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  • Bounced Audio File Size

     I have a 53 second piece of music done entirely with VSL SE. When I try to bounce in it (in Logic Pro) and create an audio file, the file is ending up being 9 MBs. I can take the sample rate down from 41, but that still only takes the size down to 6.5 MBs, which is too large for a 53 second piece. Also, it seems that I should have the sample rate at 41, since that is the normal for CDs. I have tried all the other options in the Logic bounce window, and none of them have helped. When I took the bit rate down to 8 from 16, but that turned it all to static. None of the dithering makes any difference in size. Am I missing something? Could I need a better audio card (I am using the built-in adio on my macbook pro)? Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

    Colin Thomson


  •  Also if i wanted to upload a file for you people to critique, can I upload directly to this site? I don't have a sight of my own to upload it to. What would be the best option for me? Thanks.

    Colin Thomson 


  • That's about the right size file actually... if you're bouncing the file as an aiff file. Logic gives you the option of what type of audio file you want to bounce as. Try bouncing as an mp3 for a smaller file size.

  • Dear Colin,

    please dont get me wrong, but it seems that you could need some basic information about digital audio, to make sure that your expectations are met by your gear.

    The file size you experience is completely normal for uncompressed, linear audio. As a rule of thumb, 1 minute of a stereophonic audio signal results in about 10 MB of audio data when digitized at 44.1 kHz sampling rate with 16 bit dynamic resolution. The higher the sampling rate, the better are the resolution of the frequencies (here, the rule of thumb is "the highest possible frequency is half of the sampling rate"). Higher sampling rates result in larger files, of course; the same will happen with higher bith-depths (like 24 bit, usually the minimum used during music production today).

    What you _seem_ to expect are the very small sizes of the typcial, data-reduced (and thus not seldom bad-sounding) formats like MP3, AAC and the like.

    Dithering has nothing to do with file-size, BTW. Dither is just added noise (at a very low volume) to mask the errors of truncation, for example when changing the bit-depth from 24 to 16, and it is applied at the very final stage before burning audio to CD-A, or converting audio to one of the data-reduced formats outlined above. 

    You can get good information on topic like that online, for example here:

    -> http://www.indiana.edu/~emusic/etext/toc.shtml

    ...especially this chapter:

    -> http://www.indiana.edu/~emusic/etext/digital_audio/chapter5_file.shtml

    Another good introduction to the differences between digital audio formats:

    -> http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/The-AudioFile-basicsof-uncompressed-digital-audio.ars

     

    General basic information can be found on many other sites of the Web, for example here: 

    -> http://www.hammersound.net/audiobasics/audiobasics.html

    ... or here:

    -> http://compreviews.about.com/cs/soundcards/a/CompAudioPt1.htm

    ... just to give you an idea. Google will reveal lots of in-depth discussion of each topic.

    HTH!

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library


    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • Thanks for those links. I am well aware that I need more knowledge in this field than I have, thus my regular use of this forum. You all have helped me out a bunch in the past. Thanks.

    Colin Thomson 


  • You're welcome, and don't hesitate to ask! :-)

    /Dietz

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library