SMP to AU Converter

Transform Turtle Beach SMP audio into Sun/NeXT AU format

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Unix Compatible

Move SMP samples into AU — the standard audio format for Sun, NeXT, and Unix-based audio processing pipelines.

Any Platform Access

Run the SMP to AU conversion from any browser on any operating system — not just Unix.

Secure Processing

Your SMP files are erased after processing. AU outputs deleted from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert SMP to AU

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

SMP is the native file format of SampleVision, a sample editing application developed by Turtle Beach Systems around 1990. SampleVision was among the first PC-based visual sample editors, letting musicians view waveforms on screen and perform cut, copy, paste, and loop-point editing — capabilities previously limited to expensive dedicated hardware samplers. The SMP format stores 16-bit mono PCM audio along with sampling-specific metadata: loop start and end points, sustain loops, release loops, and MIDI root note assignments. This made SMP files directly useful for creating and exchanging patches between hardware samplers via MIDI Sample Dump Standard (SDS) transfers, which SampleVision automated through its interface. A primary advantage was bridging the PC world with professional sampling hardware from Akai, E-mu, Ensoniq, and Roland — devices that had tiny screens and minimal editing tools. The format also supported common sample rates (22050, 44100 Hz) and brief text descriptions alongside audio data. Though Turtle Beach pivoted to gaming peripherals and SampleVision was discontinued, SMP files persist in vintage sample library archives and can be converted using SoX.
Initial release: 1990
AU is an audio file format introduced by Sun Microsystems for its Unix workstations and the NeXT platform. It features a minimal 24-byte header specifying data offset, size, encoding type, sample rate, and channel count, followed by the audio payload. AU supports numerous encodings, including uncompressed linear PCM at various bit depths, mu-law and A-law companding (logarithmic compression used in telephone systems), and several ADPCM variants. This versatility made AU a workhorse across early Unix environments, web audio (Java applets defaulted to AU), and telephony applications. One advantage is simplicity: the compact header and straightforward structure make it trivial to parse, generate, and stream programmatically. The built-in mu-law option provides another benefit, delivering reasonable voice quality at just 8 KB per second — half the rate of 16-bit uncompressed audio — invaluable when storage and bandwidth were scarce. Although modern formats have largely supplanted AU in consumer applications, it retains a foothold in scientific computing and audio processing pipelines where minimal overhead and reliable cross-platform behavior are valued.
Developer: Sun Microsystems
Initial release: 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert SMP to AU?

AU is standard on Sun and Unix systems. Converting SMP to AU makes vintage samples compatible with Unix audio tools and Java apps.

What opens AU files?

Audacity, SoX, VLC, and native Unix audio players handle AU files. Java also uses AU as a default audio format.

Is AU a modern format?

AU is mature but still used in Unix environments and Java applications. It supports multiple encodings including mu-law and PCM.

Can I convert multiple SMP files at once?

Upload a batch of SMP samples and convert them all to AU simultaneously — efficient for processing entire libraries.

Is the conversion secure?

SMP uploads are deleted after processing, and AU outputs are removed from our servers within 24 hours.