[bstaley]

Mix from ProTools to a 24 bit master stereo track. I open that track in Sound Forge 5 and do any further processing (mastering) while the file is still 24 bit. After you have done the processing your last step should be running the Waves IDR in Sound Forge. I usually start with the "16 bit, highest resolution..." preset and work from there.

When you run the IDR the file will still display that it is 24 bit at the bottom of the screen. This confused me too. The Waves IDR has converted the file to 16 bit, but the last 8 bits will just be storing zeros which is why it displays "24 bit". You simply need to right-click on "24 bit" and change it to "16 bit". This will convert it to 16 bit (truncate the last 8 bits) without doing any further dithering.

The basic idea here is stay 24 bit as long as possible while doing any processing on the file. I hope this helps. Good luck.