Mr. Kevil:
Let's take a look at Bit Depth as applied to digital audio:  "Bit Depth 
divides a given sample by its value."
Thus:
BIT DEPTH           DATA POINTS    DYNAMIC RANGE
        8                                256                         48dB

       16                            65,536                      96dB

       24 4,294,967,296            144dB

Now, lets take a look at the available data points per bit for CD 
quality digital audio: 65,536 (data points) divided by 96 (dB of dynamic 
range) = 682.6 data points for each bit of a given sample.

Compare that to 24 Bit/ 96K digital audio: 4,294,967,296 (data points) 
divided by 144 (dB of dynamic range) = 29,826,161 data points for each 
bit of a given sample. And, there are more than twice a many samples 
taken! Now, we are talking about some decent resolution.

So, even though you have only 70 dB of dynamic range available for those 
old tape recordings (before the introduction of Noise Reduction), you 
will obviously capture much more of that available dynamic range using 
the archival standard 24Bit/96K (Hi Rez) sample rate and bit depth.

The same logic applies to any of the old audio carriers.

Plus, when restoration takes place, the results are less artifact prone 
when using higher bit depths and sample rates.

Cheers!

Corey
Corey Bailey Audio Engineering
www.baileyzone.net


On 11/22/2015 3:03 PM, L. Hunter Kevil wrote:
> A transfer of  a 1960s tape marketed in a 24/96 wrapper is what? Doesn't the resolution of the tape correspond to the equivalent of an 8- or 12-bit word? If so, what does the wrapper do?