Word length & (native) DAW signal flow questions

[ttauri]

Coupla questions:

First just to verify: my understanding of 32-bit processing is that if you take, say, a 16bit file, drop the channel fade and raise the master fader an identical amount, you've still got all your bits. Correct?

However, what happens to word length when a plug-in is inserted? Is it processed as 32-bit, or is it only converted to 32 when it's getting routed by the mixer?

And what I'm particularly wondering about: what's the status of word length in a softsampler? If you attenuate a sample within a softsampler, what's output into the DAW?

Peece,
T. Tauri

[John The Cut]

My understanding is that the DAW does all its processing at 32bit float regardless of bit-depth of recorded material. I think this is true for CubaseSX.

If a plug-in uses 64bit internal then it must dither back to 32bits before delivering audio to the mixer.

In answer to your first question - I'm not sure.. I think on a channel, if you pull down a fader, you are losing resolution - this lower resoultion is then delivered to the mix buss, so if you raise the master fader you are simply amplifying a low res signal.

This is why many engineers who work ITB prefer to keep the channel faders at maximum resolution and adjust the mix volume using the master fader.

Dont quote me on this

[Lagerfeldt]

Originally Posted by mogWai

This is why many engineers who work ITB prefer to keep the channel faders at maximum resolution and adjust the mix volume using the master fader.

Dont quote me on this

I'm quoting you... and I don't agree :-)

Actually it's better to avoid slamming the buses too hard, this is what sometimes causes ITB mixes to collapse.

But you should *also* be conservative with the channels and internal headroom in most plug-ins.

Generally speaking you will achieve more open and warm results by NOT trying to squeeze everything up to 0dBFS in all parts of the chain but instead mixing so your peak is around -6dBFS to -3dBFS on the master bus without attenuation.

BTW: any process will expand the bits no matter what.