Digital Drive

Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

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RE: How hard should I strive to get maximum signal?

Posted by Tony Lauck on March 24, 2012 at 19:36:23:
Recording "hot" made sense on tape machines which had poor S/N ratio. It isn't necessary with digital where the S/N ratio is adequate. If you are getting peaks above -12 dB you are using enough. If you are concerned about quality, then record using 24 bits. If you recorded at 24 bits and feel the need to convert the final result to 16 bits then you may want to "normalize" the recording (e.g. complete album) to -0.5 dB before converting to 16 bits. In that case, I suggest keeping the original transfer as well as the 16 bit version. Also, it is worthwhile recording at higher sampling rates, depending on the equipment involved. The cost of the extra disk storage is minimal compared to the time spent doing transfers, even if you value your time at minimum wage. I suggest a minimum of 88/24 for digitizing LPs.

As with analog recorders it is necessary to become familiar with one's equipment and learn the effects of various use and abuse of the gear. There is no "right answer" rather it's what sounds best to you. Be aware, however, that if you have a large collection to digitize over the course of the project you will gain experience and may end up with a different perspective.