Now I am getting quite pissed off at companies like Avid, Steinberg, Apple etc for not (or little) documenting questions about how resolution is handled throughout their platforms and the output busses and hardware.įor example, I tested the AES/EBU signal on the back of my HD IO, and since this format is 24 bit fixed point, there is a very small and subtle amount of dithering, which actually is a good thing.
What this demonstrates is the fact that mp3 encoding is by design a 32 bit float resolution process ! Originally, since most encoding is made extracting CD no wonder the signal of most files circulating is dithered 16 bit just under 0 dB FS
Suddenly I realize there are plenty of software out there that output 32 bit float signals, and this includes Pro Tools 2019 ! If you bounce stuff *really* hot into a 32bit float file, open it in Wavelab 9.5 (my goto two track treatment and mastering software), attenuate it, no clipping ! Magic ! (opening it in Pro Tools poses another problem, that I will discuss in another thread) To such extent that by attenuating by -10 dB I still had peaks approaching 0dB !!! Obviously not just inter-sample peaks. I am increasingly relying on the Wav 32 bit floating point as a main format to transfer down the line of the workflow (mix->mastering, mastering treatments -> finalizing/brickwall limiting)Īnd I am discovering some quite surprising stuff on the way : I recently received to be mastered (yes I know crazy things happen sometimes) an mp3 file with a very hot level, audio in it that far exceeds 0dB when opened and decoded in Wavelab 9.5 ! And no clipping !