Error With Soundboard File Name

Thanks - that error is usually caused by hidden or unexpected characters in the filename or path, or by how the file was added to the Soundboard. Here’s a concise troubleshooting checklist and some concrete steps to find and fix the problem.

1. Quick checks (fastest)

• Make sure you added the file using the Soundboard file picker (click the track row and choose the MP3) instead of typing the filename into the cell. Typing can accidentally insert quotes or control characters.
• Try a different simple filename and location:
  • Copy the file to C:\Temp
  • Rename it to test.mp3
  • Add test.mp3 to Soundboard via the file browser. If that works, the original filename or path contains invalid characters.

2. Common causes

• Hidden/unprintable characters in the filename (zero-width spaces, BOM, RTL marks, etc.)
• The full path contains characters Soundboard flags (quotes, slashes, single quotes, or control characters)
• File name typed into the grid (not selected via dialog) and includes stray characters
• Path on a network/OneDrive folder with special characters or syncing interference

3. If a simple rename didn’t help - detect hidden characters Open PowerShell and run these commands (replace the path):

# Show visible filename and characters with Unicode code points
$fn = (Get-Item "C:\path\to\alert.mp3").Name
Write-Host "Filename: '$fn'"
$fn.ToCharArray() | ForEach-Object { "{0} U+{1:X4}" -f $_, [int]$_ }

That will print each character and its Unicode codepoint. Look for unexpected codepoints (e.g. FEFF, 200B, 202A/202B, etc.). If you see unusual codepoints, rename the file.

4. Rename using PowerShell (force a clean name)

Rename-Item -Path "C:\path\to\alert.mp3" -NewName "alert_fixed.mp3"

Then add alert_fixed.mp3 to the Soundboard.

5. Try other quick workarounds

• Copy the audio into a different directory with a simple path (C:\Temp) and add again.
• Try a different MP3 (does Soundboard accept other files?). If other files work, the problem is specific to that file or name.
• If file came from the web, right-click Properties if there is an "Unblock" button, click it.

6. If it’s still failing Please tell me:

• Did you add the file by browsing (recommended) or typing into the grid?
• The full local path where the file lives (example: C:\Users\Dave\Downloads\alert.mp3)
• ARC version & Windows version (Help About ARC, and Windows version)
• The exact filename you see in Explorer (copy/paste it into your reply)

Links that may help:

• Soundboard (PC) skill: https://synthiam.com/Support/Skills/Audio/Soundboard-PC?id=16086
• Soundboard v2 (PC): https://synthiam.com/Support/Skills/Audio/Soundboard-v2-PC?id=21165

Try the rename/copy to C:\Temp first and let me know the result. If it still errors, paste the PowerShell output from the Unicode codepoint command above and I’ll point out any hidden characters.