[linux-audio-dev] Converting a 24bit sample to 16bit

[thockin at hockin.org]

On Sat, Jul 08, 2006 at 01:34:44PM +0100, James Courtier-Dutton wrote:
> Is there a standard way of converting a 24bit sample to 16bit?
> I ask because I think that in different scenarios, one would want a
> different result.

As others have said - dither and drop the low 8 bits.  But...

> returned to the user. The problem here is what are the "most useful
> 16bits"? I have one application where just using the lower 16bits of the
> 24bit value is ideal, due to extremely low input signals.

Normalize the 24 bit sample first?