[DJ Hellfire]

Originally Posted by Zarabozo

If neither your recordings or your mix are clipping anywhere, you don't need to do anything.

What most people seems to not understand about the 32 bit float on PT10, is that it's an invisible feature. Your metters still work the same way as if you were working at 24 bit. You can actually switch the session parameters from 24 bit to 32 bit float without actual changes to the files.

The reason for this is that 32 bit float is the same as 24 bit, except it has a lot more headroom. If you clip a recording in 24 bit for 3 dbs, the file gets clipped. If you clip by 3 dbs while using 32 bit float, the mixer metter shows your recording clipping, but the file supports that clipping with that extra headroom (meaning that you can lower the clip gain and have no distortion at all).

If you convert your 32 bit float session to 24 bit, you don't need any dither because the only thing getting truncated is the extra headroom. Any wave information on the file bellow that extra headroom is perfectly compatible with 24 bit and show the same levels in the mixer.

The keyword here is "float". It's not 32 bit vs 24 bit. It's 32 bit float vs 24 bit. 32 bit float "peaks" at the same exact point as a 24 bit file. The difference is that it has the space to store more bits over that peak point, while 24 bit simply hits the roof and distorts.

HTH

Francisco

Thanks a lot for this explaination! This is the only thing I've read on the subject that makes me fully understand it! You also answered all the questions I had about 32-bit float!