Re: [Harp-L] home recording

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Larry Sandy wrote:
<Our sound department supervisor recently presented a talk on recording and related topics.  He said about 33 bit sampling was <enough and that 44 bit samples were superfluous.  I'm confused. Maybe he was actually discussing another topic.  I understood bit sampling to mean the number of digital samples during one cycle on the waveform monitor.  I think most in attendance were lost right after his introduction.  Home recording is an interesting topic so please keep it going.

Larry, I have never heard of 33-bit and 44-bit sampling.  Most pro audio is originally recorded with a bit depth of 24 bits, which is reduced to 16 bits for commercial CD releases.  

I think your sound department supervisor was referring to the sampling RATE, i.e. how frequently the audio stream is sampled.  44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, or 96 kHz are the industry standards here.  The only device I've ever seen with a 33 kHz sampling rate was the Zoom PS-02, which I would not describe as a CD-quality recording device. The point is moot, anyway, since I doubt that a 33 kHz audio interface is now for sale anywhere in the world (unless somebody is blowing out a supply of PS-02s somewhere--I sold one a while ago).

Given that there are no audio interfaces out there that work at 33 kHz, I have no idea how your sound department supervisor formed his opinion.  But like I said, it doesn't matter if he's right or wrong, since as a practical matter almost nobody reading this will ever see or hear a device that records audio at less than a 44.1 kHz sampling rate.

Thanks, Richard Hunter

author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
Twitter: lightninrick