– Binary Representation:
– Binary integer representation range is asymmetrical.
– Full scale is defined using the maximum positive value that can be represented.
– 16-bit PCM audio is centered on the value 0.
– Signal processing in digital audio often uses floating-point arithmetic.
– Full-scale signal in floating-point representation typically reaches from -1.0 to +1.0.
– Processing:
– Signal passes through anti-aliasing, resampling, or reconstruction filters.
– Analog signal can exceed digital full scale even if digital data does not.
– Well-designed analog circuitry in digital-to-analog converters avoids clipping.
– Nyquist theorem guarantees no peak issues in the analog domain with sufficient sampling frequency.
– Digital normalization may cause intersample peaks exceeding full scale after analog reconstruction.
– References:
– AES17-2015 standard method for digital audio engineering.
– IEC 61606-3:2008 specifies basic measurement methods of audio characteristics.
– Wave File Specifications by McGill University.
– Adobe Audition User Guide defines full scale as 1 for float data.
– Nielsen & Lund’s document on 0dBFS+ Levels in Digital Mastering.
– Categories:
– Digital signal processing.
– Digital audio.
– Hidden Categories:
– Articles with short description.
– Short description matches Wikidata.
In electronics and signal processing, full scale represents the maximum amplitude a system can represent.
In digital systems, a signal is said to be at digital full scale when its magnitude has reached the maximum representable value. Once a signal has reached digital full scale, all headroom has been utilized, and any further increase in amplitude will result in an error known as clipping. The amplitude of a digital signal can be represented in percent; full scale; or decibels, full scale (dBFS).
In analog systems, full scale may be defined by the maximum voltage available, or the maximum deflection (full scale deflection or FSD) or indication of an analog instrument such as a moving coil meter or galvanometer.
