What is the difference between "16bit" and "12bit" sound on my camcorder?

What is the difference between "16bit" and "12bit" sound on my camcorder?

Tim Smith (Camcorder Training Specialist) gives expert video advice on: What kind of sound quality can I expect from my camcorder?; What do I need in order to use an external microphone for my camcorder?; Can I use professional microphones with a consumer camcorder? and more...

When it comes to audio you have a couple of options. In your menu system you may see a selection that says 16 bit audio, or 12 bit audio. Typically best sound quality and performance in general is at 16 bit - that's highest quality taking all things into consideration. But 12 bit is sometimes available to people who want to record (if your camera has this capability) 4 channels of sound or 4 microphones into a camera simultaneously. Other people use 12 bit to leave a certain amount of open space on the audio track, in order to add an additional sound track later on. It's rarely done, but it is possible - it's called audio dubbing. So if you need to audio dub, or if you need to record 4 channels of sound into a camera at the same time I'd use 12, any other reason I'd stay with 16.