Some years ago, when I was transferring all my open-reel audio tapes to digital, I used 48 kHz / 24 bit and decided I would deliver them on DVD. The rationale for not using a higher sample rate and bit depth was:
1) 1/4 track, 7-1/2 ips stereo tapes likely don't have any information that warrants anything higher.
2) My hearing doesn't warrant anything higher.
3) Few other people in the world are interested in listening to that crap anyway since they were live stage performances from the 60s and 70s.
As ironic as it may seem, I just bought a music player that reproduces music at 192 kHz / 24 bit uncompressed. I've also downloaded some 96 kHz / 24 bit tracks as well as watched the youtube video of Steven Stills driving all his musician friends around in his old Eldorado playing them tracks on the PONO. All of them bragged about how "real", "transparent" and "live" it all sounds.
Last evening, when I helped a fellow on the forum write some 24/96 PCM to DVD, it made me wonder how these high bit rates and bit depths were serving me.
Today, I decided to make a DVD to test my various equipment and my hearing. (I feel a little guilty for skipping-out on my hearing exam last week for no other reason than I didn't want to be bothered.)
In Sound Forge, I generated sine waves at frequencies from 20Hz to 22kHz. I edited them in Vegas Pro 13 at 96 kHz / 24 bit and prepared accompanying video for DVD Architect.
You may download the DVD folder here and burn it to DVD if you're interested in seeing how your equipment and your ears perform.
[Edit] This is the link to the later version of the project with the audio modulated at 10 Hz.
Disclaimer: This test is not a replacement for a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor or audiologist.
1) 1/4 track, 7-1/2 ips stereo tapes likely don't have any information that warrants anything higher.
2) My hearing doesn't warrant anything higher.
3) Few other people in the world are interested in listening to that crap anyway since they were live stage performances from the 60s and 70s.
As ironic as it may seem, I just bought a music player that reproduces music at 192 kHz / 24 bit uncompressed. I've also downloaded some 96 kHz / 24 bit tracks as well as watched the youtube video of Steven Stills driving all his musician friends around in his old Eldorado playing them tracks on the PONO. All of them bragged about how "real", "transparent" and "live" it all sounds.
Last evening, when I helped a fellow on the forum write some 24/96 PCM to DVD, it made me wonder how these high bit rates and bit depths were serving me.
Today, I decided to make a DVD to test my various equipment and my hearing. (I feel a little guilty for skipping-out on my hearing exam last week for no other reason than I didn't want to be bothered.)
In Sound Forge, I generated sine waves at frequencies from 20Hz to 22kHz. I edited them in Vegas Pro 13 at 96 kHz / 24 bit and prepared accompanying video for DVD Architect.
You may download the DVD folder here and burn it to DVD if you're interested in seeing how your equipment and your ears perform.
[Edit] This is the link to the later version of the project with the audio modulated at 10 Hz.
Disclaimer: This test is not a replacement for a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor or audiologist.