What's the tradeoff of amplifing the output of an inverting op-amp in software vs using a higher feedback resistor?
You ADC doesn't have infinitesmal resolution. Measure in a small signal = less resolution for that signal. Once its digitized, that's it. The detail is gone.
It's the audio equivalent of &quot;ENHANCE!&quot; when TV police investigate video footage.
What I described above is called quantization noise, but doing so will also makes the noise that your ADC will introduce more significant relative to your signal.