Cool Edit Pro: How is 32-bit audio handled with DirectX plugins (that support 24 bit audio)?

When we say "32-bit" in Cool Edit, it is equivalent to 24-bit audio in the signal to noise ratio since both formats have 24 bits of precision. The extra 8 bits are for the exponent, so if the audio would otherwise clip or go too quiet, the audio itself is preserved instead of being clipped or truncated. When a plug-in says it supports 24-bit it really means the same as we do: 24-bits of precision and 8 bits of exponent. That is, the plug-ins also work with 32-bit floating point data (internal to the plug-in though it may work with 64-bit precision then convert back to 32-bit before sending it to the calling application). This means that when you are using a DirectX plugin that supports greater-than 16-bit audio, the audio will stay at its current bit depth and not be converted.

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