# Reverse Recording **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649 "2003-06-13T20:08:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/1 "2003-06-13T20:08:55Z")
Is there a way to take an audio file I have recorded on my computer and play it back in reverse? Can I record reverse? Can I then take the reverse recording an make a loop? Currently, I use MusicMatch Jukebox, which I don’t hink has any of these features. Are there other programs that can do these things? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/2 "2003-06-13T22:10:56Z")
I don’t know what version of Windows you have, but the Sound Recorder that came with Win98 had a reverse function. Check to see if it is located at **start/accessories/entertainment/sound recorder**. If not, check to see if you have C:\WINDOWS\SNDREC32.EXE Not very sophisticated, but it does the job. You can record a .wav file, or open an existing one, and then reverse it. As for making a loop, you’ll have to keep looking, it won’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/3 "2003-06-13T22:22:08Z")
IIRC, Sound Recorder has a ridiculous 60 second record length. You can, however, take nearly any length recording and use SR to reverse the the track. It’s slow, but it does work. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/4 "2003-06-13T22:26:45Z")
[Audacity](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) is a really nice opensource audio editor. Can’t beat the features for the free pricetag. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/5 "2003-06-14T01:19:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*IIRC, Sound Recorder has a ridiculous 60 second record length. \*\* It does, but when it stops recording you can simply hit the record button again and it will resume right where you left off. ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/6 "2003-06-14T01:39:38Z")
QED, thanks for the link. The reverse works great. I don’t think this prgram can create a loop, but for the price how can I complain. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/7 "2003-06-14T01:44:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Major Kong \* > \*\*QED, thanks for the link. The reverse works great. I don’t think this prgram can create a loop, but for the price how can I complain. \*\* Most players, and Windows Media Player is no exception, have a setting to allow you play a file as a loop. There’s really no way to make a file that plays as a loop on its own. The closest you could get is to use the editor and copy and paste the entire waveform as many times as you wanted it to repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-recording/181649/8 "2003-06-14T01:56:49Z")
Wait, you can make a loop.