Re: [Traverso-devel] Some confirmations for the manual

[Jonatan Liljedahl]

Remon wrote:
> Hi Nicola,
> 
>> I think the audio data should be saved in the format supported by the audio
>> card for several reasons:
>>
>> - saving disk space: If the sound card only supports 16 bit, saving in 32
>> bit is a huge waste of disk space. When backing up a long multitrack
>> recording (think of live concerts > 1 hour), having to cope with twice the
>> file size can be a serious problem.
> 
> Thats precisely the point I made lol.
> So, if you don't have high end gear, and will only be capable of 16 bit 
> recordings, it indeed is a waste of hard disk space to save in 32 bit float 
> format.

That's not entirely true... Almost all audio apps save and work
internally with 32bit floats to keep the samples intact. The bit depth
can be mangled by effects and transformations of different kinds, etc...

> Using the float format by default has some advantages though:
> The resolution is only 24 bit, and many cards support 24 bit recording.
> If you record from some other source, or the input signal has been modified 
> somehwere else, or in the application, you don't have to worry about 
> clipping, it's perfectly save to store a signal > 0 dB.
> When Traverso defaults to look at what the audiocard tells, and one starts 
> recording some audio stream out of jackd which has some overload, storing to 
> 16 bits will give lot's of clipping, whereas in other applications, it 'just 
> works'.

And that's another good example of what I tried to describe above...

> Oh well, perhaps I'm talking utter nonsense, but a 'use this file format for 
> recorded material when creating a new Project', and an overload option for 
> existing projects gives enough flexability for everyone ?

I think it's better to stay with 32bit float format, and put the time on
more important things... =)


-- 
/Jonatan    -=( http://kymatica.com )=-