bit conversion programs

[37point5]

This is related to the previous post on dithering, but it's a bit more specific, so that's why I decided to start a new topic.

Anyway, I'm getting a 24-bit soundcard soon, but I realize that at some point I'll have to dither down to 16-bits before I burn the CD. Cakewalk insists that it can do this, but I doubt the dithering will be spectacular (since most of the effects and other nonsense that came with it wasn't too brilliant).

So, my question is: what programs do you guys recommend for dithering down to 16-bits from 24? Sound Forge? Wave Lab? Is there some Direct X plugin that does it? Should I just give up and use Cakewalk? Or should I just not even bother with 24-bit since the dithering will mess up the sound so much that it'll sound just as good as if I'd recorded in 16-bit?

Ryan

 

[cwillu]

One of the main advantages of using 24 bits, when the final output is 16, is that you can record at lower levels, and still have more than 16 bits of information, wheras if you started recording at 16 bits, unless you use the full range of the 16 bits (and therefore risk major, audible clipping), you loose quality in the final product right from the start.

Also, about dithering: the simplest form of dithering (i.e. cakewalk's) is just adding random noise (white noise), at about the -96db level or so. It's pretty hard to screw that up : )

Hope this is useful

William Underwood