Different audio files
- Thread starter Zachyboy4
- Start date
Harvey Gerst
New member
mp3's ARE a "standard" file, but for quick file sharing - not for the highest fidelity.
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
MP3 is far from standard in pro audio circles. It may be the favorite amongst families and friends who want to share free music, but it's just a toy for most pros.
Remember that much DAW software like Logic is used for pro purposes, and not just recording studios or music makers, but everything from movie making to telecommunication providers to TV and radio broadcasting , programming and commercial production, to forensic audio repair and restoration, to gaming development, most of which have nothing but an occasional or passing interest in MP3.
G.
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Ideally, you should be using nothing but WAV files all the way through the process. Then when you're completley done, you can make an MP3 copy of it for MP3 distribution.
G.
G.
GazEcc
mBallstát atá tiomanta
Zachyboy, Basically you need to keep everything as high as setting as you can for as long as you can.
I'm not talking 32 bit / 192KHz but at least at the level you want to release it, for instance CD 16bit/44.1KHz,
When you use files that are lower than CD audio standard,which is also the Nyquist rate or frequency or something like that, you get something called aliasing which can really impact on the quality of your recordings but when you have your final mix sparkling on WAV then you can downgrade all you like, sure you'll introduce artifacts but nothing more than would go in anyway, but if you were to work in MP3 those artifacts would be there from the start making it harder to get a good sound.
Just my 2¢
I'm not talking 32 bit / 192KHz but at least at the level you want to release it, for instance CD 16bit/44.1KHz,
When you use files that are lower than CD audio standard,which is also the Nyquist rate or frequency or something like that, you get something called aliasing which can really impact on the quality of your recordings but when you have your final mix sparkling on WAV then you can downgrade all you like, sure you'll introduce artifacts but nothing more than would go in anyway, but if you were to work in MP3 those artifacts would be there from the start making it harder to get a good sound.
Just my 2¢
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
WAV is a bit-by-bit exact representation of the whole signal, with no data compression at all. Generally speaking, you pretty much can't get much better than that*
And GazEcc bring up a good point, that just like with MP3, there are different quality levels of WAV also. Without going to heavily into it, the general consensus usually is to work in 44.1k/24bit WAV** all the way though. Then if/when you need to go to CD, you need to make a copy of it and convert that copy to 44.1K/16-bit WAV, as that is basically what CD uses.
Then when you want/need MP3 to share your stuff on meSpace, mePod or something like that, convert to 128k MP3 at a minimum, and preferably 192k or higher. It all depends on how big of a file you want to deal with; the higher the bit rate, the larger the file.
*Advocates of 1-bit data stream technology, let's not confuse this guy with that complication just yet, OK?
** The 44.1k sample rate can go higher, there's disagreement among users about that part of it, but until you get your feet a bit wetter, 44.1k will serve you just fine. But the 24bit part of it has pretty much a consensus agreement.
G.
Ok. so one more question.
we keep saying that one should use Wav all the way through a project, well, when using logic (or anything else but i mainly use logic) does the project run at a set uh file type?
because i know that when i bounce it gives me the option. but what kind of files are the regions as im working in them? i might be wording this way crappy. idk.
the guy with the black and white picture i think is a guru. ha. so i am trying to take advantage of this website.
we keep saying that one should use Wav all the way through a project, well, when using logic (or anything else but i mainly use logic) does the project run at a set uh file type?
because i know that when i bounce it gives me the option. but what kind of files are the regions as im working in them? i might be wording this way crappy. idk.
the guy with the black and white picture i think is a guru. ha. so i am trying to take advantage of this website.
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
I'm not intimately familliar with Logic's setup screens, but somewhere in your menus should be the option of either the file type that you're saving your recordings to or the file type that your project will be working in.
G.
G.
SafeandSound
New member
For mastering a 24bit resolution file would be preferred at sample rate of project.
I suggest keeping a 24bit for your own records/archival purposes you never know when you
might need the very best quality version to be available.
I suggest keeping a 24bit for your own records/archival purposes you never know when you
might need the very best quality version to be available.
spantini
COO of me, inc.
I'm about to go into a local studio with about a dozen originals - just me singing and playing an acoustic guitar. What I want is to wind up with:
1. A high quality digital master I can use down the road to add other parts/tracks to as needed. Exactly like a multi-track master tape.. only in a digital format on CD or Flash Drive.
2. A version of the above I can email to some band members which they can use to write their own parts to and be emailed back to me.
I've got a couple of questions:
Do I need to have mixing software to split the tracks apart again, or will my two tracks be forever ONE track for my purposes of emailing?
(All I have is a desktop Windows XP with Windows Media Player, USB ports and CD drive)
What file format should I ask the engineer to create my Master in?
Will I need one file-type for the Master and another for the email version?
I'm using CD and USB Flash Drives. I have no mixing software.
Well, that's a start. Any info you can give me will be appreciated. Thanks.
1. A high quality digital master I can use down the road to add other parts/tracks to as needed. Exactly like a multi-track master tape.. only in a digital format on CD or Flash Drive.
2. A version of the above I can email to some band members which they can use to write their own parts to and be emailed back to me.
I've got a couple of questions:
Do I need to have mixing software to split the tracks apart again, or will my two tracks be forever ONE track for my purposes of emailing?
(All I have is a desktop Windows XP with Windows Media Player, USB ports and CD drive)
What file format should I ask the engineer to create my Master in?
Will I need one file-type for the Master and another for the email version?
I'm using CD and USB Flash Drives. I have no mixing software.
Well, that's a start. Any info you can give me will be appreciated. Thanks.
ashcat_lt
Well-known member
There is no way to "un-mix" a final master mix. You may be able to add tracks after the fact by bringing the stereo file up in a daw and recording new tracks alongside it. It might be kind of difficult to get them to sit properly in the mix, especially if there are a lot of mix-bus or other global effects added. If you want to be able to change the actual mix significantly, you'll want a separate file for each track (or maybe group of tracks, called a "stem"), and you will need a DAW to mix it back together.
He'll know. Probably .wav in the sample rate and bit depth that the project is in.
If you expect to be able to add tracks both from you and your friend and mix them back together properly I would stick with .wav (just one file type). Compressed files like .mp3s sometimes come out a slightly different length from the .wav depending on how they are decompressed, and the tracks your friend sends back could run at a slightly different speed from what you've done or are trying to match it to. .wav is sample accurate as long as everything starts at the same 0 time mark.
Yes, that means you'll potentially be transferring pretty big files back and forth via email. 24bit/44.1K stereo is about 15M/minute. You may need to use google drive or dropbox or something, and upload/downloads will take a little while, but it is your best bet for quality and ease of use.
spantini
COO of me, inc.
Thank you.
My first two tracks will become one file, when my guitarist puts his down and returns it, it'll be one file again, and so on. Without a DAW I'll wind up with 5+ tracks in one file that can't be separated. I can work with that.
Sometime early next year I hope to get a Tascam DP-03 to facilitate this process on my end. It'll be a start.
Thanks again, ashcat.
My first two tracks will become one file, when my guitarist puts his down and returns it, it'll be one file again, and so on. Without a DAW I'll wind up with 5+ tracks in one file that can't be separated. I can work with that.
Sometime early next year I hope to get a Tascam DP-03 to facilitate this process on my end. It'll be a start.
Thanks again, ashcat.
Michael4bass
New member
In Logic, goto Preferences/Audio/General/Recording File Type to set your default file choice. To check files that you have recorded, hold down the Command key and press 9, this will bring up the file list for the project you are checking showing you the sample rate, bit depth, whether the file is mono or stereo and size of the files.
Bassically, Michael
Armistice
Son of Yoda
It's perfectly OK to start your own thread with your own questions, spantini.... save people answering dead thread questions from prior...
And if you walked into a local studio and told them what you wanted to do, I'm sure they can provide you without whatever tracks you need... you're paying them, right?
And if you walked into a local studio and told them what you wanted to do, I'm sure they can provide you without whatever tracks you need... you're paying them, right?