If your converters can only deliver 24-bit resolution (and usually it's less than the maximum bit depth due to the converters having a noise floor somewhat higher than the theoretical bit depth, let alone the rest of the analog circuitry on the input that contributes a bit of noise, plus whatever noise you capture during recording), what's the point in even recording to 32-bit floating point. You'd only capture your 24-bit (realistically usually 20-bit at best with a noise floor) resolution. So if you were even capable of recording 64-bit floating point...that's just overkill. You'll only get the "realistically possible" resolution of your recording, which is much more limited. It won't become 64-bit floating point once it's in the DAW either. The noise floor keeps the file resolution where it is. Mixing all your audio in the DAW at 64-bit floating point allows headroom to "do whatever" pretty much, in terms of dynamic range. That's where it makes sense. Recording as 32-bit floating point apparently has some potential advantage over recording as 24-bit, from what I've read. But I forget what it is, since it doesn't apply to me. :) I vaguely recall it's possible 32-bit floating point WAV files can actually use less CPU to manipulate in a floating point DAW and/or plugin, but of course the file sizes will still be larger than 24-bit, so there's that tradeoff.
It's only really valid on transient rich material. If you had a recording of ambiental stuff that has no rhythm or anything to generate sharp transients, you wouldn't notice a difference I'm pretty sure.
------------------ SOLD, again!! Good luck, Eric!! 6/10/2012 "To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowar
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RE: 96k to 48k - Best move I ever made?
