SONAR5 Status Bar: 24-Bit or Bust?

[mark4man]

Crew...

Having what may be a problem in SONAR5.

I open up 16-Bit, 44.1 kHz projects I created in SONAR XL 2.2, in v5; & in the Status Bar...the project's Sample Rate & Bit Depth read 44.1kHz, 24-bit. [This is true even when I first open SONAR5...with no project present.]

Thinking that maybe the 16-Bit projects are being converted to 24-Bit without my knowing it...I took a typical instrumental comp set (in this case, 3 piano tracks w/ plug-ins & volume envelopes), soloed them; & placed BitViewer across the output bus.

It was reading 28 > 30 bits !?!?!

I'm using ASIO drivers; & in the Audio Options dialog, Audio Driver Bit Depth is set to 24; & grayed out.

Does anyone know what this all means? Are the projects being automatically converted to 24-Bit upon opening? Is there a way to over-ride the 24-Bit setting in Audio Options & try it that way?

Thanks,

mark4man

 

[dachay2tnr]

I don't use ASIO drivers, but my recollection is that you have to change the settings from the sound card's control applet.

Try launching that, changing it to 16 bits. That should allow you projects to run at 16 bits.

 

[mark4man]

dach2y...

No way to do that (using Echo Audio's Layla 24/96.)

Since I posted...I went back & looked at the manual & found the Global Option for Import Bit Depth...

...but that was set at "Original" !

Have no idea what the heck is going on.

mark4man


Update 2:
Went back again & took a closer look at the maunal. It reads:

The Satus Bar shows the project sampling rate and the current record bit depth setting.

So...that takes care of that...this is why I'm reading 24 bits.

& I'll check the bit depth of a few clips in clip properties...that will let me know if any conversion is going on.

But...if there's no conversion going on...the question remains; why are 3 piano tracks w/ plug-ins & simple automation envelopes sucking up more than 24 bits?

 

[Strryder]

But...if there's no conversion going on...the question remains; why are 3 piano tracks w/ plug-ins & simple automation envelopes sucking up more than 24 bits?

IIRC, the mix engine in Sonar 5 is working in 32 bit floating point, could that explain it?

 

[mark4man]

IIRC, the mix engine in Sonar 5 is working in 32 bit floating point, could that explain it?

Well...that may explain it...but it doesn't say much for the functionality of the plug-in.

I'm looking for something that will read actual bit usage at any given plug-in point (as opposed to the internal resolution of the workstation.)

I'm in the process of bouncing 16-Bit track groups & comp sets (from older projects) to 24-Bit .wavs, to get ready for an upcoming mastering session. If I knew my actual usage, I would know whether or not to dither.

Thanks,

m4