SD2 to TAR.XZ Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Produce a TAR.XZ for the smallest possible release artifact, or to match the format a build system expects. If your files are still in SD2 format, this page is the shortcut: SD2 (Sound Designer II) is Digidesign's classic Pro Tools container — still the default export of many legacy studio sessions and Mac-era sample libraries.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How to convert SD2 to TAR.XZ
- 1
Select your files
Select your SD2 file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR.XZ container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR.XZ archive.
About the SD2 format
HCOM is the Sound Tools compressor format from the late 1980s Mac — FIR-decimated delta-modulation samples that almost nothing modern reads.
ffmpeg decodes it natively inside your browser — the audio track is re-encoded to your chosen format with nothing ever uploaded.
+Strengths
- ✓Decoded natively by ffmpeg
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser
- ✓Free, private, no watermarks
!Limitations
- −Legacy niche format
- −Modern tools rarely open it
- −Keep the original for archival round-trips
About the TAR.XZ format
TAR.XZ pairs the tar container with XZ (LZMA2) compression — the highest-ratio member of the tar family and the de-facto release format of modern Linux distributions. The same source tree that lands 5% smaller than TAR.BZ2 and 20% smaller than TAR.GZ is why kernel.org and GNU mirrors standardised on it.
The trade is CPU time: XZ compresses slow (dictionary sizes up to 64 MB) but decompresses fast, which makes it ideal for one-time releases that get downloaded millions of times. When you need speed instead, TAR.GZ or TAR.ZSTD are the neighbouring picks.
+Strengths
- ✓Best compression ratio of the tar family
- ✓Standard release artifact of Linux distros
- ✓Fast decompression despite slow compression
!Limitations
- −Compression is CPU-heavy and single-threaded by default
- −Larger toolchain footprint than gzip on tiny systems
Why convert SD2 to TAR.XZ?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR.XZ meet what SD2 cannot give you. Best compression ratio of the tar family Meanwhile Legacy niche format One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this SD2 to TAR.XZ converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for SD2 to TAR.XZ?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Can I convert a whole folder of SD2 files?
You can select many files at once and they are processed in a single batch. Output files land in one ZIP download when there is more than one result.
Will converting SD2 to TAR.XZ reduce audio quality?
If TAR.XZ is lossless, the output contains everything the SD2 file contains — no further loss is added. If TAR.XZ is lossy, one recompression pass is unavoidable; the quality slider controls how much. Loss that already happened in the source file can never be undone by converting.