On 2/22/07, Folderol <folderol@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:48:04 -0600
millward <millward@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I've got a sound card capable of 96 bits, ( M-Audio audiofile 24/96 )
> but my sound editor, Audacity for Linux, only goes up to 32 bits.
> Is there a sound editor for Linux that can do higher than 32 bits?
Maybe I'm missing something here, but what on earth does anyone need
such high resolution for?
ISTR The humble CD is recorded at 18bit. which is over 200,000:1 and
more than 100dB. The orchestral dynamic range is I believe quoted at
90dB. I accept some extra headroom is nice, and the calculations aren't
quite so simple, but even 32bit comes out at mind boggling 200dB.
The higher bit rates (AFAIK) are used purely for recording and editing
within an application (Ardour uses 32-bit floating point WAV
internally, for instance), to keep a high precision of audio
resolution (similar to the HDRI resolutions used for 3D rendering).
You do have to ultimately downsample/downgrade to a lower resolution
for CDs and MP3s, of course.
-- Brett
------------------------------------------------------------
"In the rhythm of music a secret is hidden;
If I were to divulge it, it would overturn the world."
-- Jelaleddin Rumi
