Are high sample rates better for DSP? Options

[Ethan Winer]

I've read many times that audio plug-ins such as equalizers work better at higher sample rates, even if audio generally doesn't benefit. It seems unlikely that there's a practical advantage to up-sampling all your files, or recording at 96 KHz in the first place, but is there a potential theoretical improvement? Or is this just another Internet myth?

--Ethan

[greynol]

I know the unofficial mantra around here is all things sound the same unless proven otherwise, but all I can say is wow, just wow. When I was an engineer we always joked about something working on an infinite sample of one.

You've tested a couple of DSP operations on extremely trivial single-tone samples and are now willing to make such a sweeping generalization?!? I hope you don't plan on presenting this in public as things might get more than a little embarrassing for you.

This post has been edited by greynol: Jun 12 2012, 18:48

[Ethan Winer]

You've tested a couple of DSP operations on extremely trivial single-tone samples and are now willing to make such a sweeping generalization?!?

No plans to present this in public. I posted this question because a friend asked me about it and I wasn't sure, so I figured I'd ask the experts. Me, I'll be satisfied to hear a good explanation of why EQ works better on 96 KHz audio files than files at 44.1 KHz. I'll be even happier to see an FFT or other data, or even a pair of audio files to compare. Whaddya got?

--Ethan

[saratoga]

Me, I'll be satisfied to hear a good explanation of why EQ works better on 96 KHz audio files than files at 44.1 KHz.

Resampling is accomplished by applying a filter. If you resample to a higher sampling rate, then apply an EQ, effectively the length of the filter in the EQ is expanded by the length of the filter in the resampler. Thus, you're essentially using a filter with more taps, which if properly designed (e.g. a good resampler), will give 'better' (or at least different) results then a filter with fewer taps.

Of course if the EQ is already properly designed for its application, changing it is unlikely to improve things.