Re: 16 bit or 24 bit Recording?

Tracks that are recorded and processed at 24 bit can be dithered to 16 with a resolution approaching that of 18 or 19 bits if done properly...that according to Waves. Tracks that are 16 bit to begin with cannot benefit from dither, and any digital processing always suffers less when done at higher resolution...even something as simple as a track fade. Since there is no downside to converting from 24 to 16 (if that is your final destination) I recommend staying at 24 until the final pass to CD. In other words, master at 24 and make a dithered 16 bit copy for CD. Not only that, but if you don't you will probably feel foolish 5 years from now when you are asked to re-issue the 16 bit master of your circa 2001 hit CD on the prevailing format of the day, which will most certainly be at 24 bits or higher, so archiving then becomes a real issue. 60 and 76 GB drives are cheap and common, so saving a few MB shouldn't be a deciding factor. On the other hand it takes less throughput for a drive to play back lots of 16 bit tracks than it does to play back lots of 24 bit tracks, so that is something to consider if you are approaching a track limit during mixdown.

Record at 24/44.1,then dither down.

16 bit or 24 bit Recording? 

Here's a simple question. If my final destination for a Pro Tools session is to be output to CD, is there any advantage or significant reason for me recording the session in 24 bit since I will have to convert it to 16 bit for the CD anyway? Any thoughts?

There was the same topic on PT LE DUC some days ago. If you like to look...

Aside from the additional hard disk space required by 24 bit recording, what about CPU performance? Will I see more strain on my computer when processing 24 bit files, less tracks and less plug-ins as a result? I can afford the extra disk space, but I'm concerned about any limitations to the number of tracks and plug-ins I'll be able to use. Comments? ------------------

So, can anyone advise me about 16 vs 24 bit performance? I can understand the sonic advantages, and afford the disk space. What I'd like to know is will the same computer have to work harder to record/play back 24 bit files versus 16 bit files. Is is likely that I'd need to cut back on the number of tracks and/or plug in when using 24 bit? thanks in advance, Dave