Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - different wav bit rates in 32/64 bit apps

Oxytoxine · 25th August 2007

Hi you mastering masters;

I am quite unskilled in technical questions, so maybe some of you could help me with the following:
When I render vsti instruments to wav files and then reimport them to work further with the wav files, what bit depth should I choose to get minimal loss of quality if the final product will be 44.1/16 bit cd ? Does it make a difference wheter I first “freeze” the vsti tracks as 16 bit, 24 bit or 32 bit files? I then reimport the audio to work further with (very convenient to comp e.g. improvised piano tracks or to work with stylus rmx) and after the mastering mix down the whole projects to 16 bit files. I do not really get how this conversions take place (and of course do not expect an answer to this, just a simple summarizing piece of advice would be very nice), I assume it also dependes on in which host one is working (samplitude 32 bit float, reaper 64 bit)?I normally record the rest of my instruments / vocals 44.1/24 bit, and i don't know how it interferes when i then do different for the vstis.
I hope the question was clear and not too stupid, otherwise forgive me, I’m in the first line musician not engineer.. I’m not sure wheter I really can hear the differences (unless of course if I add effects like delay or reverbs etc already in the initial step) or wheter it’s a “psychoacustic” effect, so to know what maths / physics say would be comforting, I just would like to prevent unnecessary conversions to get the best possible results.

Thanks for sharing you expertise, it’s very nice to learn from people who know what they are saying (not like some guys in the local music store)!

25th August 2007	#1
Oxytoxine Gear nut Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 116 Thread Starter	different wav bit rates in 32/64 bit apps - how to preserve the best sound quality? Hi you mastering masters; I am quite unskilled in technical questions, so maybe some of you could help me with the following: When I render vsti instruments to wav files and then reimport them to work further with the wav files, what bit depth should I choose to get minimal loss of quality if the final product will be 44.1/16 bit cd ? Does it make a difference wheter I first “freeze” the vsti tracks as 16 bit, 24 bit or 32 bit files? I then reimport the audio to work further with (very convenient to comp e.g. improvised piano tracks or to work with stylus rmx) and after the mastering mix down the whole projects to 16 bit files. I do not really get how this conversions take place (and of course do not expect an answer to this, just a simple summarizing piece of advice would be very nice), I assume it also dependes on in which host one is working (samplitude 32 bit float, reaper 64 bit)?I normally record the rest of my instruments / vocals 44.1/24 bit, and i don't know how it interferes when i then do different for the vstis. I hope the question was clear and not too stupid, otherwise forgive me, I’m in the first line musician not engineer.. I’m not sure wheter I really can hear the differences (unless of course if I add effects like delay or reverbs etc already in the initial step) or wheter it’s a “psychoacustic” effect, so to know what maths / physics say would be comforting, I just would like to prevent unnecessary conversions to get the best possible results. Thanks for sharing you expertise, it’s very nice to learn from people who know what they are saying (not like some guys in the local music store)!