44.1 vs 48

When dealing with frequencies, higher is usually better. Does this mean you'll be able to hear the difference between 44.1 and 48? No, probably not. Some people can't even tell the difference between 48 and 96. Video is traditionally 48, whereas CD-audio is traditionally 44.1. I'm sure there's a reason behind this but somebody who knows more than I do could probably answer that.

So is it best to rip at 48?  You bet. The size difference between the two won't be very much at all, and in the off-chance you'd actually be able to hear the difference between 44.1 and 48, well then you're already set.

It is not frequency range but the sampling rate. Higher doesn't necessary makes it sound better. For simplicity, just rip it to 44.1 as that is the most common standard used for all kind of mp3 player, though 48 is almost just as commonly supported.

What are you going to be listening to the files with?

As mentioned by my predecessors within this thread you are talking about sample rate.  Most recording is done in a sample rate of 48 kHz and almost all CD's record at 44.1 kHz.  This gives you a loss of ( 48 -44.1 ) kHz of sample.  This is why so much audio is best recorded to other digital media such as DVD-Audio ( DVD-A ) or just downloaded.  The sample rate can be correctly mapped from 48 kHz to 48 kHz.  Many recordings these days have been done at 96 kHz and above which can capture other data components as it is a faster rate with less loss.  Whether you can hear the difference is up for debate.

For your option, if your recordings are done in 48 kHz and you are recording to a DVD-Audio, then rip it at 48 kHz.  You will have no loss.  If you are going from CD to CD then 44.1 kHz would be just fine with no loss between CD's.  If your concert DVD was recorded at 96 kHz and you can rip those track at that sample rate that would be ideal.  Going from 96 kHz down to anything less will introduce loss.

Step 1: Find out what sample rate the tracks you are ripping are recorded at

Step 2:Best fit your ripping sample rate to that rate ( even if the best for you is 48 kHz )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/44.1_kHz

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfc331 



Okay... the program I am using to rip the concert songs allows a max freq of 48khzmin wav format. So, does that mean it would be best to rip at 48? Given that dvds are not encoded in 44.1 khz?

And digger, I will listen from ipod, my car, amd my computer I guess that covers it. Like any other song.

I think with DVD-A ( audio ) you can safely go up to 96kHz at 24 bits.  If your recordings are done in 48kHz then transfer them over at 48kHz.  If they are done at 96 kHz transfer them to 96 kHz.  You can try one DVD at 48 kHz and one at 96 kHz and listen to which sounds better.
 

Direct multiples seem to down sample better so 48 from 96 is, for me, preferable to 44 from 96. It gets more complicated as the algorithm and dither chosen clearly affect the result so this is a general comment. If your device can use 24 bit as opposed to 16, it's easily as influential as the sample rate. If you convert 48 to 44 you will definitely lose something though how much is relative to how revealing your setup is and fussy you are. It's not the sample rates them selves but the conversion that's the issue. Converting up to 48 from 44 would also not be recommended. Whenever you change a rate or modify a dig stream, dither should also be added. Consumer programs tend to do so in the background.