Bit Depth (16- vs.

24-bit)
Definition: When recording audio, you'll frequently hear the word "bit depth", especially if
someone asks you if you plan to record in 16- or 24-bit resolutions. This is sometimes
incorrectly referred to as "bit rate".
When we talk about digital audio, let's first understand that CD-quality -- and all MP3s -- are
in 16-bit . Bit depth is the amount of bits in a given cross-section of digital audio.
The greater the bits, the higher quality your audio will be. The standard for high-resoution,
high-definition audio is 24-bit; the standard for anything considered "standard" digital audio is
16-bit.
To give you an idea of the difference in quality, the same recording, recorded in 16-bit vs. 24-
bit, will be one-third the size when in 16-bit as compared to 24-bit. However, the resolution
will be greatly increased.
Also Known As: Bit Rate (incorrect)
Excerpted from Home Recording Glossary: Bit Depth (16- vs. 24-bit)
http://homerecording.about.com/od/recordingglossary/g/glossary_bitdepth.htm
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