24 bit session to mp3

[yl956]

how can i take my 24bit session and bounce straight to mp3.. do i have to render my session as a 16bit wav. file first then to mp3...or can i bounce the 24bit session straight to mp3?

[64GTOBOY]

Originally Posted by yl956

how can i take my 24bit session and bounce straight to mp3.. do i have to render my session as a 16bit wav. file first then to mp3...or can i bounce the 24bit session straight to mp3?

The bounce menu has a check box to create mp3.

[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by yl956

how can i take my 24bit session and bounce straight to mp3.. do i have to render my session as a 16bit wav. file first then to mp3...or can i bounce the 24bit session straight to mp3?

Simply choose mp3 in the bounce dialog.

[PMF Media]

Is the OP perhaps wondering what happens re dithering down to 16bit rather than truncating the 24bit to a 16bit .mp3?

[Mark Ziebarth]

I don‘t know if the OP wants to know if the signal will be truncated or dithered, but I...
Can someone explain, please?

[BScout]

Originally Posted by Mark Ziebarth

I don‘t know if the OP wants to know if the signal will be truncated or dithered, but I...
Can someone explain, please?

Bounce to disk never applies dither automatically (you have to choose to do it using a dither plugin on the master fader.)

If Pro Tools used (implemented) the Fraunhofer encoder correctly, there should be no truncation as the Fraunhofer encoder can work up to 32 bit float for input. In which case, no truncation and no need for dither.

However, I'm seeing the bit depth dropping to 16 bit any time mp3 is selected (and greyed out so no option to change.) That may just be a Pro Tools display mistake. I'll have to check with a bit meter a resultant file to see if it is actually 16 bit when fed a full 24 bit file. If Pro Tools truncates to 16 bit before encoding, then dither should be applied (and dithering should be done to 16 bit).

Update: Checked with a bit meter and it is not truncating down files when making mp3s so no dither is necessary. However, if you do the side-encoding ("Add mp3") and are also making a lower bit file, you should dither. For example: if you check Add mp3 and are making a bounce down from a 24 bit session to a 16 bit file, the mp3 is being created from the 16 bit file (which should have been dithered by the user with a dither plugin set on a master fader at 16 bit.)

[Mark Ziebarth]

Thanks, that‘s good information. I will check with a bit meter myself.

[yl956]

Originally Posted by Drew Mazurek

Simply choose mp3 in the bounce dialog.

ok but when i bounce to mp3 do i have to add dither on my master?

[64GTOBOY]

See BScouts post above-basically if the "Bit Depth" in the bounce dialog box is the same as the session then no dither needed.

[Drew Mazurek]

Dither matters when you're throwing away 80-90% of the audio anyway?