I wrote:
>> (BTW, this improvement does not seem to totally disappear when the
>> original files are properly down-converted to 16 bit.)
Ed Anson replied:
> This last observation strikes me as odd. Keep in mind that the SD-7xx
> recorder has a 24-bit DAC, so when you record in 16-bit you are
> actually down converting from 24 to 16 before recording. All other
> factors being equal, it would seem that the results should be the same
> whether you down-convert before or after recording.
>
> The only way I can think of there being a difference is if the method
> used for down-converting after recording is somehow better than the
> method used in the 7xx. I have no idea what that difference might be.
> Thoughts?
It struck me as odd too, but that's what I observed. To clarify, my
recorder is a Fostex FR-2LE, and I don't know how it arrives at 16-bit
words. I suspect the slight difference I observed in clarity and detail
might be attributed to the WAVES IDR dither algorithm I used in
ProTools. Just my best guess at the moment.
Curt Olson
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