From the course: Audio Mastering Techniques

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Using dither

Using dither

From the course: Audio Mastering Techniques

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Using dither

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Dither is a low level noise that is added to the program in order to trim a large digital word into a smaller one. Since the word length for an audio CD must be 16 bits, a program with a longer word length like the usual 24-bits used in a DAW must eventually be decreased. Just lobbing off the last 8 bits degrades the audio, so a Dither signal is used to gently accomplish this task. An undithered master will have the K-trail stop abruptly or have a low-level buzzing type of distortion at the end of a fade out. All Dither is not created equally. There are currently many different algorithms to accomplish this task. Each DAW manufacture has either their own version, or one supplied by a third-party. Sometimes noise shaping, which is a way to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal is used in conjunction with dithering. The bottom line undithered is that each type can have a different effect on not only the music, but song to song on the same genre of music. It's worth it to try…

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