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Guest
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 Posted:
Fri Oct 28, 2005 12:18 am Post subject:
Software bit depth to match I/O hardware converters? |
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I record to a DAW through a MOTU 24i. The MOTU manual says the D/A and
A/D coverters are 24-bit. I assume this to mean it converts analog
audio to digital data with 24-bit word depth? If this is the case,
would it be better to set my DAW recording software to 24-bit (as
opposed to 16-bit, which I've been using) so the software doesn't have
to take 24-bit data and convert(truncate) it?
To further complicate the matter, I believe my DAW sotware has internal
resolution of 32-bit. Hmmm...
I've been recording at 16-bit partly because of what has been written
here of the so-called "marketing bits" I record mostly pop and rock
acts with very little dynamic range so I thought that I wouldn't use
the extra 8-bits (and save hard drive space). But if my MOTU is
sending a 24-bit signal to my DAW...
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Kurt Albershardt
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Oct 28, 2005 12:51 am Post subject:
Re: Software bit depth to match I/O hardware converters? |
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strat65@ameritech.net wrote:
| Quote: | I record to a DAW through a MOTU 24i. The MOTU manual says the D/A and
A/D coverters are 24-bit. I assume this to mean it converts analog
audio to digital data with 24-bit word depth? If this is the case,
would it be better to set my DAW recording software to 24-bit (as
opposed to 16-bit, which I've been using) so the software doesn't have
to take 24-bit data and convert(truncate) it?
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Yes.
| Quote: | To further complicate the matter, I believe my DAW sotware has internal
resolution of 32-bit.
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Most likely 32-bit floating point. You need the additional bit depth to
prevent truncation in SW operations.
| Quote: | I've been recording at 16-bit partly because of what has been written
here of the so-called "marketing bits" I record mostly pop and rock
acts with very little dynamic range so I thought that I wouldn't use
the extra 8-bits (and save hard drive space). But if my MOTU is
sending a 24-bit signal to my DAW...
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....record and mix at 24 bits. |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:05 am Post subject:
Re: Software bit depth to match I/O hardware converters? |
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To state the question more generally, could we apply this formula to
all hardware I/O devices as follows:
Whatever the bit-depth data stream the hardware I/O device supplies to
the DAW, set the DAW software to record at that bit depth.
Or is this too simplistic?
If the I/O device supplies a 24-bit data stream and the DAW software
records at 16-bit, are the extra bits truncated, dithered, or something
else? |
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Tom Baldwin
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:21 am Post subject:
Re: Software bit depth to match I/O hardware converters? |
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strat65@ameritech.net wrote:
| Quote: | To state the question more generally, could we apply this formula to
all hardware I/O devices as follows:
Whatever the bit-depth data stream the hardware I/O device supplies to
the DAW, set the DAW software to record at that bit depth.
Or is this too simplistic?
If the I/O device supplies a 24-bit data stream and the DAW software
records at 16-bit, are the extra bits truncated, dithered, or something
else?
It depends, it could be truncated or dither/truncated. Depends on how |
the DAW is set up.
Do what Kurt said. Run everything at 24bit.
WRT the 32bit. Once the 24bit data is inside your DAW and say you add an
EQ curve, that process will grow the data to 32 bit via computations,
but it will only travel into or out of the DAW at 24bit. Say I ask you
to do some computations for me. You calculate to 8 decimal places but
every number I give or you give back to me has to be 2 decimal places
max. 2 decimal place I/O with 8 decimal place computations.
TB |
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Arny Krueger
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:39 am Post subject:
Re: Software bit depth to match I/O hardware converters? |
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<strat65@ameritech.net> wrote in message
news:1130526355.010133.94340@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com
| Quote: | To state the question more generally, could we apply this
formula to all hardware I/O devices as follows:
Whatever the bit-depth data stream the hardware I/O
device supplies to the DAW, set the DAW software to
record at that bit depth.
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| Quote: | Or is this too simplistic?
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Probably.
(1) what about DAW software like Audition that does not
support processing at 24 bits, but does support 16 and 32?
(2) What about audio interface cards that support different
bit depths, sometimes more than one bit depth equal or
greater than 24 bits?
| Quote: | If the I/O device supplies a 24-bit data stream and the
DAW software records at 16-bit, are the extra bits
truncated, dithered, or something else?
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Depends. Sometimes depends on what you tell the hardware
and/or software to do. |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:42 am Post subject:
Re: Software bit depth to match I/O hardware converters? |
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Thanks everyone.
Arny, my MOTU 24i only outputs a 24-bit datastream.
| Quote: | From the MOTU manual:
"The 24i system always supplies VST with a 24-bit datastream, and when |
you enable 24-bit operation in VST, it simply uses all 24-bits supplied
by the 24i hardware."
So I can't choose the bit-depth of my I/O output signal.
With many clients, I record multiple takes per song, with an average
of 40+ tracks per song (many don't get used on mixdown). So hard drive
space is of some concern. But if I'm butchering the audio signals
coming in to my DAW, I'd like to know and change to 24-bit recording. |
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