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Post by errefae on Jun 8, 2018 11:05:53 GMT
I'm splitting an audio file ripped from a CD into several tracks. do you think this will affect the audio quality if split using the same format and attributes?
I'm using GoldWave.
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Post by Michael Lawrence on Jun 8, 2018 12:14:16 GMT
The act of splitting the file in and of itself would not impact quality.
What would is any file compression used. If you're working with a lossy compression format (.mp3, for example) the act of saving a file removes data that cannot be recovered. If you're working with an uncompressed format (.wav) or a lossless compression (.flac) then all original data is preserved, provided you're using the proper settings.
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Post by errefae on Jun 8, 2018 16:14:25 GMT
The act of splitting the file in and of itself would not impact quality. What would is any file compression used. If you're working with a lossy compression format (.mp3, for example) the act of saving a file removes data that cannot be recovered. If you're working with an uncompressed format (.wav) or a lossless compression (.flac) then all original data is preserved, provided you're using the proper settings. What would be the proper settings? |
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Post by Michael Lawrence on Jun 8, 2018 16:25:52 GMT
There are two types of data compression: lossless and lossy. Lossless means the file you create is a bit smaller than the original but none of the original data is lost.
Lossy means that the file you create can be a lot smaller than the original (MP3 can be 1/10th the original size, for example) but some data is irreparably lost. Lossy formats use perceptual coding to make sure that any data is lost is either inaudible or only causes a minimal audible negative impact.
You ripped a CD. CD audio is 44.1 kHz, 16-bit uncompressed audio. If you ripped that to 16-bit 44 kHz WAV or AIFF, or FLAC, no information has been lost. You can then split those files as you see fit and as long as you continue to save the resulting files in the same file format (or another lossless format) you're fine.
If, instead, you ripped to an MP3 or WMA or MP4 or another lossy format, you've lost some data in the process. If you trim an MP3 and save it as another MP3, you've now compressed the data twice, and it's going to start sounding pretty funky.
If you provide the settings you're using, we can tell you more about your specific situation.
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Post by errefae on Jun 9, 2018 10:39:02 GMT
Thanks a lot for the information.
I always rip to 16bit 44.1khz flac and split to the same format and attributes. CD audio can't be higher than 16bit? If so is the 24bit audio only available through download? (If provided)
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Post by Michael Lawrence on Jun 9, 2018 12:00:03 GMT
Correct, you can download so-called "HD" files at 24 bit 96 kHz. However, an understanding of sampling theory reveals that any perceived improvements are strictly psychological. Don't waste your money. Standard CD quality 16/44 has about 96 dB of dynamic range, which is more than virtually any musical performance and more than any listening space you're likely to inhabit. 44 kHz gives us the ability to reproduce accurately the entire range of human hearing up to 20 kHz, which adults can't hear anyway. Raising the sampling rate only gives HF extension, and does nothing to improve the "quality" of in-band material. Raising the bit depth adds more dynamic range, but most popular music formats have a loudness range of a dozen dB or less so there's no point to that either. 24 bit and 32 bit float have their place in the production process, but all they do for the end consumer is make the files larger. Many may find these statements to be blasphemous, but these people do not understand sampling theory. If you're not convinced, watch this video, which Ethan calls "the best video in the world." www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIQ9IXSUzuM |
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