Databending Video with Audacity

DJbobman sent me a few messages recently that included a tutorial on how to Databend with Audacity audio editor software. This information was very intriguing and I started experimenting with the technique straight away.
I used a video 43 seconds in length of a young lady playing around with the insides of an electronic toy.
First of all I tried MPEG files. Depending on the quality they either look like a file corrupted with WordPad or it's still possible to make out the action through a slight haze of glitches.
Then I tried AVI files and experimented with different codecs. The codec used in this video is huffyuv.
I noticed in all my experiments that the duration wasn't altered and that it was possible to make out the original audio which only became a little glitchy.

To Databend with Audscity just open the file using Import Raw Data. This will open the "Import Raw Data" window. Set Encoding to U-Law and keep Byte order and Channels as they are. Then export, making sure the preferences are set to "Other uncompressed files" and options are set to raw header and U-Law encoding. Make sure to include the file extension (.avi, .mpg) in the name when saving.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Databending
• Videobending
• Audacity
• Glitch
• Error
• Data
• Corruption
• Girl
• Circuit
• Bending
• Electronic
• Toys
• huffyuv
• Codec
• Databend
• Video
• Compression
• File
• Datamosh
• Datamoshing
• Wordpad
• mpeg
• wmv
• mpeg-2
• mpeg-1
• Noise
• Fax
• machine
• clicks
• and
• cuts
• film
• clip
• Dancing
• Bed
• Prism
• Convertor
• Myspace
• Blog

[humorless349]

What version of audacity are you using? I'm using 1.2.6a and when I go to export something it doesn't give me an option to just "export" a file. You can only export it as raw file, mp3 file, or ogg vorbis file and i don't think you can open any of those codecs in any video playing programs. Can you help me out?

[artifacterror]

@humorless349 I am using 1.2.6. Export the video as a raw file. Before saving add the file extension of the original video to the end of the name, eg .avi, .mpg etc. I hope that helps.

[JunkmansDada]

@artifacterror do you mean change the file extension from .raw to .avi, etc. or add .avi, etc on to the extension .raw?

[artifacterror]

@JunkmansDada You don't want two file extensions.

[madhatter2k]

Nice, I haven't experimented with any video databending, but I sure as hell will now! Did you have to re-encode the video files afterwards or did they still play?

[artifacterror]

@madhatter2k They need some attention afterwards. I use Avidemux or VirtualDub to make a playable copy.

[tails2fan]

You could not grasp the true form of the attack!

[MikeHunt79]

That's pretty cool, I've not heard of databending before but Audacity is free so I'm gonna have to try this.

[jojogape]

I accidentally the video. Is that bad?

[imalwayswatchingu00]

@Tekkenfreek234 sweet, doing it now then.

[Tekkenfreek234]

@imalwayswatchingu00 Actually, you can. Just hit the Like button and it retracts your downvote!

[MrPresidentFox]

That's... fucking... awesome. I gotta try this.