Owner`s manual

43
Sample Size
The more bits that are used to store the sampled value, the more closely it
will represent the source signal. In an 8-bit system, there are 256 possible
combinations of zeroes and ones, so 256 different analog voltages can be
represented. A 16-bit system provides 65,535 possible combinations. A 16-
bit signal is capable of providing far greater accuracy than an 8-bit signal.
Figure B
shows how this works.
Figure B. The more bits there are available, the more accurate
the representation of the signal and the greater the dynamic
range.
Darla’s analog inputs use 20-bit ADCs, which means that the incoming
signal can be represented by any of 1,048,576 possible values. The output
DACs are also 20-bit; again, 1,048,576 values are possible. Darla processes
signals internally with 24-bit resolution to insure that there is no
degradation to the audio signal as it is processed through the system.
The number of bits available also determines the potential dynamic range.
Moving a binary number one space to the left multiplies the value by two
(just as moving a decimal number one space to the left multiplies the value
by ten), so each additional bit doubles the maximum value that may be
represented. Each available bit provides 6dB of dynamic range. For
example, a 20-bit system can theoretically provide 120dB of dynamic range.
Sample Rate