Old 06-27-2017, 08:53 AM   #1
jimmyjazz
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Hi . . . I want to fool around with a stereo WAV mix of The Rolling Stones "Sympathy For the Devil". Rather than drive down to one of the few remaining local CD shops, I thought I'd see if I could just purchase it online. It turns out HDTracks has it, either as 24/88 or 24/176 file format. Can Reaper get along with both? Will I have any problems mixing down and exporting to 16/44 or 16/48 (or MP3)?

Thanks in advance . . .
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Old 06-27-2017, 09:39 AM   #2
DVDdoug
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That should be no problem. Everything will be resampled if necessary to your Project Sample Rate, MP3s will be decompressed, and everything will be converted to 64-bit floating point for "internal" processing.

Then, you can render to whatever format you prefer. (For MP3, you'll need to install LAME)
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Old 06-27-2017, 09:53 AM   #3
jimmyjazz
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Thanks. I think my little Focusrite converters only support 96 kHz so I guess I'll get the 88 kHz version of the record.

I do have LAME installed so I can also export MP3. Thanks again . . .
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Old 06-27-2017, 10:47 AM   #4
serr
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I run 96k in Reaper all the time. Reaper never has even the slightest issue even with mixes with hundreds of tracks.

If you sample rate convert 88.2k or 176.4k to 96k (keeping everything 24 bit of course), you will still very much have full quality HD program with no perceptible loss. (FYI, the "difficult" sample rate conversions are going from low res to low res. eg 48k to 44.1k.)

Now, you mention throwing out the baby with the bath water and reducing the 24 bit files to 16 bit and even mp3! You'd be right back in budget consumer land with that.* But if you want it, Reaper handles HD audio all day long.

* Fun fact. Sometimes the mastering on certain CD releases is so shitty that even after subjecting the HD master to all that destruction it still might sound magnitudes better than the older CD versions.
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Old 06-27-2017, 11:44 AM   #5
jimmyjazz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serr View Post
Now, you mention throwing out the baby with the bath water and reducing the 24 bit files to 16 bit and even mp3! You'd be right back in budget consumer land with that.*
There are 2 reasons I want to export to 16/44 Redbook (or worse):

1. I will want to play these files on my good stereo which only has a CD source
2. I am working on a project where a mono loudspeaker is the only option and I want to hear what "bad" mono downmixes sound like, probably from mp3 source (to make it even worse). "Sympathy For The Devil" is apparently notorious for having the piano disappear when reduced to mono.

I don't actually NEED the high-res tracks. It's just that I can't seem to find 16/44 downloads for purchase. I'm sure not starting out with mp3, even if in part that's where I want to end up.
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Old 06-27-2017, 12:24 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serr View Post
(FYI, the "difficult" sample rate conversions are going from low res to low res. eg 48k to 44.1k.)
Explain, please?
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Old 06-27-2017, 03:42 PM   #7
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When I see ads for high-res songs I think of this article,
"Why 24-bit/192kHz music downloads make no sense"
(by Monty and the Xiph.Org community)

"Articles last month revealed that musician Neil Young and Apple's Steve Jobs discussed offering digital music downloads of 'uncompromised studio quality'. Much of the press and user commentary was particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of uncompressed 24 bit 192kHz downloads. 24/192 featured prominently in my own conversations with Mr. Young's group several months ago.
Unfortunately, there is no point to distributing music in 24-bit/192kHz format. Its playback fidelity is slightly inferior to 16/44.1 or 16/48, and it takes up 6 times the space...
192kHz digital music files offer no benefits. They're not quite neutral either; practical fidelity is slightly worse. The ultrasonics are a liability during playback...
Why push back against 24/192? Because it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, a business model based on willful ignorance and scamming people..."
Read the whole article: https://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

Last edited by batcat; 06-27-2017 at 04:19 PM.
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