WAV Files

These are some examples of WAV files. The WAV format is one of the simplest for storing audio information. The data is stored "in the raw" with no preprocessing. The WAV format is a Microsoft proprietary format, and is a special case of the RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format) format.

A WAV file contains three chunks of information:

• the RIFF chunk (12 bytes) identifies the file as a WAV file.
• the FORMAT chunk (24 bytes) identifies parameters such as the sample rate.
• the DATA chunk contains the actual samples.

WAV File characteristics:

• binary

Reference:

1. Gunter Born,
   The File Formats Handbook,
   ITP, 1995.
2. Tim Kientzle,
   Internet File Formats,
   Coriolus Group Books, 1995.

Programs to read a WAV file:

• MATLAB can read a WAV file with the wavread routine.

• MATLAB includes a routine called wavwrite that can write information to a WAV file.

Programs to play a WAV file:

• Microsoft Windows Media Player can play a WAV file.

Sample WAV Files:

• thermo.wav, Homer Simpson declares that "In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!";
• woman.wav, the opening bars of "American Woman" by The Guess Who;

You can go up one level to the DATA page.