When do you use dither?

[Ahornberg]

When do you use dither?

In my workflow there are several stages where I reder out a wave-file (aka bouncing).
Would you add dither to all of theses files? Or only on 16 bit files?

What are your experiences?

[orthodox]

All intermediate bounces in 24 bits (or float32 if possible), 96kHz.
Dither only once in the final stage when converting to 16 bits.

[selig]

When do you use dither?

In my workflow there are several stages where I reder out a wave-file (aka bouncing).
Would you add dither to all of theses files? Or only on 16 bit files?

What are your experiences?

One adds dither to help conceal quantization errors when reducing bit depth. So if you are not lowering bit depth, you don't add dither.

That being said, I only add dither when creating a 16 bit file from higher bit depth signals.

[Ahornberg]

When do you use dither?

In my workflow there are several stages where I reder out a wave-file (aka bouncing).
Would you add dither to all of theses files? Or only on 16 bit files?

What are your experiences?

One adds dither to help conceal quantization errors when reducing bit depth. So if you are not lowering bit depth, you don't add dither.

That being said, I only add dither when creating a 16 bit file from higher bit depth signals.

Does Reason run on 24 bit internally or on 32 bit?

[The_G]

When exporting a 16bit 44.1khz master. Otherwise no, I bounce at 24-bit (and Reason doesn't dither at 24-bit anyway).

[normen]

Does Reason run on 24 bit internally or on 32 bit?

64bit internally, 32bit between REs and Reason (REs can do whatever they want from 1 to n bit internally). With 144dB of dynamic range for 24bit files the noise floor of your D/A will act as a dither already however