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Arny Krueger
 
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Default 16 bit vs 24 bit, 44.1khz vs 48 khz <-- please explain

"Ric Oliva" wrote in message


Ok, so I understand that 44.1k is 44,100 samples per second and 48k is
48,000 samples per second. Obviously 48,000 is better.


Why is this obvious?

I'm not
exactly sure what bit rate is though? CDs are 16 bit, DVDs are 24.
What exactly does that mean though?


That's not bit rate. It's sample size.

Another question - if I'm recording a project to audio CD, is it
better to just record at 16/44 since that's what the CD will be
anyway, and I can save system resources?


If you are going to do very much processing, it is wise to record with 24
bit samples to preserve dynamic range as you process the tracks. After
you've mixed the channels you are going to distribute, dither them down to
16 bits.

or should I do 24/48 and then dither it down, essentially changing what I

originally heard?

Dithering down is a fast operation with most software. A proper job of
downsampling can involve quite a bit of processing time. If you're going to
throw away all audio 22.05 KHz in the end, why bother ever recording it?

I read in the ProTools book by Berklee Press that its best to record on
LE using 24/44 since you won't hear much difference between the 48k
and 44.1k. Any insights into this?


Yes, I just made a post entitled "Why 24/96 sampling isn't necessarily
better-sounding than 24/44 sampling" that addresses this question.

You can also investigate this issue yourself by downloading and listening to
files of the same musical sounds recorded in various sample formats, from
http://www.pcabx.com/technical/sample_rates/index.htm .