Subject: Re: AUDITORY Digest - 14 Sep 2012 to 15 Sep 2012 (#2012-229) From: Jont Allen <jontalle@xxxxxxxx> Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2012 10:57:44 -0500 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>All, Here is a very simple rule to follow which easily answers the question of file formats: Dont use a proprietary format. Only use a format that has support in the open source community (i.e., Linux/unix). I'm not saying you must use Linux, rather I'm saying make sure somebody can run open-source to read and write that file. Then your safe far into the future. Save your files in an ISO format, such as on a standard DVD. Best to save it to the internet, someplace safe. Be aware of the life-time of the storage medium (dont use magnetic tape, or floppy drives ;-) Jont Allen On 09/15/2012 11:01 PM, AUDITORY automatic digest system wrote: > There are 4 messages totalling 741 lines in this issue. > > Topics of the day: > > 1. Sound file formats for journal 2. Longcat AudioStage (2) 3. Cosyne > 2013 Reminder: Call for Workshop Proposals > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2012 02:15:59 -0400 From: Kevin Austin > <kevin.austin@xxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Sound file formats for > journal > > A somewhat parallel discussion recently took place on the > cec-cnference list stimulated by the announcement / speculation that > Sibelius [music notation program] might cease development. To me, > what became clear [again] is that the file format needs to remain > "independent" of 'interpretation' in order to remain viable for the > future. I have several boxes of disks with files which cannot be > opened, some less than 15 years old. > > Given that bandwidth and memory are no longer major issues in > computing, it seems to me that a 'raw' [equivalent] file format may > be best to survive a couple of decades. The file, while large, would > be independent of the program which would compress / expand it for > transmission. mp3 was created to reduce file size in an era when > bandwidth was an issue. I recall discussions as to whether the CEC > [Canadian Electroacoustic Community] Newsletter and its jukebox > [sonus.ca] should make files available in any other format than mono > 8bit/12kHz sampling. The decision was to store the 'master' file as > 16/44.1 stereo, and convert to 8/12 mono when the file was to be sent > to the modem. [A high speed device that would transfer up to 2400 > bits/sec.] > > With the later decision to store the files as 16/44.1 and stream at > 320 kb/sec, the original files could simply be 'switched over' [or > even made available] when the bandwidth problem was solved. For my > classwork, the minimum acceptable audio format is 24/48kHz, with most > students preferring to work at 32/96kHz, this in a way approximating > a 'raw' format for audio > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format. > > The question is then articulated as what file formats should be > supported for longterm storage, and which for transmission purposes? > Transmission formats could / would change over time, but the 'raw' > would always be resident in the files. > > Kevin >