hi,
if you want to get your mix mastered professionally

Is recording your mix @ 44.1 / 16bits really enought?

24/32bits @ 44.1 would be preferable for mastering.

16bits / 44.1 can be done. but mastering at 16bits/44.1 is not good enought for mastering?

I think u can delete em your self.

Lets say u made a track using 16bit/44hz samples and export it in 32bit/96Hz , then it should still sound like 16/44...
But I never had the opportunity to try it, so I really don't know.

yes that is correct
it still would sound like 16/44.1 even after exporting it to 32/96 because your source is 16/44.1

its like if you encode an mp3 audio file @ 128kbps and then burnt (recorded) it to CDR

play it mix with it then recorded the mix and encode the mix at 192kbps. it wouldnt sound any better than the original source (which is 128kbps)

but the question was why is it that when mastering a audio CD 24/32bits is more preferable over 16bits?

i know it reduces background noise and has a better S/N ratio? true?

but isn't 16bits good enought for mastering? does it make a lot of difference when mastering? 16 / 24 or 32bits (as for sampling rate all at 44.1)

anyone?
thanx

If the hardware/software synths you are using support 24 or 32 bits then it would make sense to go for a higher bitrate output (if your soundcard can support it). Then do all of your mastering and at the last step bring it down to a 16 bit 44.1khz file for putting on a CD.

It sounds like you are asking why you would want to master higher quality audio before you convert to lower quality, rather than just convert and then master.

Here is a not-so-distant analogy.
Suppose you have some formula: Y = (3 * X) + 1 (applying this formula is like mastering the audio)
Suppose you will be rounding Y to two decimal places. (Rounding is like converting down in quality)
Suppose X = 1/3 (X is like the audio source)

Now, converting the audio down to CD-quality FIRST is like rounding X to two decimal places first: 0.33

What happens when we plug in 0.33? We get Y = (3 * 0.33) + 1 = 1.99

What happens when we master first, and convert SECOND? We get Y = (3 * 1/3) + 1 = 2.

As you can see, just because you are going to end up with lower quality audio (numbers) doesn't mean you want to work with lower quality audio (numbers). The quality of what you work with will change the final result.

Hope that helps.

___________________
-brash

@brash

nice one
so your answer was to try and prevert as less audio quality lose as possiable

got cha
thanx m8

quote:

Originally posted by djchamps so your answer was to try and prevert as less audio quality lose as possiable

Right, only I took about 10 times as many words to say it...

___________________
-brash