after reading a post a few pages below, i realized i know almost absolutely nothing about audio recording. could you please explain to me what clipping is and all this about 32,24, and 16 bit. i don't even know what the importance of 44.1 frequency or whatever.
I'm not really the right guy to do this, but I'll give a few tips. Clipping is when you record with too much level, and the signal goes over the Zero VU reading. The result is distortion. Back when tubes were the rule, musicians and engineers would intentionally push tubes so they would distort, because in the right places with the right amount of drive, tubes sound wonderful distorted. However, Digital distortion is nothing like tube distortion, and unless you are working for something I've never heard, it is best to avoid clipping in the digital domain. 16, 24, 32 bit recording refers to the bit depth and basically controls how much dynamic range your recording has. That is, the range from the softest to the loudest signal possible. the higher the bit depth, the more range.
Distortion is not the only issue in clipping. It is possible for a snare drum lick to clip, and from the ears not really be distorted. This is because the lick is so quick, you cannot hear any fuzz associated with it, so it may sound ok. But if you send a master to be recorded for distribution with clipping in the files, most likely it will be kicked back to you with errors.
The sampling rate, or 44.1, 48, 88.2, or 96 is how many samples, or digital pictures of the sound are taken per second. again, the faster the better.
But not always. CDs are recorded at 16 bit 44.1. My experiece has been that recording at higher settings then converting back is not always best.
This is somewhat oversimplified, but for the question, it provides something of an answer.
thanks RiRo for the response, another thing, since our ears can only detect so much, is there any point in recording at higher than 16 bit 44.1? would we even be able to tell the difference?
There is much debate as to whether using a sample rate much above 44.1 KHz is worth the trouble. I am astounded by how many people swear they can hear this amazing difference at 96 KHz etc. Keep in mind that twice the sample rate = twice the file size and twice the DSP needed! I personally think that with todays oversampling converters, 44.1 or 48 KHz sample rates are quite sufficient for quality audio. What really makes things interesting is the fact that many people think MP3's sound every bit as good as 16 bit 44.1 uncompressed audio (MP3 compression is quite good considering the file size though I hear a difference).
Bit depth is a little different story. Today's 24 bit converters are typically much better than the old 16 bit ones from years ago. I don't believe you actually get 24 bits of *true* resolution (they have not reached the theoretical limit yet) but I think it is worth recording at 24 bit since most new hardware supports it and mixing/processing at higher bit-depths is desireable. You can employ dithering and noise shaping when converting to 16 bit for CD to retain some of the resolution.
I have seen many posts from individuals who insist that they record at 24 bit/96 KHz yet use cheap sound cards with analog circuitry inside of the computer (versus external A/D & D/A's). I have heard recordings from some of these people and I'm usually not impressed. Good microphones, analog gear, acoustic space, musical talent, instrument sounds and engineering skills are what makes 95% of a good recording. I've heard some fantastic mixes done on medicore gear and some really bad ones done with high-end stuff.