Hi Steve.

WaveLab 8.5 generates the internal MD5 when it is saving the file not when it is opening it so you can't view it until it has been re-opened.

BWF MetaEdit is a multi-purpose utility that can be used to read and export a huge selection of metadata from the header of a WAV file (or a folder of WAV files if you prefer). The metadata selected in the Option/Preference settings can be exported to a CSV or XML file. You choose between a graphic user interface or a command line one. The GUI allows drag-and-drop for file selection. If you are not asking it to generate the MD5 hash (for insertion or confirmation) in the Option/Preference settings, it will extract the metadata very quickly indeed.

In this context, BWF MetaEdit makes no changes to the file so there's no risk of corruption - a problem we experience with its sister utility AVIMetaEdit!

All the Best
Nigel

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steven Smolian
Sent: Wednesday, 20 May 2015 2:48 a.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] another file format question

Hi Richard the Ever-Helpful,

When opening the file in Wavelab 8.5 after running the MD% check box option, there are three distinct segments in the RH top panel that shows in bold Metadata, BWG and MD5, with the added or derived components listed under each.

At this point, I copy and paste to a spreadsheet, a time-consuming, laborious process, especially as most of what I'm doing this is for large groups of under-15 minute files. There's GOT to be a better way to find a dedicated utility for this without getting tangled up in larger, more expensive and more "learning required" programs.

Steve


-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard L. Hess
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2015 10:16 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] another file format question

Hi, Steve,

This is much harder than track formats and balanced audio interconnects <sigh>.

To the best of my knowledge, the only way to put an MD5 checksum (let's call it that or hash if you will) into a Broadcast WAV file is to use BWF MetaEdit which Dave Rice helped create.

It is available here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bwfmetaedit/

I see there has been an update within the last month (I had gotten tired of checking for updates for a while) which is good news and I conditionally retract my comment about it being "buggy" until this version is proven--hopefully it won't be buggy.

I use three applications which can create BWF metadata:
Sound Devices recorder
Samplitude ProX2 Suite
Izotope RX4

All three can make a "created date," but RX re-creates that if working on a file made on the Sound Devices recorder.

The MD5 checksum is NOT part of the BWF unique identifier and recorder information. It is a separate chunk, as far as I can tell, specific to this function.

It may be that Wavelab can write the MD5 checksum chunk into the file.
(The biggest chunk in the WAV file is the actual audio data, what SMPTE calls the "essence" and then there are little chunks for various tags.
Broadcast WAV "bext" chunk is the one with the coding "history" which I use advisedly.)

Wavelab has been embraced by the archival field and may have integraged the MD5 checksum architecture embodied in BWF MetaEdit.

If you created the file in Wavelab and then added the MD5 checksum in Wavelab (assuming it might do that) OR BWF MetaEdit and then processed the file in iZotope RX4 and exported it, retaining the original MD5 checksum would be illogical as the only reason to run RX4 would be to modify the contents of the audio chunk which would then invalidate the
MD5 checksum.

I have abandoned the use of internal MD5 checksums for files and still use FastSum to create external MD5 checksum files which then FastSum can automatically check.

I do not know if the fixity checkers that are available work with MD5 files created by FastSum, but my intent is allow my clients to verify the files after download as I deliver much of my final work product electronically.

Does this help at all to get you over the hump you are experiencing?

Cheers,

Richard



On 2015-05-18 3:45 PM, Steven Smolian wrote:
> Hi, Richard,
>
> This is precisely what I am doing- or think I'm doing, including unchecking the 32 bit box in RX4. . I look at the metadata in Wavelapb 8.5 but see no MD5 number. When I navigate to the check box for same in Waveab, the gear logo remains in the box at the upper left but doesn't turn or indicate it's alive in any way.
>
> I suppose I'm looking for a utility into which I can paste the filename that I want the MD5 number for and it will run the program and fill in the numbers. I would then like to export it to the hard drive on which I have loaded the identical files (I hope), have it calculate those as well and insert them in another column to the right of the first one, all as a plug-in or an integral part of one of these two programs. Is there such an animal?
>
> Steve
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard L. Hess
> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2015 2:43 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] another file format question
>
> Hi, Steve,
>
> What I was thinking of in iZotope was the Export File dialogue which contains, across the top:
>
> WAV, AIFF, FLAC, OGG
>
> For WAV, the options are:
>
> Bit depth, Dither
>
> (check) BWF (check) Preserve non-audio data
>
> (check) Reopen file in RX OK Cancel
>
> It is the two check boxes below Bit depth and dither:
>
> When exporting from RX, the WAV file is created anew.
>
> With BWF checked, I think that passes through the other BWF data.
>
> With Preserve non-audio data, I think that passes through other data (such as the BWF MetaEdit MD5 checksum and probably the tags that Tom is discussing).
>
> Thanks for asking, Steve. I just posted this to the RX forum:
>
>> I may be confused with this, but if I open a Broadcast Wave file
>> (generated on a Sound Devices 722) in RX4 and then save it with the
>> BWF option checked, it replaces the Sound Devices origination stamp
>> with its own and the current date.
>>
>> I thought that the Origination stamp should not be over-written, but
>> that RX should write into the coding history that it had processed
>> the file.
>>
>> I don't know if this is a bug or not, but it seems not to work the
>> way I thought it should.
>
> I know nothing about WaveLab since 6.1.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
>
>
> On 2015-05-18 2:07 PM, Steven Smolian wrote:
>> Hi, Richard,
>>
>> I'm using Izotope- great program.
>>
>> However, I've not tried the MD5 option (nor even looked for it) as
>> Izotope stores everything in 32 bit floating format and I usually
>> convert to 24 bits so I know it plays on other machines. I'm afraid
>> to get it come up with a code with the 32 floating as part of the
>> imbedded code which won't match the 24 bits in which I ultimately
>> save the file. Comments?
>>
>> So I export to Wavelab 8.5 where I add metadata. It shows me the
>> MD5 logo, I hit the checkbox to invoke it, but nothing happens. I'm
>> awaiting an email back from Steinberg about this.
>>
>> Steve
>
--
Richard L. Hess email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada 647 479 2800
http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.