M
monstertruck
New member
what is the difference in 16 ,24 and and 32 bit recording does one sound better than the other and does it make a difference in what soft ware and hardware your using to record in and mix/master
R
Retro
New member
Some of the advantages to highter bit resolution are:
1. More dynamic range. You quiet passages can be quieter without vanishing and the noise floor is lower. This also means you can record a signal thats not has hot and still get a good track (i.e. if you have to back off from 0db a little more than usual to avoid clipping). More bits means more dynamic space to work with.
2. More bits means a more accurate representation of the recorded material. Think about computer graphics. If the pixel level is low, thinks look rough and blocky. By increasing the number of pixels, things become much smoother looking - more more realistic. It's the same thing on the audio side. Digital means a certain number of fixed, rigid steps in the sound. The more of these we have available to use (greater bit resolution) the more accurately we can model the analog signal.
3. When applying processessing to recorded material (applying effects or wave editing for example) a higher the bit resolution the better. Again more bits means more accurate with smoother transitions. That's why many audio programs will use a higher bit resolution internally then they record or play at.
Some of the advantage of lower bit resolution.
1. Takes less storage space.
2. Less taxing on the system.
Hopefully that helps and correctly explained everthing.
1. More dynamic range. You quiet passages can be quieter without vanishing and the noise floor is lower. This also means you can record a signal thats not has hot and still get a good track (i.e. if you have to back off from 0db a little more than usual to avoid clipping). More bits means more dynamic space to work with.
2. More bits means a more accurate representation of the recorded material. Think about computer graphics. If the pixel level is low, thinks look rough and blocky. By increasing the number of pixels, things become much smoother looking - more more realistic. It's the same thing on the audio side. Digital means a certain number of fixed, rigid steps in the sound. The more of these we have available to use (greater bit resolution) the more accurately we can model the analog signal.
3. When applying processessing to recorded material (applying effects or wave editing for example) a higher the bit resolution the better. Again more bits means more accurate with smoother transitions. That's why many audio programs will use a higher bit resolution internally then they record or play at.
Some of the advantage of lower bit resolution.
1. Takes less storage space.
2. Less taxing on the system.
Hopefully that helps and correctly explained everthing.
Evildick
New member
I think the emphasis needs to placed in Retro's third comment. Audio CD's are recorded at 16bit depth and 44.1kHz sample rate. Increasing the bit depth to 24 and the sample rate to 96kHz allows you to interact and manipulate a certain audio sample more accurately. This comes into effect especially when using software plug-ins on a DAW where programs can utilize it. The end result is less errors in the effects that you apply externally to an audio track. It's still debated on whether or not 24-bit is better. Just keep in mind that if you record at a higher bit depth and sampling rate, the files will be much larger. Then, if you want to play them on a CD player, you will have to dither your samples down to 16-bit 44.1kHz like Retro said.
L
littledog
New member
Evildick said:
I don't think there is really much debate. Everything else being equal, recording at 24 bits gives a superior result. Kind of like saying which printer gives a better result: one with 300x300 dpi, or 1200x1200? The only decision is whether the increase in quality is worth the extra money and dealing with larger sound files.
Evildick
New member
Well, considering you can't burn an audio CD at 24-bit and have it play in Chuck Ufarley's CD player it really comes down to the dithering software. I agree that 24-bit is better. If you know how to use the tools in your studio correctly. I crappy recording in 16-bit is still going to sound like crap in 24-bit dithered to 16. Once you get a recording in 16 that is close to what you want, venture into 24 to hear the differences on your final mixes.
I agree with you littledog, but jumping up and forking out the cash for a full 24-bit system for someone who doesn't know about it throws up the flag that he needs a few more years under his belt in the 16-bit realm. It was still a good question though, and no offense intended towards you littledog.
I agree with you littledog, but jumping up and forking out the cash for a full 24-bit system for someone who doesn't know about it throws up the flag that he needs a few more years under his belt in the 16-bit realm. It was still a good question though, and no offense intended towards you littledog.
J
John Byrne
New member
An interesting article I found on 24 bit recording:
http://www.24bitfaq.org/
Hope this is of some help.
Regards,
John
http://www.24bitfaq.org/
Hope this is of some help.
Regards,
John
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
How is 24bit really all that much more expensive? Most new prosumer level cards and software support it. You would actually have to purposely avoid doing any real shopping to get a 16bit card.
If cost keeps you from going up to 24bit you probably can't really afford to be doing home recording anyway. The extra $100 for the card is just a drop in the bucket for the entire studio budget.
If cost keeps you from going up to 24bit you probably can't really afford to be doing home recording anyway. The extra $100 for the card is just a drop in the bucket for the entire studio budget.