Dithering...

[DJ Hellfire]

Trying to understand more about dithering. Now, say I have all my stereo bounces of my project imported into a new session for mastering, the session is 24/48 like the original sessions of all the songs. I set up all my limiters and everything with Dithering turned on (to 16). Now once I have all the songs properly set and level overall and I bounce all the songs to a new audio track in the same session. Are those songs properly dithered? Or do you have to actually use Bounce to disk for true dithering to take place?

[scenicrecords]

There are two ways to do this:

1. If you are recording back to another track, your file will still be at 24bit 48kHz. You would want to apply dither only if you are looking to go to 16bit 44.1kHz for CD. Once you record back to another track with your limiter, etc. (with dithering off in your limiter) you will then have your final track at 24bit 48kHz. You can then export the region as a file and select 16 bit 44.1kHz.

From the Reference Guide (Page 288):

In the Export Selected dialog, set the File Type,
Format, Bit Depth, and Sample Rate. In addition,
specify the Conversion Quality, and choose the
Destination Directory.
When you export regions to a lower bit depth,
Dither (with or without Noise Shaping) is applied
as shown in Table 16.
The Dither used for any conversion is the
Digidesign Dither plug-in (with or without
Noise Shaping enabled, as noted in Table 16).

Table 16. Dither and Noise Shaping with Export
Selected dialog
Bit Depth Dither Noise Shaping
24-bit to 24-bit No No
16-bit to 24-bit No No
24-bit to 16-bit Yes Yes
16-bit to 16-bit No No


2. Another option is to use the Bounce to Disk feature with the Dithering on in your Limiter and bouncing to the correct bit depth and sample rate. Double check your tops and tails of each track after your bounces.

[DJ Hellfire]

Thanks! Yea, I know about the dither on export. That's how I've been doing it. I guess my second question then is whether it's better to use the dither in export, or better to use a limiters built in dither? Or does it not matter?

I guess what's throwing all this confusion in my head is some people saying they don't like BTD, because it's inaccurate or doesn't sound as good, and that they rather bounce to audio track. Then I see people say use the built in dither of the limiter. But then how do you dither with the limiter if you don't BTD???!!! Just too many different opinions I'm seeing I guess!

[Dorian Green]

I'm used to use Wavelab as my mastering stage software...But the process is the same in Protools.
First of all BTD your mixdown ay 48/24.
Open a new session with the same SR/BD
Import your bounced Stereo Track in that new session
Open a new Master track...Insert the plugin you need to do your mastering and at the very last insert put your Limiter/Dither or only Dither.Set it for 16bit truncation.
Bounce to disk..again...This time setting bounce options to 44.1/16.
That's it.

[Stig Eliassen]

Originally Posted by DJ Hellfire

Trying to understand more about dithering. Now, say I have all my stereo bounces of my project imported into a new session for mastering, the session is 24/48 like the original sessions of all the songs. I set up all my limiters and everything with Dithering turned on (to 16). Now once I have all the songs properly set and level overall and I bounce all the songs to a new audio track in the same session. Are those songs properly dithered? Or do you have to actually use Bounce to disk for true dithering to take place?

I dither during export. No hassle.

[DJ Hellfire]

Originally Posted by PT Lover

I dither during export. No hassle.

This is how I have always done it. But all these other "methods" get confusing!

Thanks guys!

[littlesicily]

Originally Posted by Stig Eliassen

I dither during export. No hassle.

No hassle... but best sounding option? Isn't the export dither using the oldest tech?

[Stig Eliassen]

Originally Posted by littlesicily

No hassle... but best sounding option? Isn't the export dither using the oldest tech?

I don't know. I can't remember the last time I exported a 16-bit file. I give both clients and mastering houses 24/44.1, same specs as I record in.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by littlesicily

No hassle... but best sounding option? Isn't the export dither using the oldest tech?

Its using whatever dither option you have specified in Preferences

[EGS]

Originally Posted by Stig Eliassen

I don't know. I can't remember the last time I exported a 16-bit file. I give both clients and mastering houses 24/44.1, same specs as I record in.

Sounds like the OP is self-mastering. Are you burning an actual CD? That's the only time you'll need 16/44.1. What burning app are you using? The reason I ask is that some apps (for example Sony CD Architect on Windows) have a quality dither built-in. You can simply pull your final files, regardless of bit/sample rate, right into CD Architect and let it dither to 16/44.1 during the CD burn process. Just a thought!