24 bit FLAC to 16 bit ALAC (Apple Lossless)

[jfkaess]

Re: 24 bit FLAC to 16 bit ALAC (Apple Lossless)

If your goal is to play in itunes and/or on an iPod or iPhone or iPad, don't convert to 44.1, instead convert to 48.000. 48k is fully supported in the entire Apple infrastructure and it eliminates the approximations needed to resample to a rate which is not an even reduction by 2.

[Hotdog]

Re: 24 bit FLAC to 16 bit ALAC (Apple Lossless)

Thanks, seems to suggest that I Add Sample before Bit in DSP Effects.

[mville]

Re: 24 bit FLAC to 16 bit ALAC (Apple Lossless)

Have a look at this thread: Question regarding conversion of 96/24 WAV to 44.1/16 WAV...

[Hotdog]

I've downloaded a bunch of 78rpm rips which have been transferred at 24-bit and made available as FLAC files in lossless or mp3. Naturally I would prefer lossless, but iTunes is my preferred library, so I convert to Apple Lossless. However, the bit-depth is kept, resulting in very large file sizes: a 3 minute 19 second mono 78 is 61.5 MB, and 2573 kbps (DVD apparently). Sample size 24 bit and sample rate 96 kHz.

I can still keep the originals, as I know that for sound restoration, 24-bit is preferred. But for playback in iTunes, transferring to my iPod (which doesn't support 24-bit) and sharing with others, such file sizes are far too big and I doubt would give me any greater benefit. CDDA is my ideal listening format, as I've never been convinced about hi-res (especially not for dubs of mono 45s and 78s).

So in the Music Converter, I see I can Add a DSP Effect / Action relating to these. Bit Depth: Fixed Bit Depth would be 16 Bit, although it says "Dither is recommended when reducing to 16 bits". So, Triangular (TPDF)? Or Rectangle (RPDF)? I can't see me needing to have ALAC files at any lower or higher than 16 Bit. Would it leave 16 Bit FLAC or WAV files alone, and only convert those which differ? I can't envisage downloading anything that was higher or lower than 16-24 Bit.

I would probably also need to Add the option to Resample, and select 44100. Correct? Presumably again this wouldn't touch the stuff that was already at that Sample Size.

I'd appreciate some guidance on this subject, please, so I can have copies of those transfers in more user-friendly sizes.