DAW recording "path"

[baxterdavid]

In our studio we use practically all of top DAWs (Cubase, Logic, ProTools, Ableton).
We are having quite a discussion lately about recording/tracking audio to DAW.
Can anyone who is deeper than us in how DAWs internally work tell us if there is any difference in signal paths when recording to a DAW?
In other words is it completely same to record in any DAW if you are using same drivers and audio interfaces? Or do DAWs do anything to raw data "on the way to the file"?
I am also a software developer and my intuition tells me that this should not be the case and that raw 24-bit audio coming from the audio interface should come out the same from any DAW.

Thx

[Kosmology]

The only difference if using the same asio drivers will be the dithering when mixing down/converting to 16-bit, so as long as you stick to 24 or 32 bit inside the DAW it should be identical. On the final mix I generally mix out to 32-bit and do my conversion/dithering outside of Cubase after mastering. I generally work at 32-bit inside Cubase simply because Cubase works internally at 32-bit anyway, although some will say that 24-bit is just as efficient. BTW the effect of not using dithering when converting 24/32 down to 16 is a much duller sound as it just shaves off the extra data instead of using interpolation, which is what dithering will do.

[tomek]

Not so sure what this has to do with Spark?  This would be a good thread for the gearsluts forum LOL

Long story short, the recorded signal would likely be the same.

The playback signal would likely not be the same due to differences in panning laws,

and the audio mix engines (if you are mixing multiple tracks together).

That is all I will says about that.   Over and out.

Tomek