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Arkenstone
Posts: 8
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 Posted - Sun May 18, 2003 5:12 pm
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I was wondering what are the pros and Cons of using the MP3 setting (highest setting..most quality) as the main source for multi track session recording/saving (saving alot of disk space as most of my songs are 10-20 minutes) rather than using windows native wave file?
Is there a significant loss to quality?
I honestly don't want to hear about 32bit for "master" recordings, I personally can't tell a difference, I just use 16 bit as that is what CDs are.
any advice would be grateful!
Arkenstone
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jonrose
Location: USA
Posts: 2901
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Posted - Sun May 18, 2003 5:45 pm
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| Arkenstone wrote: |
| I was wondering what are the pros and Cons of using the MP3 setting (highest setting..most quality) as the main source for multi track session recording/saving (saving alot of disk space as most of my songs are 10-20 minutes) rather than using windows native wave file? |
The only advantage is file size.
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| Is there a significant loss to quality? |
Yes.
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| I honestly don't want to hear about 32bit for "master" recordings, I personally can't tell a difference, I just use 16 bit as that is what CDs are. |
But if you ask, you WILL hear about it here. The problem comes when you start manipulating 16-bit files (even if they are .wav), because it is a fixed-integer format - making changes to these files with EQ, effects, etc. will inevitably lose quality.
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| any advice would be grateful! |
Record, edit, mix in 32-bit .wav format. It sounds like you don't believe this will make a difference, and I'm not going to try to convince you... but you're the one who's asking the questions, and I'm just answering them.
;)
Best... -Jon
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ozpeter
Location: Australia
Posts: 3200
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Posted - Sun May 18, 2003 7:53 pm
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Er... won't everything be expanded to 'full size' when you are doing "multitrack session recording" - I don't think you can use CE any other way. During the session you will need enough disk space for the normal wave format, and if part way through you save to mp3, then come back later, your files will have been compressed then uncompressed and the quality will be deteriorating each time. Unless I very wrong, I just don't think this is a workable scenario, surely?
- Ozpeter
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Graeme
Member
Location: Spain
Posts: 4663
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Posted - Sun May 18, 2003 9:19 pm
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There are no pros, only cons. It's a totally impractical proposition - for all the reasons given above.
Do yourself a favour and go buy a larger HDD - the minimal cost will be more than rewarded by the quality and ease of use you will get inreturn.
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Arkenstone
Posts: 8
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Posted - Mon May 19, 2003 12:28 am
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Thank you all!
Actually I don't adjust the MP3 track, its already been adjusted to where I wanted as a wave adn I don't save back to it, its more of a reference layer/track.
Hey somone who actually and simple explained the tech benefit of 32 bit..aahhh.....now thats good to know. Doubt if I can do it though with SB live.
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ozpeter
Location: Australia
Posts: 3200
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Posted - Mon May 19, 2003 1:44 am
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It's how Cool Edit is storing it and processing it rather than how the soundcard is digitising it, so actually 32-bit is not irrelevant to you. For instance, you could take a loud 32-bit file, make it twice as loud (using Cool Edit's amplify function, for example), and on replay it will sound pretty distorted through your16-bit soundcard. But if you reverse the amplify, there it is with no distortion. You therefore have a huge dynamic range at your disposal. You will always only hear it in 16 bit, however on your soundcard. There have been several previous posts where others esp SteveG have explained this rather more fully and doubtless more accurately - you might find them by searching, if you wish to delve more deeply into this subject.
- Ozpeter
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MP3 session multi-track recording