The best audio ADC's in the world can only resolve 20-21 bits. The rest is pure noise.
No normal microphone yet made for studio use can get much beyond a dynamic range of 100dB. The Neumann U87 - generally considered as one of the premier mics, used on tens of thousands of recordings - has a max DR of 105dB (that's about 18 bits in crude terms). However, the mic amps and desk it was plugged into (up till the 90's - and even beyond!) will eat into that. That's really all you need to know. Nobody can hear beyond the 18th bit when actual music is playing. Under normal circumstances, even the 17th/18th bits are inaudible. The importance of 24-bit (or greater) recording is NOT in the bits - it's NOT to do with the resolution/SNR. It's in the freedom you get to PROPERLY master the material. YMMV. -- Phil Leigh You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it ain't what you'd call minimal... Touch(wired/XP) - TACT 2.2X (Linear PSU) + Good Vibrations S/W - MF Triplethreat(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - Aktiv 5.1 system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner, Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Digital,Kimber Speaker & Chord Interconnect cables Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Phil Leigh's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=85 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=82050 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
