• Registered: 2020-09-15
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Topic: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

I have an ADI-2 PRo FS R BE and I noticed some strange behavior in the windows device properties.

I noticed that without the RME drivers installed the only options in windows 10 advanced device properties for shared mode are 32 bit but when the RME drivers are installed the only options are 16 or 24 bit.

Is this behavior normal? If so how do you select 32 bit in shared mode with the drivers installed?

I have noticed that this behavior is the same in both Stereo and Multichannel CC modes on multiple different computers.

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

1. Yes.
2. You can't.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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3 Reply by mark2748 (edited by mark2748 2020-09-16 23:17:16)

  • From: Redmond, WA USA
  • Registered: 2019-08-17
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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

Interesting.  MC's response is consistent with behavior of my new ADI-2 DAC FS driven by Win 10 USB:

It passes the RME Bit Tests for 16, 24, and 32 bits showing 16, 24, and 24 bits respectively in the test message, for all sample rates (44.1KHz, 96KHz, and 192KHz, total of 9 test files).  32 bits is never displayed in the DAC’s pass messages.  Same results for both windows exclusive and shared settings.

Tested with RME Output Device “ASIO: ASIO MADIface USB” selected in foobar2000 Preferences.  Note that the foobar2000 status line indicates 16, 24, 32 respectively so foobar apparently detects the correct number of bits in each test.  But at least 1 bit in the 4th byte must arrive corrupted at the DAC, or maybe the 4th byte is not sent at all since windows Analog (1+2) Device Property only has 16 and 24 bit options.

I don't have any use for 32 bits, so it doesn't really bother me.

  • Registered: 2020-09-15
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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

MC wrote:

1. Yes.
2. You can't.

Ok. I just wanted to make sure there were no problems.

5 Reply by MC

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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

mark2748 wrote:

It passes the RME Bit Tests for 16, 24, and 32 bits showing 16, 24, and 24 bits respectively in the test message, for all sample rates (44.1KHz, 96KHz, and 192KHz, total of 9 test files).  32 bits is never displayed in the DAC’s pass messages.  Same results for both windows exclusive and shared settings.

Tested with RME Output Device “ASIO: ASIO MADIface USB” selected in foobar2000 Preferences.

Search the manual and this forum. 32 Bit test passed is possible with ASIO.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

6 Reply by mark2748 (edited by mark2748 2020-09-18 02:20:40)

  • From: Redmond, WA USA
  • Registered: 2019-08-17
  • Posts: 43

Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

MC - thanks for the suggestion.

I now confirm what several posters previously reported using foobar2000 ASIO:  only 24-bits passed in the 32-bit tests.

I find same results for MusicBee 3.3.7367.

I just downloaded a trial version of JRiver Media Center 26.0.107 and voila, again as some others reported, all tests pass including 32-bit with MADIface USB ASIO driver!  The JRiver default Playback Options include "bit-exact dithering".  "No dithering (not recommended)" also passes, but their "TPDF Dithering" fails all.

So what does JRiver do differently from the other players?  With no DSP specified in the player chains, is it just a matter of zero padding out to 32 bits vs 24 bits?  Does the DAC always zero pad out to 32 bits in any case prior to its own internal processing?

7 Reply by bejoro (edited by bejoro 2020-09-18 09:02:48)

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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

Foobar2000's internal audio processing uses 32 bit float which results to a max of 24 bit integer.
JRiver MC's internal audio processing uses 64 bit float.

Edit: Of course KaiS is right.
Obviously I was wrong regarding the superiority of 64 bit integer processing over 32 bit float. Sorry, I never did the math. I removed the wrong statement.

Edit: Correction
JRiver MC uses 64 bit floating point processing, NOT 64 bit integer.

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8 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2020-09-18 07:49:35)

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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

bejoro wrote:

Foobar2000's internal audio processing uses 32 bit float which results to a max of 24 bit integer.
JRiver MC's internal audio processing uses 64 bit integer.
...
If you use digital volume, filters, converters, DSP features etc. JRiver's 64 bit audio processing is superior.

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Audio_Bitdepth

64bit = 385 dB dynamic range.
32bit Float = 1528 dB dynamic range.

With 32bit Float I don't need to care for gain changes in DSP processing's intersteps, as the dynamic range covers much more than usually needed in plus and minus dB direction (+770dB, -758 dB).

With 64bit, 0dBFS in the middle of the range, a gain change >8 bit (48 dB) compromises the quality of a 24bit file.

https://www.sounddevices.com/32-bit-flo … explained/

I'm happily working in 32bit Float with my 24bit audio files.

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9 Reply by bejoro (edited by bejoro 2020-09-18 08:43:55)

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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

Thank you very much. Sorry, I never looked it up or did the math. I removed the wrong statement from my post.

I am sure your professional software processes correctly. But a comparison between Foobar2000 and JRiver MC would be interesting whether Foobar2000 keeps the 32 bit float processing for all features or if there are any conversions between computation formats using different filters, plugins etc.

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Re: Is it possible to select 32 bit in shared mode with RME drivers?

JRiver MC uses 64 bit floating-point processing, also for the VST interface.
I have corrected my post (again). Sorry.

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