But if storage space is limited to begin with and you must record MP3, you might as well set the record options to 24bit/48khz. A comparison of 24/48 vs. 16/44 at the same MP3 encoding rate would be interesting. It would also be interesting to know where the sonic trade off between recording a lower sampling-rate/bit-depth WAV file and a higher rate/depth MP3 equals out (psychoacoustically subjective as that would be).
Maybe I'm missing something here, but how can you set the record options to 24bit (or 16bit for that matter) and still record direct to MP3... Isn't that ONLY if you're recording to a .wav file?
- Frank.
Correct, recording directly to MP3 format is limited to 16-bit only with the R-09.
While the Microtrack offers 16/24bit recording in both MP3/WAV, AT LEAST THE OPTION SEEMS MENU SELECTABLE, didn't check the R-09 for having 16/24 bit MP3 option.
Does that mean the Microtrack might produce a better quality MP3?
In reality, it may well be ALL MP3 ENCODING for these decks IS AT 24 BIT DEPTH REGARDLESS OF MENU OPTIONS.
The reason for thinking this is MD decks record/encode at 24 bit depth if I remember correctly, and by checking the chart in the MICROTRACK OWNERS manual showing recording times possible with various sizes of flash. Chart shows NO 16/24BIT file time data, JUST MP3 REC TIME verses BIT RATE, not bit depth. Most likely all MP3 encoding on both R-09 and Microtrack is at 24 bit depth.
So again we are back to choice of (practical) convenience of single flash card MP3 lossy encoding everything in one long file, at low level to avoid overloads, and then needing double conversion editing verses needing two flash cards for same recording time but at higher quality wav needing no double conversion edit.
Wave file quality or MP3 file quantity?
If this was about getting best possible audio quality, then choice is clear.
In this case, it's seems most important to choose what's most practical and reliable for getting acceptable quality with a particular set of circumstances.