title: What is the easiest way to read wav-files using Python [summary]?
body: <p>I want to use Python to access a wav-file and write its content in a form which allows me to analyze it (let's say arrays).</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>I heard that "audiolab" is a suitable tool for that (it transforms numpy arrays into wav and vica versa).</li>
  <li>I have installed the "audiolab" but I had a problem with the version of numpy (I could not "from numpy.testing import Tester"). I had 1.1.1. version of numpy.</li>
  <li><p>I have installed a newer version on numpy (1.4.0). But then I got a new set of errors:</p>
  
  <p>Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "test.py", line 7, in 
      import scikits.audiolab
    File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/scikits/audiolab/<strong>init</strong>.py", line 25, in 
      from pysndfile import formatinfo, sndfile
    File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/scikits/audiolab/pysndfile/<strong>init</strong>.py", line 1, in 
      from _sndfile import Sndfile, Format, available_file_formats, available_encodings
    File "numpy.pxd", line 30, in scikits.audiolab.pysndfile._sndfile (scikits/audiolab/pysndfile/_sndfile.c:9632)
  ValueError: numpy.dtype does not appear to be the correct type object</p></li>
  <li><p>I gave up to use audiolab and thought that I can use "wave" package to read in a wav-file. I asked a question about that but people recommended to use scipy instead. OK, I decided to focus on scipy (I have 0.6.0. version).</p></li>
  <li><p>But when I tried to do the following:</p>
  
  <p>from scipy.io import wavfile<br>
  x = wavfile.read('/usr/share/sounds/purple/receive.wav')</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>I get the following:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "test3.py", line 4, in &lt;module&gt;
      from scipy.io import wavfile
    File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/scipy/io/__init__.py", line 23, in &lt;module&gt;
      from numpy.testing import NumpyTest
  ImportError: cannot import name NumpyTest
  </code></pre>
  
  <ol start="6">
  <li>So, I gave up to use scipy. Can I use just wave package? I do not need much. I just need to have content of wav-file in human readable format and than I will figure out what to do with that.</li>
  </ol>