Common Sample Rates

[Cooper]

Who here wonders why was it made so that multiples of 5512 (11025, 22050, 44100) are commonly used sample rates as far as we can remember?

I ask because I always found them to be unusual numbers compared to multiples of 8000 (16000, 32000).

Was it done to get just a tiny bit of extra quality? It's the best reason I can think of.

[Simpsons Dumper]

Sad that no-one ever replied to this. Probably due to history dating back to audio CDs. Makes sense to have sample rates that divide nicely into 44.1kHz.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/44,100_Hz

[butyourestillhungry]

As for 44,100 Hz:

https://volga.eng.yale.edu/teaching-reso...pplication

The exact sampling rate of 44.1 kHz was inherited from a method of converting digital audio into an analog video signal for storage on U-matic video tape, which was the most affordable way to transfer data from the recording studio to the CD manufacturer at the time the CD specification was being developed. The device that turns an analog audio signal into PCM audio, which in turn is changed into an analog video signal is called a PCM adaptor. This technology could store six samples (three samples per stereo channel) in a single horizontal line. A standard NTSC video signal has 245 usable lines per field, and 59.94 fields/s, which works out at 44,056 samples/s/stereo channel. Similarly, PAL has 294 lines and 50 fields, which gives 44,100 samples/s/stereo channel.

Jeffrey Nadrich