Audio Process Gain Question

I have imported some wav files from CD into Cubase 7.5 with a view to adjusting them to a consistent loudness to play together. But I’ve noticed a peculiar effect.

When I look at the statistics for any of the audio files, before processing, I can see the Integrated Loudness of x dBFS and resolution shows for both left and right channels as 16-bit (as I expected).

However if I then use Audio - Process - Gain to reduce the Loudness by “y” db then run the statistics for the processed file I see something strange.
The integrated Loudness has reduced as expected - but the Resolution now shows 24 -bit for the left channel and anywhere between 16 and 18 bit for the right channel depending on what file I start with.

I can understand the resolution changing to 24-bit as that is what my project is set to - but why not for both left and right channels?

Dave

Interesting! And it’s always on the right channel that you see fewer bits on?

Wavelab has a bit meter that often shows surprising results (compared to what one would expect) when showing true bit-depth. Perhaps there’s a scientific reason behind this…

Yes - consistently on certain wav files but puzzlingly not on all. Just imported two more stereo wav files and both left and right channels reported still being 16-bit after processing. Now trying imports of different wavs to various projects to see if I can see a common factor in those that are being changed .

Dave

The plot thickens!

The final, exported file was 24-bit, in your original post, wasn’t it?

BTW: what are you using to gather the statistics with?

Enjneer - Thanks for your replies.
I’m a bit closer.

The reason some files were changing and some not was that on some I had converted to 24 bit on import and some I had not. In both cases the resolution, pre-processing, from “statistics” was returned as 16-bit which only changed after applying the process gain. So that part is cleared up.

I still do not understand though why the files return a different resolution for Left and Right channels after processing to reduce the gain. I would have though both channels would change to 24 bit.

I am getting the statistics by highlighting the audio file - then going to the menu Audio, Statistics.

Dave

I’ve noticed in Wavelab’s bit meter that bit-depth doesn’t always match gain. The left channel might be getting loaded up with info while the right… relaxes? Although it does still seem weird that it would all be on one side.

TBH - if it is just the Cubase statistics reporting that is off I am not to concerned. If the offline gain reduction is doing something different in each channel then that does bother me.

Dave