INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: Bluey on August 15, 2005, 08:48:30 am

Title: 24 bit output plays on 16 bits cards ? 24 bit difference ?
Post by: Bluey on August 15, 2005, 08:48:30 am

I have a Creamware Pulsar card, it allows me to define any number of virtual sound source wave
outputs, so I can have say the system looking like it has 6 sound cards, being either 16 or 24 bits.

When I select the replay gain option to 24 bits I can still play sound  on a 16 bit sound card, how is this
possible ?

Also when I change to the 24 bit sound card I cant really hear much difference, but I am using the
Ozone DX mastering plugin.  Am I likely to hear much difference ?

I'll have to experiment by playing both at the same time to see any difference.

Bluey

Title: Re: 24 bit output plays on 16 bits cards ? 24 bit difference ?
Post by: Bluey on August 16, 2005, 05:01:07 pm

I think this isn't right.  I had 2 zones setup and played the same songs through both 16 bit and 24 bit cards, then muted each one to compare the difference ... well there was absolutely none.

I also used 24 bit asio, and for some reason it started to produce clicks and pops, whilst 16 
bit asio is ok.

Bluey.

Title: Re: 24 bit output plays on 16 bits cards ? 24 bit difference ?
Post by: Alex B on August 16, 2005, 05:28:51 pm

Just trust your ears. 16-bit is enough for high end CD audio.

MC uses 32-bit signal processing internally when DSP options like internal volume, replay gain or EQ are enabled. For output I use 24-bit ASIO all the time, but actually I cannot hear the difference when compared with 16-bit.

Anyway, the 24-bit ASIO output is absolutely clean on my PC with a Terratec DMX6 fire 24/96 soundcard. Did you try different playback buffer settings?

Title: Re: 24 bit output plays on 16 bits cards ? 24 bit difference ?
Post by: Bluey on August 16, 2005, 05:34:08 pm

yeah oh .. the stutterin on 24 bits ASIO only happens when I'm using The Ozone plugin with DirectX, its ok when I select a 24 bit wave source.  Since I can create different virtual soundcard and asio configurations.

Or maybe the Ozone plugin is just returning 16 bits back to Media Center.

BLuey.

Title: Re: 24 bit output plays on 16 bits cards ? 24 bit difference ?
Post by: jgreen on August 16, 2005, 06:56:19 pm

I'm curious what kind of difference you would hope to hear, if you COULD hear a difference. 

As I understand it, Bluey is starting with a 16-bit source, which he is routing to 2 outputs, one of which gets bumped up to 24-bits, and then both are sent to amp and speaker.  But there wouldn't be any difference EVER between those two outputs, right?  You can't improve resolution, AFAIK.  The only potential benefit would be if both outputs then got  substantial DSP manipulation.  In that case the dsp'd 24 would be truer to the original 16 than the dsp'd 16 would, right?  But neither would play higher frequency or quieter sounds, would they?