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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chris Johnson" data-source="post: 89920" data-attributes="member: 975">Re: List of digital consolesInteresting.It is clear that there are a number of misconceptions about fixed point vs. floating point processing, and what the benefits of each are.In short, there is a big difference when it comes to DSP design and the implementation of those 2 different architectures, however, that doesn't mean there will be any appreciable difference in the audio quality of 2 products that use said processes.Ultimately, a few things are true here:1) I'm gonna suggest that fixed vs floating point architecture, in isolation, is quite possibly the least important factor in real world audio quality of actual digital console products.2) Most of the companies who tell you that their architecture decision was made from an audio quality standpoint are lying. It was made due to cost/programming/interoperability considerations.3) The processes for making 'good sounding' simple dsp-driven audio filters (EQ etc..) are widely known and pretty well optimised. Thats why so many companies can produce relatively cheap good sounding products.My real world use of many console products has determined that preamps and converters make the single biggest difference to absolute audio quality between products. I'll regale you with a story from a recent audio adventure:Big venue, D&B Q1 PA (40 hangs of...), Average acoustics: not the worst I've heard, far from the best. PA is driven in AES, with an analog backup. I have an LS9 doing the PA matrixing. So this is feeding AES and Analog signals to the various amp positions (AES I/O via a slot card).FOH console sends me the mix via AES, with an analog backup. FOH console shall remain nameless, to eliminate any reader bias, biut suffice to say, its an expensive excellent sounding live console.Now, since I had my inputs in both analog and digital, and the drive to the amps in analog and digital, i took the opportunity to do some A/B testing. We all know the LS9 sounds crap right?Well, in short. If you keep the amp drive AES, and A/B the inputs, you hear a big difference. Analog is noticeably coloured and less 'clear' sounding.But if you keep the input digital, and A/B the outputs.... Negligible discernable difference.As a super test, if you A/B the PA driven straight from the FOH console in AES, vs the LS9 path in AES, no difference.So in short. The LS9 has cheap preamps, but everything else sounds as good as the much more expensive FOH console.Word length (bit depth, if you like) had nothing to do with it...Moral of the story: Look at everything else first before you care about fixed vs. floating point architecture in terms of sound quality...</blockquote>

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