16 bit ADAT tape soundng better than 20 bit tape?

[werewolf831]

I've had to use a 16 bit adat tape recently, and it seems to me that when I mix down to a wav file, the mixes made from the 16 bit tapes sound a little better than the 20 bit. I can especially hear this in the cymbals, they seem more clear and realistic. I'm wondering if my setup has anything to do with this. I record on an LX20 and use a Mackie 1604vlz. I mixdown to my computer soundcard (audiophile 24/96) rca line in from the rca tape out on the back of my mixer.
I'm wondering if by going from a 20 bit tape to a 16 bit wav file, I'm losing some sound quality, and maybe my signal is more pristine with the 16 bit tape. Could somebody tell me if this is possible? Or maybe I'm just hearing things.
Thanks

[Track Rat]

You're doing an analog mix down. You're probably hearing the "rounding off " of the mix from the analog mixer and whatever character the A/D converters in the soundcard imparts. That's the main reason I mix that way.

[werewolf831]

"That's the main reason I mix that way."

I'm not following you Track Rat. Is it bad for the "rounding off" to occur? What kind of tapes are you using, 20 bit or 16?

[Track Rat]

I think the rouding off is a good thing in my opinion. It can kind of "pull" a mix together.
By the way, when I use ADATs it's 20 bit/ 44.1k.

[werewolf831]

Don't you think that can be done in the mixdown though? Are you concerned with any loss of sound quality?
thanks TR

[werewolf831]

whoa, I just noticed something about your post. I though all Adat tapes were pre formatted to 48 k?

[Track Rat]

ADAT tapes that I use don't come preformated (S-VHS tapes like Quantigy, HHB, etc).

[sweetnubs]

don't use preformatted tapes for your ADAT's. You want the tape to be formatted by the machine it is going to be played back in for optimum signalation integrityation. thank you.

[werewolf831]

Ok, but can a tape you format on your machine be played on any other machine? And also, any particular reason to record at 44.1k as opposed to 48?
Thanks

[sweetnubs]

sure you can play tape on any machine regardless of which one formatted it. You get better quality playing the particular tape formatted on a particular machine. If you are mixing analog I'd record at 48k, If you are mixing digitally i'd go with 44.1 so you don't have to resample/truncate from 48k to 44.1, unless you are mixing to analog then i'd go with 48k. hello to you, does this make sense?

[werewolf831]

Makes more sense. Thanks guys.

[sweetnubs]

let me clarify my last post a little since I reread and it seems a little confusing. If you are using an analog mixer go 48k regardless if your two track deck is digital or analog. If you are using a digital mixer/DAW and transfering tracks digitally and mixing down to a digital deck through digital connections, i.e. the chain is entirely digital, then go 44.1 to avoid resampling/truncation. If you are mixing digitally but your mixdown deck is analog then go 48k. dig?

[werewolf831]

I'm mixing with an external mixer, mixing to my pc through the rca jacks, so I suppose I am mixing in analog. All my adat tapes are at 48khz, so guess I'm doing all right there. Your second post made even more sense, much thanks. I'll be recording for the next couple days now...using 20 bit tapes. Although that 16 bit tape was sounding damn good after mixdown...