SoundForge vs Audacity's settings...?

[goddi]

I have been successful in creating CDs from vinyl records. However, when I create a wav file in SF, using 32K bit rate and 44.1 Hz, it sounds really bad when I play it in Audacity (to do some editing). But if I create a CD using 14k bit rate and 44.1 HZ, it sounds just fine in both programs. Can someone explain it to me why this happens?
Also, I notice that when I create a CD using SF and use 32/44.1, when I play it in WinAmp, it shows it to be 28k bit rate instead of 32. How come???
What is the appropriate bit rate and Hz to use when copying LPs for CDs?
Also, In Audacity, I seem to be able to only set the Sample Rate (like 44.1), not the bit rate. Am I missing something here??? Or am I very confused???
Thanks... Gary

[crankz1]

Hmm ... bit rate and bit depth are two different beasts.
Bit rate deals more with transfer rates for streaming media and mp3 creation and such.
Bit depth is the number of samples per frequency cycle. ie 16 bit depth/44.1kHz Sampling frequency rate means that 16 samples are taken 44.1k times a second. This is the bit depth and frequency rate that CD's must be created at to play back properly.
If you use one program to create a track at a certain frequency rate (ie 48kHz) and play it back in other programs .... the other program must be set to playback at that same frequency rate. Bit depth isn't as important, so long as the program and the soundcard support that particular bit depth. It's possible that your soundcard is only a 16 bit card.
What soundcard do you have?
Most wave editors such as Audacity and Sound Forge do their internal mixing and DSP in a 32bit Float depth for higher precision. Though by using that higher precision, when rendering to CD at 16 bit, dither should most likely be used. Notice I say "most likely" (cover thy ass) This could be more or less personal preference .... it my sound better using dither and it may sound just fine without. Whole books can be written on dither. Check out Ozone Dithering Guide .
Seeing as how you have Sound Forge (which is a wave editor just like Audacity), I would use it over using Audacity. Unless of course you require using any of the effects that are in Audacity that don't come in a similar fashion on Sound Forge.

As far as the appropriate settings for CD ... their as I mentioned earlier 16 bit/44.1kHz. Which would be rendered as a wave file.
As far as the issue with bite rate ... sounds like you are rendering as mp3 whereas higher bit rates yeild higher quality audio at the expence of higher file sizes. Determinig what bit rate is used for the mp3 creation is a matter of making the appropriate selection in whatever encoder is used.

Hope this helps

-Ken

[goddi]

Thanks. Still a bit confusing but I will try next time to use the "16 bit depth/44.1kHz" settings and be more 'standard'. I have the Audigy2 sound card.
Thanks for the help. Gary