Sample Rate and Bit Depth

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Sample Rate and Bit Depth

Wave Corrector supports sample rates between 44.1 kHz and 96 kHz and word lengths of 16 and 24 bit. The following list shows how the formats are used in different audio applications.

CD Audio: 44.1kHz 16-bit
DAT and DVD Audio: 48kHz 16 bit
Professional Studio Audio: 88.2kHz or 96 kHz 24-bit

All these formats produce very high quality results, much better than the compressed audio available from Internet radio or Satellite or Terrestrial Digital broadcasting.

Although 16-bit and 44.1 or 48 kHz sampling gives excellent quality results, there are advantages to using higher bit and sample rates when transferring audio from the analogue domain. This is because the extra quality gives more headroom when digitally processing your recordings. Also, the higher sample rate allows Wave Corrector's click detection to be more discriminating. For these reasons, it is recommended to make your original recordings in a higher sample rate format if your soundcard supports this.

Sample Rate Conversions
Many computer audio programs and operating systems are able to convert between different sample rates. However, the quality of these conversions is often very poor. For highest fidelity and to avoid audible artefacts, very high order digital filters need to be employed. Conversions in Wave Corrector use algorithms by Naoki Shibata, as used in his stand-alone program SSRC. The use of these algorithms ensures that there is minimal degradation when up- or down-converting.