in: 96 kHz, 24 bit, out: 44.1 kHz, 16 bit

Is it possible to input e.g. 96 kHz, 24 bit data to audacity and then convert it back - within audacity - to 44.2 kHz and 16 bit?

to 44.2 kHz

How about we do it at 44.1?

Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Quality, Sampling, 44100, 16-bit.

Audacity always works internally at higher quality, but then, when you export…

File > Export Audio: WAV (Microsoft) 16-bit.

Koz

to input e.g. 96 kHz, 24 bit data

Should we be worried you didn’t call it sound? Where did this data come from?

Koz

I upconvert and process in 24bit commercial CD aiff 16bit/44kHz music files into Apple’s Garageband. The only advantage of high bit I’ve seen is after tweaking to get a better sound like adding lots of bass using GB’s compressor, AU Matrix reverb and live EQ adjusts is I can push the dynamics with minor clipping with GB’s Master volume/gain setting. Exporting out of GB saves it in 24bit-(I’m assuming 44kHz on the sampling rate) and when opened in Audacity the 12 or so clipped spots spread across the waveform aren’t chopped at the top and damaged after applying Amplify set to -.02db.

In Garageband I really do think I’m clipping more than I think and use Audacity as a reality check. High bit processing is a must especially on commercial remastering jobs that show a brick wall waveform due to the loudness wars.

See the GB Preferences screengrab showing this 24bit Best setting…
Screen shot 2017-03-16 at 7.21.45 PM.png

High bit processing is a must especially on commercial remastering jobs

My impression of the question is converting from advanced formats to CD quality, not the other way to. That and nowhere did the poster mention music.

Koz

Yeah, I saw the "Making Music with Audacity " category and assumed it was about music.

I read into the question as being about the benefits of post processing at higher quality. My mistake.

sorry for the typo in the thread text, the heading had it right though …
To be more precise: Assume I want to record through an AD converter which is capable of e.g. 24 bit and 96 kHz.
I would like to work inside of audacity with this specifications, but at the end convert it to CD quality (16 bit, 44.1 kHz).

My question is/was: Is this conversion possible inside audacity?

Audacity works internally at 32-Floating and I think it’s difficult to change. That’s required to get around overload problems some of the filters and effects produce.

You can choose different bit depths at Export. 16-bit and 32-floating are available as standard WAV export and you can get to the others with "Other Uncompressed Files. You can convert the sample rate with the little window Audacity lower left.

Koz

In this situation, it would be best to work in Audacity in 32-bit float / 96 kHz, then export as 16-bit 44.1 kHz.

To do this, go to “Edit menu > Preferences > Quality”, and set the default sample rate to 96000 and the default sample format to 32-bit float.

When you are ready to export in CD quality, change the “Project Rate” (lower left corner of the main window) to 44100, then export as 16-bit WAV.

Note that there is no real benefit to working with 96 kHz over 44100 Hz (the only marginal benefit is increased frequency bandwidth, but you lose even that marginal benefit as soon as you export), but working in 32-bit float has very definite benefits over working in 16 or 24-bit. My recommendation would be to work in 32-bit float / 44100 Hz.