Anderton
So about 64-bit audio engines...here's my "I think I got this right" response.
 
My first digital audio experience was Sound Tools on a Mac Plus with a 16-bit audio engine. It didn't take much processing to overrun what 16 bits could calculate, and you could hear the result. On the bright side, you had a built-in fuzztone (whether you wanted it or not).
 
The original TDM bus was 24 bits of resolution in the I/O and it dithered every time it went back and forth to the bus. The native version of Pro Tools didn't have this limitation, which is why there were those Gearslutz-type threads on "Why does Pro Tools on my laptop sound better than my TDM system?"
 
IIRC some DAWs made an intermediate step to a 24-bit engine on the way to 32-bit float. Pro Tools was 48 bits fixed and is now 32-bit float.
 
When Sonar came out with the 64-bit engine, again IIRC, not all DAWs in use had made it to 32-bit floating point. Those that were still using older engines definitely sounded inferior if you were doing lots of calculations with lots of plug-ins, bouncing, etc. Sonar was ahead of the curve with the 64-bit engine, but over time, 32-bit float became standard and provided enough resolution for all practical purposes, so Sonar's lead was not as significant as it had been when the 64-bit engine was introduced. 
 
However, from a theoretical standpoint, 64-bit floating point is as good as it gets. Will you hear a difference compared to 32-bit floating point? Highly doubtful. But somewhere, someone is doing their 2,344th bounce using a reverb plug-in, and is hearing a difference...

Cool history lesson for an old newb like myself,and about the hex guitar,6 tracks 1 for each string,it makes me wonder if EVH ever did more with his Kramer "hex",though it featured on the song "Top Jimmy" on 1984 IIRC?
Cheers
Bob

bobguitkillerleft
 
One of the things that made me pick Sonar,was cakewalks 64 bit capability,but now we're being told to uncheck the "64 bit double precision engine"????
 
I do hope this just temporary,as although at 2 1/2 years with computers total,I definitely still consider myself to be a newb with "all things digital".
 

I'd be very surprised if you couldn't turn it back on with X3d   (and then forget about it).

The 64 bit question.
 
A 64-bit operating system for the computer is one thing - most new ones come w/ it.  If the OS is 64-bit, use SONAR's 64 bit version.
 
The 64-bit engine within SONAR (engaged with the little button in Options>) basically upsamples the processing.  Can you hear the difference between 32 and 64 bits?  Probably not.  It allows for less rounding errors in the processing, so there might be less ring in a reverb or similiar lack of artifacts, but it will be extemely small. However, in the old days (which weren't always so good) a lot of the better effects did internal upsampling.  This was in the 16 or 24 bit world, and this helped expensive 3rd party effects get a good reputation.
 
many of us use 24 bits to capture - which is what an interface can do.  It is stored as 32 bits (that is what many of us use, anyway).  However, when you engage the 64-bit engine all the mixing and effects are done at 64 bit.  It works for me (and others on the forum when we have had this conversation).  In the old days that would have choked a single processor.  Today, mulitple processors do the math easily.  My old double chip computer worked fine w/ the 64 bit engine.
 
Personally, I haven't noticed any problems w/ the 64-bit engine engaged.  But here at home I usually don't run big projects and even if my projects have a lot of soft synths I ususally freeze them and archive the synths themselves so I can chop and dice the audio only.  So if you are having dropouts/clicks etc. w/ X3 turn the 64 bit engine off.  At least until Cake gets a fix.  As said above, I doubt you'll hear a difference, even when it gets fixed.  But up until now ... why not use the better engine?  And after it gets fixed, why not?  Something about removing the grain of sound out of the eye of your reverb ;-)
 
@

Sorry 8 bit is the new way:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Video-game-sound-freebie-for-z3ta-2-m2934202.aspx
 

Likewise here Keni.
 
I checked on both computers last night, having digested the content of this and other related threads, and my settings are the same as yours.

Paul P
 And you're both using Console Emulation on mono tracks ? 

I can only speak for myself, but I use console emulation on all inputs.... I don't often use the console emulator bus, but I've had no problems there either....

I use varying combinations of mono/stereo tracks constantly...

Keni

Paul P

Keni

Paul P
And you're both using Console Emulation on mono tracks ? 

I can only speak for myself, but I use console emulation on all inputs.... I don't often use the console emulator bus, but I've had no problems there either....

I use varying combinations of mono/stereo tracks constantly...

Keni

I believe the issue is with mono interleaved tracks.  Sorry for having left that out.
 
If you have no problems with that, you're likely blessed.
 

Yikes!
 
I found at least one song with a mono interleave and...
 
It's running fine....?
 
Keni
 

Processing the audio at 64 bit increases the degree of round off accuracy... Very subtle, but we know hi wall these subtleties combine to give our sounds... Envelopes are a little smoother at the tails and such... It is well worth using it if you can...

I'm sorry so many people are currently having trouble with this as I know how I feel in similar circumstances... I'm glad Cake already knows about it and have probably fixed it already.... Now awaiting their release of X3d (or maybe a quick fix earlier?)...

Keni

No complaining, just an observation from my personal experience, but I find it interesting that I'm experiencing the buzz on a *brand new* StudioCat DAW (Win7/Intel i7 4770 @ 3.9GHz/16GB RAM) with a fresh install of X3. I use a Profire 600 interface. Since the first time I loaded a project, I not only get the buzz when the 64-bit engine is checked, but also when the the multiprocessing engine is checked. Has anyone mentioned the multiprocessing engine as a culprit too? I've been trying to keep track of the issue, but may have missed someone mentioning that. But with the boxes unchecked, it purrs like a kitten. I upgraded from 8 Producer and I'm really diggin' X3. Learning about gain staging has changed my life.
 
It's just so curious to me that some fortunate folks don't have the buzz issue, and makes me wonder what the common denominator might be, if there is one. <sigh>