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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/eng-nyquist-rate

To capture sound up to 20,000 Hz digitally, the sampling rate must be more than what?

More than 40,000 samples per second, over twice the highest frequency.

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  1. 20,000 per second
  2. 10,000 per second
  3. 40,000 per second ✔

Why: The Nyquist theorem says you must sample at more than twice the highest frequency you want to keep. Sample slower and high tones turn into fake lower ones.

Huh, didn't know that: Half the sampling rate is the Nyquist frequency; reproducible tones must stay below it.

The dad joke
I sampled my dad's jokes at half the Nyquist rate. Now they all sound lower.
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References

Answer: 40,000 per second. The Nyquist theorem says you must sample at more than twice the highest frequency you want to keep. Sample slower and high tones turn into fake lower ones.

  1. Indiana University, Music Technology Text, Chapter 5: Nyquist cmtext.com/digital_audio/chapter5_nyquist.php
    the sampling rate must be greater than twice the highest frequency we wish to reproduce.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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