Gear / Technical Help > Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity

Sharing a Show in 32/48?!?

(1/2) > >>

cmstewart:
As the title says, I had a strange idea to share a show in 32-bit float. I know this begs the question, why? It's obvious overkill and a waste of space on an HD. I may be nit-picking, but there is a potential reason in this case if someone would prefer the least-colored version of the show.

I discussed it in some detail elsewhere, but I was having some weird issues when exporting my 24-bit recording in audacity down to 24-bit and 16-bit. I say "down to 24-bit" because whenever you import a 24/48 file in audacity it automatically sets the track to 32-bit float for editing. And as I was advised, I leave it that way if I want to do a great deal of editing. When I exported with a dither, I discovered that for an unknown reason, peaks that were not previously clipping, now were. It's a multitrack recording so it's hard to pinpoint what the cause was when summing the tracks during export, but clearly some rounding along with the dither, etc. caused something to happen. Ultimately I just edited the peaks more to keep it clean.

So from this I concluded when I export, either I use a dither which (though very slightly) does alter the recording, or I don't use a dither which leaves it vulnerable to SBEs. But if I export at 32-bit float I can avoid both, and subsequently I can compress it down with WavPack. Which surprisingly compressed it to a tolerable size. 16/44.1 flac = 700Mb; 24/48 flac = 1.27Gb. 32/48 wv = 1.48Gb. Much smaller than the 24/96 shows I've owned. I know I'm nit-picking and it's an odd idea, and it's true maybe no one would care either way, but these are the files I've been listening to for my own pleasure and sonically I have noticed some differences. I just wondered what others would think of it. If I shared it that way would anyone appreciate that, or would it get the opposite response? Are collector's priorities more on the size/format of the recording, or the purity of it? Is this issue too small for people to accept something so unconventional (since I've never seen a 32-bit recording shared before)?

vanark:
I would expect an odd response. Lots of folks use Audacity and I've never heard of anyone wanting to do what you are describing or having the challenges you describe. I don't think I've ever seen a show shared that way. It isn't its native format so I think your description of purity doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

noahbickart:
How could dithering create SBE problems?

This makes little sense to me. Put a brick wall limiter at .01db and share as normal. It can’t be more pure at 32bit because it wasn’t recorded that way.

And, if you’re serious about post production, perhaps use a more sophisticated DAW like Reaper or Logic.

Ronmac:
What was the headroom available on the original recording? What processing did you do in Audacity at 32 bit?

Gordon:
You mention it being multitrack. When mixing 2 or more sources it will raise the overall gain.  In wavelab I make my aud and and both -3db. More often than not when mixed they are -1-0db.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page