HCOM to SMP Converter

Transcode HCOM to Turtle Beach SampleVision SMP

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Sampler Format

Move HCOM audio into SMP — the Turtle Beach SampleVision format for vintage hardware sampler integration and retro music projects.

Online Conversion

No SampleVision software or vintage hardware needed. Convert HCOM to SMP from any modern browser.

Privacy Protected

HCOM uploads are erased post-conversion. SMP results are cleaned from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert HCOM to SMP

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

HCOM is a Huffman-coded audio format from the early Macintosh era, designed to shrink digitized sound for distribution on floppy disks and bulletin board systems when storage was precious and modems were slow. The encoder takes 8-bit unsigned PCM input, computes a frequency table of sample-delta values, and builds an optimal Huffman tree that replaces common deltas with short bit sequences. Compression ratios of 2:1 or better were typical for speech recordings, a meaningful saving when a 3.5-inch floppy held only 800 KB. Files were distributed as Macintosh resource forks and played through utilities like SoundApp and the BinHex ecosystem that defined Mac software exchange in the late 1980s. The format supported sample rates up to 22.255 kHz, matching the output capabilities of original Macintosh sound hardware. Tools such as SoX retain HCOM decoding support, ensuring that archived recordings remain accessible decades later. HCOM holds three practical advantages for preservation work: lossless compression that recovers the original samples exactly, a self-contained Huffman table embedded in each file for dependency-free decoding, and historical prevalence across thousands of vintage Mac sound archives.
Developer: Apple Computer
Initial release: 1985
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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SMP?

SMP is the Turtle Beach SampleVision format — used to transfer audio samples between computers and hardware samplers in the 1990s.

Why convert HCOM to SMP?

For vintage sampler workflows or retro music production that requires audio in the SampleVision format for hardware integration.

What hardware uses SMP?

Turtle Beach SampleVision cards and compatible hardware samplers from the 1990s work with SMP files natively.

Is SMP still relevant?

SMP is primarily a collector and retro music format. It remains useful for vintage sampler enthusiasts and music production historians.

Is the conversion safe?

HCOM uploads are deleted after processing. SMP output files are removed within 24 hours from our servers.