From Christian Hofmann Sent Thu, Jun 17th 1999, 10:33
From Christian Hofmann Sent Thu, Jun 17th 1999, 10:33
On Thu, 17 Jun 1999 09:57:18 +0100 "Andy Horrell" <xxxx@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx> wrote: > [...] though > no-one has taken my challenge to answer the question - "why is a 16-bit > converter better than an 8 bit one - WHEN IT IS BEING FED A 7-bit signal in > the first place" > The Doepfer MCV24 does use 12-bit converters for pitch control where LFO > and portamento add to the demand requirements, but does use 8 bit for the > MIDI controllers (which is 7-bit data anyway). So let's forget brand names > and product types - if you feed a 16-bit DAC a 7-bit signal it will output > the same resolution as an 8-bit DAC (or indeed a 7-bit DAC) with a 7-bit > signal. Remember we are not refering to pitch control here - but a 7-bit > MIDI controller. So why is 16-bit DAC's needed for MIDI controllers? If you have an el-cheapo 8 bit DAC, the LSB (least significant bit) precision might be a bit questionable. Using a higher resolution DAC gives improved precision, even if only the top 8 or 7 bits are being used. I think for normal MIDI controller data this won't matter, but for pitch control it's desirable to have a precision margin. Especially if portamento etc. is included, as you have pointed out. So IMHO the Doepfer approach sounds resonable to me. bye Christian P.S.: I have to admit that in the pre-MIDI days I played around with an el-cheapo 8 bit DAC, and in fact it _did_ work ;-) But I just substituted a complete CV keyboard with that DAC. If you want to control each VCO separately, I'd suspect you'd need some more precision.