See how sample rate, bit depth and channels affect file size and the Nyquist frequency limit.
Digital audio works by measuring the sound wave thousands of times per second (sample rate) and storing each measurement as a number with a fixed precision (bit depth). A CD uses 44,100 samples per second at 16 bits — enough to capture frequencies up to 22,050 Hz (the Nyquist limit), which covers human hearing.
Higher sample rates (96 kHz, 192 kHz) capture frequencies above 20 kHz that humans cannot hear, but they give analogue-to-digital converters more room to work with, which can reduce distortion in the audible range. Higher bit depth (24 or 32 bits) increases the dynamic range: 16 bits give 96 dB, 24 bits give 144 dB.
The trade-off is file size. One minute of stereo CD audio (44,100 × 16 × 2 × 60) is about 10.1 MB uncompressed. At 96 kHz / 24-bit stereo, the same minute is about 34.6 MB. Compressed formats (MP3, AAC, FLAC) reduce this dramatically, but the uncompressed size is what your recording session produces.
File size (bytes) = sample rate × (bit depth / 8) × channels × duration. Nyquist = sample rate / 2.
Half the sample rate. It is the highest frequency that can be captured without aliasing. At 44,100 Hz, the Nyquist is 22,050 Hz — just above the top of human hearing.
Because uncompressed PCM stores every sample at full precision. Lossy formats (MP3, AAC) typically reduce this by 5-10×; lossless formats (FLAC, ALAC) by about 2×.
In a quiet studio, the extra dynamic range of 24 bits gives more headroom during recording. For listening, the difference is inaudible in most environments because ambient noise masks the lowest bits.
Vai.la turns any URL into a short link with click statistics, QR Code and your own biolink.
Vai.la is not responsible for how the tools are used or for decisions made based on their results.