Lou, I think WAV is a way to store PCM data too. I think it's just another CODEC like FLAC, but 
let's see what the computer experts say.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lou Judson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2015 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Is it time to rethink FLAC ?


> Thanks Richard, but I don’t think so. I own a SD 744 and as the manual you quote says, it records 
> uncompressed PCM but can store in a variety of compressed formats, one of which is FLAC. To me at 
> least, that only reinforces my point - FLAC is a way to store PCM or WAV, not an actual recording 
> format.
>
> In other words, it compreses digital audio, but is not digital audio in itself. That is not to say 
> it isn’t effective and good, just that it is not a format but rather a compression scheme. I would 
> only use it to store audio for long term… not as preservation…
>
> Like rtf is a way to store ASCII data, but isn’t writing without it.
>
> I don’t know why I care so much, except that it seems the Australian claims are not what they 
> think they are.
>
> <L>
> Lou Judson
> Intuitive Audio
> 415-883-2689
>
> On May 18, 2015, at 9:21 AM, Richard L. Hess <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> On 2015-05-18 11:49 AM, Lou Judson wrote (in part):
>>> According to my understanding, FLAC is a non-lossy compression scene
>>> applied to WAV and PCM files, not a digital encoding format in
>>> itself. If that is so, then one must start with WAV (or other PCM
>>> format) files in order to get to FLAC. Therefore FLAC is an
>>> accessory, not a proper format.
>>>
>>> If this is so, then it can only be seen as a storage format, not a
>>> recording format, and the argument is academic.
>>>
>> And that is precisely how the National Library of Australia's software seems to be using it. 
>> However, it is a recording format in one instance which I own:
>>
>> From the Sound Devices 722 firmware version 2-67 manual:
>>
>>> Thank you for purchasing the 722. The super-compact 722 records and
>>> plays back audio to and from its internal hard drive or CompactFlash
>>> medium, making field recording simple and fast. It writes and reads
>>> uncompressed PCM audio at 16 or 24 bits with sample rates between 32
>>> kHz and 192 kHz. It also writes and reads data compressed FLAC and
>>> audio compressed MP2 and MP3 files.
>>
>>
>> From the current Samplitude ProX2 manual:
>>
>>> The following formats are supported and read directly by Samplitude:
>>> Wave files (.wav), MP3/MPEG files (.mp3, .mpg, .mus), QuickTime
>>> files (.aif), MS Audio files (.asf, .wma), Ogg Vorbis (.ogg), FLAC
>>> (.flac), MIDI files (.mid), video files (.avi), and playlists (.m3u,
>>> .cue).
>>
>> Samplitude and the RME Fireface UFX both directly record in WAV files.
>> The Fireface UFX uses a poly WAV file (as do the SD products) to avoid
>> having many open files.
>>
>> Samplitude exports to FLAC directly through commands.
>>
>> So, at least in my world, FLAC support is fairly broad, but, Lou, as you state, it is not used 
>> directly for recording (in my world) except for the SD722 (and I do not use that feature).
>>
>> When Exact Audio Copy rips a CD to FLAC it first rips to WAV and then runs the external FLAC 
>> compressor, but although that is the way it is often used, the presence of the SD capability 
>> indicates to me that it is a stand-alone format, not an accessory.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Richard
>> -- 
>> 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.
>
>