Python sunau Module: Installation and Advanced Examples Guide

Python Modules › Audio Processing
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Python sunau Module

The sunau module in Python is part of the standard library and is specifically designed to handle .au audio files. This module provides a simple way to read and write audio data in the AU format, which is widely used in various audio applications. The sunau module is compatible with Python 3.x versions and provides essential functionality for audio processing.

Application Scenarios

The sunau module has several practical applications in the realm of audio processing. It can be utilized in projects that require the following functionalities:

  • Reading audio data from .au files for analysis or manipulation.
  • Writing processed audio data back to .au files for playback or storage.
  • Developing audio applications for speech recognition, music synthesis, and other multimedia projects.

Installation Instructions

The sunau module is included in the Python Standard Library, so there is no need for separate installation. It comes pre-installed with any Python 3.x distribution. To get started, ensure you have Python 3.x installed on your system:

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# Check your Python version
python3 --version

Usage Examples

Example 1: Reading an AU File

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import sunau  # Importing the sunau module for audio processing

# Open an AU audio file for reading
au_file = sunau.open('example.au', 'r')

# Read the basic properties of the audio file
print("Sample rate:", au_file.getframerate())  # Print the sample rate of the audio
print("Number of channels:", au_file.getnchannels())  # Print the number of channels
print("Total frames:", au_file.getnframes())  # Print the total frame count

# Reading audio data
audio_data = au_file.readframes(au_file.getnframes())  # Read all frames into audio_data
au_file.close()  # Close the file after reading

In this example, we demonstrate how to open an AU file, retrieve metadata, and read its audio frames.

Example 2: Writing to an AU File

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import sunau  # Importing the sunau module for audio file creation

# Create a new AU audio file for writing
output_file = sunau.open('output.au', 'w')
output_file.setnchannels(1)  # Set to mono sound
output_file.setsampwidth(2)  # Set sample width to 2 bytes
output_file.setframerate(44100)  # Set sample rate to 44100 Hz

# Generating a simple sine wave audio data (pseudo code, for demonstration)
import numpy as np
duration = 2  # 2 seconds
t = np.linspace(0, duration, int(44100 * duration), endpoint=False)  # Time axis
frequency = 440  # Frequency of A4 note
sine_wave = np.sin(2 * np.pi * frequency * t) * 32767  # Generate sine wave

# Convert to byte data
output_file.writeframes(sine_wave.astype(np.int16).tobytes())  # Write byte audio data to the file
output_file.close()  # Close the file after writing

Here, we create a new AU file and demonstrate how to write synthesized audio data to it.

Example 3: Manipulating Existing Audio

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import sunau  # Importing the sunau module for reading and writing audio

# Open the existing AU audio file
au_file = sunau.open('example.au', 'r')
audio_data = au_file.readframes(au_file.getnframes())  # Read all frames
au_file.close()  # Close the file after reading

# Here we could apply audio processing (e.g., volume change, effects), to simplify, we will just reverse the audio
reversed_audio = audio_data[::-1]  # Reverse the audio data

# Save the modified audio to a new AU file
new_file = sunau.open('reversed_example.au', 'w')
new_file.setnchannels(1)  # Mono
new_file.setsampwidth(2)  # 2 bytes
new_file.setframerate(44100)  # 44100 Hz
new_file.writeframes(reversed_audio)  # Write reversed audio data
new_file.close()  # Close the new file

In this final example, we demonstrate how to read existing audio, manipulate it (by reversing it), and save the result to a new AU file.

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