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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: pfife on December 11, 2005, 07:30:58 PM

Title: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: pfife on December 11, 2005, 07:30:58 PM

Hey, thanks in advance for any answers to by question.  I'm about to begin recording a radio show over FM radio from my reciever -> analog out -> R-1.   I would like these to eventually end up on DVD-Audio discs.  I'm wondering - from a sound quality standpoint, is there any reason to record at 24bit?  Seems like 16bit should probably be sufficient?

Also, if I record at 16bit, is 16bit compatible w/ DVD-Audio?

thanks-
Pfife

Title: Re: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: Aaron41 on December 11, 2005, 08:18:50 PM

I'd imagine you COULD record at 24 bit just to be safe. Probably not necessarily though.

Title: Re: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: neutrino on December 11, 2005, 11:36:38 PM

I'd just suggest letting your ears be the judge. But, if it's archival material such as a live broadcast or "in studio" session, I would record at the highest quality possible.
dB-

Title: Re: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: zowie on December 12, 2005, 03:09:42 PM

16 should really do.  But if you are one of the privileged few who has a very good quality broadcaster as well as a receiver with an above-average FM I might go with 24.  I tape a lot of FM and never saw (heard) the need for 24.

Title: Re: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: BobW on January 01, 2006, 12:04:13 PM

19khz pilot tone
it will fit fine in a 16/44.1 package- so CD would be my weapon of choice.
Broadcast FM has usually 40-16khz bandwith and ~60 of headroom max
odd that it all still sounds better than a 128k MP3, huh ?

[EDIT - it is ~60db to keep the signal within FM deviation limits]

DVD-A will accept 16/44.1, 16/48, 16/96
DVD-V wants 48k or 96k sampling rates
CD is overkill for FM radio
24 bit will allow you to record lower and not risk going over, but with 60db to capture, you won't have any problems with 16 bit

Title: Re: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: Brian Skalinder on January 01, 2006, 04:06:56 PM

Quote from: Bubba Columbia on December 11, 2005, 07:30:58 PM

from a sound quality standpoint, is there any reason to record at 24bit?  Seems like 16bit should probably be sufficient?

The way I look at it is:

16-bit is probably sufficient to capture the material as broadcast.  However, 24-bit will enable you to perform any editing operations with greater precision.  So why not go with 24-bit - if you get a crappy signal and need/want to apply some noise reduction, you're better off doing so in the 24-bit realm instead of the 16-bit realm.

Title: Re: bitrate when recording from FM?
Post by: Humbug on January 01, 2006, 05:01:57 PM

tenuously related question:

1. Stereo signal but tiny amount of hiss

or, 50Hz further round the dial..

2. (apparently) not stereo, but clear

30 minutes till broadcast (Planty)

Never mind, going with (2.) Robert Plant playing Jimmy Reed anyone?