Making your mix rock out of Pro Tools. Please help

[Christian]

I am just finishing one of my first projects (rock band) at my studio and could use some informative help. I recorded the session at 48 khz/24 bit wav files. I can run either ProTools 6.1LE or 5.2LE on my system. Using Mac and a Digi001. I would like to get the best mix out available. When I have burned CD's using bounce to disk, I first tried the MP3 option which did not sound good when burned onto a disk. Tried AIFF files and it sounded better. But not exactly what I am hearing out of the speakers. How should I convert this to a CD for best sound quality what program do you recommend and what should I set my bit rates and sample rate at? I can either mix right in ProTools and do the conversion in the computer and burn my master CD or I have a Ward Beck console hooked up where I can use all 16 outs and go through some extra outboard gear if needed and then mix to DAT(but will need to figure out how to burn a CD) or route it back into ProTools. I have the Ramsa AD96 and DA96 for extra converters. What should I record the sessions at in the future to accomplish the highest quality and risk the least amount of degradation in sound, AIFF files, WAV, SDII and 44.1 or 48khz.


Thank you, Christian

[draven]

I hope you are applying Dither when you go from 48/24 to 44.1/16, right? That will make a big difference.

[Christian]

Where do you select dither and what are some aftermarket dither's available. Thank you, Chris

[groove guru]

I don't think there is any difference in sound quality between AIFF,WAV and SDII. But I think I lose more through sample rate conversion (going from 48 to 44.1) than it's worth. I stay at 24bits, 44.1 until It's time to burn. Then I dither with the Waves L1+. There are a lot of options when it's time to dither, so I usually experiment on each project.

But that's just me.

[guitates]

Check with masteringlab.com in Hollywood, Ca.

They would prefer the 48/24, and they would run it through analog stuf, which would make dither (added noise) Not necessary.

How many people dither 2" tape? Same principal.

If you want to master it yourself, You would be best off to aquire the Waves Platinum and a Stand alone CD burner, (HHB=$500) and run S/PDIF right out of ProTools in to the burner, with No conversion, and the L2 Limiter from Waves, with the dither they provide.

Hey, you gotta start experimenting, and listen on 5 different systems to make final decisions for your CD...

[spudsound]

Christain, Using 48/24 means that you have to convert sample rates and bit depth to be able to burn a CD. Sample rate conversion i think is one of the biggest killers of audio quality in the digital domain unles you have high quality converters, However, I recommend that you do one of two things...
1. mix within PT and output your master fader Via the main outs straight to a high quality analog processor (it doesn't have to be doing anything) then connect this to the inputs of you DAT machine set the DAT to 44.1k and record as usual through the analog inputs. Then set up PT to a 44.1/16 session and record via the S/PDIF inputs to PT and then trim the starts and end points of your tracks and Export using command+shift+K as stereo interleaved 16 bit files.. then burn to CD...
OR
2. bounce to Disc as 48/24 split mono files then create a new 48/24 session and import the files then using the command+shift +K export as 44.1/24 using the tweakhead settings... New session at 44.1/24 import files and then dither down to 16bit and trim the heads and tails of you tracks then export again...commandshiftK as 44.1/16 stereo interleaved... burn to CD...
It's all long and boring but hopefully you'll retain some of the mix qualities, however I would stick to recording at 44.1/24 and then Dither it down to 44.1/16....

[GORILLA]

one aftermarket choice;

I use to use the L1's dither, until I got my Apogee PSX-100SE. Now when bouncing to disc I go out at 24bit and let the Apogee use its UV22 at 24 to 16bit. Now, my bounces sound EXACTLY like the PTLE session sounds. Before, my bounces didn't sound anything like the original mix.

[guitates]

Explain, then, how would you burn a CD=16/44.1...From an Analog 2" ?

you run Analog in to the burner....NO dither...

This is the same concept with running at 24 bit/48 Digital/S/PDIF straight in to the "stand alone" burner...NO conversion...

Gorilla...You must go 24 bit analog and let the PS100 convert and dither ? You do not even engage a Limiter on the master fader before running to the Appogee? or do you use the L1/2 at 24 bit, No Dither?

[Lowfreq]

Actually you would run 2" through mix down apparatus (console, processors, etc.) then to serious AD converters were they would sample at 16/44.1 then into DAT the to stand alone CD recorder for referance mixes. No dither? Well no, of course not. Just conversion. Personally I have yet to hear a 'pro' sounding software program to do sample rate and dither. I think hardware conversion offers much better sound.

[guitates]

AMEN...