(n.) The rate at which an analog signal is sampled each second as it is converted into digital data, also known as the “sample rate.” For CD-Audio, the rate is 44 100 samples per second or 44.1 kHz; however, in professional audio applications, other rates are commonly used, such as 32 kHz and 48 kHz. The frequency of 44.056 kHz has also been used. On the original digital audio tape recorders (R-DAT), which used a standard helicalscan video recording mechanism for storage, there was a fixed relationship between sampling frequency and horizontal video frequency. Timing was derived from the same clock by frequency division. For NTSC systems, a sampling frequency of 44 055.94 Hz was adopted. For the PAL TV system, a frequency of 44 100 Hz was adopted. The original R-DAT plays back approximately one tenth of a percent slower. The difference in pitch between the two is imperceptible.
sampling frequency
« BACK TO DICTIONARY INDEX