Date:         Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:12:59 -0700
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         Mike Richter <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Sound card confusion
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Fliss, William wrote:
> Good afternoon everyone,
> 
> I have a question for the list.  Let me preface this by saying that I am not an audio engineer nor do I consider myself in any way an expert with sound recordings.   I am hoping somebody can explain what seems to me a strange situation.
> 
> I was converting some analog tape (reel-to-reel) to .wav.  I set the software (in this case Audition 1.5) to record at the 32-bit (float), 96KHz setting.  Everything went fine, and I saved the file without a problem (the file was understandably huge, given the settings).
> 
> I later discovered that the sound card in the computer, according to the specs, could only record up to 16-bit, 44.1KHz.  So my question is, how did I successfully (it seems) end up with this file that was recorded at a rate much higher than the sound card allows?
> 
> The only thing I can think of is that something (the driver?) was filling in the gap with information that made it look like a much higher quality recording that it is.  If I open up the file with another software (Audacity, for instance), it registers as a 24-bit, 96KHz recording.  But is it really one?  Or am I misunderstanding how the sound card/driver works in this process?

My guess is that the sound card is delivering what it can and Audition 
is (properly) providing that in the form you requested. Suppose you 
captured the signal at 48 ksps and 16 bits, then used Audition to 
resample to 96 and to float the data at 32. It would deliver the sort of 
file you have (assuming that your '24-bit' is in error). Of course, in 
resampling interpolation may or may not be done; the usual settings in 
Audition provide several parameters for that when done separately.

So the answer should be 48 ksps, 16 bits in the form of 96 ksps, 32 bits.

Mike
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