After reading different posts on the debate of DACs I decided to post this as a composer, mixing engineer and a mastering engineer.
I will ground my post as a mastering engineer than any other thing. Firstly let me answer the question: What is mastering?
Mastering is a stage in music production where songs are equalized, volumes are matched, dynamics are well spaced, basically mastering is the final stage before music can be transferred into any device whether CD, cassette, mp3 or other digital mediums.
However; even after all steps are done, different mediums require different treats. A CD for instance requires 44100Hz at 16 bits, whilst an mp3 file can take 192000Hz at 320 kbps.
This is where the confusion starts.
On the current age of recording, most recordings are carried out on a very high resolution which can either be on a 32bits or 64 also on very high frequencies, 96000 or 192000 hz.
Recordings done on such high resolutions cannot be placed on an audio CD as they are, they need to be down-converted to 16bit and 44100 hz.
On the converting process, a file can either be dithered or record the actual sound on a 16bit format. However, on this process, lots of details will be lost but now the files can fit on an audio CD. BUT, a lot of those lost details can be heared on high end equipment.
DAC or no DAC?
This is a question that troubles a lot of people and at some stage I was troubled too. Let me put you at ease with 2 simple answered questions.
1. Do I need a DAC?
No,
2. Do I want a DAC?
Maybe
Reason there is no 'Yes' on either questions it's because of how a human ear is designed, what it can hear and to what extent it can hear what it is hearing.
Maybe you have been in a situation where a friend is talking on his cellphone and you can bet it's on loudspeaker whilst it's not and another friend on your right is on the phone but it's as if he's talking to himself coz no sound escapes.
DACs are designed to up-sample and down-sample played audio but again, a human ear can only hear things to a certain extent. With a use of a DAC, yes you will hear 'some' difference. The type of audio equipment you have will also play a huge role. The weaker the equipment the less change you will notice.
Most newer CD players are equiped with chips capable of giving you the best audio, same applies to newer receivers, they carry down/ up-sampling processors. So do you need a DAC or you want a DAC?
I will ground my post as a mastering engineer than any other thing. Firstly let me answer the question: What is mastering?
Mastering is a stage in music production where songs are equalized, volumes are matched, dynamics are well spaced, basically mastering is the final stage before music can be transferred into any device whether CD, cassette, mp3 or other digital mediums.
However; even after all steps are done, different mediums require different treats. A CD for instance requires 44100Hz at 16 bits, whilst an mp3 file can take 192000Hz at 320 kbps.
This is where the confusion starts.
On the current age of recording, most recordings are carried out on a very high resolution which can either be on a 32bits or 64 also on very high frequencies, 96000 or 192000 hz.
Recordings done on such high resolutions cannot be placed on an audio CD as they are, they need to be down-converted to 16bit and 44100 hz.
On the converting process, a file can either be dithered or record the actual sound on a 16bit format. However, on this process, lots of details will be lost but now the files can fit on an audio CD. BUT, a lot of those lost details can be heared on high end equipment.
DAC or no DAC?
This is a question that troubles a lot of people and at some stage I was troubled too. Let me put you at ease with 2 simple answered questions.
1. Do I need a DAC?
No,
2. Do I want a DAC?
Maybe
Reason there is no 'Yes' on either questions it's because of how a human ear is designed, what it can hear and to what extent it can hear what it is hearing.
Maybe you have been in a situation where a friend is talking on his cellphone and you can bet it's on loudspeaker whilst it's not and another friend on your right is on the phone but it's as if he's talking to himself coz no sound escapes.
DACs are designed to up-sample and down-sample played audio but again, a human ear can only hear things to a certain extent. With a use of a DAC, yes you will hear 'some' difference. The type of audio equipment you have will also play a huge role. The weaker the equipment the less change you will notice.
Most newer CD players are equiped with chips capable of giving you the best audio, same applies to newer receivers, they carry down/ up-sampling processors. So do you need a DAC or you want a DAC?
