Sampling Rate (Nyquist) Calculator

Work out sampling rate (nyquist) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Sampling Rate (Nyquist) Calculator

Nyquist requires a sample rate above twice the highest signal frequency. The gap between the signal edge and half the sample rate is the transition band the anti-alias filter must roll off in, which is exactly why 44.1 kHz was chosen for 20 kHz audio rather than a bare 40 kHz.

Formula

Nyquist

fs > 2 x fmax; transition band = fs/2 - fmax; SNR = 6.02n + 1.76 dB

Worked example

With the default values below, Sampling Rate (Nyquist) Calculator returns Minimum sample rate of 44.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Highest signal frequency: 22 kHz
Chosen sample rate: 48 kHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Channels: 2 channels

Results

Minimum sample rate: 44.00 kHz
Anti-alias transition band: 2.00 kHz
Raw data rate: 192.00 kB/s
Theoretical dynamic range: 98.08 dB

Step by step

1Values used
2Nyquist
3Minimum sample rate= 44.00 kHz
4Anti-alias transition band= 2.00 kHz
5Raw data rate= 192.00 kB/s
6Theoretical dynamic range= 98.08 dB

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not sample at exactly twice the maximum frequency?

There would be no transition band, requiring an impossible brick-wall filter. Practical designs leave 10-20% headroom or oversample and filter digitally.

Where does 6.02 dB per bit come from?

Each extra bit halves the quantisation step, and 20log10(2) is 6.02 dB. The 1.76 dB accounts for the uniform distribution of quantisation error.