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Re: Transfer from MD to computer

Subject: Re: Transfer from MD to computer
From: Walter Knapp <>
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 12:50:01 -0400
From: "Andrew Carter" <>

> 
> Hi Folks!
> Some basic questions I'm afraid.
> When transferring from MD to my computer, I have come up with two questions.
> I'm using Cool Edit to do this task.
> Firstly, what sampling rates should  I use - and what 'resolution' (could
> some one explain resolution to me!).

You want to use the CD standard 44.1khz 16bit. MD uses the same as CD.

Not sure what you mean by resolution. If it's the bit depth, that's how 
many bits are available in each sample to describe the current sound 
level. 16bit gives you approximately 64,000 possible sound levels for 
each sample, enough to describe a 96dB dynamic range. Which is generally 
way above the original dynamic range in nature recording.

> Secondly in what format (out of the list on offer) should I save the file to
> disk. This I guess would be the one with the least or no compression. There
> seem to be several with a ".wav " ending, but they must be different from
> each other.

Definitely use a uncompressed format. As I'm mac and don't use Cool 
Edit, I don't know which of the .wav options, but it would be one of 
them. Mac's standard equivalent is aiff or .aif. At 44.1khz 16bit the 
.aif is exactly identical samples to CD. .wav uses the reverse bit order 
from CD.

Note if transferring via a analog route be careful to adjust input gain 
appropriately. Digital clipping is very nasty so you don't want anything 
coming in to go above the 0dB mark.

Walt




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