rewriting timecode on an audio file

[David Aliperti]

is there any way to change the time code on an audio file?

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by David Aliperti

is there any way to change the time code on an audio file?

What kind of timecode and what kind of file? If you're talking about a BWF file such as typically recorded in a current normal file-based recorder, the timecode is recorded as a starting timestamp in the file header but is not recorded as any sort of a track actually embedded in the files alongside the audio. Instead, when the file is played back, the samples are counted and added to the time-stamp to calculate the timecode at any given position within the file. As such, any program able to access and edit the file's metadata will let you reset the starting timecode to anything you want. Changing the start stamp obviously changes all the code subsequently derived from it. One such program is WaveAgent, available as a free download from the Sound Devices website but there are a lot of other utilities that will allow you to do it.

Note that if you're talking about linear timecode, recorded as a track in parallel to the audio tracks, as in the old analog and DAT days, that's another matter entirely.

[David Aliperti]

yes, thats what I meant, i want to change the time code embedded at the momento of recording with an old dat recorder.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by David Aliperti

yes, thats what I meant, i want to change the time code embedded at the momento of recording with an old dat recorder.

What's the file format? Or are you trying to change the original tape?

Why do you need to change it? Just what are you trying to accomplish? If this is the audio that goes with video recorded double system, altering the embedded timecode will destroy its use as a sync reference and render the values moot.