How much dynamic range is possible in a simple stereo recording?

[Arpiben]

 

Digital Noise Floor 16 bit dithered -> -84dB (1.5-2bits used for noise shaping)

 

Acoustic and Analogue (Mics + analogue devices noise) Noise Floor -> around - 50 dB.

 

[Arpiben]

Digital dynamic range is defined by the range between the peak signal level and the digital noise floor.

Digital noise floor is determined by the amount of quantisation error.

Quantisation error can be randomised (dithered). Noise-shaping algorithms can significantly reduce the digital noise.

Typical digital dynamic range of 120 dB (or much more) can be achieved within the audible frequency bandwidth.

Nevertheless:

 

Noise-shaping has no effect on the noise-floor of the analogue or acoustic signal.

The noise floor of the recording, the self noise of the mics and other analogue equipment in the recording and reproduction chains is still all there.

What defines practically the dynamic range of digital recordings is the acoustic and analogue noise floor.

From what I read that floor is at least 30 dB greater than the digital noise floor of a 16 bit dithered ( 120 db within audio bandwidth).

 

Unless dealing with digitally produced audio rare should be the cases where a 16 bit properly dithered digital have not enough digital dynamic range to reproduce an acoustic recording.

 

Feel free to correct.

[Arpiben]

10 hours ago, Miska said:

 

For example Neumann KM183 has A-weighted self-noise of 13 dB and maximum SPL  is 140 dB (0.5% THD). DPA 4006 has A-weighted self-noise of 15 dB and maximum SPL 146 dB. Many of these microphone models have a switchable pad from 10 to 20 dB, so you can roughly shift the dynamic range down by that amount in SPL.

 

But anyway, one way to check is to go through bunch of hires material and see what they have. With my earlier checks and random pick I can say that it is at least more than 16-bit worth.

And what about sensivity or S/N?

For KM183 S/N = 70 dB (/94dBSPL IEC 60268-1).Noise Floor = 24 dBSPL.

Then what about the noise contribution of amplifiers and other analogue equipment before ADC ? Just curious since I have only a rough idea.