User manual

Table Of Contents
113
Recording
Audio recording specifics
Audio recording specifics
Selecting a recording file format
The format for recorded files is set in the Project Setup dialog on the Project menu.
There are three settings: Sample Rate, Bit Resolution, and Record File Type. While
the sample rate is set once and for all when you start working on a new project, the bit
resolution and file type can be changed at any time.
Record File Type
The Record File Type setting determines which type of files will be created when you
record:
If you select Broadcast Wave File or AIFF format, you can specify Author,
Description and Reference text strings that will be embedded in the recorded file.
This is done on the Record–Audio–Broadcast Wave page in the Preferences
dialog.
Ö If your recorded Wave file is larger than 4 GB and the “Use RF64 Format” option is
activated on the “When Recording Wave Files larger than 4
GB” pop-up menu of the
Preferences dialog (Record–Audio), your recording is saved as an RF64 file. This
way, you do not have to worry about the file size during recording. However, keep in
mind that this format is not supported by all applications.
Bit Resolution
The available options are 16 bit, 24 bit, and 32 bit float. Use the following guidelines:
Normally, select the record format according to the bit resolution delivered by your
audio hardware.
For example, if your audio hardware has 20 bit A/D converters (inputs), you may
want to record at 24 bit resolution to capture the full bit resolution. On the other
hand, if your hardware has 16 bit inputs, it is pointless to record with a higher bit
resolution – this will only make the audio files larger, with no difference in audio
quality. The exception is if you record with effects – see
“Recording with effects
(Cubase only)” on page 121.
File type Description
Wave File Wave files have the extension “.wav” and are a common file format on
the PC platform.
Wave 64 File Wave 64 is a proprietary format developed by Sonic Foundry Inc.
Audio-wise it is identical to the Wave format, but the internal file
structure makes much larger file sizes possible. This is useful for long
live recordings, where the audio files can become huge.
Broadcast Wave
File
In terms of audio content, the same as regular Wave files, but with
embedded text strings for supplying additional information about the
file (see below).
AIFF File Audio Interchange File Format, a standard defined by Apple Inc. AIFF
files have the extension “.aif” and are used on most computer
platforms. Like Broadcast Wave files, AIFF files can contain
embedded text strings (see below).
FLAC File Free Lossless Audio Codec is an open source format. Audio files
recorded in this format are typically 50 to 60
% smaller than regular
Wave files, for example.