48kHz vs 44.1 kHz

[JohnnyHeatParticipant]

Is there any way to record in 44.1 kHz format using the Qu 24?

[dpdanParticipant]

no

[AndreasModerator]

No, the Qu platform is fixed to 48kHz.
Not really a big deal since any DAW should be able to perform proper downsampling. Either when importing tracks or during mastering.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

And down sampling us lossless (assuming band filtering isn’t violated)

[JohnnyHeatParticipant]

I use Pro Tools and it won’t let me open any of my sessions recorded at 44.1 which means I need to start a new session and import the audio convert up to 48 then back down to 44.1 Bummer. I will start recording at 48kHz when I’m using the Focusrite hardware to eliminate the double conversion.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

Double conversion is a pain rather than a quality issue.

[GCumbeeParticipant]

As someone who spent over 40yrs in pro recording the last 28 in digital I can say that 48k is so overrated. Especially since your playback mediums are typically either CD or dumbed down MP3.

[GordonParticipant]

I occasionally record my bands with two or three camcorders. Then I sync up the edited footage with audio from the QU mixer. The 48khz sample rate fits perfectly for video work and doesn’t need down-sampling.

[AndreasModerator]

I really do not want to open another 44.1/48 kHz debate, but while there is no (truly) audible difference between both, 44.1kHz is required for CD productions while 48kHz is used for most video formats. So sometimes there simply is no big freedom.
And my “convert during/after mastering” also isn’t the best solution for everyone as well. I recently ran into the same situation where I had to master a 48kHz recording for CD use and noticed a slight change in volume (~2.5dB) and minimum drop in transparency due to downsampling (won’t go into theory here, but that may happen, depending on transients inside the music). I finally converted the mixed WAV to 44.1 and did my mastering stuff on that file. The result was acoustically identical to the mastered 48kHz version but differs from the afterwards downsampled version. Not really significant but noticable in A/B comparison.
Of course you can not listen to a 44.1kHz file through a Qu without resampling again.
If ProTools does not even allow to open an old project, just because the audio device does not support the correct samplingrate, this really is an odd situation. Maybe you can open the project while choosing another interface and change the project’s samplingrate to 48kHz.

[MrvoltzParticipant]

48Khz is the standard sample rate with the GLD also, and with video production of DVD’s. I have done a fair bit of reading on the subject of sample rate and bit depth recently, most agree on 24bit but the great debate is sample rate.

This from another forum I researched:
For pop/rock/country/rap, 48K is plenty. For classical/acoustic/bluegrass, then maybe 96K makes sense. This is an old debate and you may see lots of argument over it, but it really boils down to a few things; is it a major artist?(96K may be demanded). Is it a demo for an unknown?(48k is plenty of drive space to burn up). Is it going to be a pro DVD release or will the final product be uploaded to iTunes(you get the idea). I operate a commercial studio in Nashville and have never needed to go above 48K, nor have I ever been asked to. I wonder how many hits in the late 80’s into the 90’s were done on 16 bit/44.1K ADAT machines? Its not the sample rate that creates a hit recording. (Dave. From capricornsoundworks in Nashville)
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[wildmanParticipant]

@Heat

If I understand your question correctly, there are two ways to do this in Pro Tools. The first way is to create your project in Pro Tools as a 24 bit 48 khz project. Then use the Import Audio function in PT. The second way, if your project is already created as a 16 bit or 24 bit 44.1 khz project, then use the Import Audio function in PT. When you select the files to be imported, use the Convert button right below the selection window and the files will be converted to the same format as the project they are being imported into in PT.

[GCumbeeParticipant]

Dave . I too ran and still own a studio in Franklin. Years ago we were ordered by several major Christian publishing companies we worked for to do all their projects at 16bit/44.1. That started on RADAR and continued into PTHD. They wanted 0 conversion. No one. I mean not one high end musician ever commented or noticed. It proved to me that few if any could know any difference. Lot of smoke and mirrors at play.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

Is it time for my favourite video?
https://wiki.xiph.org/Videos/Digital_Show_and_Tell

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