Specifications

AUDIO BASICS
45
About Sample Rates and
Resolutions
Sample rate and resolution are properties of digital audio, which determine the
quality of the sound. Generally, higher sample rate and resolution result in better
audio quality (but also larger audio files and higher demands on computer per-
formance and audio hardware). This table shows some common sample rate/
resolution combinations:
To cater for all different situations, Reason supports multiple sample rates and
resolutions. This applies to the following areas:
Playing back
Reason handles all internal audio processing in 32-bit floating point resolution.
However, the resolution of the output audio is determined by the audio hard-
ware. That is, if you have a 24-bit audio card, Reason will create audio in 24-bit
resolution, and if you have a 16-bit audio card, audio will be in 16-bit resolution.
The playback sample rate can be specified in the Preferences-Audio dialog (ac-
cessed from the Reason menu or Edit menu depending on whether you are run-
ning Mac OS X or not):
Note that the available options on this pop-up menu depend on which sample
rates are supported by the audio hardware. Most standard sound cards support
44.1 kHz and various lower sample rates, in which case you should select 44.1
kHz for best audio quality.
About using high resolution audio
Reason has the capability to play back samples with practically any resolution.
This means that if for instance 24-bit samples are loaded in a sampler or the Re-
drum, playback of the samples can be in 24-bit resolution as well. If you are us-
ing such samples and want Reason to play them back in their original high
resolution, proceed as follows:
1. Open the Preferences from the Edit menu or Reason menu, and se-
lect the General page.
2. Under “Miscellaneous” at the bottom of the page, make sure the
option “Use High Resolution Samples” is checked.
If this is activated, and if your audio card supports it, Reason will play back high
resolution samples in their original resolution. If this option is not activated, Rea-
son will play back all samples in 16-bit resolution, regardless of their original res-
olution.
Exporting audio
Reason can export audio, i.e. mix down the song or a section of the song as an
audio file (see page 106 for details). When you do this, you will be asked to
specify a resolution (16 or 24 bit) and sample rate (11–96 kHz) for the file.
✪ If you plan to open the exported file in another application, you
should select a format that is supported by the application. If you’re
uncertain, 16 bit/44.1 kHz is a safe bet.
Importing audio
When loading samples or ReCycle files into the samplers, the drum machine de-
vice or the loop player, Reason supports files of a large number of sample rates
and resolutions. You can use files of different formats in the same device - one
drum sound can be an 8-bit sample, the next a 16-bit sample, etc.
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Sample rate:
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Resolution:
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Comment:
22.05 kHz 8 bit Typically used in situations where small file
size is more important than audio quality, such
as games, some multimedia applications,
sound files on the Internet, etc.
44.1 kHz 16 bit This is the format used on audio CDs (often
called “CD Quality audio”).
44.1 kHz –
96 kHz
24 bit These are formats used in professional studios
and high-end recording equipment.