mastering & converting audio files best way?

[paulflytrap]

Hi, I'm just finishing an album all recorded in logic express 8 (16 bit ) then mastering onto zoom h2 recording 24 bit which is all sounding fine to me - but to get them on itunes etc I'm told i have to convert them to 16 bit 44.1 files as they're imported to itunes;

I've found this affects the mixes, making some things pop out a bit more than they should. - this didnt seem to happen when i was just using itunes to burn the wav files to CD & that must have involved conversion to 16 bit?

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

I don't understand the "mastering onto zoom h2" bit.

 

H2s are handheld recorders, no?

[Eric Cardenas]

There is no point in converting to 16-bit unless you are going to CD.

In fact Apple advices you to have 24-bit masters.

 

Mastered for iTunes: Music as the Artist and Sound Engineer Intended

[paulflytrap]

I don't understand the "mastering onto zoom h2" bit.

 

H2s are handheld recorders, no?

 

 

just never liked the internal processing mixdown thing in cubase (long ago) and had the zoom h2 ( it is a handheld recorder but has line in & tried mixing down onto it & seemed to work ok so stuck with it - so i could do manual fades & hear the mix as its recorded etc ( although I havent really tried doing it inside logic )

[paulflytrap]

There is no point in converting to 16-bit unless you are going to CD.

In fact Apple advices you to have 24-bit masters.

 

Mastered for iTunes: Music as the Artist and Sound Engineer Intended

 

I'd much rather keep them 24bit so its good to hear thats what apple wants - tunecore are saying 16 bit to get onto itunes to reduce errors as files go thru the system, (maybe some other online distributors will do 24 bit files)

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

If you're set on using the H2, I'd put 24bit files through it, not 16bit.

[paulflytrap]

If you're set on using the H2, I'd put 24bit files through it, not 16bit.

 

I recorded all the parts (gtr/vx etc) with logic set to 16 bit recording then edited/mixed & then mixed down (line out of desk into zoom) with zoom for a stereo mix to check on various players. I assumed that this would then be 24 bit stereo recording of all the16 bit parts

plus effects. - what i hear thru my monitrs which sounds better quality than 16 bit. am I going about it the wrong way?

I'm not really too set on using the zoom - I tried mixing down(bouncing) in logic over the last day or so & it seems really user friendly & even plays me the mix! ( i know I should've checked that out ages ago)

[David Nahmani]

Ditch the zoom and bounce through Logic. You shouldn't hear much difference at all between 16 and 24 bits.

[paulflytrap]

there is one particular sound which seems to get messed up during conversion from 24 bit to 16 bit ( after mixdown ) and this happens on stereo mixdowns from the zoom or bounced in logic; its a percussion sound (the one like the long row of suspended wind chimes being 'strummed' ) from the pop drum kit software instrument .- sounds fine on zoom 24bit stereo mix & logic 24bit stereo bounce & fine on (AAC imported) itunes CDs; but imported to itunes @ 16 bit the subsequent CDs have it sounding like electrical fizzling?crackles, -

have tried using different midi note, lowering volume in mix, writing Cds in different machines but no joy, anyone had this problem or know an easy fix?

[gdoubleyou]

Are you mixing in a treated room?

 

[paulflytrap]

Are you mixing in a treated room?

 

no its just my front room.