The information in this article to:

• SONAR 8.5
• SONAR 8
• SONAR 7
• SONAR 6
• SONAR 5

SONAR 5 introduced support for importing and exporting of 32-bit floating-point files. SONAR 6 added support 64-bit files, as well. In short, these files can more accurately represent very large small numbers. This accuracy provides better quality sound reproduction, Extended dynamic range and more precise audio processing.

In SONAR's 'Export Audio' dialog, you may notice that the bit depth defaults to 32. The value will default to match your render bit depth found under Options|Global|Audio data. 32-bit audio is not standard for CD audio or media players. So unless your intention is to edit the resulting audio in another application that supports these bit depths, you will need to change the 'Bit depth' field to either 16 or 24. It should also be noted that mp3s cannot be exported at 32-bit or any bit depth higher than 16 for that matter. Although you may need to change your bit depth to a setting other than 32 upon exporting, it is generally recommended to leave your render bit depth at 32. this way, any rendering within SONAR (Like bounce or freezing) can be done more precisely.