Macros batch conversion exporting 24 bit file question

Programming and Development Macros and Scripting
1

Hi,

Newbie here.

Thanks for this wonderful freeware, I am beginning to master this wonderful software and am trying to help friends improve the quality of some rather poorly mastered CDs and even some not so great 24 bit files such as recent 24bit/44100Hz files (not the Giles Martin’s latest remasters, the older collection). When opening those files in batch via Macro and applying effects such as pitch/bass/etc and finally exporting (all done automatically via Marcos pre-programed wonderful feature), the file is downsampled from 24bit to 16bit and does not retain it’s default and original bit-depth or sample-rate. How do I resolve this issue? I want to keep the bit-depth intact please?

Thanks

2

Exporting as 24-bit WAV is not yet available for Macros. Additional export options may well be added at a later date.

3

Please allow this feature for WAV and Flac? Thank you.
Donation ready and waiting as soon as this is solved, pinky promise! :sunglasses:

4

When opening those files in batch via Macro and applying effects such as pitch/bass/etc and finally exporting (all done automatically via Marcos pre-programed wonderful feature)

This is your music and your project so I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but usually mastering (or re-mastering) requires quite a bit of careful listening and human interaction, so a few additional seconds at the end shouldn’t matter. Usually, you’re going to listen-through the whole thing before starting (diagnosis before treatment) and then listen again when done. So, you’d typically spend at least 10 minutes on a 3-minutes song, or maybe longer depending on what needs to be done.

A good mixing/mastering engineer will also do a final-check on headphones an in their car and/or on some “downgraded” monitors, etc. That eats-up more time. A good amateur mixing/mastering engineer who doesn’t have great monitors or a studio with good acoustics will check the mix on everything they can get their hands on. This stuff is time consuming!

the file is downsampled from 24bit to 16bit and does not retain it’s default and original bit-depth or sample-rate.

FYI - By default, Audacity converts everything to 32-bit floating-point when you open the file. (There are technical advantages for using floating-point for digital signal processing.) The conversion from 24-bit to 32-bit floating-point (and back) is mathematically lossless.

It doesn’t get downsampled unless/until you export to a lower bit depth.

I kind-of understand you wanting to keep the original bit-depth, but “CD quality” is better than human hearing so there is no practical advantage to 24-bit audio. The guys who’ve done scientific, blind, level-matched, [u]ABX tests[/u] have pretty-much demonstrated that nobody can hear the difference between a high-resolution original and a copy downsampled to 16-bit/44.11kHz. Lots of “audiophiles” (and even audio professionals) claim that high resolution audio sounds better but usually they haven’t bothered with blind listening tests, or they’ll claim that blind listening tests are not valid, etc…

Even a good-quality MP3 can sound identical to the uncompressed original, or it can be very-difficult to hear the difference (in a proper blind listening test).

Plus, your 24-bit originals aren’t that great anyway or you wouldn’t be remastering. :wink:

5

I understand this if it were for me, but when returning the “re-worked” files to a client, his wishes are my commands. So it is my duty to return the file in its original bit-depth to the end-user.
Regarding intensive listening with headphones and monitors, I am fully covered there, a high-end system in the lounge and ribbon-based headphones. And yes, intensive it is. :wink:
Thank you for your feedback.

6

We have logged a P3 enhancement “bug” for this in our bug-tracker: Bug 2063 – Enh: Impossible to use Macros to Export 24-bit or 32-bit WAV files
I’ve added a entry in that bug-thread linking to this Forum thread.

I’m hoping that we might get this fixed in the next release or possibly the one after (the next release is mainly under-the-hood maintenance work in order to make future changes easier)

I’ve just added it to our “Next Release” page in the Wiki for the Release Manager’s attention - to try to keep some focus on it (the RM happens to be the developer who worked on Macros - so I’m guessing there’s a good chance).

Peter.

7

You’re a star Peter! Thanks! :wink:

8

It won’t be for 2.3.3 because of all the maintenance work. the Release Manager says - but there’s an extremely good chance it’’ make 2.3.4 I’ll remember to nag for it :wink:

Peter.