it with WMP 10 and by cutting off each speaker you can hear if everything is ok!

Feb 12, 2005, 12:57 AM	#1
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	Does anybody know a program capable of playing back a four-channel wav-file-format ? I'm looking for years now for this, because it is already possible to make them. The protocols for it are written down a long time ago in the Orange Book (about Cd-formats, etc.) And, because of the current hypes, I mean with emphasis : just four discrete channels simultaneously ..! So please, no replies about all those silly surround and 5.1 decoding things ..

Feb 18, 2005, 08:25 PM	#12
MindlessOath DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,121 Rep Power: 0	i dont know of any tool to make 4 channel wave files. tho from what is said above it looks like its possible, i think that Super audio CD's and various types of audio dvd formats can do this effortlessly, but they may be expensive to buy a player etc etc, and that isnt even on topic :P you want a wave to play 4 channels i know :P interesting idea u have above. __________________ ATI Radeon X800XT PE <---- LOOK UPDATED!! AMD Athlon 2Ghz, nforce2, 512mb ddr3500 LINKS U SHOULD KNOW!!!! DriverCleaner - use every time u install new drivers! ATI driver feedback - to report driver problems Tacticalcenter - my Gaming website and forums ATI 3rd party Optimized Driver Compairison

Feb 20, 2005, 11:52 PM	Thread Starter #15
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	Thanks. I didn't know Creative produced multitrack cards as well. According to my concept, a final 8 output channels is enough, nothing more necessary to place a sound anywhere in a room. Talking about dimensions : Often a surround system is also called '3-D'. This is a mistake. It's still only two dimensions : The x-axis for left and right, and the z-axis for front and rear. Last edited by Sam S Z; Feb 21, 2005 at 12:01 AM.

Mar 12, 2005, 06:03 PM	#18
stamvas me-myself & I Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Here Posts: 116 Rep Power: 0	Well... Adobe Audition has the Multichannel encoder (or Cool Edit Pro previously) wich allows to do the job you're asking: export a 5.1 channel WAV or WMA file. After that the WMP 10 ia capable for this kinda playback if your soundcard is multichannel, not only soundblasters but any 5.1 output-capable card. Steinberg's Wavelab can also do the encoding. __________________ P4 @3.2Ghz, 2Gb RAM(@ dual channel), 2 WD HDD/320 Gb, 2*external Maxtor 120Gb, Gigabyte GA8IPE1000-G MoBo, Club-3d Radeon9550-256Mb, 2 Philips 190V7 19" LCD displays, SB0090 w Live Drive, DVD-RAM NEC ND4550A, DVD-RW Lite-onSOHW1633S, M-Audio MIDI keyboard MK225C. Laptop-Fujitsu-Siemens AMILO Pro.

Mar 12, 2005, 06:11 PM	#19
stamvas me-myself & I Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Here Posts: 116 Rep Power: 0	If you need to do a quick test : encode a 5.1 channel WAV. Make this WAV out of 6 seperate tones so that everyone can be recognized( 440hz, 1 khz, 2khz etc.) Play it with WMP 10 and by cutting off each speaker you can hear if everything is ok! __________________ P4 @3.2Ghz, 2Gb RAM(@ dual channel), 2 WD HDD/320 Gb, 2*external Maxtor 120Gb, Gigabyte GA8IPE1000-G MoBo, Club-3d Radeon9550-256Mb, 2 Philips 190V7 19" LCD displays, SB0090 w Live Drive, DVD-RAM NEC ND4550A, DVD-RW Lite-onSOHW1633S, M-Audio MIDI keyboard MK225C. Laptop-Fujitsu-Siemens AMILO Pro.

Feb 12, 2005, 06:02 AM	#3
Necrosis HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,838 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Hmm with the proper sound card, and software yes. I bet Vegas or any audio program that will let you work with multiple channels would let you do it.

Feb 13, 2005, 01:54 AM	Thread Starter #4
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	To be more specific : I mean four channels, all in just one wav-file. Of course I can handle two stereo-files in a multitrack-mixer simultaneously already, if this mixer can be set to more than one stereo output device.

Feb 13, 2005, 09:07 AM	#5
Necrosis HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,838 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	So you basically want Quadraphonics? Hmm..well it has to be possible since records existed for this years ago. I would be interested if you learn more.

Feb 13, 2005, 09:46 PM	Thread Starter #7
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	2Necrosis Yes I want quadrophonics (it was a good try with those records, but one required a special element). Or as I call it : 4C. If you want to know more about my ideas of this concept, check this : http://www.xs4all.nl/~samzen/4c/quad.html (unfortunately still only a short version in English) 2Judas Thanks. Indeed the protocols go up to 8 channels. Is this tool also from Microsoft ? I hope not, to be honest.

Feb 16, 2005, 01:25 AM	Thread Starter #8
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	So Media Player can play back those files. Question remains : how ? What's the actual output ? Is it still mixed down to stereo, or is it possible to assign more output devices ?

Feb 17, 2005, 03:08 AM	Thread Starter #11
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	2dj_stick 5.1 ? Read my request at the beginning of this thread. 2Necrosis No. I simply want to have the convenience to save my 4 channel compositions into one wav-file and be able to play back that file straight to four amplifiers thus four speakers. Instead of the method I'm using now : playing back two stereo-wavs simultaneously from a multitrack mixer with each track assigned to another stereo-output-device. Which works fine, but well, not everybody has a multitrack-mixer.

Feb 19, 2005, 11:45 PM	Thread Starter #13
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	2MindlessOath I only know one tool, that has a save-option for this format : ModPlug Tracker. (but no app to open such a file). Super audio CD's and various types of audio dvd formats should, one may think, because they use more audio channels. But because everything is dedicated to the 5.1 and 7.1 hype, the tracks are not filled with discrete tracks, but with encoded material. One can also read the confusion about channels in the above. dj_stick even talks about 5.1 channels. A 10th of a channel, what is that ? Soundcards that have a 5.1-format output will still decode from just a stereo-track, nothing multitrack about it. To know if a soundcard is capable of handling more than 2 channels, one should check the number of inputs of that card, not the number of outputs. Like the Terratec cards.

Feb 23, 2005, 11:01 PM	Thread Starter #17
Sam S Z DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Netherland Posts: 19 Rep Power: 0	I've checked about the kX drivers and downloaded. But, to be honest, I'm too afraid to use them, because my system is running fine now and I don't want to take any risk by disturbing that. I can playback 4 channels simultaneously with one SB Live! card and one simple Creative 512 PCI card. The second one doesn't even has its driver installed. In my multitrack mixer I can choose which track goes to which card.