← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

Zooming in to see samples in an audio editor

Zooming far into a waveform in an audio editor like Audacity shows each sample as a dot. A higher project rate gives more dots every second, so the wave is drawn more smoothly.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Representing Text, Images and Sound — Module 56

Understanding Zooming in to see samples in an audio editor in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

What it does: You record first. Then you use the zoom tools to magnify the waveform until the individual samples show. 8000 Hz means only 8000 samples each second. The dots are further apart, so the wave is less smooth than at 44100 Hz. A sample is a single volume reading. Thousands of them are taken every second. With more dots, there are more points to trace the wave. This is why high rates sound more accurate.

Common mistakes: A single = stores a value in the variable. == only compares two values. It should be rate = 44100. The length of the recording must be a number so it can be multiplied by the rate to count the samples. "3" is text. It should be record_seconds = 3.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 173–188) and word search (Modules 153–188).

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Learning
Duo
You record a short sound in Audacity and zoom in as far as you can. What do you see?
A perfectly smooth curve with no dotsIndividual dots, and each dot is one sample
Matches
Zoom out far to see each sample dot
↓
Zooming out shows a longer stretch of sound and hides the dots. You must zoom in to see single samples.
Applying
Meanings
Term
Zoom in to samples
Meaning
Zooming far into a waveform in an audio editor like Audacity shows each sample as a dot. A higher project rate gives more dots every second, so the wave is drawn more smoothly.
Practice
RECORD sound for 1 second
Testing
Gaps
(sound)
Check Answer
Spots
1rate == 44100
2dots_per_sec = rate

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Quick Questions

1. You record a short sound in Audacity and zoom in as far as you can. What do you see?
A. Individual dots, and each dot is one sample ✓
B. A perfectly smooth curve with no dots
Zoomed far in, the smooth-looking wave turns into separate dots. Each dot is one volume measurement, called a sample.
2. What does one dot on a zoomed-in waveform stand for?
A. One whole second of the recording
B. One measurement of the sound's volume at one moment ✓
A sample is a single volume reading. Thousands of them are taken every second.
3. Which project rate gives more dots every second when you zoom in?
A. 44100 Hz ✓
B. 8000 Hz
44100 Hz takes 44100 samples each second. 8000 Hz takes only 8000, so the dots are further apart.
4. You zoom in on the same sound recorded at a high rate and at a low rate. How do the dots compare?
A. The high rate has dots packed closer together ✓
B. The low rate has dots packed closer together
More samples per second means less time between dots, so they sit closer together.
5. Why does a high sample rate draw the wave more smoothly?
A. Each dot gets louder, which smooths the line
B. More dots mean the shape of the wave is followed more closely ✓
With more dots, there are more points to trace the wave. This is why high rates sound more accurate.

Match the Pairs

Zoom in until dots appear → Zooming far into a waveform in Audacity shows each sample as its own dot on the wave.
Project Rate: 44100 Hz → The editor stores 44,100 sample dots for every second of sound, so the wave looks smooth.
Record a short sound, then zoom in until you can see each sample dot → Record, then View > Zoom > Zoom In
A low sample rate gives fewer dots per second, so the wave looks blocky → Project Rate: 8000 Hz
Zoom out far to see each sample dot → Zooming out shows a longer stretch of sound and hides the dots. You must zoom in to see single samples.
Lower project rate = more dots per second → A lower project rate gives fewer dots per second, not more. A higher rate gives more dots.

Key Term

Zoom in to samples
Zooming far into a waveform in an audio editor like Audacity shows each sample as a dot. A higher project rate gives more dots every second, so the wave is drawn more smoothly.

Fill in the Blanks

1. record(sound) zoomIn(sound)
Hint: Type the action name that magnifies the waveform until single sample dots appear.
2. projectRate = 44100
Hint: Type the common CD-quality project rate, in samples per second (Hz).
3. IF highRate > lowRate THEN moreDots
Hint: Type the comparison operator meaning 'greater than', since the higher rate gives more dots.
4. dots = seconds * sampleRate
Hint: Type the arithmetic operator that multiplies the seconds by the samples taken each second.
5. FOR EACH sample IN track: drawDot(sample)
Hint: Type the loop variable that holds each sample point being drawn as a dot.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A rate == 44100
B dots_per_sec = rate
C print(dots_per_sec)
Line A — A single = stores a value in the variable. == only compares two values. It should be rate = 44100.
Question 2
A record_seconds = "3"
B rate = 8000
C total = record_seconds * rate
D print(total)
Line A — The length of the recording must be a number so it can be multiplied by the rate to count the samples. "3" is text. It should be record_seconds = 3.
Question 3
A record(2)
B rate = 44100
C zoom_out("max")
D print("dots appear")
Line C — You must zoom IN to see the individual sample dots. Zooming out shows the whole wave. It should be zoom_in("max").
Question 4
A set_rate(8000)
B record(2)
C zoom_in("max")
D print("each dot = 1 second")
Line D — Each dot is one sample, which is one volume measurement. It is not a second of sound. It should say each dot = 1 sample.
Question 5
A low = 8000
B high = 44100
C if high < low:
D print("high is smoother")
Line C — 44100 is greater than 8000, so the higher rate should be the one tested. The condition should be if high > low: so the message prints.

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