recording 24-bit files with 16-bit soundcard

[smidgie]

can you record into 24 bit files in n-track like you can with Cool Edit pro and others with a 16-bit sound card? i tried selecting 24 bit and i tried to record and a blue screen error message came up. so i thought that sucked. but does it matter? if i'm not going to process the effects and just keep it real-time, will it just be as good if i was doing it with actual 24 bit files? i don't to spend the extra money to get the 24 bit version if i can't make 24 bit wav files.

 

[John Sayers]

Your sound card determines what bit rate you can use. If your card is only 16 then only 16 it is. There are cards that do 24 and you'll need one of them to do 24bit. Do a search and you'll find them all mentioned somewhere.

cheers
john

 

[smidgie]

thanks.
yeah, i understand that. i just wanted 24 bit files so when i process them there will be more room for more bits since every volume change makes the wordlengh longer.

 

[Tom Hicks]

the program's internal processing is 32 bit
Tom

 

[LI Slim]

Like Tom says. The point is, you can only record at 16 bits since you have a 16 bit soundcard. No software can change that. But once you've recorded and you're going back and mixing stuff N-track is doing it internally at 32.

 

[Das]

I think what he's asking is if he can have 24-bit files with only the original 16-bit audio in them, so they'll stack up better to effects and processing.
This IS possible. Just record in 16-bit, and before you change the audio file in any other way, use a program like Cool Edit to convert it into 24-bit.


The advantages of doing something like this are very minimal, unless you apply a lot of destructive effects in a program like Cool Edit after you convert it to 24-but.