SHN to WVE Converter

Encode Shorten audio as Psion WVE online

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Specialized Output

Generate WVE from pristine lossless SHN source — clean audio for your specific application needs.

Online Processing

No specialized tools needed — our servers handle the entire SHN to WVE conversion through your browser.

Secure Files

SHN uploads are erased immediately. WVE outputs are purged from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert SHN to WVE

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose wve or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your wve file right afterwards

About formats

Shorten (SHN) is a lossless audio compression codec created by Tony Robinson at SoftSound and first published in 1993, making it one of the earliest practical lossless compressors. The algorithm uses linear prediction to estimate each sample from predecessors, then encodes residuals with Huffman or Golomb-Rice codes. Compression ratios typically fall between 2:1 and 3:1, with the guarantee that decoded output is bit-identical to the original. Shorten gained cultural significance in the late 1990s as the preferred format for trading live concert recordings online — communities like etree.org built entire distribution networks around SHN files, and bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish tacitly endorsed the practice. One advantage was the format's simplicity: encoding and decoding ran fast even on modest Pentium-era hardware. Another strength was deterministic output — the same input always produced the same bytes, making checksums reliable for verifying integrity across thousands of traders. While FLAC eventually superseded Shorten with better compression, seeking support, and embedded metadata, SHN retains historical importance and extensive live music archives in the format still circulate today.
Initial release: 1993
WVE is the audio format native to the Psion Series 3 family of personal digital assistants, released by British company Psion PLC beginning in September 1991. These clamshell PDAs included a built-in voice recorder, and all dictation functionality relied on WVE files to store captured sound. Each file begins with the ASCII signature "ALawSoundFile**" followed by a minimal header, then raw A-law encoded audio sampled at 8 kHz — a rate inherited from digital telephony standards. At 8000 bytes per second, a one-minute recording occupies just 480 KB, which was essential given that Psion devices stored data on SRAM cards typically ranging from 128 KB to 2 MB. The A-law encoding provides reasonable speech clarity within these tight storage constraints, prioritizing intelligibility over high-fidelity reproduction. WVE files can be converted to WAV or other modern formats using SoX, Awave Studio, or specialized Psion file utilities. While the format is firmly a product of early-1990s handheld computing, it holds historical significance as one of the first audio recording formats designed for pocket-sized consumer devices. Collectors and researchers studying mobile computing history occasionally encounter WVE files when recovering data from legacy SRAM media.
Developer: Psion PLC
Initial release: 1991

Frequently Asked Questions

What is WVE?

WVE is a specialized audio format — the Psion audio format for EPOC and Symbian device voice recording.

Why convert SHN to WVE?

Specific applications require WVE files. Lossless SHN provides clean, artifact-free source material for the conversion.

What handles WVE?

Specialized tools, SoX, and targeted professional software support WVE audio processing and playback.

Is quality maintained?

Starting from lossless SHN ensures no prior compression artifacts — output quality depends on WVE format capabilities.

Is the conversion secure?

SHN uploads are deleted immediately after conversion. WVE results are removed from servers within 24 hours.