Cool Edit 32-bit Wave audio, how do I burn onto CD?

MixieScratchie

New member
Hey there...

I've just been recently recording some music that I've made myself by mixing it in Cool Edit Pro 2.0. Everything has gone really well and I've managed to get the mixdowns sorted. I've recorded all the tracks in the following quality:

IEEE Float (0.24 float type 3) 48000 Hz, 32-bit, Stereo Wave Audio

... And they sound great! but one problem, I can't burn them onto a CD?? My CD burner seems fine but my burning software won't allow me to add the tracks for the CD layout, I'm using Nero 6 (also just tried Nero 7 (doesn't seem to work even though it says so in a review I read somewhere)) and I'm now stuck as I don't know what to do in order to get my music onto a CD in this high 32-bit quality...

Would be grateful if somebody could help me sort this out...

Regards,

MixieScratchie
 
It depends on what you want to achieve.

Do you want:

1. To listen to the audio? Such as on a CD player?
or
2. To archive the audio .wav file?


If you want to do #1, you have to first convert the audio to 16-bit, 44.1kHz in Cool Edit.
CD audio is standard at that format, you can't change that.
Also when you do that conversion, you will want to enable "dithering" for quality purposes (but is not required).
Then open Nero and burn it to an Audio CD.

If you want to do #2, you need to tell Nero that you want to burn a Data CD, not an Audio CD.
 
To be honest I don't wanna do either, I don't like the quality of 16-bit wave, I've made them before and I just think they sound nasty. What I want to achieve is 32-bit quality so when I listen on the CD player I have it sounds very professional..

...Nero 7 claims to be the latest version that will record in that format I quoted before, 32-bit, so why doesn't it work, software design fault? Cool Edit itself records at that bitrate so why am I having trouble trying to find a piece of software that will burn at the same quality, I've gotta admit that 32-bit is much richer than 16-bit and is a whole lot overall more better!
 
Even if you were able to get Nero to burn a 32-bit, 48kHz CD-Audio file (impossible anyhow).
It would not work on any CD player.
The only way you can play that kind of audio is on a computer.

With that said. The difference between 32-bit 48kHz and 16-bit 44.1kHz audio should be almost impossible to detect. As long as the conversion was properly dithered to prevent aliasing. If you don't dither. You can hear the aliasing by ear, and it does sound like crap.
 
MixieScratchie said:
To be honest I don't wanna do either, I don't like the quality of 16-bit wave, I've made them before and I just think they sound nasty.

When have you ever heard anything else in 32 bit 48khz? My gut says you have not. ALL CD's that you listen to at your house, in your car, in your discman etc.... are at 16bit 44.1khz or some sort of compression format that is even lower in quality. The only time that you will hear audio that is any higher than those specs is on a DVD or a hard disc itself (and not some song you download from I-Tunes either).
 
I appreciate your comments but I'm not totally convinced, how do I know that you guys know exactly what you're talking about? I'm quite sure that when a professional recording artist makes a CD it's much greater quality than this 16-bit that you're talking about...

.... I've been messing around making CDs for years now and when you buy an original and listen to it you can hear that it's much better than one created say for example in Cool Edit at 16-bit wave otherwise why have 32-bit anyway?
 
OK, so I guess there is no way to record 32-bit wave audio onto CD.. there should be but there isn't! Which kinda sucks really...

... How do I now change my 32-bit audio tracks to 16-bit then from 32-bit, do I use Cool Edit Pro to do that or something else instead? I want them to sound right of course :confused:
 
MixieScratchie said:
I appreciate your comments but I'm not totally convinced, how do I know that you guys know exactly what you're talking about? I'm quite sure that when a professional recording artist makes a CD it's much greater quality than this 16-bit that you're talking about...

.... I've been messing around making CDs for years now and when you buy an original and listen to it you can hear that it's much better than one created say for example in Cool Edit at 16-bit wave otherwise why have 32-bit anyway?
Why have 32-bit? Well the main reason is headroom for mixing. If you used a bunch of 16-bit audio files, you would higher noise, and less resolution while mixing.
Then when you mix it down, you leave it as 32-bit (or 24-bit) for mastering. At the tail end of mastering the audio will become 16-bit 44.1kHz.

It's called the "red book" standard, and that's just the way it is.

Do some reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Book_(audio_CD_standard)
And here for a more broad read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc
 
MixieScratchie said:
I appreciate your comments but I'm not totally convinced, how do I know that you guys know exactly what you're talking about? I'm quite sure that when a professional recording artist makes a CD it's much greater quality than this 16-bit that you're talking about...

.... I've been messing around making CDs for years now and when you buy an original and listen to it you can hear that it's much better than one created say for example in Cool Edit at 16-bit wave otherwise why have 32-bit anyway?

Every recording artist in a professional studio is creating a product that is 16-bit at 44.1Khz in quality.

How do I know? I've been working in this business for 7 years now, and I've worked with many artists in professional studios and in home studios.

Regardless of what bit depth they record and mix at, the final product is always 16-bit at 44.1Khz.
 
MixieScratchie said:
OK, so I guess there is no way to record 32-bit wave audio onto CD.. there should be but there isn't! Which kinda sucks really...

... How do I now change my 32-bit audio tracks to 16-bit then from 32-bit, do I use Cool Edit Pro to do that or something else instead? I want them to sound right of course :confused:
I'll tell you from memory.

Go to the menu (I think File, or Edit), and find "Convert Sample Type".

Then select all the options, stereo, 16-bit, 44.1kHz, and use dithering.
 
You can press "F11" and the conversion window will come up.

And, yes, CDs are all encoded at 44.1KHz/16 bit. You may be mistaking other problems for a bit depth difference, when actually that is a very subtle. Poor recording technique, inadequate gear and pitiful performances are not magically fixed by recording at a greater bit depth.
 
MixieScratchie said:
I appreciate your comments but I'm not totally convinced, how do I know that you guys know exactly what you're talking about? I'm quite sure that when a professional recording artist makes a CD it's much greater quality than this 16-bit that you're talking about...

.... I've been messing around making CDs for years now and when you buy an original and listen to it you can hear that it's much better than one created say for example in Cool Edit at 16-bit wave otherwise why have 32-bit anyway?


maybe the problem is not the audio format...but your recording. Are you recording in a pro studio, with pro gear...because most of the CD's that you are talking about probably were. Dont think that you can record using your PC mic and stock sound card at 32 bits, 96khz and get professional quality....
 
First of all, there is no such thing as a 32 bit float converter. You have 24 bit converters, your program just reformats it into 32 bit float format, but your tracks were recorded at 24 bit.

Every commercial CD in every music store ever is 16 bit 44.1k. That is the redbook standard. That is the only format that will play in a CD player.

The difference between your mixes and commercial releases is mastering. If it is mastered properly, the mix won't lose quality with the conversion to 16 bit.
 
Well thanks for your replies everybody, I'm glad I asked this now and just to point out I've already burned my audio but I didn't do it in 16-bit 44100 Hz like you've all been saying I did it in 16-bit 48000 Hz :p and it's much better than all of your mentioned 16-bit 44100 Hz quality...

... thanks for all your advice but I did it different in the end and it's worked out just fine ;)

At least now I know what is the best thing to do with Cool Edit, simply to just mixdown to 16-bit, what you must understand is that I did presume that you could burn 32-bit quality in Nero 7 as it mentions that in the reviews (which seems like a load of nonsense) so I guess it was just a misunderstanding of my info. Thanks for all of your advice but it really wasn't needed as I already have much knowledge of Cool Edit Pro, I've been using it myself for many years now but this is the first time I've ever ventured out into the world of 32-bit home recording..

Thanks all the same..

MixieScratchie
 
Nero changed the 48k file to 44.1k. A CD is 44.1k!!

I've been doing this for over 20 years. There is no such thing as a 48k CD.
 
If you think you can hear a difference between 44.1 and 48k, you're fooling yourself. The audible difference is at a frequency above human hearing, and at that, it is only equivilent to 3/4 of a musical step. ( the difference between A and slightly flat of B)

48k is for syncing with video, it has nothing to do with quality. In fact, just the fact that it has to be sample rate converted to 44.1k to be played on a CD is reason enough not to bother with 48k.

Try google-ing 'redbook standard'

Hell, just search 'sample rate' on this forum and you will find out all you need to know about it.

Follow the link to Farview's studio, he works with some heavy hitters.
Check out my soundclick stuff, we know what we are doing.

There is nothing that the software that came free with windows is going to be able to do that you can't do with wavelab or any of the other high end mastering software.

Get your head out of your ass and learn something.
 
Sillyhat said:
If you think you can hear a difference between 44.1 and 48k, you're fooling yourself. The audible difference is at a frequency above human hearing, and at that, it is only equivilent to 3/4 of a musical step. ( the difference between A and slightly flat of B)

48k is for syncing with video, it has nothing to do with quality. In fact, just the fact that it has to be sample rate converted to 44.1k to be played on a CD is reason enough not to bother with 48k.

Try google-ing 'redbook standard'

Hell, just search 'sample rate' on this forum and you will find out all you need to know about it.

Follow the link to Farview's studio, he works with some heavy hitters.
Check out my soundclick stuff, we know what we are doing.

There is nothing that the software that came free with windows is going to be able to do that you can't do with wavelab or any of the other high end mastering software.

Get your head out of your ass and learn something.

Yeah, somebody said that already so you're just wasting your time! :D
 
As far as I am concerned, you may as well just continue "burning all of your CD's at 48khz...." I am glad that you have managed to find something better that nobody else in all the the musical and recording world has figured out. Out of curiosity, why did you even bother to ask a question here if you are not willing to accept an answer?

The cold harsh truth.... If you are listening to the CD in an audio CD player, than it is at 16 bits and 44.1khz. If it does not sound good, it has nothing to do with 16, 24 or 32 bits. It has nothing to do with 44.1, 48, or 96 or even 192khz. It has EVERYTHING to do with what YOU did to it. If it sounds bad than either the song is poor, or your recording or performance of it is poor, or your mixing is poor. Sorry to be so blunt, but your attitude dictated it:)
 
Anyways, you all made your point!

I'm off before this place gets too bigheaded than it is already..

... Great forum but you Americans seem to think you're all up there with all the info, who cares I only asked a simple question, no need to get so dam cocky about such a simple thing, you could have been nicer so I guess you won't see me around here again and I don't care if you've been at it for 20+ years, with all your attitudes you make recording lame and not fun! Too much attitude like I said, I happen to be an expert when it comes to Cool Edit Pro and I don't care what you all 'think' you know..

To me it's all just trying to be more clever than you can be and I'm not really bothered, like I said the point was made orignally but for such rude comments to be made afterwards then I guess you've kinda pissed me off a little...

I'll let you all off this time, next time I'll be sure to look round the internet like I always do than try and get the answers to positive solutions rather than from 'cocky' Americans again... tut! tut! :mad:

There ya go! eat that up and I'm sure you'll end up like a big fat recording studio boss one day LOL :D
 
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