We have therefore decided to have a basic fixed-point arithmetic

The choice of bit depth for the mixer Freddie is quoting seems to be explaining that they need a 40 bit internal representation to avoid overflowing the calculations if all of the channels are summed. That is quite different from saying that each channel needs to be digitized at that level to attain optimum practical fidelity. 


It is analogous to the internal processing in Sonar which can be done using a 64 bit mixing engine. That very large internal representation makes it virtually impossible to sum to a number so large that useful  information will be lost. But it does not imply that every sound that is used in the calculation has to be digitized to 64 bits to avoid distortion. In fact using input sounds digitized to include information requiring 64 bits would defeat the purpose, since summing those huge numbers would easily overflow the internal 64 bit representation and lose data.


In any event, internal calculations aside, the practical limit on the fidelity captured by the bit depth representing the sound is the ability of a human being to discriminate between sound pressure levels at the ear. A computer may be able to send data representing 256 million colors, but few if any monitors would be able to produce a measurable distinctive difference repeatedly and no human being could reliably tell the difference between two adjacent numbers in that palette.

I've been using 24/88.2 for years--lower latency and (I think) better for a mastering engineer to deal with.  I believe I am capturing the source better, too, but that is arguably psychological.  I use Weiss Saracon for conversion to 16/44.1, and it sounds lovely.

vladasyn


Commercial music made louder by compressing it, EQ, normolizing and then by going over 0 db limit. I am sure there few more tricks. It just that dont matter what I do, and I used to spend hours trying everything, it would not get louder if kept under 0 db. I was wondering if the way I record has anything to do with it.

What do we store on DVD?

You can not go over 0dB. That is called clipping. 


Keep in mind that no AD/DA converter can go above 24 bits. Many can do a 96kH sample rate and even higher. 

Those 2 facts can not be disputed. In recording I have found 24 bits to an outstanding bit depth. The reasons have already been explained. Sample rate is another matter altogether. I use 44.1 kHz because it does not need to be converted to burn to CD.
 
Also my view is because we can not hear anything above 20kHz there is no good reason to record sounds above that range. All it does is add extra processing that can't be heard. If you think that the higher sample rate gives you "finer" detail that is untrue. All a high sample rate does is increase bandwidth. It does not add any detail.

It is true that a higher sample rate will decrease latency but at the cost of higher CPU usage.  

To the recordist there no advantage in using a sample rate greater then the media it will be placed on. For CDs its 44.1. For DVDs its 48. 

If you do music for film use the 48 kH sample rate. If not, stay with 44.1. 

24 bits is the most important improvement you can move to. 16 bit is fine but requires a very good system with a very obsessive type of audio engineering. Levels are extremely important when recording in 16 bits. 24 bits gives one a great deal of leeway in setting levels. Its hard to have levels that are too low to use with 24 bits. With 16 bits you have to record hot. This adds the possibility of clipping which must be avoided at all costs. We are not talking of analog clipping but rather digital clipping. Digital clipping is trying to go beyond the 0 dB level in an AD converter. All the bits above 0 will be cut out leaving a flat top on a wave. This can sound like a square wave but intermittent. If its severe it will completely destroy the recording. 24 bits avoids clipping because you can record at lower levels without the fear of clipping and at the same time not introducing excessive noise. You want to have a dead quiet recording and 24 bits will give you that. 

Should record at higher bit depths? Some do. I don't remember that no AD converter can go above 24 bits. There is no advantage in recording greater than 24 bits. Some say that when processing inside Sonar one should export or bounce to a higher bit depth but I keep it at 24 bits. 
 

When you try out 24 bits you will wonder why it took you so long.  

Another vote for 2/4.1 here.

I've been using this for years and don't intend to change

I use 24/44.1 for all the reasons already explained!  lol

24 / 44.1 for me too.

I began with 24 / 48 (i can't remember why), but i am sure it was stupid : i had to convert to 44.1 to export on CD, there is no sound quality gain between 48 and 44.1 (i am sure of it), and i don't use DVD or make film music.

The 24 is very important when recording (i make jazz live recording), since the clipping is a real big issue.

If i would increase the sample rate, i would go directly to 88.2 (because the conversion to 44.1 is very simple).
It is true that it would decrease the latency.

But it works like it is (24/44.1), so i don't fix it (a lot of issues with personal computers and/or audio come when you fix problems that don't exist !).

But it works like it is (24/44.1), so i don't fix it (a lot of issues with personal computers and/or audio come when you fix problems that don't exist !).

Now I seem to work under a different set of rules.
Rule #1 - If it ain't broke, keep on fixing it till it is broke.
Rule #2 - Repeat Rule #1 till you get it right. 


Mike

chefmike8888

But it works like it is (24/44.1), so i don't fix it (a lot of issues with personal computers and/or audio come when you fix problems that don't exist !).

Now I seem to work under a different set of rules.
Rule #1 - If it ain't broke, keep on fixing it till it is broke.
Rule #2 - Repeat Rule #1 till you get it right. 


Mike

A fellow man after my own heart.

i broke my Os trying to fix a issue with my sound card that was realy a drive conflict with a usb device that was . a friends phone charging off my studio.
so this lead to a complea reinstall and format of my C drive
. so this qualifys me as a pro fool,
 just bring it to my studio and il break it
 for a small fee of corse