Re: [linux-audio-dev] 64 bit float or integer

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Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] 64 bit float or integer
From: Jörn Nettingsmeier (nettings_AT_folkwang-hochschule.de)
Date: Mon May 21 2001 - 12:13:37 EEST

Karl MacMillan wrote:
>
> On Sat, 19 May 2001, Remco Poelstra wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Just a (simple) question: Does it make any differences in audio quality,
> > whether a program is implemented with 64 bit float or 64 bit integer?
> >
>
> Yes - floating point numbers have _greatly_ increased dynamic range.

to add my understanding of the issue:

you need to drive integers with maximum gain (just like tape
recorders) in order to have maximum resolution. for example, using a
24 bit ADC at half the maximum input level will make it sound like
12 bits. same applies to a plugin that takes integers.
so with integers, there will be a lot of normalization going on.

floats always have the same precision regardless of the absolute
value of the sample they hold.
(if you don't need the bits before the point, you can use them after
the point to increase precision. [technically, i think this is
bogus, but you get the idea])

so you don't need to care about "level" unless you actually want to
send it to a DAC, where you need to convert it to integer and take
care it fits nicely within the input range of the DAC. 

-- 
Jörn Nettingsmeier     
home://Kurfürstenstr.49.45138.Essen.Germany      
phone://+49.201.491621
http://icem-www.folkwang-hochschule.de/~nettings/
http://www.linuxdj.com/audio/lad/

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