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Re: [ARSCLIST] Cassette obsolescence - digitizing standards



This quote is from a web site explaining Adobe Auditon's (CoolEdit revisited) operations:

http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/audio/audition/#bitdepth

I think it states the use of upsampling and downsampling in editing quite clearly in layman's (or laywoman's) terms.


Bit depth (16 or 32)


Standard CD-quality audio files have 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits per sample. However, many of us now have 24- or 32-bit sound cards and can record 32-bit audio files. These give higher quality and can be downsampled to 16 bits before burning to CD.

Further, Adobe indicates that highest quality is obtained by upsampling your file to 32 bits if it was not already recorded at 32 bits, editing it, and then downsampling again to the original format.

Rod Stephens

Jeffrey Kane wrote:

Perhaps my understanding is faulty; I'd always thought processing should be
done at a higher resolution if possible to minimize adverse effects on the
signal and preserve as much resolution as possible. Applying certain effects
to 16 bit audio if editing in 16 bit resolution could result in loss of
resolution could it not?


-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alyssa Ryvers
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 10:42 PM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Cassette obsolescence - digitizing standards

OK...so am I understanding correctly that you are transferring through your converter into your computer at 16bit, but then importing it into ProTools for 24bit?

If this is the case, you're not "enhancing" the sound quality, but just using some kind of algorithm(s) in order to get a more complex file - information that was added, by the way, and has nothing to do with the original.

Alyssa.
:)

"If someone, holding fast to the name of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds should enter a great fire, the fire could not burn him...If one were washed away by a great flood and call upon his name, one would immediately find himself in a shallow place." (The Lotus Sutra)
On 20-Feb-06, at 10:08 PM, Lou Judson wrote:




Interesting perspective. When I transfer cassettes for clients, I use 16 bit, and if they want it processed in any way, I import it to 24 bit Protools sessions for the added range... Best of both worlds, I like to think.

<L>

Lou Judson . Intuitive Audio
415-883-2689

On Feb 20, 2006, at 10:00 AM, Mike Richter wrote:



Lou Judson wrote:


What about using 24 bit at 44.1 so that any noise reduction or processing done later is higher definition?


Given that the best dynamic range on standard cassettes - assuming Dolby B in proper calibration which is highly questionable - is unlikely to exceed 60 db, one might suspect that 16 bits is sufficient. Of course, processing could consume several bits and one only has half a dozen to spare (~30 db).

For that potential, infinitesimal advantage, one is likely to spend four to ten times as much to make the transfers counting both equipment and time. Given infinite resources, a case can be made; with a budget less than that of a typical multinational corporation, such overkill is hard to justify even on theoretical grounds.

Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/







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