File Bit Depth Advice

• 64 bit engine should always be on. Although, if you just enable it when bouncing and exporting, you will be good to go. But why give yourself more work. so just leave that checked at all times.
• Import bit depth should be set to 32bit (that is a floating point)
• Audio driver bit depth should be 24bit (no sound card can record higher than 24bit fixed point)

xiph.org
Demonstrations of sampling, quantization, bit-depth, and dither explore digital audio behavior on real audio equipment using both modern digital analysis and vintage analog bench equipment... just in case we can't trust those newfangled digital gizmos. You can also download the source code for each demo and try it all for yourself!

Fabio Rubato
PS Interesting video link, TheSteven, cheers...now if only someone can explain the explanations given.

gswitz

TheSteven
You should really check out this video link below,
its great at explaining often misunderstood concepts behind digital audio and how things really work.
http://xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml

 
 I enjoyed the video. Thanks!

Sanderxpander
Your Quad Capture has D/A converters too, that's how you get sound. A large part of the sound of D/A converters is actually the clock, getting a different D/A converter to hook up to your Quad Capture makes very little sense if it has to follow your QC's clock. And if you get one with its own clock you're basically talking about a new soundcard. While it is true that you could probably improve on things by upgrading to an RME card or something in that range, you'd most likely get a vastly greater improvement by spending the same amount of money on room treatment, monitors, good plugins or books/courses on mixing. Forget D/A converters for now. They may be worth your money at some point but it'll be a long time before they're the weakest point in your setup.

Fabio Rubato

SanderxpanderYour Quad Capture has D/A converters too, that's how you get sound. A large part of the sound of D/A converters is actually the clock, getting a different D/A converter to hook up to your Quad Capture makes very little sense if it has to follow your QC's clock. And if you get one with its own clock you're basically talking about a new soundcard. While it is true that you could probably improve on things by upgrading to an RME card or something in that range, you'd most likely get a vastly greater improvement by spending the same amount of money on room treatment, monitors, good plugins or books/courses on mixing. Forget D/A converters for now. They may be worth your money at some point but it'll be a long time before they're the weakest point in your setup.

Yes thanks...I was aware that the Quad had them, but somewhat inferior in comparison to higher cost products...like the RME cards, which I was actually contemplating but couldn't afford right now. I did read a review on a number of D/A converters and apparently if connected via sp/dif to the Quad, one could use the more superior converters...I don't yet understand how it works, but the reviewer stated such, which is why I was contemplating it. 

I'm mostly working with soft synths at this point, so room treatment is probably not important. I do however have a couple of Polk Audio speakers, which whilst a very good home theatre speaker, probably doesn't ultimately do audio any justice. I have no idea at this point how much better studio monitors will be. I have seen some 'xy' ones and they scared me off...need to know more before going down that road. And yes, I've done a couple of the mixing tutorials on Sonar X1/X2 and they certainly helped me in my approaching to mixing...took it up a notch I think.