User Manual

RECORDING
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not mixed together, although you can mix them
afterwards using the Merge Soundbites
command.) For complete details about POLAR,
see chapter 31, “POLAR” (page 287).
Creating a permanent loop
After you are satisfied with the MIDI or audio loop
you’ve created, you can make it permanent by
inserting a loop into one or more tracks. Use the
Loop tool in the Tool palette (Studio menu).
STEP RECORDING
In step recording, MIDI note events are input one
at a time, not in real-time. Step recording is done
with the Step Record command (Studio menu).
Step recording is very useful for entering MIDI
music which is too fast or complex to play
accurately in real time. It is also useful when
entering a score to be converted to music notation
programs. For details about step recording, see the
chapter 29, “Step Record” (page 265).
RECORDING IN EXTERNAL SYNC
When recording in external sync other than Tap
tempo, the Record button is turned off every time
the master device stops or rewinds. This is a safety
precaution, to prevent accidental erasure of
previously recorded data. Refer to chapter 86,
“Receive Sync” (page 951) for details on recording
while slaved to each type of external sync.
Recording while still-framed
If you are slaving to an external sync source, Digital
Performer allows you to remain in record mode
while the video parked on a SMPTE frame. To do
so, check the Record while still framed option in the
Receive Sync settings in the Setup menu.
SAMPLE FORMAT
Digital Performer supports three sample formats:
16-bit integer, 24-bit integer, and 32-bit floating
point.
24-bit digital audio recording uses a 24-bit word to
describe each sample recorded. 16-bit recording
provides 2 to the 16th — or 65,536 — values to
record the level of audio for any given sample.
24-bit recording supplies 8 more bits (2 to the
24th), providing over 16 million separate values
(16,777,216 to be exact) with which to record the
level of any given sample. As you can see, 24-bit
recording provides 256 times the resolution — or
“fineness” — of 16-bit recording.
24-bit recording has several advantages over 16-bit
recording. One is signal-to-noise ratio. In digital
recording, each bit provides approximately 6 dB of
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). So 16-bit recording
provides a theoretical 96 dB of SNR, 20-bits
provide 120 dB, and 24-bits provide 144 dB. With
medium to loud audio material, such as a pop
music recording, this extra 48 dB of SNR is not a
significant advantage. On quiet recordings,
however, with long instrument decays or reverb
tails, the extra SNR can become much more of an
important advantage over 16-bit recording.
The much more significant difference between 16
and 24 bit recording is the resolution, and this
factor impacts sound at all levels, soft and loud,
even to the untrained ear. As mentioned earlier,
24-bit recording has 256 times the resolution of
16-bit recording. You can readily hear the
difference when A/B-ing material recording at the
two different sample formats. 24-bit audio has a
noticeably enhanced detail, tightness in the bottom
end, and overall depth.
32-bit floating point audio file resolution is an
emerging standard used for high-end recording,
mixing and mastering applications. The advantage
of floating-point representation over fixed-point