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kHz

48kHz. It makes life easier for anti-aliasing filters compared to 44.1 without at least doubling file sizes as is the case with 88.2 or higher. Bit depth 24 bit guarantees adequate precision for coding/decoding as long as recording levels are 'healthy'. Also note that default internal processing in Studio One is 32bit FP so once inside Studio One signal quality becomes more or less independent from signal levels during processing/mixing.

NB. 32bit FP is 24bit precision plus exponent, making the 24bit 'window' shift with the signal levels for optimal signal precision.
 
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What kHz do you record at, and why?
Hi Nikkdust, Glad to see you made it over to this forum. 48kHz here as well. Same reasons. If someone was creating a CD, I'd then suggest 44.1kHz, but that medium is pretty much old hat. Keep with 44.1, 24 bit for the easiest path and compatability. Particularly with any preference towards videos as well.
 
If 44.1kHz is the required format then yes. Most media players nowadays accept 48kHz too but Green Book audio-CD format after mixing/mastering is 16bits at 44.1kHz. To exclude frequencies above the Nyquist frequency (which would cause aliasing) 44.1 has to use steeper filters closer to the audible frequencies than what's required with 48kHz. Steeper filters closer to audible frequencies will cause more distortion and/or leakage of unwanted frequencies. Probably inaudible but still :)
 
So, converting to 44, is a bad idea? Better to stick with that then? Or do i gain from recording in 48 and convert to 44?
 
Not bad, but, if you already know that the output format must be 44.1kHz then recording at 44.1kHz makes sense as Lokeyfly suggested. That way you avoid conversion altogether. 48kHz recording and output format promise slightly less distortion, and slightly lower round-trip latency if that's important in your recording setup. But converting down is rather painless so all things equal and with no in-advance decision on output format I'd use 48kHz for recording any time.
 
Ok, thank you. I'll be using 48, and convert down if needed then. One more just, 96kHz, what about using that, Any experience on that?
 
Lower latency (part of the round-trip latency is sample rate related), bigger files (twice as big as with 48kHz) and your computer has to work harder (twice as many calculations per second of audio). Other than that everything will work (and sound IMHO) the same.
 
@Craig Anderton posted some data a few years ago re: sample rate vs fold-back. IIRC, the ideal was something in the 50s, so I adopted 48 for simplicity sake. Maybe he will repost here for us.
 
There is no audible difference working at either sample rate. A blind A/B test would confirm that. If I am going to burn a CD down the track then I tend to work at 44.1kHz more. But there can be differences with some synths working at 96kHz though. Native Instruments Prism definitely has some presets that sound different at 96K compared to 48K or 44.1K. But you can up sample inside that plugin though. And some others. But if a plugin does not allow for upsampling then rendering audio at 96K with a synth like that and then down sampling to 44.1 or 48K will keep the 96K sound intact at the lower sample rates for importing into the lower sample rate session. (Prism is unusual though, it has actual output at 48kHz when running at 96K, output that is twice the range of human hearing!)
 
I think everyone has provided splendid information. What you need to do Nikkdust is ultimately decide what your end product will be. Consider though, conversion of 48kHz 24 bit, is FAR more useful as a baseline, than 44.1 16 bit, and converting to 44.1 Both will transfer, so if all you were ever doing is making a redbook audio compatable CD, then 44.1 k is fine with the understanding that you can later convert to 48, but you're working with less. Thereby conversion has less to benefit from bit depth, filtering, and dithering.

If you're asking, I'd say start and stay with 48kHz. 24 bit. I've not encountered issues converting to 44.1 kHz 16 bit and been disappointed. For that matter even noticed an audable , though I didn't perform an A/B under scrutiny. It simply worked fine.
Practically, speaking.


16 bit, typically reveals its ugly head with very low passages, or fades at the lowest discernable sound.
 
Here's my two cents: I have been working in 48 kHz for some time now and converting it to 44.1 has no audible effect on the final wave file. At all. Also, depending on what type of instruments and plugin you use, it really can make a difference what sample rate you mix in. In some cases you can even hear a difference between 96 kHz and 192 kHz. Not that your ears can hear those frequencies but they can hear aliasing. My ears at age 53, go up to 15 kHz, so I will not hear anything above that, but I can hear the difference between a simple distortion (with no oversampling) on higher sample rates. Because there are audible differences. So, it can actually pay to try a high sample rate on a mix. Down sampling it afterwards will still give you the higher quality.

Look at it this way: when you mix in 44.1 kHz, the frequencies, generated by a plugin with no oversampling, that go over 22.05 kHz will fold back into the audible spectrum. If you mix at higher sample rates you will have less of those folding back harmonics. And if you downsample afterwards these frequencies will just be cut off, like a brickwall low pass filter. That is why a file mixed in 96 kHz and then down sampled to 44.1 kHz can sound better than a file that has been mixed in 44.1 kHz
 
IIRC, the ideal was something in the 50s, so I adopted 48 for simplicity sake. Maybe he will repost here for us.
I replied to you but somehow the post didn't appear (probably not the site, but bad hotel wi-fi). Jemusic and Dave71 have already said what I would have said. However, I would add:

  • Studio One has always done excellent sample rate conversion, even going back to version 2. The infinitewave site lets you compare distortion introduced by different DAWs in converting from 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz, and it's very revealing.
  • I did a workshop once at the New Music Seminar in New York about high-resolution audio. I played the same virtual synth, alternating between 44.1 kHz and 96 kHz. There was an audible difference, but about half the attendees preferred the sound with foldover distortion. The other half preferred the cleaner sound. Beauty is definitely in the ear of the beholder. :)
 
My only my point is the OP should address what their final or largely preferred release(s) will end up being. There is something of a difference, albeit subtle between various choices of sample rates, and bit depth during conversion. Not choosing which might sound better, side by side. Particularly 16 bit depth that reach low dB's. There's no doubt, people will hear things differently, even from the same source. Pro or con, that's inevitable. However, if we're attempting to give the best advice we can, it would be advisable to suggest having a plan on where one's material is going to use to reach their intended listeners. The type of source material isn't out of the scope here, either.
Of course if the source is a distributer expecting 48khz 24 bit, at specified Lufs, then one might want to hold to that, and minimize less having to convert. This frequency and requirement is largely the norm at this time. So the idea by many here (if I may) is following the path of least resistance.

Very true, Studio One does a phenomenal job converting sample rates. Even it's pitch rates stop me in my tracks with a laugh of satisfaction. Yesterday, I was varying a guitar track using the chord track, breaking up different parts of a finger picking guitar track with pitch. I set the track to "parrellel" to auto change with the chord track in the Inspector. I couldn't hear even a wince of instant changes, and these pitch changes would occur on the fly, back and forth (scary). Changing a Gm to to maj7, to A dim, etc. Of course the point here is pitch (not frequency conversion), and 64 bit, but the idea being Studio One has incredible, and blindingly fast accuracy.
So if one decides to use most any desired frequency, but at least holds to 24 bit accuracy, then the resultant output file of 44.1 khz or 48 khz, will transfer just fine. I'd simply hold off on selecting 16 bit. I probably did not make that clear enough. : )
 
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Ok, so.. The songs will mostly be released at spotify, amazon, apple music, youtube, soundcloud and so on.

About S1 samplerate conversion, is the S1 dither holding up to, lets say izotope ozone and more?
 
Ok, so.. The songs will mostly be released at spotify, amazon, apple music, youtube, soundcloud and so on.

About S1 samplerate conversion, is the S1 dither holding up to, lets say izotope ozone and more?
Yep, S1 dithering is great. iZotope seems to give you options but you will never need them in the end.
 
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