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#1
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32bit float-point audio recording?
Hi there,
I'm a little bit confused about the 32bit audio thing. In my understanding, if I'm recording a virtual instruments signal, I pushed it up all the way high to +50dB and record it into an audio track, yes it will sound clipped/distorted. But If I use clip gain by -50dB, it should be exactly the same signal as normal. So when printing the stems, as long as I'm doing everything with 32bit float point audio, I shouldn't worry about clip/distotion of volume over 0dB. am I correct?
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Mac Pro 3.0G 8 Cores PT HD use with Ensemble Thunderbolt |
#2
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
Why would you do such thing?
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Dell XPS 8700. Intel Core i7-4770 CPU @ 3.40GHz. RAM: 16GB. Windows 10 Home x64. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 645. NI Komplete Audio 6. Pro Tools Software 2019 amagrasmusic.com |
#3
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
I think it only works when you bounce internally, or print a mix. However it doesn't help when tracking...I mean, real tracking, through AD converters because you'd clip the hack out of the converter, burn them, also burn the analog part of the converter and you'd end up with a f***** up track.
I happily stay at 24 bit, thank you.
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Mac Mini M1 | Mac OS 12.6.1 Monterey | Avid Carbon + 2x Carbon Pre | Pro Tools Studio 2024.3 |
#4
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
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Mac M1 Studio Ultra - Sonoma Beta OS Avid Carbon Interface Protools Ultimate |
#5
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
Quote:
It's easier to say mix decisions in Pro Tools will be free of distortion from clipping from overgaining where everything is definitely floating point (on a floating point session.) The minute you involve a virtual instrument, you are beholden to what that VI does (if you clip Kontakt, it'll be clipped on the recording Pro Tools does so there will be no recovery. It'll just be a 32bit file that stores the clipped distortion.)
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Pro Tools Ult 2024.3.1, HDX 2, MTRX/SPQ, RME BBF Pro + MADIface Pro • S1 x 2, Fire Max11 x 2, Dock, iPad Air5 • Mac Mini 14,12, 12 core, macOS 13.6.6 • RAM 32GB, SSD 4TB, GPU 19 core • QNAP TVS-872XT 148TB TB3 Last edited by BScout; 02-19-2019 at 05:13 PM. Reason: typo |
#6
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
Quote:
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Mac Pro 3.0G 8 Cores PT HD use with Ensemble Thunderbolt |
#7
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
Something most people haven't realized is that every sample in a 32-bit floating point word is actually only 24-bits.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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James Cadwallader Mac Studio, 64GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Glyph 2TB USB3 HDD, OWC drive dock, Mac OS Monterey 12.6.8 Pro Tools Ultimate 2023.9, HD Native, Focusrite Red 8Pre Presonus Faderport, Pro Tools | Control |
#8
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
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By nature of floating point math, doing a +50/+50 operation gives you "roughly" zero, but you have rounding errors from two opposite operations. Technically speaking, it is distortion even though it is so low level you cannot hear it. Fixed point math as in TDM systems will hold true "zero+50-50=zero" which is why many dedicated hardware use fixed point instead of floating point -- but let's not go there. If you have a 32bit float session it only means you store VI output as it is in its "native language" but whatever audio you have in the session is still recorded 24bit plus 8 unnecessary bits to begin with, because most AD/DA is 24bit fixed. Now what happens to your signal after is another story; you could process your track like hell and then print it to another track, which in 32bit session would now benefit from the situation. All in all you could come up with a mantra "use 24bit for audio and 32bit for VI-heavy stuff" or just plain and simple think "i can afford extra 50% storage cost etc. so i'm just using 32bit for everything" or .. like what I'm doing .. wait until you have bought 32bit float AD/DA
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Janne What we do in life, echoes in eternity. |
#9
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Re: 32bit float-point audio recording?
How does knowing that, or repeating it, change anything in terms of your actual choices?
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William Wittman Producer/Engineer (Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, The Fixx, The Outfield, Hooters...Kinky Boots!) |
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