Convert WAV to CRI HCA online for CRI ADX2 game projects, with WAV loop points kept. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Convert HCA to WAVDrag & Drop your WAV file here
WAV files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Upload your WAV file
Drag and drop a .wav file or select it from your device. For a looping HCA, the loop points need to be saved in the WAV's smpl chunk.
02
Convert to HCA
Keep HCA as the output format and start. The audio is encoded at VGAudio's High quality, about 240 kbps for 44.1 kHz stereo.
03
Download the HCA
Download one unencrypted .hca file per WAV and play it in vgmstream or a player built on it.
WAV
WAV is a RIFF-based audio format commonly used for uncompressed PCM audio. Audio editors, recorders and game audio tools such as vgmstream save WAV files, and loop editors such as Wavosaur store loop points in its smpl chunk.
HCA
HCA (High Compression Audio) is CRI Middleware's compressed audio format, used for music, voices and sound effects in games built on CRI ADX2, usually packed inside ACB or AWB banks. It can store a loop, and many games encrypt their HCA files with their own key. vgmstream plays it.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
Microsoft and IBM defined WAV in 1991. It normally stores plain PCM audio with no compression, which is why editors, DAWs, broadcast systems and speech tools accept it without question. The price is size: CD-quality stereo takes about 10 MB per minute, and tagging support is limited.
TARGET
HCA (High Compression Audio) is CRI's successor to ADX, used for music and voice in CRI ADX2 games, especially on mobile and recent consoles. It compresses much more than ADX at good quality and supports loop points. Many commercial games encrypt their HCA with a game-specific key.
| Feature | WAV | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Microsoft and IBM | CRI Middleware |
| File extension | .wav | .hca |
| Compression | None (PCM) | Lossy (MDCT) |
| Size vs uncompressed WAV | Same size (1:1) | About 1/8 to 1/10 |
| Tags and cover art | Basic text tags, no cover art | Loop points |
| Best for | Editing, mastering, speech tools | Music and voice in CRI games |
| Plays on phones and browsers | Yes | No, needs vgmstream |
USE CASES
Practical workflows where WAV to HCA conversion is useful.
Swap a song into a CRI-based game
Modders replacing a track in a game built on CRI ADX2 can encode the new song as HCA, then pack it into the game's ACB or AWB bank with their usual modding tools.
Make background music that loops
Set loop points in Wavosaur, Awave or a sampler editor, then convert. The HCA loops at exactly those points, so a menu or battle theme keeps repeating.
Record new voice lines for a fan dub
Fan dubbing and translation teams can encode each recorded WAV line as an HCA for a game that stores its voices in CRI audio.
Put an edited game track back
Decode a game's HCA to WAV, trim it or change its volume in an audio editor, then encode the edited WAV back to HCA. Set loop points again first if the track should loop.
Turn a surround mix into stereo HCA
A 5.1 or 7.1 WAV with a speaker layout (channel mask) is mixed down to stereo, so you don't need a separate stereo export first.
Fold a multi-track song into one HCA
A multi-track WAV saved by vgmstream or our BRSTM-to-WAV tool becomes a stereo HCA with every track mixed in, even channels on the left and odd channels on the right.
Encode a 96 kHz studio master
High-resolution WAVs at 88.2, 96 or 192 kHz are encoded at 48 kHz, the highest rate the HCA output uses, so you don't have to resample first.
Use sounds from an old sample library
WAVs stored as A-law, GSM, IMA ADPCM or Microsoft ADPCM, and Broadcast WAV files from field recorders, convert directly without saving them as PCM first.
Rescue an unfinished recording
A WAV from a crashed recording session or a stream capture whose header sizes were never filled in still converts to HCA.
Make HCA test files for tools
Developers of HCA decoders, bank builders or players can produce unencrypted test files from a known WAV, in mono or stereo, with or without a loop.
SUPPORTED FILES
Most kinds of WAV are supported, including looped ones.
Loops in a smpl chunk are kept.
Channels are kept.
Common WAV encodings are read.
The HCA keeps the WAV's rate.
Any CRI ADX2 audio asset.
Only convert audio you own or have permission to use. Having a file doesn't automatically give you the right to put it into someone else's game.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Most problems come down to settings the game expects, not the conversion itself.
01
Many commercial games only accept HCA encrypted with their own key. dragdropdo writes unencrypted HCA.
02
Add loop points to a smpl chunk before converting.
03
The game probably expects a different sample rate. Check an original file from the game and match its rate before converting.
04
Compare your track's loudness with the game's other audio and adjust it before converting.
05
HCA is lossy. The WAV stays your master copy.
06
Make sure the new file uses the exact name and folder of the one it replaces, then test it in the actual game or build.
VGAudio, LoopingAudioConverter and BrawlCrate encode Nintendo and CRI formats once installed. dragdropdo runs VGAudio in the browser, so you can turn WAV into HCA on any device.
| What matters | dragdropdo | VGAudio and Desktop Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Yes. Windows tools or the .NET command line. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~No. Desktop only. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Yes, with LoopingAudioConverter or scripts. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Free. |
| Setting loop points | ✓Read from a WAV's smpl chunk. MP3 sources play once. | ~Yes. Most let you type loop points directly. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
1.8M+
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Files kept
Auto-delete in 24h
WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert WAV to HCA in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
MORE WAV TOOLS
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is a standard audio file format used for storing waveform data. It delivers high-quality audio and is widely used in professional environments for music production and sound design. With its uncompressed format, WAV files ensure top fidelity, making them ideal for editing and mastering. Perfect for audio enthusiasts and professionals alike, WAV files guarantee an exceptional listening experience.
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FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's WAV to HCA converter.
