Why it matters

PCM underlies all digital audio. Understanding samples + bit depth shapes decisions about quality vs storage.

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The architecture

Sample rate: how many samples per second. 44.1 kHz standard (CD), 48 kHz (video), 96 kHz+ (high-res).

Bit depth: bits per sample. 16-bit (CD), 24-bit (high-res).

PCM parametersSample rate44.1/48 kHz typicalBit depth16/24 bitsChannelsmono/stereo/5.1/etc44.1 kHz × 16-bit × stereo = ~1.4 Mbps uncompressed
Audio quality dimensions.
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How it works end to end

Nyquist: sample rate must be at least 2× highest frequency. 44.1 kHz captures up to ~22 kHz (human hearing limit).

Bit depth: 16 bits gives ~96 dB dynamic range; 24 bits gives 144 dB.

File formats: WAV, AIFF hold PCM directly. Uncompressed.

Compression trade-off: PCM huge, must compress for delivery.