[Explained] Why should you use 24bit rather than 16bit depth while recording

[xeonblade]

Hey people, it's me! A guy with super MSPaint skillz! This is a continued post from http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/re...-use-higher-sample-rates-while-recording.html. But let's cut the crap and go directly on the subject.

SNR = signal to noise ratio
Noise floor = noise produced by electronic device
0dBu = signal ceiling (in decibel volts)

In this case Signal to Noise ratio is the same as Dynamic Range.
Note that:
SNR = ratio between an arbitrary signal level and noise
Dynamic range = difference between the largest and smallest signal a system can record or reproduce

For each additional 1bit you get 6dB of SNR.

Unlike 16bit, 24bit depth is able to cover whole human hearing range. (And here I don't mean 20Hz-20kHz, I mean 0 to 140+dB)
But that isn't the point. Again like the sample ratio, it's about sound quality.
16bit depth offers 65536 levels of audio signal while 24bit offers 16 million levels. This gives incredible amount of sound detail.

Look at it like colors: With 8bit colors you can see 256 shades of a color, with 16bit you have 65536 shades and with 24bit picture you can see 16 million shades. (Just change ur monitor to 16 bit and see the difference)
Something similar is with the sound! Just remember how toony 8bit remixes sound.

Unlike sample rate bit depth doesn't increase latency while recording and it's strongly advised that you use 24bit if possible, it gives your audio more room to breathe in the realm of digital world.


If anything is unclear, please tell me because English isn't my native language and it was kinda hard for me to explain this simple enough.
Please notify me if I made any mistakes that should be fixed.

P.S. BE AMAZED BY MY MSPAINT SKILLS!

 

[Purelojik]

makes sense also when playing with levels and such. it all give you more "headroom". or basically room to expand your sound. which is nice cause it wont seem like things are getting suffocated.

EDIT: sorry jumped the gun, saw that you had already said this at the end of your post. my bad

 

[sh4z]

Nice Post.

 

[OrsusMetal]

Nice to see it explained. Also, AWESOME SKILLZ.

 

[xeonblade]

Tnx both of you, there is http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/re...-use-higher-sample-rates-while-recording.html if you are interested.

 

[ROAR]

I've been learning about this in school and this is a
really great and simple explanation.

Great job man

 

[VBCheeseGrater]

The color analogy is a good one.

 

[Larcher]

Once again, dem ms paint skills <3

 

[Menigguh]

32 bit say what!

 

[Exit Existence]

*Record's in 24 bit, then render's in 196kbs mp3 to put online*

 

[ROAR]

^Yea you show em!

 

[S-O]

While I am down for 24 bit recording, 32 may just be a bit outrageous! 32 bit would have 192db SNR, which, let's consider the noise floor to be 0db, since anything below it would not be very discernible. Now, the threshold of pain is ~140, and ear drums tend to rupture ~160 or 180 air pressure blast, and lungs tend to rupture around 200.

So, 32 bit may just kill you!

 

[Rational Gaze]

I still think if you're going to be entertaining these discussions, you should include the harddrive space conversions. Just a thought.

 

[the unbearable]

*Record's in 24 bit, then render's in 196kbs mp3 to put online*

320k represent!

 

[ralphy1976]

So I guess you did not get laid since last thread?

 

[xeonblade]

I still think if you're going to be entertaining these discussions, you should include the harddrive space conversions. Just a thought.

You live in time when 2TB HDD costs around 70-80$ and you cry like max HDD is 40GB?
(Not including this price jump because of floods in Taiwan!)

So I guess you did not get laid since last thread?

Nope, why do u think I wrote another thread?

32 bit say what!

32bit is an overkill which gives results only in theory.

*Record's in 24 bit, then render's in 196kbs mp3 to put online*

Record in 192kHz 24bit, release in 24bit 96kHz 320kbit mp3! Or 192kHz 24bit FLAC

 

[KingAenarion]

You live in time when 2TB HDD costs around 70-80$ and you cry like max HDD is 40GB?
(Not including this price jump because of floods in Taiwan!)

Except project files increase very quickly in size.

My band album is currently sitting at 60GB for 11 tracks... and I haven't even started tracking Bass or vocals.

Now imagine you're a studio and you're recording 6 days a week. If you're backing up your projects and keeping copies of projects that need to come back at a later date... You're going to fill up a terabyte quite quickly.

Add that to sample libraries and space fills up VERY quickly.

 

[xeonblade]

Except project files increase very quickly in size.

My band album is currently sitting at 60GB for 11 tracks... and I haven't even started tracking Bass or vocals.

Now imagine you're a studio and you're recording 6 days a week. If you're backing up your projects and keeping copies of projects that need to come back at a later date... You're going to fill up a terabyte quite quickly.

Add that to sample libraries and space fills up VERY quickly.

We're mostly talking about home recordings here for personal uses and I'm replying having that in mind. 96kHz is half size than 192kHz and quality is unnoticable. 24 bit vs 16 is +50% in size rather than +100%.

 

[Seamless]

Hard drive are also more expensive than they used to be now since the flooding in Thailand.

Now, I'm not a super pro so I might be completely wrong about this, but I still don't quite see the value in 24 bit, at least in heavy music production.

"heavy" in terms of genre, metal, techno stuff. That sort of thing.

Having a wider dynamic range, and even a larger distance between the noise floor and 0db doesn't seem to matter much when you're constantly pushing everything to be 0db.

I would totally use 24bit if I were recording something like an orchestra doing a classical performance where dynamic range is extremely important and also obvious.

But for things like drums, guitars, bass, and even vocals, the dynamic range of the kind of mix we shoot for is usually "on" or "off". Not something that's enhanced (from what I can tell) by 24 bit.

 

[xeonblade]

You don't have to use it. I just explained it. Please don't start shitting over my hard work for no reason.
If it's metal it doesn't have to be superquality? It ISN'T just Dynamic Range. It's about sound quality.

I've already mentioned "EXCEPT for this period where HDD are more expensive cuz of floods"