USB Recording: How many bits?

[thwackless]

I've been told that my Tascam USB interface/recording device (US-428) will not record 4 inputs simultaneously at 24-bit resolution. Can this be true- and if it is, can it be "fixed" somehow to be able to record 4x at 24 bits?

If I'm stuck with 16, is there a way to get close to as good a dynamic response as with 24? Can a good editing program help this (I have Cool Edit Pro and Soundforge)?

Thanks,
Rog.

 

[crosstudio]

i've never tried it, but the documentation says that you can't do 24bit with 4 tracks. it probably won't stop you, it just won't be able to handle the throughput.

no, you aren't going to get the same results using 16 as you would with 24, but yes you can do well if you can keep the noise floor low and your volume hot.

 

[thwackless]

i've never tried it, but the documentation says that you can't do 24bit with 4 tracks. it probably won't stop you, it just won't be able to handle the throughput.

no, you aren't going to get the same results using 16 as you would with 24, but yes you can do well if you can keep the noise floor low and your volume hot.

Hallo, Cross,
Thanks for the reply. I understand about 16 bits and volume vs. noise. The language of all this is new to me, however, so I ask the "dumb" questions: When you say "it probably won't stop you", you mention throughput. What exactly is 'throughput'? I take it that that's not what goes to disk, but a term to describe monitoring? Or is it in fact what gets to disk?

Now, we are talking just about getting signal into the machine here, right? (So that if I recorded two inputs at once, instead of 4, I could get 24-bit resolution, then be able to continue working with 24 bits until mastering. I'm making assumptions here...)

Thanks for your time,
Rog.