What sample rates to you bounce/export to?

[JSynth]

So, I have been wondering what sample rates you guys export your master files to.

I used to just have my master file as a higher quality mp3. The reason I did that is because I would host my downloads on Media Fire, and I figured most people wouldn't want to have to download a big lossless file.

But since my most recent EP, and now that I am partisipating in more events, I have been wondering what sample rates are best.

[itroitnyah]

When exporting the raw file for mastering:
.wav, 24bit int, 512-point sync, alias-free TS404, HQ for all plugins, disable max poly, save acidized and with delay compensation

When exporting for release after mastering:
.mp3, 320kbps sample rate, 512-point sync, alias-free TS404, HQ for all plugins, disable max poly, save acidized and with delay compensation

or for download sources such as bandcamp, or if I plan on playing the song live: HA, my music isn't that good yet, I know
.wav, 16bit int, 512-point sync, alias-free TS404, HQ for all plugins, disable max poly, save acidized and with delay compensation

I do believe that these are commercial release standards, am I wrong?

[the4thImpulse]

But since my most recent EP, and now that I am partisipating in more events, I have been wondering what sample rates are best.

Check out what those specific events want you to submit, if they say they want it a certain way then obviously you'd do it that way.

If they don't specify or state they don't care then honestly just a 320 kbps MP3 is fine, its the 'industry standard' for the consumers. Of course WAV's (and other lossless) is the professional standard and I would recommend sticking to it (I stick to it unless they want an MP3).

[JayB]

Hmm... Two answers and not a single hint about sample rates. ^^

I always work in 44100 Hz. The unmastered file is exported in 24 bit, the mastered song is saved in 16 bit. Always as wav, never compressed. 44.1 kHz is standard CD quality and by that the quality you get also from pretty much any online music store in the world. If you're planning to use it for a video, use 48 kHz instead, that's DVD standard and nowadays the usual audio sample rate online.

When uploading I usually use MP3 with VBR quality 10 (the highest) with the LAME encoder. In rare cases also FLAC. As for videos: when I upload them it's usually AAC 256 kbit/s. Which format others use, I don't know.

[itroitnyah]

That's because you generally don't work with samplerates or bother changing them. I work in 48kHz atm. I could change the sample rate that FL runs at while I'm making my music up to 96kHz, and I guess I will. Just because why-not. I don't know what the standard samplerate for producing with is, I just know that 44.1k is CD, I think that 48k is DVD and/or Bluray, and that nobody really uses 96k for commercial release, probably takes up too much space, lol.

[Navron]

I consider sample rate to be the equivalent of frame rate when it comes to video editing, which means you want to be consistent throughout your entire project as you bounce the audio between different stages and programs.

Also (like video editing), you don't want to use any kind of lossy compression until you're at your final export for upload and release.

When you say your master file is at high quality mp3, do you mean you export a high quality mp3 for mastering? If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend it. The only time you should export any kind of compressed file is when your song is fully mastered and you're exporting a file for upload.

If you're planning on uploading a video to YouTube with your song, you should export a lossless format like wav for use in your video application. You can end up with triple compression and loss of quality if you utilize an mp3 for your video editing. If you're exporting your mixdown as an mp3 for mastering, and you make a video for upload, you face quadruple compression:

- Compressed when exporting mixdown.
- Compressed when exporting master.
- Compressed when rendering video upload.
- Compressed when uploading to YouTube.

Ideally, you want only one stage of compression, but most often you have to settle for 2, as it's hard to upload any kind of lossless file to YouTube due to file size.

As far as sample rates go, 44.1KHz is the audio CD standard. No reason to utilize anything higher unless you're working on audio for a DVD/Blu-Ray, or some form of surround sound. It's better to set your sample rate at the beginning of your project, vs changing it at some stage of production.

[JSynth]

When you say your master file is at high quality mp3, do you mean you export a high quality mp3 for mastering? If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend it. The only time you should export any kind of compressed file is when your song is fully mastered and you're exporting a file for upload.

No. When I create my mixdowns, I always export a lossless file. It wouldn't be until I export my master file that I would make it an mp3. Anyway, I don't intend to do that much. I plan on hosting most of my pony music downloads on pony.fm and any non pony album that I create will probably be on bandcamp.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I feel like such a black sheep here.

I don't master, nor do I have a mixdown stage, I mix as I go with the song. I do export in 512 sync, 320 kbs mp3 with all the antialiasing, however.

[itroitnyah]

Oh, well, you should do those things, lul. They'll help out with making your music sound better

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Mastering I could understand, but mixing everything in a specific stage would just bug the shit outta me. I'll keep doing that as I go

[JSynth]

Mastering I could understand, but mixing everything in a specific stage would just bug the shit outta me. I'll keep doing that as I go

It never hurts to take a moment to listen to your mix before creating a mixdown.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

It kinda goes without saying that you should listen to what you're mixing ._.

[ph00tbag]

I don't remember the exact math, but 44100Hz 16 bit PCM aliases well beyond the limits of human hearing--that is to say, unless you can hear well and comfortably above 22,050 Hz at well over 150dB SPL in Earth's atmosphere, it's unlikely you're going to hear the aliasing without first destroying your eardrums.

So as far as final render, the above values are more than sufficient. That said, for pre-master renders, you usually want more bits per sample, since you're going to be starting with a signal that really only uses about 3/4 to 4/5 of the available data in any given bit, meaning your effective bit rate is actually lower than the render bit rate. Again, I don't recall the exact math, but it's pretty much just a question of ratios.

[HMage]

Target sample rate of the medium.

Music is almost universally 44100/16bit. Except for "mastered for iTunes", they require higher sample rates and bit depths when you submit music.

[Conchetupony]

Sample rate, 44100 hz through the whole recording, mixing and mastering process.

As for quality, I like to keep my music in V0 .mp3 (variable rate), but for distribution I export either to FLAC (BandCamp) or 320 kbps mp3.

[Paianni]

24/96 WAV for archiving, converted to FLAC (using ffmpeg) for some download sources

320k MP3 for other download sources (16/44.1)

Also, I always keep my project's sample rate and bit depth at 24/96, otherwise the 24/96 FLAC would be pointless. When I'm working with electronic instruments 24/96 seems to result in a different sound to 16/44.1.

[prozeyic]

44,100hz 16bit usually. either that or 320kbps mp3

dont really think the quality of the export matters as much since i'm bad at mixing and mastering anyways. bouncing at higher quality would just mean you could hear the shittyness more clearly