why does pulling down volume slider not avoid clipping?, I thought entire processing was done in 32-bit Options

[gasmann]

Hi!

I've found a (for me) unexpected behaviour in foobar2000 concerning the volume slider at the right bottom of the interface. If I take an mp3 that wasn't clipping, add +12dB constant gain to it via mp3gain and then play it in foobar (it doesn't have ReplayGain information, of course! If it would, clipping would be avoided as expected), it of course clips as hell. BUT, when I pull down volume to -15dB or so it is _STILL_ clipping!

Does that mean that this slider works on 16-bit or so?? That's absolutely not what I expected. I expected it to work the same way as ReplayGain, just "manually".

I would have never found out if I didn't do this. Before I often used this slider to attenuate radio stations in the hope it would eliminate clipping, but now that I know about THAT I am just shocked

Using foobar2000 v.0.9.4.5 on Windows XP SP2. I hope this behaviour can be changed because it's potentially ruining sound quality.

[cristox]

I think its like using preamp->poweramp...
replaygain is done in the preamp and volume regulation is done in the poweramp