SAMPLED

MIDI, formats and standards · updated 2026-08-16

SAMPLE RATE CONVERSION

Resampling audio between rates. Quality varies a lot between algorithms, so convert once, at the end, with a good one.

MIDI DIN in/out connectors on an RME audio interface card — the physical ports behind the MIDI, interface and I/O terms in this section.
MIDI, formats and standards — MIDI DIN in/out connectors on an RME audio interface card — the physical ports behind the MIDI, interface and I/O terms in this section.

Photo: RME Hammerfall DSP 9652 MIDI connectors (opens in a new tab) by Dan Lynch (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Resampling audio between rates.
  • Quality varies a lot between algorithms, so convert once, at the end, with a good one.
  • Non-integer conversions like 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz are the demanding case.
  • Do the conversion once, offline, at the highest quality setting your DAW offers, at the end of the process.
  • Watch out: letting a session run at one rate with imported files at another and relying on real-time conversion for every playback.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define sample rate conversion in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at sample rate conversion in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

SAMPLE RATE CONVERSION IN DEPTH

Sample rate conversion resamples audio from one rate to another, and the quality of the algorithm decides how much aliasing and phase error it introduces. Non-integer conversions like 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz are the demanding case.

How it works in practice

Do the conversion once, offline, at the highest quality setting your DAW offers, at the end of the process.

The mistake people make

Letting a session run at one rate with imported files at another and relying on real-time conversion for every playback.

WHERE SAMPLE RATE CONVERSION SITS

Sample rate conversion belongs to midi, formats and standards in the Sampled music glossary. The plumbing — the specs your gear, files and delivery pipeline agree on.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on sample rate conversion. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes sample rate conversion?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with sample rate conversion?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to sample rate conversion?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for sample rate conversion — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • Xiph.org — digital show and tell (opens in a new tab)

    Open-source standards group · Xiph.Org Foundation

    “Resampling audio between rates.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Xiph's write-ups are free, technically rigorous and famously careful about the myths around digital audio.

  • AES standards (opens in a new tab)

    Professional standards body · Audio Engineering Society

    “Quality varies a lot between algorithms, so convert once, at the end, with a good one.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: AES writes and reviews the engineering standards and peer-reviewed papers this terminology comes from.

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