192khz .. playback fidelity lower than 44.1khz?

[Tony Hardie-Bick]

On 06/03/12 21:47, Christian Borg wrote:
> Is this a problem with 32bit float (24+8) only and not with fixed 24-bit?

Fixed point is a completely different thing, it can be better, but it takes much 
more coding effort. Using doubles is often a better solution.

> I thought many of todays music mixing software used 32-bit float internally
> because of the rounding errors being inaudiable?

They do, and the errors are inaudible, mostly. The difference is indirectly 
noticeable as lack of space in rich sounds (whether there is such a thing as a 
sound that's not rich, is another discussion).

This loss of information in the signal chain is cause for concern, because it 
cannot be recovered.

This is why most audio systems go beyond 24+8 when possible. Sharc DSPs, for 
example, have an extended precision 40 bit FP format, which gives a great 
advantage, without doubling the wordlength. In the DSP world, 24+8 is generally 
considered insufficient as a processing standard (for storage and playback it's 
overkill, IMO), 40 bits is workable, 64 bits is rarely gonna give you problems. 
You have to work hard to find anything wrong there.

Tony (HB)