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Windows audio devices settings - 16bit or 24bit?

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:06 pm
by Atg
Is there any benefit from using 24 bit instead of 16 bit in every Voicemeeter audio device (and Virtual Cables too) Default Format settings, from audio quality and from maybe added small cpu usage, latency "perspectives". I heard that it is better to convert 16 bit audio to 24 than vice versa, so there is no problems listening 16bit and 24bit audio on 24bit audio device, but then what about recording devices: voice apps probably will need to convert 24 bits to 16, though I should not worry about audio quality due audio codecs compression.
P.S. I should say that forum search is compeltly useless. Bits, bit, format, samplerate - are "too common" so lets search nothing. But that the point, to search for common words that everyone use.

Re: Windows audio devices settings - 16bit or 24bit?

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:44 pm
by Andres
Hi. Interesting question. Since Voicemeeter also provides Virtual ASIO inputs and the available options are Float32 and Int32 I assume that the audio engine is able to mix up to 32-bit.
Virtual ASIO Type options.png
Virtual ASIO Type options.png (64.45 KiB) Viewed 8464 times
In a previous post I read that Voicemeeter (Basic) is limited to 16-bit and Banana and Potato can use 24-bit resolution. The previous System Settings / Options... window confirm that.
The audio codec (Realtek) integrated into the motherboard of my desktop PC apparently supports 32-bit resolution. I don't know if Voicemeeter (Banana or Potato) will be able to use it as hardware output at 32-bit bit depth. I have tested WDM and MME options but it keeps displaying 24-bit.
Speakers Default Format.png
Speakers Default Format.png (19.42 KiB) Viewed 8458 times

Re: Windows audio devices settings - 16bit or 24bit?

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:03 am
by Atg
I'm still interested in more technical details what devices' bit depth is better for OS and Voicemeeter. By the way I'm using win10 and asio audio interface in Voicemeeter.

Re: Windows audio devices settings - 16bit or 24bit?

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:20 pm
by Vincent Burel
With audio device,
- Voicemeeter Standard is negotiating audio format in 16 bits per default.
- Banana & Potato are negotiating the format in 24 bits per default.