Question

is there an api to read wav files into an array of short[]?
i’m trying to read a wav file into short array.

i couldn’t find any built API for that

Answer 1

Bring it in via an AudioInputStream as one normally does for sound.

With each buffer load you grab from the stream, iterate through it, two bytes at a time (if it is 16-bit encoding) and use your favorite algorithm to convert the two bytes to a single short int. (Depends if file is Big-Endian or Little-Endian.)

Then, save the results by appending to your preferred form of short array, instead of posting to a SourceDataLine like is done in the more usual playback situations.

Quote from Java Tutorials:

Because the Java Sound API gives you access to the audio data as an
array of bytes, you can alter these bytes in any way you choose.

You might check out the code in this Java sound tutorial: Using Files and Format Converters, the section “Reading Sound Files” and note the comment: “Here, do something useful with the audio data that’s now in the audioBytes array…”

For example, that something useful might be:

    myShortArray[i] = (short)(( buffer[i*2] & 0xff )|( buffer[i*2 + 1] << 8 ));

buffer = byte buffer receiving the AudioInputStream.

i = index into the arrays.