Audio

Sampling:

Sampling is a method of converting an analogue audio signal into a digital signal. While sampling a sound wave, the computer takes measurements of this sound wave at a regular interval called sampling interval. Each measurement is then saved as a number in binary format. The number of samples taken per second (samples/s) is the sampling rate. Units of samples/s are also referred to as Hertz (Hz).

Quantisation:

Quantisation is the process of converting a continuous range of values into a finite range of discreet values. This is a function of analog-to-digital converters, which create a series of digital values to represent the original analog signal. The bit depth (number of bits available) determines the accuracy and quality of the quantized value. Digital audio involves taking an analog waveform (i.e. sound waves) and converting it to a series of individual samples, each of which has an amplitude value. The range of possible amplitude levels are defined by the bit depth, e.g. 8-bit quantization = 256 possible values; 16 bit quantization = 65,536 possible values, etc.