Output Dither
 

Hi,

I looked up dither in the Reference Guide 2020.3 and want to make sure that I have understood it correctly. It says:
and
So whenever I route something out to the real world (including inserts and auxes) 24-bit dither is automatically applied to the output stream?

Re: Output Dither
 

hmmm... when I print in 32 float it comes out at 32 bit float though

Re: Output Dither
 

You only need to dither when you change FIXED-POINT word length (bits) from your session to bounce file.

Re: Output Dither
 

Thanks for your reply!


I don't want to bounce a file and know that I would need dither then if it'S a 24bit bounce. I am sending stems out to analog and use outboard inserts via my 24bit adda. Usually you would need to dither the stem outputs (auxes) and before audio goes to any outboard via inserts. The manual states explicitly that I should not do that (see my second quote, first post), hence my question: does PT automatically apply 24bit dither to its outputs or does it simply truncate?


Again, I don't mean internally (printing, bussing, bouncing), I am talking of leaving the box.

Re: Output Dither
 

You would never dither when you go 24bit to 24bit

Re: Output Dither
 

:confused:Okay, I am obviously no DAW expert, that's why I am asking here.



I am mixing and processing my audio in PT, that happens in 64bit floating point. Then I am sending it out of the box in 24bit fixed. Where exactly in PT is the word length changed from 64bit fp to 24bit fixed and is dither applied? Why do you think I would want to apply dither going from 24bit to 24 bit?

Re: Output Dither
 

Going from fixed-point to floating-point to fixed-point does not require dither. You only dither when you go from fixed-point to fixed point and change word length. As in having a 24bit session and bouncing a 16bit file.

Re: Output Dither
 

Actually, you do need to dither when you go from floating-point to fixed. While every sample is 24 bits deep in 32-float, it's at full level and first must be converted to somewhere between 64 and 80-point fixed. You also need to dither any signal processing no matter what the depth of the source because all DSP (with the exception a decimal shift) expands bit depth.

Re: Output Dither
 

OK, it is 24 bits deep but does the signal have full 144db dynamic without noise?
You can treat the noise with dither noise so that the noise sounds better as it is truncated but I don´t think it does make any hearable sense.

I just dither below 24bit.

Re: Output Dither
 

It's not about changing the sound of the noise. You dither to prevent distortion from truncation!