2. pc-audio
  3. 1173686174

What sample size and rate to rip?

I use Nero 7 Ultra Edition to rip my cds and before the ripping starts you have the option to select different bit sample size and frequency sample rates. Do you think that I should only rip at the lossless 16/44.1 sample rate thats on the cd or would be better to rip at 32 bits and 48 kHz (48 kHz is the maximum sample rate)? I wonder if this upconversion while ripping would introduce some kind of errors, although Nero has a jitter correction option.

After the ripping I could downconvert to 24 bits and increase the sample rate to 96 kHz in order to be able to send the data through S/PDIF. Would be better to rip directly to 24 bits instead of 32?

Also, if I rip a cd at 16/44.1 would be better to use the Nero SoundWave editor to upconvert it to 24/96 or should this upconversion be left for the external DAC to do it?
elhazard
6 responses Add your response
elhazard OP
11 posts
 
I think that it also has to be considered the quality of the software that does the upsampling. At this moment one of the best SRC software, if probably not the best, is Saracon from Weiss, but it's very expensive.

http://www.weiss.ch/p2d/p2d.html

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/104390/0/?srch=weiss#msg_104390

http://src.infinitewave.ca/ (a comparison between SRC software)
developer_dave
1 posts
 
Some people seem to be very enthusistic about upsampling such as Secret Rabbit Code, running through foobar. If a similar program does this upsampling and changes the file itself from 16/44 to 24/96 to be fed into a suitable non upsampling dac, why would this be not as good? I realise the file sizes would get much larger but is that really an issue these days?

It could then be played on a wider number of media players that do not support real time upsampling on pc or mac.
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
"About the resampling... I just thought that maybe would be better if I upsample in the pc to 24/96 and then send the data to the DAC. This way a DAC that upsamples to only 24/96 wouldn't have to do it in real time anymore, just the DA conversion."

This is true, but the DAC was built to do that job anyway. And, by upsampling and changing word length you will be creating significantly larger files, thereby eating up disc space much more quickly.

Try it both ways and see how you like it...

-RW-
elhazard OP
11 posts
 
About the resampling... I just thought that maybe would be better if I upsample in the pc to 24/96 and then send the data to the DAC. This way a DAC that upsamples to only 24/96 wouldn't have to do it in real time anymore, just the DA conversion.
elhazard OP
11 posts
 
Another question:

Instead of ripping the separate audio tracks from the cd, wouldn't be better if I burn an image of the cd on my hard drive and then create a virtual cd-rom and play that image from the virtual cd-rom?
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
I don't think I'd bother with resampling and word length enhanecement, nothing meaningful will be added. If you'd like to maintain all the data and save space too, you could convert the WAV files to FLAC. Playback could be accomplished by using WinAmp with the FLAC plug-in.

-RW-
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