16 vs. 24 bit

Good rule of thumb

Here is my take on it. Get the most bits / highest sample rate you can afford. While it is true that Red Book CDs are only 16 bit / 44.1 KHz, there will emerge a new standard that uses way more data. If you want your 2001 projects to sound good on these emerging distribution / playback systems then use more bits.

Right now there is SACD from Sony, and the DVD Audio spec. You can go into a store and buy either of these today. Both these use very high bit rates and high bit depths. There is a nice article about on the Absolute Sound site. Both of these formats are out of reach of the typical studio and home studio owners.

You can however make a DTS CD today with a $500 program from Minnetonka Audio which can use 24 bit / 96KHz sampled wave files. DTS CDs can be played back on any CD Player that has its digital out jack connected to a DTS decoder such as the ones found in most Hi Fi receivers made to today. If you want real 5.1 or 6.1 mixes, you need a DAW that supports surround mixing like (but not limited to) Logic.

In the original posts there was mention of specfic hardware like Porta Studios. I personally do not like these little beasts. Some people love them, and a lot of people own them, for my tastes, I prefer to use a computer with a good interface. Think of it this way, a newer, better even more bit hungry set of standards emerges and becomes affordable. With a Porta Studio, you sell it, and get the latest gear. Then you learn how to use it. With the modular approach of a computer, you buy a new interface which supports the newer, bigger, more bit hungry format and keep on using the same software that you know and have a love / hate relationship with :-).
 
Or you can master to a dvd rw drive. now under 500.00.

HDCD I believe is the format you are talking about. but it can only be played back on a DVD deck with the feature.
 
No it is SACD. Super Audio CD from Sony. The above link to the Absolute Sound article on SACD gives all the details.

The DVD rw drive you speak of doesn't play everywhere. The new $1000 Pioneer DVD R/RW drives do. However, I have yet to see any DVD-Audio mastering software made widely available.
 
DON'T FORGET THE 'K' FOR KILO

Wow, didn't realize there is so much confusion about bits. I may be able to help understand it a little bit being a computer programmer myself.

First off, many of you are right. When they talk about 16 bits and 24 bits, they mean 16 bits and 24 bits.

Whey they talk about 48 Khz and 96 Khz, they mean KILO HERTZ, meaning 48,000 (thousand) hertz (or cycles) and 98,000 (thousand) hertz (or cycles). - NOT BITS.

Rule of the thumb is: The more hertz or cycles - the more accurate is the representation of the original. Try to imagine a picture of a circle, then try to get a copy of that picture at 8 different places, then put the copies back together in the same order, spaced apart in the same linear distance from the start to the end that you copied it. Now do the same thing, only this time, copy 100 times more. Heck, why not try this, it is simpler: try to modify the resolution of your computer to 320x200, then pick a picture to look at. Then try a higher resolution, i.e. 800X600 pixels. You get the idea. They are talking about resolution, except this time, they are talking about sound.

With 16 bit, 18 bit, 24 bit though, Hixmix is right - the recording companies will realize huge difference - in profits. Most people would probably talk about 24 bits as having more headroom. This is partially correct. Headroom in recording is what you make it. If you are using a lot of tracks in your recording and you need to make almost each individual tracks at different volume levels, then, having 24 "clicks" on your fader (this is a parallelism - not an actual even that is happening) would be helpful. You would definitely have more DYNAMIC RANGE of VOLUME from SOFTEST to LOUDEST sound to play around with - with a 24 bit system, than with at 16 bit. Is a 24 bit system better? Of course it is. How important is that? That is up to you. But before you make your decision, picture this: you are listening to recorded classical music, with its soft passages and sudden surge of music, the difference in them would be more accurately represented with a 24 bit system. Also, have you tried listening to cheap phone answering machines with 4 bit AM radio quality recording? - You would wish you have your old cassette back!

Be wary - some Digital Recording selling companies tout their products as 18 bits or 24 bits when they actually record only in 16 bits. Some of these companies are REPUTABLE NAME BRAND ones. I almost bought myself what I thought was an 18 bit machine, I am glad I did more research and found out that they only mean, it processes sound internally at 18 bits or 24 bits, but records them at 16 bits! My further investigation saved me precious dollars. Lesson learned: Read closely the specs. Truth is hidden somehwere there.
 
BOILS DOWN TO

Dont forget, everything gets written down as 16 bits at 44.1 khz on CD. But many will tell you that those that were originally mastered/recorded at 24 bits/96 khz are warmer sounding. Kinda like getting the analog sound without it's defects (hiss, wow and flutter, etc.). How much warmer - can't tell you, I don't own a 24 bit/96 khz system.
 
Vurt:Do what I did-- get a Korg d1600 from SamAsh. They (at least the one in NYC) have a 15 day return policy. So just check it out and return it. It does both 16 and 24 bit recording. I haven't A-B'd them, I just stay in 24, cuz I been brainwashed I guess. But it IS a kickass machine. Oh-- and when I first got it I recorded something in 16 bit mode thinking it was 24, and it sounded awesome -- I was stunned when I found out what I did!

PS the simultaneous tracks you have are halved when you use 24 bit mode.
 
THERS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE

i HAVE THE TASCAM788 DAW. WITH THIS YOU CAN RECORD IN EITHER MODE 16 OR 24. I HAVE DONE THE SAME MIX IN BOTH MODES AND REALLY COULDN'T TELL THE DIFF. BUT IF MONEY IS WHAT YOU ARE STUCK ON KORG ALSO HAS THE D12 WHICH OFEERS BOTH WAYS TO RECORD FOR ABOUT $900 I HAVE TASCAM'S 788 I PAID CLOSE TO $900 AND I WOULD BUY IT AGAIN
 
AHHH

TRUE BUT FOR THE PRICE IT'S NOT THAT BAD OF DEAL.(YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR SOMETIMES A LITTLE MORE)
GOOD MUSIC; I'M OUT
 
the d1600 has 8 inputs. And on the d12 I think theres effects returns that can be routed to another two tracks. at least my d8 does that.
 
Hello people. I am from the future. In less than two months, your world is going to change. Fear and anger will become the rage of the age. A certain cowboy/president will not be elected three times. Apple and Microsoft get married and have babies.
I promise you that before this decade is out, we will put a black man in the white house. Ten years from now, you will be able to record and listen to music with products smaller than a deck of playing cards. Cell Phones will become the norm and Apple will see huge business in the mobile communications industry. Oh yes, in 2008 the economy will have fallen into global recession. China's makin' the big bucks and are driving more cars than bicycles. Their need for gas will drive up the cost of fuel in the United States.
Cigarettes and gasoline will both reach 5 bucks a pack or gallon. A woman will shoot her husband in the back and be excused from doing time. What's more, she will get custody of her victim's children. Believe it!


All I wanted to know was what the difference was between 16 bit v. 24 bit. This thread was the search result of my query.
 
I've wondered:

Would an MP3 made of a 24 bit/96 khz recording sound as good, better, or worse than the wave file of a 16 bit/44.1 khz (CD quality)?
 
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