KVR Audio

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 1:13 am

Hi KVRers,

Question here. I have a Win 8 64 bit PC running 64 bit Reaper DAW. Some plug-ins come only in 32-bit VSTs but bridged to 64-bit (without needing to get any third-party bit bridges). Is there any downside to using a 32-bit bridged to 64-bits?
Harmor has a 32-bit VST bridged to 64-bits and a native 64-bit VST as well, and the 32-bit bridged to 64-bit seems to sound better to me!

Thanks for your insight.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 1:36 am

There should be no difference in sound. Must be a placebo effect.

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:08 am

chk071 wrote:There should be no difference in sound. Must be a placebo effect.

But... but... I know what I want and I want it now. I want 64-bit. Cos I'm Mr Big.

UltimateOutsider · Post by **UltimateOutsider** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:20 am

Synchanter wrote:Question here. I have a Win 8 64 bit PC running 64 bit Reaper DAW. Some plug-ins come only in 32-bit VSTs but bridged to 64-bit (without needing to get any third-party bit bridges). Is there any downside to using a 32-bit bridged to 64-bits?
Harmor has a 32-bit VST bridged to 64-bits and a native 64-bit VST as well, and the 32-bit bridged to 64-bit seems to sound better to me!

No, there's not supposed to be a difference in sound. Any chance that one of your plugin versions is newer than the other, and possibly has different DSP magic going on under the hood?

The only downside I've experienced with bit bridging is that sometimes it just doesn't work. Depends on the plugin, and probably the DAW and bridging mechanism. I ended up just scrapping any plugins that were 32-bit only.

arakula · Post by **arakula** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:54 am

JFTR - if the 32-bit PlugIn is built without SSE2 support, but with double-precision floating point instead, then there might be a little difference in sound, as it then uses the builtin x87 math coprocessor, which works using an internal 80-bit floating point precision. But this difference is so small that it's more in the mathematical and psychological than in the audible area. Slightly different algorithms in the 32-bit and 64-bit PlugIn are more likely to cause difference in sound.

But you'd have to produce recordings of both, with an identical setup and identical input, and compare these recordings to find out whether there really is a difference.

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 3:53 pm

OK, I can't be bothered to take the effort to prove it, but yes, the 64-bit and 32 bit do sound slightly different.
The 64-bit sounds a tiny bit more digital and precise and the 32 a tiny bit less precise and slightly more analog.
But the difference is so small there is no point using one or the other unless its more convenient for your system.

Sparky77 · Post by **Sparky77** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 5:53 pm

chk071 wrote:There should be no difference in sound. Must be a placebo effect.

Right, a bridge is not going to improve the sound.
Not accidentally or on purpose....

XorXisT · Post by **XorXisT** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 6:17 pm

Synchanter wrote:
chk071 wrote:There should be no difference in sound. Must be a placebo effect.
But... but... I know what I want and I want it now. I want 64-bit. Cos I'm Mr Big.

Do THE TEST, Mr. Vain Man!

Make 2 midi loops, 1 after another, where 1 is 32 bit and 2 is 64 bit.

Loop the 2 together, play it, and deactivate your computer/laptop monitor/screen.

Get out of your bedroom, restroom, cave, whatever, and take a drink.

After some drinks (alcohol not recommended), come back to your room and hear if still sounds different.

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 12:13 am

I did, and as I said there was a tiny difference.
A large difference when the drink was beer.

XorXisT · Post by **XorXisT** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 2:41 am

Synchanter wrote:I did, and as I said there was a tiny difference.
A large difference when the drink was beer.

WOW! That ain't good, man. That ain't good.

Suggestion: put your helmet on, CoD style, grab your AK-47, CS style, some grenades, and BRING HELL TO IL HQ!

Jokes aside: did you asked IL about this? Btw, don't tell them you drinked beer.

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:09 am

I concluded 32-bit bridged to 64-bit can, depending on the technology, sound slightly more analog than direct 64-bit apps.
But whether the user prefers it is a matter of taste.
And the difference is very small, so I decided just to use 64-bit for the convenience and future-proofing.

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:16 pm

Yes, the bits have rounded edges when they're 32 bit, so they sound a little warmer.

metamorphosis · Post by **metamorphosis** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:33 pm

Also, when you convert to 64-bit, the Darkness comes...

Synchanter · Post by **Synchanter** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 4:09 am

64 bits make my Harmor hahaha more

32-bit bridges on a 64-bit system