GT Pro Question - Audio Bit Depth ??

[Bulls Hit]

In Tools, Change Audio Format, you can switch between an Audio Bit Depth of 16 or 24.

In Options, Audio, General, you can set the Audio Driver Bit depth to a value ranging between 16 & 24.

Are these one and the same thing? Why are there 2 different places to set this? Does one override the other?

Then there's File bit depth which can also have a value 16 or 24. Confused? You bet

 

[dachay2tnr]

Audio Driver Bit Depth refers to how the program will work with your sound card. If you have something like an SB Live, you have to choose 16 for this setting, but if you have a better Sound Card (one capable of 24 bit operation) you can choose either 16 or 24. (Normally I would recommend using 24 if your card is capable.)

File Bit depth determines the bit depth that the project will be stored at. IOW, you can record at 16 bits (driver bit depth) but still keep it stored in a 24 bit project. The higher bit depth could be handy for DSP, or for a collaboration project where one person is recording at 24 bits and the other at 16. This would allow you to mix the files in the same project.

Normally, the Driver Bit depth and File Bit depth settings are usually going to be the same. However, allowing them to be set independantly does provide flexibility in cases where you need it.

Change Audio Format is just what it says. It allows you to change the bit depth on an existing file.

 

[moskus]

[...]or for a collaboration project where one person is recording at 24 bits and the other at 16. This would allow you to mix the files in the same project.

Yes, but then you wouldn't be able to play his/hers files...

 

[dachay2tnr]

Yes, but then you wouldn't be able to play his/hers files...

You can play them. You just can't play them at 24 bits.

I used to record at a friend's house on a DAW with a Delta 1010 (24 bits). I would then take the files home to my home computer and work on them. My home computer had an SB Live. I set up Sonar to use 16 bit Audio Driver and 24 Bit File and everything worked fine.

Obviously if I had done any recording on my home system, those wave files would only have been 16 bits. But for simple editing and processing (which is what I was doing), the SB Live was a non-issue.

 

[moskus]

You can play them. You just can't play them at 24 bits.

???

So what you're saying is that you're able to play 24-bit files with a 16-bit card?

 

[dachay2tnr]

Yup! I imagine the files are simply being truncated to 16 bits, but they do play. And since any processing is internal to Sonar (at 32 bit float, I think) the sound card has no impact.

 

[James Argo]

I agree with the almighty dachay2tnr here. The process figure as "dithered internaly by SONAR for playback purpose only" -- ( was that dithered or truncated ). The soundcard will "hear" it as 16 bit file, while the data remains 24 bit actualy... It's always better if we have 24 bit capable card, but for those who doesn't have it, SONAR "helps" us to hear the 24 bit audio track with 16 bit card...


Jaymz

 

[Bulls Hit]

Thanks for the replys.

The reason for the questions is I'm desperately trying to find some tweak that will eliminate the crackling noise when recording through my delta 44. So far, no joy

 

[Porter]

Are you using more than one sound card in the system?

If you are, make sure your only recording and playing audio through one card... also make sure your playback and recording clock sources are the same.

Porter

 

[Bulls Hit]

Porter - no I have removed my old sound and uninstalled all the related software.

The strange thing about this problem is one take will be fine then the next 5 will sound like crap with crackling.

I'm having no problem with playing back anything I previously recorded.

Regarding your suggestion about the clock sources being the same - is this something I need to do in GT Pro? The Delta Control Panel Master Clock is set to 'Internal Xtal', with no option to change it

 

[moskus]

Yup! I imagine the files are simply being truncated to 16 bits, but they do play. And since any processing is internal to Sonar (at 32 bit float, I think) the sound card has no impact.

Oh... well, you learn something new every day!

But 96 kHz files won't play on a 48 kHz soundcard, right? I mean, the timecode have to be unreadable, right?

Panic! I thought I was smart

 

[dachay2tnr]

But 96 kHz files won't play on a 48 kHz soundcard, right? I mean, the timecode have to be unreadable, right?

That one I don't know. I never tried anything but 44.1.

My guess, though, is that you are correct.

 

[moskus]

I think I'm right. My card supports 22, 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz samplingrate. It cannot play 11 kHz directly...