[linux-audio-user] External DAC for mastering use?

[Jesse Chappell]

Anahata wrote on Thu, 18-Mar-2004:

 > On Thu, Mar 18, 2004 at 09:41:26AM -0800, Mark Knecht wrote:
 > > Of course! But that wasn't my point. My point was he should really be 
 > > using a 24-bit external DAC. Of course, it's more money...
 > 
 > As I said before, if the final product is going to be a 16 bit CD, you
 > need to be able to monitor what gets sent to that, complete with the
 > same dithering scheme that will be used for producing that CD. If it's
 > going to end up on DVD with more than 16 bits, then 16 bit isn't good
 > enough for mastering at all. Maybe master to 24 bits with 24 bit
 > moitoring, then separately test the conversion to 16 bits.
 > 
 > I was not aware, when I posted my first reply, that that jack does
 > float-linear conversion. I don't know much about jack and appreciate
 > this might be a problem when we are in the dizzy heights of mastering!

Of course if you are capable of being in the dizzy heights of mastering,
you aren't likely going to be using a 16 bit audio interface,
which is the only time Jack will ever do this kind of dithering.
Plus you still have to enable it on the command line (default is still off).

As you folks already discussed, for mastering, the application
should dither down to whatever depth, using whatever technique
you want and send it on through jack unmolested.

jlc