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#6203 - 02/25/03 01:34 PM "When converted to 16-bit linear format"??? What does this mean?
RW Offline
Member

Registered: 01/30/01
Posts: 344
Loc: NJ, USA
Severl times now I've seen "When converted to 16-bit linear format" which is a footnote refering to a boards amount of sound stored in them. One might see in the board's spec sheet:

"32MB* wave memory"

Then at the bottom of the page you see;
*When converted to 16-bit linear format


Can anyone explain what this means?

Thanks
RW
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#6204 - 02/25/03 07:50 PM Re: "When converted to 16-bit linear format"??? What does this mean?
tekminus Offline
Member

Registered: 04/20/00
Posts: 1287
I believe it refers to uncompressed format. Like when you record onto CD or DAT, it is called linear, because there is no intentional compression.

-tek

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#6205 - 02/25/03 08:35 PM Re: "When converted to 16-bit linear format"??? What does this mean?
Anonymous
Unregistered


hi,

-tek hit the spot on target.Wave memory is straight uncompressed sample points. The bit count represents the resolution of the sample points. It is stored linear because if you compress a sound, especially in wav format, when you decompress it the sound is not the same It results in an undesireable alteration of decreased quality compared to the original.

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#6206 - 02/27/03 10:52 AM Re: "When converted to 16-bit linear format"??? What does this mean?
tekminus Offline
Member

Registered: 04/20/00
Posts: 1287
Morph, don't you mean that the samples ARE stored in a compressed format? Otherwise there is no point in telling people "it amounts to 32MB when uncompressed". Doesn't the sample playback engine extract the full amount out of that compressed chunk?

I'm probably totally off here, but I don't see why they need to tell people that, if it already is in linear format. Anyone?

-tek

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#6207 - 02/27/03 11:10 AM Re: "When converted to 16-bit linear format"??? What does this mean?
RW Offline
Member

Registered: 01/30/01
Posts: 344
Loc: NJ, USA
Well it would seem then that the 16-bit linear format is uncompressed. Which would sort of be the standard measuring stick then right? I mean each synth may have different compression ratios so comparing the size of the compressed memory of two different boards or manufacturers would not be an accurate comparison. Do have this right? Bottom line is when comparing these numbers between synths really only gives you the amount of sound in a sort of standard, but not the quality.

So, 32MB of sound when converted to 16-bit linear format does not mean it's a better quality than 24MB of sound when converted to a 61-bit linear format, but that it is more. Correct?

Thanks guys.

Bob
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