Can I record 24bit from analogue mixer?

[Help please!]

I currently own a Yamaha analogue mixer (MG8/2Fx) and at the moment only recording at 16bit rate.
My sound card is an EMU 0404 and says it can record at 24bit rate. So I was wondering with the mixer I have is a 24bit recording possible, I thought of using S/PDIF cables from mixer to sound card but I'm not sure if this will work.

 

[TimOBrien]

Analog has no 'bits'.

The sound coming out of the mixer will be sampled at whatever rate your soundcard is set to.

Record away.

 

[jhbrandt]

Do not use S/PDIF input on your converter. That's altogether something else. Use the normal outputs of the mixer into the analog inputs of the converter.

Have fun! As Tim already said... 192 kHz is not as smooth as the signal coming out of your mixer.. It's analog!
Cheers,
John

 

[Help please!]

Thanks I'm understanding that part but on my sound card it as an S/pdif input for 24bit, can I connect from my analog mixer to the S/pdif input only having Rca and phono outputs. Its the connecting my mixer to my sound card I'm confused about at the moment I'm connected to my sound card phono to phono but this only converts signal to 16bit.

 

[Help please!]

Hi thanks but what i'm confused about is my sound card as phono inputs and converts this to 16bit and a s/pdif input which will convert to 24bit. I'm trying to convert my music to 24bit from analog mixer or do I need a digital mixer. I don't have any s/pdif output on mixer all I have are phono and rca outputs.

 

[Help please!]

Sorry for being thick I've realized my sound card will record 24bit from my analog mixer but my sound card settings must need setting to 24bit instead of 16bit. It was my recording software telling me I was only recording at 16bit rate, I originally thought it was because I was recording from an analog mixer and not digital.

 

[PTravel]

Thanks I'm understanding that part but on my sound card it as an S/pdif input for 24bit, can I connect from my analog mixer to the S/pdif input only having Rca and phono outputs. Its the connecting my mixer to my sound card I'm confused about at the moment I'm connected to my sound card phono to phono but this only converts signal to 16bit.

You cannot go directly from RCA to s/pdif. You need an interface that will digitize the audio signal. There are interfaces that have s/pdif outputs.

It would help if you tell us exactly what you're trying to do -- are you trying to digitally stream live audio, create a digital mix of music and vocals, do you want to edit the audio in the computer?

 

[mixsit]

Sorry for being thick I've realized my sound card will record 24bit from my analog mixer but my sound card settings must need setting to 24bit instead of 16bit. It was my recording software telling me I was only recording at 16bit rate, I originally thought it was because I was recording from an analog mixer and not digital.

Sounds like you might have it sorted out then.
Just to add in a few more points..

my sound card as phono inputs and converts this to 16bit and a s/pdif input which will convert to 24bit...

As you're found out the card can be set to record in 16bit depth or 24bit--
A clarification regarding the spdif-- the digital inputs do not 'convert anything. And to copy from my e-mu manual;

The E-MU xxxx' receives digital audio data with word lengths of up to 24-bits. Data is always transmitted [referring to the digital output] at 24bits.

What they are saying here is that it is a portal 24bits wide. That would be true even if the information (wav data file) the digital output of the device feeding it were transferring audio that was actually only a 16bit file.

Another similar situation-- You can have a 24bit recording project and import (or record into it) a 16bit data stream -for example record from a CD' into it.
You would now have a 24bit depth audio track in your project, but the original audio would only occupy the top 16bits of the track. The lower eight available but as yet unused bit depth.

 

[Chili]

Do not use S/PDIF input on your converter. That's altogether something else. Use the normal outputs of the mixer into the analog inputs of the converter.

To reiterate, you can't use the spdif connectors on the EMU card. Your mixer does not support spdif because it has no analog to digital converters. As John said, connect the Audio Out from your mixer to the Audio In on the EMU card.

Have fun.