– In general, most recordings do not require 24-bit resolution; this is especially true of rock and pop music which has very little dynamic range. – However, for recordings of very high dynamic range, such as an orchestral performance, 24-bit techniques may yield a bit more detail as the sound can be broken into …
– There are a few reasons. The biggest of these is the resulting file size compared to 16 bit, and what this would mean for how much music could be stored on a compact disc (if the compact disc format were 24-bit capable) or other types of media. Thus, 24-bit files require considerably more …
OK, so why are not all recordings done using 24-bit if it’s so much better than 16-bit? Read More »
– Wav files are the parents of other formats such as MP3, FLAC, et al. As such, they possess the full dynamic range and bandwidth supported by the CD format. – MP3 files use a ‘lossy’ codec that throws out – forever – what you purportedly can’t hear. If you use a high bit …
Why are wav files so much larger than MP3 files? Read More »
– Lossless compression is a process by which the file size is compressed, but the data are reconstructed on the fly in the media player. – Truly lossless codecs restore the compressed file to its original content, giving the listener all the fidelity that was present in the original file. – The down side …
– This is a misnomer. Strictly speaking, any file that has been compressed using a lossy codec (MP3 etc) can never be CD-quality. – Ask yourself this: If a track on a CD is 47 MB and its compressed MP3 is 6.2 MB, how can they contain the same information? Unless the codec is …
So why do people say that MP3 and other formats are CD quality? Read More »
– The process involves mathematical models that are based on human hearing and largely, on the principle of masking. In essence, when an MP3 is created, sounds that you do not hear in the recording are thrown out of the file. – This makes the file size considerably smaller than the original wav file …
How does digital compression, like in an MP3 work? Read More »
– Usually not. When someone refers to ‘analog compression’ they are usually referring to compressing the dynamic range (the difference in volume between loud and soft passages), also known as ‘level compression’ and historically, this has been done using analog compression hardware, or these days, emulated compression via a digital plug-in. – This is …
FLAC is an acronym meaning “Free Lossless Audio Codec”. FLAC is open-source and supports meta-data (i.e. tag information) that is read by media players (artist, track, title, album, and so on). Despite being not as ‘compact’ as various other compression schemes, – FLAC is gaining in popularity for a couple of reasons. First, memory …
What is FLAC? I heard my player supports it – do I need it? Read More »
– Compression is a technique whereby a new version of a file is made smaller by altering its content, thus ensuring that less disk or memory space can be used compared to the original file. – A heavily-compressed file will be only 15% or so of the original file size. A lightly compressed file …
– MP3’s were designed to save file space when storage limits on portable players was comparatively low, and at a time when broadband connections were not as prevalent as they are now. – The fidelity of an MP3 depends largely on the bit-rate used, and a variety of other factors. Additionally, when portable media …
Why did MP3’s and compressed files become so popular?: Read More »