In one aspect, an encoder comprises arbitrary precision multiple description generation circuitry configured to produce multiple descriptions of a given signal by processing the signal using at least one matrix having a dimension which is selected as a function of a designated number of transmission resources, such as OFDM subcarriers or TDM time slots, that are allocated for transmission of the multiple descriptions. For example, the signal may comprise a vector x of dimension N and the arbitrary precision multiple description generation circuitry may be configured to generate M descriptions of the vector x where the value of M is selected to satisfy a particular one of three possible cases M=N, M>N and M