Creative Voice File is a container file format for digital audio wave data. Initial revisions were able to support only unsigned 8-bit PCM and ADPCM data, later versions were revised to add support for 16-bit PCM and a-law / u-law formats.
This format was actively used in 1990s, around the advent of Creative's sound cards (Sound Blaster family). It was a popular choice for a digital sound container in lots of games and multimedia software due to simplicity and availability of Creative's recording / editing tools.
This page hosts a formal specification of Creative Voice File using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.
All parsing code for C# generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the C# runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.
The C# runtime library is available in the NuGet Gallery. Installation instructions can also be found there.
Parse a local file and get structure in memory:
var data = CreativeVoiceFile.FromFile("path/to/local/file.voc");
Or parse structure from a byte array:
byte[] someArray = new byte[] { ... };
var data = new CreativeVoiceFile(new KaitaiStream(someArray));
After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by accessing properties like:
data.HeaderSize // => Total size of this main header (usually 0x001A)
// This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
using System.Collections.Generic;
namespace Kaitai
{
/// <summary>
/// Creative Voice File is a container file format for digital audio
/// wave data. Initial revisions were able to support only unsigned
/// 8-bit PCM and ADPCM data, later versions were revised to add support
/// for 16-bit PCM and a-law / u-law formats.
///
/// This format was actively used in 1990s, around the advent of
/// Creative's sound cards (Sound Blaster family). It was a popular
/// choice for a digital sound container in lots of games and multimedia
/// software due to simplicity and availability of Creative's recording
/// / editing tools.
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class CreativeVoiceFile : KaitaiStruct
{
public static CreativeVoiceFile FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new CreativeVoiceFile(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public enum BlockTypes
{
Terminator = 0,
SoundData = 1,
SoundDataCont = 2,
Silence = 3,
Marker = 4,
Text = 5,
RepeatStart = 6,
RepeatEnd = 7,
ExtraInfo = 8,
SoundDataNew = 9,
}
public enum Codecs
{
Pcm8bitUnsigned = 0,
Adpcm4bit = 1,
Adpcm26bit = 2,
Adpcm2Bit = 3,
Pcm16bitSigned = 4,
Alaw = 6,
Ulaw = 7,
Adpcm4To16bit = 512,
}
public CreativeVoiceFile(KaitaiStream p__io, KaitaiStruct p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root ?? this;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_magic = m_io.ReadBytes(20);
if (!((KaitaiStream.ByteArrayCompare(Magic, new byte[] { 67, 114, 101, 97, 116, 105, 118, 101, 32, 86, 111, 105, 99, 101, 32, 70, 105, 108, 101, 26 }) == 0)))
{
throw new ValidationNotEqualError(new byte[] { 67, 114, 101, 97, 116, 105, 118, 101, 32, 86, 111, 105, 99, 101, 32, 70, 105, 108, 101, 26 }, Magic, M_Io, "/seq/0");
}
_headerSize = m_io.ReadU2le();
_version = m_io.ReadU2le();
_checksum = m_io.ReadU2le();
_blocks = new List<Block>();
{
var i = 0;
while (!m_io.IsEof) {
_blocks.Add(new Block(m_io, this, m_root));
i++;
}
}
}
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice#Block_type_0x04:_Marker">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class BlockMarker : KaitaiStruct
{
public static BlockMarker FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new BlockMarker(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public BlockMarker(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile.Block p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_markerId = m_io.ReadU2le();
}
private ushort _markerId;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile.Block m_parent;
/// <summary>
/// Marker ID
/// </summary>
public ushort MarkerId { get { return _markerId; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile.Block M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice#Block_type_0x03:_Silence">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class BlockSilence : KaitaiStruct
{
public static BlockSilence FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new BlockSilence(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public BlockSilence(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile.Block p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
f_sampleRate = false;
f_durationSec = false;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_durationSamples = m_io.ReadU2le();
_freqDiv = m_io.ReadU1();
}
private bool f_sampleRate;
private double _sampleRate;
public double SampleRate
{
get
{
if (f_sampleRate)
return _sampleRate;
_sampleRate = (double) ((1000000.0 / (256 - FreqDiv)));
f_sampleRate = true;
return _sampleRate;
}
}
private bool f_durationSec;
private double _durationSec;
/// <summary>
/// Duration of silence, in seconds
/// </summary>
public double DurationSec
{
get
{
if (f_durationSec)
return _durationSec;
_durationSec = (double) ((DurationSamples / SampleRate));
f_durationSec = true;
return _durationSec;
}
}
private ushort _durationSamples;
private byte _freqDiv;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile.Block m_parent;
/// <summary>
/// Duration of silence, in samples
/// </summary>
public ushort DurationSamples { get { return _durationSamples; } }
/// <summary>
/// Frequency divisor, used to determine sample rate
/// </summary>
public byte FreqDiv { get { return _freqDiv; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile.Block M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice#Block_type_0x09:_Sound_data_.28New_format.29">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class BlockSoundDataNew : KaitaiStruct
{
public static BlockSoundDataNew FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new BlockSoundDataNew(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public BlockSoundDataNew(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile.Block p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_sampleRate = m_io.ReadU4le();
_bitsPerSample = m_io.ReadU1();
_numChannels = m_io.ReadU1();
_codec = ((CreativeVoiceFile.Codecs) m_io.ReadU2le());
_reserved = m_io.ReadBytes(4);
_wave = m_io.ReadBytesFull();
}
private uint _sampleRate;
private byte _bitsPerSample;
private byte _numChannels;
private Codecs _codec;
private byte[] _reserved;
private byte[] _wave;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile.Block m_parent;
public uint SampleRate { get { return _sampleRate; } }
public byte BitsPerSample { get { return _bitsPerSample; } }
public byte NumChannels { get { return _numChannels; } }
public Codecs Codec { get { return _codec; } }
public byte[] Reserved { get { return _reserved; } }
public byte[] Wave { get { return _wave; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile.Block M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
public partial class Block : KaitaiStruct
{
public static Block FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new Block(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Block(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
f_bodySize = false;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_blockType = ((CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes) m_io.ReadU1());
if (BlockType != CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.Terminator) {
_bodySize1 = m_io.ReadU2le();
}
if (BlockType != CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.Terminator) {
_bodySize2 = m_io.ReadU1();
}
if (BlockType != CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.Terminator) {
switch (BlockType) {
case CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.SoundDataNew: {
__raw_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
var io___raw_body = new KaitaiStream(__raw_body);
_body = new BlockSoundDataNew(io___raw_body, this, m_root);
break;
}
case CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.RepeatStart: {
__raw_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
var io___raw_body = new KaitaiStream(__raw_body);
_body = new BlockRepeatStart(io___raw_body, this, m_root);
break;
}
case CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.Marker: {
__raw_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
var io___raw_body = new KaitaiStream(__raw_body);
_body = new BlockMarker(io___raw_body, this, m_root);
break;
}
case CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.SoundData: {
__raw_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
var io___raw_body = new KaitaiStream(__raw_body);
_body = new BlockSoundData(io___raw_body, this, m_root);
break;
}
case CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.ExtraInfo: {
__raw_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
var io___raw_body = new KaitaiStream(__raw_body);
_body = new BlockExtraInfo(io___raw_body, this, m_root);
break;
}
case CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.Silence: {
__raw_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
var io___raw_body = new KaitaiStream(__raw_body);
_body = new BlockSilence(io___raw_body, this, m_root);
break;
}
default: {
_body = m_io.ReadBytes(BodySize);
break;
}
}
}
}
private bool f_bodySize;
private int? _bodySize;
/// <summary>
/// body_size is a 24-bit little-endian integer, so we're
/// emulating that by adding two standard-sized integers
/// (body_size1 and body_size2).
/// </summary>
public int? BodySize
{
get
{
if (f_bodySize)
return _bodySize;
if (BlockType != CreativeVoiceFile.BlockTypes.Terminator) {
_bodySize = (int) ((BodySize1 + (BodySize2 << 16)));
}
f_bodySize = true;
return _bodySize;
}
}
private BlockTypes _blockType;
private ushort? _bodySize1;
private byte? _bodySize2;
private object _body;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_parent;
private byte[] __raw_body;
/// <summary>
/// Byte that determines type of block content
/// </summary>
public BlockTypes BlockType { get { return _blockType; } }
public ushort? BodySize1 { get { return _bodySize1; } }
public byte? BodySize2 { get { return _bodySize2; } }
/// <summary>
/// Block body, type depends on block type byte
/// </summary>
public object Body { get { return _body; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
public byte[] M_RawBody { get { return __raw_body; } }
}
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice#Block_type_0x06:_Repeat_start">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class BlockRepeatStart : KaitaiStruct
{
public static BlockRepeatStart FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new BlockRepeatStart(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public BlockRepeatStart(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile.Block p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_repeatCount1 = m_io.ReadU2le();
}
private ushort _repeatCount1;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile.Block m_parent;
/// <summary>
/// Number of repetitions minus 1; 0xffff means infinite repetitions
/// </summary>
public ushort RepeatCount1 { get { return _repeatCount1; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile.Block M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice#Block_type_0x01:_Sound_data">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class BlockSoundData : KaitaiStruct
{
public static BlockSoundData FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new BlockSoundData(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public BlockSoundData(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile.Block p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
f_sampleRate = false;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_freqDiv = m_io.ReadU1();
_codec = ((CreativeVoiceFile.Codecs) m_io.ReadU1());
_wave = m_io.ReadBytesFull();
}
private bool f_sampleRate;
private double _sampleRate;
public double SampleRate
{
get
{
if (f_sampleRate)
return _sampleRate;
_sampleRate = (double) ((1000000.0 / (256 - FreqDiv)));
f_sampleRate = true;
return _sampleRate;
}
}
private byte _freqDiv;
private Codecs _codec;
private byte[] _wave;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile.Block m_parent;
/// <summary>
/// Frequency divisor, used to determine sample rate
/// </summary>
public byte FreqDiv { get { return _freqDiv; } }
public Codecs Codec { get { return _codec; } }
public byte[] Wave { get { return _wave; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile.Block M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
/// <remarks>
/// Reference: <a href="https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?title=Creative_Voice#Block_type_0x08:_Extra_info">Source</a>
/// </remarks>
public partial class BlockExtraInfo : KaitaiStruct
{
public static BlockExtraInfo FromFile(string fileName)
{
return new BlockExtraInfo(new KaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public BlockExtraInfo(KaitaiStream p__io, CreativeVoiceFile.Block p__parent = null, CreativeVoiceFile p__root = null) : base(p__io)
{
m_parent = p__parent;
m_root = p__root;
f_numChannels = false;
f_sampleRate = false;
_read();
}
private void _read()
{
_freqDiv = m_io.ReadU2le();
_codec = ((CreativeVoiceFile.Codecs) m_io.ReadU1());
_numChannels1 = m_io.ReadU1();
}
private bool f_numChannels;
private int _numChannels;
/// <summary>
/// Number of channels (1 = mono, 2 = stereo)
/// </summary>
public int NumChannels
{
get
{
if (f_numChannels)
return _numChannels;
_numChannels = (int) ((NumChannels1 + 1));
f_numChannels = true;
return _numChannels;
}
}
private bool f_sampleRate;
private double _sampleRate;
public double SampleRate
{
get
{
if (f_sampleRate)
return _sampleRate;
_sampleRate = (double) ((256000000.0 / (NumChannels * (65536 - FreqDiv))));
f_sampleRate = true;
return _sampleRate;
}
}
private ushort _freqDiv;
private Codecs _codec;
private byte _numChannels1;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private CreativeVoiceFile.Block m_parent;
/// <summary>
/// Frequency divisor
/// </summary>
public ushort FreqDiv { get { return _freqDiv; } }
public Codecs Codec { get { return _codec; } }
/// <summary>
/// Number of channels minus 1 (0 = mono, 1 = stereo)
/// </summary>
public byte NumChannels1 { get { return _numChannels1; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile.Block M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
private byte[] _magic;
private ushort _headerSize;
private ushort _version;
private ushort _checksum;
private List<Block> _blocks;
private CreativeVoiceFile m_root;
private KaitaiStruct m_parent;
public byte[] Magic { get { return _magic; } }
/// <summary>
/// Total size of this main header (usually 0x001A)
/// </summary>
public ushort HeaderSize { get { return _headerSize; } }
public ushort Version { get { return _version; } }
/// <summary>
/// Checksum: this must be equal to ~version + 0x1234
/// </summary>
public ushort Checksum { get { return _checksum; } }
/// <summary>
/// Series of blocks that contain the actual audio data
/// </summary>
public List<Block> Blocks { get { return _blocks; } }
public CreativeVoiceFile M_Root { get { return m_root; } }
public KaitaiStruct M_Parent { get { return m_parent; } }
}
}