[daeron80]

Has everyone forgotten that PT does it's processing and bussing at 32 float? Unless you have HDX or a Native card (in which case there's a mix of 32 and 64-float going on), every time you play back a 24-bit PT session, you're hearing a 32-float stream being converted to 24-bit fixed so it can be sent to your converters. That's exactly the same thing as playing back 32-float files. Whether the session format is 24-bit or 32-float, if you have any mixing, plug-ins, or even gain change going on anywhere in the session, the bit stream at the master bus is taking advantage of 32-float math, and that 32-float signal is being converted to 24-bit fixed so that you can hear it, because there's no such thing as a 32-float DAC.

I have found that a 24-bit fixed file converted from a 32-float file tends to sound better if 24-bit TPDF is added prior to conversion. I understand that the low level detail is then being modulated by signal amplitude. But somehow it seems to make it hold up better to further processing down the line.