Why Pro Tools sounds different in Playback / Export as Audio Files or Bounce

[10 Dollars]

Originally Posted by Lagerfeldt

No, you are correct.

When two files played from a hard disk null, they are completely and absolutely identical. Basic math. While the same isn't necessarily true for cd playback (due to a very different type and quality of realtime error correction) which is probably what confuses some. Or just because math and computers are still considered voodoo to some.

So if a bounced to disk and recorded to disk track null they are identical. Any difference people claim to hear is entirely placebo. And that includes ProTools, Logic, Cubase, etc.

Now, there might be cases when they don't null - and then they are certainly no identical. But usually that's minor automation stuff, which can be very important but as rule not a integral part of the sound. That's why it can still make sense to do realtime bounces instead of offline, i.e. to manually check the sound during bounce.

So now I'm confused.

Is the fact that you can bus out your mix to outboard eqs, etc... and then back in through analog inputs the only advantage to recording to disk? Or, like strewnshak said, do the amount of plugins also have a factor i this test?