Don't get suckered in by such specmanship. 24 bits is actually the bit depth of the data path used in most professional digital audio workstations for internal math, and is so good that no actual 24 bit analog to digital converter can be built that actually records anything more than it's own electronic noise in the lower 4-6 bits or so. 36 bits is WAY overkill, and impractical overkill at that. Nothing in the way of useful information exists at anywhere below the 24th bit level, if even that, let along the 36th. The math performed during DSP operations may produce 'bits' down there, but they won't represent anything useful. When people start talking 36 bit, Run Like Hell.

Processing power is another matter. That can be dealt with in the same manner as in your computer's processor: higher clock speed, wider data path among other things. But the fact is that it takes a certain amount of DSP capability to do the things that a preamp/processor must do, and as long as the DSP has enough power to do it's job, then more than that is wasted. Kind of like doing only word processing on the fastest computer in the world.

[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited January 06, 2003).]