Extract text from GIS raster files (BSQ)
To convert BSQ Raster files to another format, you need ArcGIS Pro or other GIS software.
To convert other file formats to the "Raster Image" file type, you need software like ArcGIS Pro or a similar tool.
The .bsq extension primarily refers to the Band Sequential format, a raw binary raster structure used in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing. Unlike standard images (like JPG), BSQ files store data band-by-band (e.g., all Red data, then all Green), making them optimal for spectral analysis but impossible to open in standard image viewers. A critical problem is that BSQ files are often "headerless" inside - they strictly require an accompanying HDR (header) file to define their dimensions. Without this separate file, the BSQ is just an unreadable stream of bytes. Users typically convert these to GeoTIFF or PNG for broader compatibility in software like QGIS or ArcGIS Pro.
Secondary Use (Korg): In the context of music production, .bsq files are proprietary Backing Sequence files used by legacy Korg arrangers (such as the i-series). These files contain sequencer data (notes, rhythm, tempo) locked to the hardware. Musicians convert these to standard MID (MIDI) files to migrate their old songs into modern DAWs like Ableton Live or Cubase.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BSQ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted $B5, BUNDLE and AAE files.
If you want to convert BSQ file to SHP, KML, KMZ, GPX, GEOJSON, TOPOJSON, TIF, TIFF, ECW, SID, IMG or DEM, you can use ArcGIS Pro or similar software from the "Raster Graphics Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert LAZ, KMZ, DTM, CSV, DEM, PRJ, LAS, GPX, DSM, SHP, DBF or KML files to BSQ, try ArcGIS Pro or another comparable tool in the "Raster Graphics Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our BSQ converter.