S/PDIF: 24bit into 16bit?

nessbass

nessbass

New member
excuse me, but I don't know much about this stuff, this is why I'm asking.

My question is: is it possible to record a 24bit device like the J-Station with a 16bit soundcard like the Audiowerk8 or the SBLive ? I was looking into the J-Station and just wanted to know whether I could use the SPDIF connection. Thanks in advance...


David
 
Yes, but the LSBs (least significant bits) will get truncated (cut-off) unless you can dither.

Truncation usually doesn't have a pleasing effect on digital audio, but I have no idea if the J-Station dithers the digital outs or not.

Bottom line, try it and see if you like the sound.... you won't hurt anything by making the connection.... you will have to make sure the sampling rate is the same on both card and J-station....

Bruce
 
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When you send a 24 bit source into a 16 bit recording device, the last 8 bits are truncated. In other words, they're lopped off and tossed away. Not good.
 
Guys, thanks to you all.

Gidge: If it is like you say, I didn't know of it yet. I always thought that the Audiowerk's A/D converters were working at 18bits and that the signal would then be downsampled to 16. I did never really understand how that should work anyhow. I guess that they dither it down, as it sounds quite good, that is to my ears.

Bottom line is, as soon as I get the J-Station I will plug it in and listen what sounds best, the SPDIF or the analog out. For the SPDIF connection I will need a 75 Ohm cable, right?

Thanks again,

David.
 
yes, although you could send a mono signal thru it, but it wouldnt be technically mono...it would either be the left or right side of stereo......
 
Im gonna guess that the S/PDIF will sound better than the analog input whether it be 16bit or 24bit because you are skipping a D/A conversion and an A/D......
 
'nother tiny question:
i read somewhere about a soundcard with up to 24bit/96kHz via S/PDIF.
For i know that the maximum information of S/PDIF is 48kHz * 32bit * 2 channels => 3.072 MHz. The 32 bit per sample is divided in up to 24 bit info + CRC + channelinfo, so i don't know how they can provide 96kHz, does anyone?:confused:
 
Hmmm... that's a good question... I just finished reading John Watkinson's "Art of Digital Recording" a few days ago and he didn't address that particular point....

Bruce
 
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