At 9:06 AM -0700 5/15/09, Scott Fraser wrote:
><<Hi Scott-
>I used to record everything at 24bit/48Hz because it made me feel
>more on top of my practice, but money, time, materials, and
>CPU-demand are all significant reasons to record to 16 bits.>>
>
>At current media prices & with current CPU capabilities, these really
>are not impediments anymore.
Hi Scott--
Seems like our priorities or volume needs may differ. I "archive" my
media to DVD-R's and while the cost per disk is not expensive, I use
a lot of them. 24 bit files do require 50% more storage materials and
the data takes 50% more time to prepare and burn. HD storage costs
less than years ago, but field-generated GB's add-up very quickly for
me. I can insert the plugs I need with 6- 16bit files playing on my
five year old mac but with 24bit files I have to make processing
compromises.
>
><< The
>additional 5? bits are useful at the stock races and when a
>thunderstorm rolls up, but in the natural spaces I record in, its
>very rare for anything to top 80 dB. I feel there's little purpose in
>making standard practice out of any option that rarely provides
>advantage. I'm with you on mastering to 24 bit files, though. Rob D.>>
>
>Where the extra bits make sense is not in pushing the envelope of
>overall dynamic range (since no microphones have even 16bit signal to
>noise capabilities, much less 24bits worth,) is in DSP, where any
>process, even minor level changes, & certainly any equalization, adds
>rounding errors to the least significant bit in the word. You want
>those errors to exist at the lowest possible quantization level, even
>when the least significant bit contains no actual useful audio. When I
>receive 16bit files for CD mastering I always store them as 24bit
>files so that any EQ, dynamic processing & fades I do induce rounding
>errors at a level below the clients' original dynamic range.
I can't hear a difference between 24 bit masters made the way you
describe when I start with a 16 bit field recording and 24 bit field
recording. I tested it a few times with low saturation material
thinking it _should_ be audible. Rob D.
>
>Scott Fraser
>
>
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