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24-bit digital mixing
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| 404 Science |
24-bit digital mixing
Its the sample rate of the sound coming out of the mixer right?
I see this on the numark mixers, but other mixers dont make any reference to their sound quality... what does this mean about other mixers, is 24-bit better than normal? What other mixers are 24-bit, but dont mention it, and what mixers are better...
I've got a Gemini UMX-9, what quality am I getting?
ps. Ive used the Numark dmx-06 with the 24-bit digital mixing and there is a notable sound quality difference... |
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| Briden |
that particular numark mixer is a digital one, and this refers to the bitrate of the sound that is used in the A/D converter.
most mixers are analogue, and there is no conversion at all. 24 bit is pretty damn good for an A/D converter, most high end sound cards are setup at that bitrate these days. In the end though, any digitization will "lose" sound, so analog is inevitably better.
However, 24bit can sound really clear and pristine, especially when playing properly mastered CDs (or even better SACDs or DVDAs) |
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| _-MIl0 |
| well like the guy abouve said numark mixers (the new ones) are digital thus they convert sound into digital signals, this has a compresion rate with its 24 bit thus theirs a difference in the sound qualtity thats comeing off the record than is comeing out your mixer, analog mixers since they dont convert it to digital signals dont have a compression rate thus theirs no bit-rate for em |
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| trancinchink |
| quote: | Originally posted by Briden
In the end though, any digitization will "lose" sound, so analog is inevitably better.
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thats not necessarily true. analog isn't "better". its just considered more "correct" because everything used to be all analog. when dealing with sound, there isn't really a better or worse, its all about how you want it to sound. and yes, i know all about how analog is continuous and digital samples frequencies so its missing some etc. etc. |
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| Prodigy Child |
| OK, I don't want any arguments coming from this, but people say that the sound of Vinyl (analog) is better in a way since it has a warmer sound over digital, which I agree with, but the thing I don't get is, our music is made on computers and electrical equipment, so its digital to start off with, so wouldn't a Vinyl really be a in away digital, but was recorded onto the vinyl in an analog format, thus making this whole "Vinyls Warmer" saying wrong, I'm just confused with this, since to me vinyl does sound better, so whats peoples views on this, is it in our head, or is there something else. |
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| trancinchink |
| alrite, well basically. our music is made with digital, but our crazy inventors and scientists made A/D convertors which are analog to digital convertors or the other way around. anyways, analog sound is basically covering all the spectrum of frequencies. if u think about how many possible frequencies there are, its basically like, infinite rite? just like how u can count #'s to 1.245362626773573, u can always add another decimal position. so it would be logically impossible to be able to recreate every possible frequency when it goes to digital. so what they do, is they sample certain frequencies and use a bunch of 1's and 0's (lol its hard to explain). but basically its almost like connect the dots, u can almost get the exact picture but not quite. so anyways, digital is missing frequencies while analog has them all (even the ones we can't hear). because it contains them all, it just sounds fuller. digital usually has a very nice and clean sound, some people think its too crisp and clean, i personally find nothing wrong with either. |
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| oDrori |
| When vinyl is recorded to a digital format IE CD or MP3, the sound is being digitized. However, when processed straight through analogue output device (An analogue mixer) the sound pretty much the way it was originally recorded. |
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| Prodigy Child |
hmm ok, thanks guys, trancinchink, I think I know what your getting at, but I'm like 50% understanding / 50% confused.
I do understand what your getting at about the warmth of vinyl and how CDs are very crisp sounding, I've noticed that with tapes aswell, even though it doesn't sound as good, it does sound more alive, but for me vinyl sounds as good as cd, but has the alive warm feeling to it aswell.
Maybe Pioneer should see if there is something they could make to put in a CDJ to edit the sound and make the cd sound more alive. |
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| don_q |
| quote: | | Originally posted by Prodigy Child so wouldn't a Vinyl really be a in away digital, but was recorded onto the vinyl in an analog format, thus making this whole "Vinyls Warmer" saying wrong, I'm just confused with this, |
won't be easy to clarify , but
In a way you're right. If everything is created digitally from the begginning there's not much warm analog sound to be gained when mastering to vynil. But really good sound engineering will take the potential much and fool anyone. However, when the final product is done, if you have it in a vynil record and in digital (best whatever format available, say SACD or DVD-A) chances are you won't tell the difference in a blind test. Of course DJs are not at the high-digital-audio format levels yet. So it would be CD quality vs. analog and there, analog will win; example, in production most software is working at 32-bit levels (CD is 16-bit, most best sound cards are at 24 bits).
What I consider interesting is if the mixer is working in digital, then there is reaaly no point in using vynil. I also mentioned this in the Denon X1500 vs. Nuo thread. CDJs to a digital mixer through digital mediums maintains the same exact digital quality up to the amplifier whereas a lot of D/A and A/D conversions lowers the signal quality significantly.
I could write a lot more but I have to try to organize myself :rolleyes:
edit:
| quote: | | Originally posted by trancinchink digital is missing frequencies while analog has them all |
correct. but if you created everything in digital and change to analog, you won't create those missing frequencies. But you could re-master and try to recreate a sound thus delivering the warm sound intended |
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| Prodigy Child |
| Thanks alot don_q, I know what your saying , I never realized they produce this music in 32bit, I wish my brother told me this, that basterd has a recording studio and has never mentioned this. |
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| 404 Science |
ok... i see what you guys are getting at... then the next question i would ask is, why would numark digitize the sound?
but thats obvious, cause of the onboard effects processor
ok so then my next question is... if the 24bit digital mixing i heard was incredibly clear, and better than anything i had ever heard before, can i expect that from any analogue mixer? (disregarding quality of needles) |
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| Dj Ricky H |
| On a side note.....for people wanting to hear the difference between digitized sound and analog, a good comparison would be to goto an home audio store and listen to tube amps vs. the i.c. amps. Not trying to say which is better (cuz' they both have their down falls, and benefits). But at least u can hear what is meant by an warmer sound, cuz' tube amps usually sound warmer. |
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