Digital Audio

Digital audio recording works by recording, or sampling, an electronic audio signal at regular intervals (of time). An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter
measures and stores each sample as a numerical value that represents the audio amplitude at that particular moment. C onverting the amplitude of
each sample to a binary number is called quantization. The number of bits used for quantization is referred to as bit depth. Sample rate and bit depth
are two of the most important factors when determining the quality of a digital audio system.

Sample Rate
The sample rate is the number of times an analog signal is measuredor sampledper second. You can also think of the sample rate as the number
of electronic snapshots made of the sound wave per second. Higher sample rates result in higher sound quality because the analog waveform is more
closely approximated by the discrete samples. Which sample rate you choose to work with depends on the source material youre working with, the
capabilities of your audio interface, and the final destination of your audio.
For years, the digital audio sample rate standards have been 44,100 Hz (44.1 kHz) and 48 kHz. However, as technology improves, 96 kHz and even
192 kHz sample rates are becoming common.
A udio sample rates

When used

8 k Hz-22.225 k Hz

The se lowe r sam ple rate s are use d strictly for m ultim e dia file s.

32 k Hz

32 k Hz is ge ne rally use d with 12-bit audio on DV.

44.1 k Hz

This sam ple rate is use d for m usic C Ds and som e DAT re corde rs.

48 k Hz

Alm ost all digital vide o form ats use this sam ple rate .

88.2 k Hz

A m ultiple of 44.1 k Hz. This is use ful for high-re solution audio that ne e ds to be com patible with
44.1 k Hz. For e x am ple , if you e ve ntually plan to burn an audio C D, this sam ple rate is a good
choice .

96 k Hz

A m ultiple of 48 k Hz. This is be com ing the profe ssional standard for audio post-production and
m usic re cording.

192 k Hz

A m ultiple of 48 and 96 k Hz, this is a ve ry high-re solution sam ple rate use d m ostly for profe ssional
m usic re cording and m aste ring.

Bit Depth
Unlike analog signals, which have an infinite range of volume levels, digital audio samples use binary numbers (bits) to represent the strength of each
audio sample. The accuracy of each sample is determined by its bit depth. Higher bit depths mean your audio signal is more accurately represented
when it is sampled. Most digital audio systems use a minimum of 16 bits per sample, which can represent 65,536 possible levels (24-bit samples can
represent over 16 million possible levels).
To better understand bit depth, think of each digital audio sample as a ladder with equally spaced rungs that climb from silence to full volume. Each
rung on the ladder is a possible volume that a sample can represent, while the spaces between rungs are in between volumes that a sample cannot
represent.
When a sample is made, the audio level of the analog signal often falls in the spaces between rungs. In this case, the sample must be rounded to the
nearest rung. The bit depth of a digital audio sample determines how closely the rungs are spaced. The more rungs available (or, the less space
between rungs), the more precisely the original signal can be represented.
Quantization errors occur when a digital audio sample does not exactly match the analog signal strength it is supposed to represent (in other words,
the digital audio sample is slightly higher or lower than the analog signal). Quantization errors are also called rounding errors because imprecise
numbers represent the original analog audio. For example, suppose an audio signal is exactly 1.15 volts, but the analog-to-digital converter rounds
this to 1 volt because this is the closest bit value available. This rounding error causes noise in your digital audio signal. While quantization noise may
be imperceptible, it can potentially be exacerbated by further digital processing. Always try to use the highest bit depth possible to avoid quantization
errors.
The diagram on the far right shows the highest bit depth, and therefore the audio samples more accurately reflect the shape of the original analog
audio signal.

For example, a 1-bit system (a ladder with only two rungs) can represent either silence or full volume, and nothing in between. Any audio sample that
falls between these rungs must be rounded to full volume or silence. Such a system would have absolutely no subtlety, rounding smooth analog
signals to a square-shaped waveform.

When the number of bits per sample is increased, each sample can more accurately represent the audio signal.

To avoid rounding errors, you should always use the highest bit depth your equipment supports. Most digital video devices use 16- or 20-bit audio, so
you may be limited to one of these bit depths. However, professional audio recording devices usually support 24-bit audio, which has become the
industry standard.
Bit depth

When used

32-bit floating point

This allows audio calculations, such as fade r le ve ls and e ffe cts proce ssing, to be pe rform e d at ve ry
high re solution with a m inim um of e rror, which pre se rve s the quality of your digital audio.

24-bit

This has be com e the audio industry standard for m ost audio re cording form ats. Most profe ssional
audio inte rface s and com pute r audio e diting syste m s can re cord with 24-bit pre cision.

20-bit

Use d in som e vide o form ats such as Digital Be tacam and audio form ats such as ADAT Type II.

16-bit

DAT re corde rs, Tascam DA-88 and ADAT Type I m ultitrack s, and audio C Ds all use 16-bit sam ple s.
Many digital vide o form ats, such as DV, use 16-bit audio. 1

8-bit

In the past, 8-bit audio was ofte n use d for C D-R O M and we b vide o. Today, 16-bit audio is usually
pre fe rre d, but available bandwidth and com patibility with your targe t use rs syste m are your chie f
conside rations whe n outputting audio for m ultim e dia use .

1 Many consumer DV camcorders allow you to record four audio channels using 12-bit mode, but this is not recommended for professional work.

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