I’ve been recording my LPs as 24 bit/96000 FLAC files. Now I want to try the “Click Repair” software.
“Click Repair” only accepts WAV files - but the only option I have for WAV (Audacity 2.0.5; windows 7, 64 bit) is “WAV signed16 bit PCM”.
Isnt 24 bit FLAC better than 16 bit PCM? My plan was to record the LP, export to WAV, process through “Click Repair”, reimport to Audacity, separate tracks and save as FLAC. Introducing a 16 bit file loses information - no?
How come Audacity exports to 24 bit FLAC but only 16 bit WAV? What am I missing here?
thanks
rhk
16 bit WAV is probably the most common type of PCM audio file, so it has been given its own heading. For other types of WAV file (including 24 bit WAV), select “other uncompressed files”, then click on the “options” button.
Yes, theoretically 24 bits is “better”. And, if you have a 24-bit soundcard or audio interface you might as well use 24-bits.
But, 16-bits is better than human hearing (with any normal/reasonable audio file and normal/reasonable listening conditions) and in a scientific blind [u]ABX listening test[/u] you won’t hear any difference between the 24-bit original and the downsampled 16-bit version.
And for analog vinyl… The vinyl noise means you are getting less than 16 of usable resolution anyway. The general consensus seems to be that vinyl has the equivalent of about 12 bits. But, you can’t say it’s “equal” to 12-bits because the nature of the analog noise is different from digital quantization noise and reducing the digital bit-depth will not make a digital file sound like vinyl or tape (just as reducing video resolution doesn’t make digital video look like VHS tape).
When I use ClickRepair I export from Audacity as 32-bit float and process that in ClickRepair (which as far as I know, like Audacity, works in 32-bit whatever you throw at it) and then reimport the repaired 32-bit WAV back into Audacity for further processing.
My final export is 16-bit PCM WAV as I want to use those on my iTunes and on my Cocktail X30 digi-jukebox
The general consensus seems to be that vinyl has the equivalent of about 12 bits. But, you can’t say it’s “equal” to 12-bits because the nature of the analog noise is different from digital quantization noise and reducing the digital bit-depth will not make a digital file sound like vinyl or tape (just as reducing video resolution doesn’t make digital video look like VHS tape).