Ok here is the deal... I am working on this remix and I can barely even play the damn thing in Ableton Live because my computer is not powerful enough.
The question is: should I convert my 32bit 44.1KHz wav files into 320 kbps mp3s? Would I lose any significant quality even though when I rebounce the files, they'll be back at 32bit 44.1KHz.

Please note that the original sample files that were given in the pack were 320 kbps mp3s.

In my opinion I will undeniably lose some of the quality but on the other hand, even after deleting all of the unused samples my project files is over 2 Gb! My computer would be better off handling a lot less data.

I would appreciate your opinions on this matter> Remix is due 9th of November.

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The party to end all parties (part one with Layo & Bushwacka!) (part two with Laurent Garnier)

quote:

Originally posted by ponsshin Please note that the original sample files that were given in the pack were 320 kbps mp3s.

Then that is the quality that they will always be, unless you downgrade them again.

Converting an MP3 back into a WAV does not increase the quality. Once you convert a sample into an MP3 the damage has been done, and you cannot "get back" the frequencies lost in the conversion by decoding the MP3. Whoever gave you the samples as MP3s has ensured that they will never be WAV-quality again.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Then that is the quality that they will always be, unless you downgrade them again. Converting an MP3 back into a WAV does not increase the quality. Once you convert a sample into an MP3 the damage has been done, and you cannot "get back" the frequencies lost in the conversion by decoding the MP3. Whoever gave you the samples as MP3s has ensured that they will never be WAV-quality again.

Yes but let's think of it this way:
1) you put your mp3 into ableton
2) you put tons of effects on it, freeze and flatten it
3) is it still as good as mp3 considering ableton's sound engine (32 bit and all the shizzle) has "worked" on it?

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The party to end all parties (part one with Layo & Bushwacka!) (part two with Laurent Garnier)

quote:

Originally posted by ponsshin Yes but let's think of it this way: 1) you put your mp3 into ableton 2) you put tons of effects on it, freeze and flatten it 3) is it still as good as mp3 considering ableton's sound engine (32 bit and all the shizzle) has "worked" on it?

What do you mean "still as good?" Are you asking if Live "degrades" the audio in some way?

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles What do you mean "still as good?" Are you asking if Live "degrades" the audio in some way?

Sorry I meant "better than mp3".

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The party to end all parties (part one with Layo & Bushwacka!) (part two with Laurent Garnier)

Audio data is removed from the file in the process of MP3 conversion. You can never get that audio data back. Even if you put the MP3 in a DAW and render the arrangement as a WAV.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Audio data is removed from the file in the process of MP3 conversion. You can never get that audio data back. Even if you put the MP3 in a DAW and render the arrangement as a WAV.

Here's another situation. You put a big reverb on a clap sound (which is mp3).
Is the reverb tail the same quality-wise in wav (directly off the DAW) as in mp3 (converted from wav off the DAW)?

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say

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The party to end all parties (part one with Layo & Bushwacka!) (part two with Laurent Garnier)

I doubt it's exactly the same, but I seriously doubt that anyone could tell the difference just from the tail.

This is all kind of academic, most people would not be able to pick out an MP3 sample even if you just dropped it in without changing it at all. If you made a track where all the samples but one were WAV quality and asked me to pick out which element was from a 320 kbps MP3, I couldn't do it.

Alright I'm gonna go with that and make a copy of the project using mp3s instead of wav.

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The party to end all parties (part one with Layo & Bushwacka!) (part two with Laurent Garnier)

When you drop mp3s into Live, Live automatically converts those mp3s to WAV in a temp cache folder, so your still gonna be using wav files anyway...

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quote:

Originally posted by evo8 When you drop mp3s into Live, Live automatically converts those mp3s to WAV in a temp cache folder, so your still gonna be using wav files anyway...

Clearing my cache folder might help then

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The party to end all parties (part one with Layo & Bushwacka!) (part two with Laurent Garnier)

most people cant tell the difference anyway. unless you pushed the track through a spectrum or something and really pick it apart.

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