Chapter 6 · Digital Audio Production 165 Sound File Bit Rates The bit rate of a digitally recorded sound file directly relates to the number of quantization steps that are encoded into the bitstream. As a result, the bit rate (or bit depth) is directly correlated to the: Accuracy at which a sampled level (at one point in time) is to be encoded Signal-to-error figure and thus the overall dynamic range of the recorded signal Although other bit-rate standards exist, the following are the most commonly used in the pro- fessional, project, and general audio production community: 16 bits--Like the 44.1-k sound file sample rate, the 16-bit depth is the consumer and professional standard and the chosen bit depth of the CD-audio standard (offering a theoretical dynamic range of 97.8 dB). It is generally considered to be the minimum depth for high-quality professional audio production. Again, when high-quality converters are used, this rate is capable of recording lossless audio while conserving on memory storage requirements. 20 bits--Before the 24-bit rate came onto the scene, 20 bits was considered to be the standard for high-bit-depth resolution. Although it is used less commonly, it can still be