S1E4: Digital Audio Basics | An ADMI Masterclass ft Kennedy Wathome

Capturing sound is more than just using a microphone. Kennedy Wathome explains that audio, like video, has different quality levels depending on how it is sampled. Sample rate, measured in kilohertz (kHz), refers to how many times per second sound is captured and converted into digital form. For example, 44.1 kHz means 44,100 samples per second. This process ensures that the emotion and detail in a performance are preserved and not lost through distortion or noise. Sound itself is vibration, measured in frequency (hertz), and humans can hear from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Loudness is measured in decibels (dB), where 0 dB is the maximum level in digital recording before distortion. Through gain staging and careful signal capture, engineers make sure the sound remains clear, balanced, and faithful to the original performance. As Wathome reminds his students, every device from microphones to phones relies on sound cards to convert vibrations into digital signals. This invisible process is what allows us to record, mix, and share sound in the modern world. Watch, learn, and get inspired. This is not just school. This is ADMI.