24-bit to 16-bit sucks! Help!

[GameOver]

When I convert from 24-bit to 16-bit it feels like all the hours I've spent on EQ have been in vain. It sounds muffled and "bassy", like the sound is coming from a can. All the nice, high frequencies are cut off. I have listened to the songs on a CD and on the computer, it's the same.

I export to pcm wav and of course I use dithering. Sample rate is 44.1 and I have chosen stereo interleaved. What's wrong? Is this the way it should be?

I use Cubase SX 2.2.0.

(Please help Game Over to finish our new demo! )

[OverCoat]

Work in 16-bit then. You should only be working in 24-bit if you're doing, like... DVD audio?

[zircon]

No soc. You definitely can get something out of using 24 bit samples and dithering to 16. Because of the way dithering works you still can get that increase in fidelity. Is the difference huge? That's arguable, but there's something to be said for recording in 24bit and dithering down anyway.

[Compyfox]

Can you give me a reference demo?

A 24bit snippet and a 16bit snippet?

And with what do you render it down? What effects do you use, etc. The more info I have, the better I can help you.

And... I work in 48kHz 24bit all the time, even though I don't do any DVD-A or DVD-V stuff.

[Chavous]

No soc. You definitely can get something out of using 24 bit samples and dithering to 16. Because of the way dithering works you still can get that increase in fidelity. Is the difference huge? That's arguable, but there's something to be said for recording in 24bit and dithering down anyway.

You did Impulse Prime in 32 bit float, did you not?

Sorry, just a random question sort of relating to the problem.

[Compyfox]

Internal mathematics of most sequencers are at 32bit float.

[OverCoat]

You can't choose how many bits to work in with FL Studio. The program lets you figure that out when you export to wav or mp3.

[Splunkle]

You can't choose how many bits to work in with FL Studio. The program lets you figure that out when you export to wav or mp3.

Thats because its all 32 bit:

Internal 32 bit floating point mixing, up to 96kHz stereo.

[Compyfox]

After 2 weeks still no further info on this issue. Guess it mustn't have been that important after all.

[OverCoat]

Because Game Over released their album

[Compyfox]

Like I said, mustn't have been that important after all.