Zoom Gear & Home Recording Forum

Fairly new to the forums so please bear with me if someone has already covered this, but I couldn't find anything after looking.

Having used the Zoom AFM for a couple of weeks now, after getting a second hand MRS-1044 for my birthday, I was frustrated with it for several reasons.

• Difficulty in seeing which V-Take was selected
• Ability to only export one track at a time
• Forgetting to pan a two track Stereo track and ending up with a mono track

I also couldn't see why it was possible to mix tracks with it, surely the job of the DAW?

Since I am a programmer anyway, I thought I would have a go at a better solution, and here is the result, the .DAT -> .WAV file converter for Windows.

You can download it from my web pages at:

[url]http:\\www.philchris.co.uk\MRS-1044\MRS_Convert.zip[/url]

I don't know enough about the other recorders mentioned on these forums, and whether or not they use the same .DAT files, but if so then I would hope that Zoom kept the same format and my program may be used for them as well.

I have written a user guide as well, which is part of the .ZIP file.

Please let me know if this is of any use to anyone, or as I said above, tell me if I have covered old ground.

Thanks, codekiddie. I'll try it out. see if it also wotks with the 1208.

Thanks catrufusblue.

Please do let me know about the 1208.

You didn't need the URL tags. Any URL put into a reply will auto-magically turn into a clickable link.
If you said clickable link to me prior to the late 80's I would think you've lost yer mind.

Try this:

DAT to WAV

To open da link in a new vindow.
Your use of back slashes is what kills the original link. Remember, forward slashes are used on da 'Net!

http://www.philchris.co.uk/MRS-1044/MRS_Convert.zip

Thanks Sungodv.

I was wondering why it didn't work.

Hi fellow Zoomers.

I have been asked if this software will work with all ZOOM recorders. The short answer is 'no', but only because I initially wrote it for the MRS-1044 that I own, and then thought that other MRS-1044 owners might benefit from it so posted it here.

Having looked at other posts, I have become aware that there are several formats that may come out of a Zoom recorder, .DAT, .ZAF, .AUD etc.. so if anyone is interested in the software being able to convert these different file types then I will be more than willing to help out.

I would need a full project for your recorder, and obviously the recorder model in question, to determine the conversion process required.

I am quite happy to do this for the Zoom community, but obviously my work commitments will come first, (since it pays the bills), so please don't expect something overnight.

Regards

Phil

Hi Zoomers.

I have now written a new version of the ZOOM file converter for Windows. The program now supports a number of different recorders namely:

MRS-8
MRS-802
MRS-1044
MRS-1266
MRS-1608

I am hoping to use it for the MRS-4, PS-02 and PS-04 recorders as well, but have not been able to find out the makeup of a project for these recorders yet.

Anybody wanting support for any of these recorders, or indeed any recorders not in the list, is welcome to send me a complete project for me to look at.

You can download the program here:

http://www.philchris.co.uk/zoom-convert ... onvert.zip

Enjoy.

Best regards

Phil

That is just ovr the top cool of you codie!!

Hi Surfercook

I just got lucky really, as I did a little research and found out the other machines used the same AFM, so the app must be compatable!!!

Thought I would post a screenshot to whet your appetite whilst you are away on your winter escape.



Phil

Hi all.

Just uploaded the latest version of the app, which now provides support for Master track conversion, and an option to convert Stereo tracks from what are normally mono tracks on the recorder.

Get the latest version here:

http://www.philchris.co.uk/zoom-convert ... onvert.zip

Best regards

Phil

Dwnlded and ran app in under 2 mins. Converted 7 tracks in 115 secs. Loaded tracks into DAW in 1 min...amazing work on this converter, Phil.
Thanx a bunch...very cool!!

Hi Surfercook.

Glad you like the app. Makes it twice as useful knowing at least one more person is using it.

Are you running an older PC, as it seems like a long conversion time. My biggest project contains a total of 22 tracks, (18 Mono takes and 2 Stereo takes), and only took around 20 seconds to convert the lot, which is less than a second per track.

Even the six track project you sent me, for testing the app, only takes 8 seconds to do. It takes slightly longer per track than the .DAT conversion, as it has to uncompress the data from the .ZAF files.

How long does the AFM take to do a track compared to this method?

Yes...it's a PC I rescued from my mother-in-law's garage, her old one. It's about 5 yrs old.
Compaq Presario
AMD Athlon Proc 2.16 GHz running XP
160 GB hard drive w/1 TB iomega ext
Upgraded the RAM from 512mb to 1GB
Had to install new power supply


It took about the same amount of time to convert all 7 tracks w/your ZOOM_Convert as one track w/ZOOM card manager. So it would have been like 10 mins total w/card manger. Big time saver. The only con I have is the inability to rename tracks w/in ur converter.

I think ZOOM must have felt that it was necessary to allow card manager to do quick mixes for novices who maybe don't have any DAW experience. When I first started using my PC a few yrs ago for music production, it was def handy until I started w/the DAWs. But now that I have learned them, that function has been idle for quite some time. Except once when I was hurried for a quick mix. They meant well incorporating this feature into card manager. If I was in a hurry for a quick mix I would prob run/load it over ur converter. But that it is something that doesn't happen often.

Well my friend, you will be needing to download the code again then, as I have added that functionality for you.

Phil

Ditched the oldie...grabbed the noob. Converted a renamed Master track, excellent. Just what the doctor ordered. Nobel ZOOM prize awarded to codekiddie. Must be a cool place to be...to be able to write software programs. I am truly impressed. Now I can brag to actually have associated w/such a person.
Thanx again, Phil.

Enough already, you are embarrasing me.

You may want to keep it quiet, you have no idea how bad my reputation might be!!!

Glad you liked the new version, (can't believe you "ditched" the oldie so easily). Do you think a better solution would be one box to change all the names in one go? Think I should be able to manage that. Any other feedback or suggestions are welcome - that's normally how something useful and user friendly is written.

Made an executive decision and decided that one dialog box to change all track names was better, (but I kept the change one name at a time option as well).

Guess you might "ditch" yet another copy of my software Surfercook!!!!!