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Originally posted by Joss Weatherby I am not sure if you are confused or not, but the sample rate for recording is not the same thing is as the frequency response that you hear. PCM audio is like a film camera, it takes little snapshots of the waveform and then uses that to reconstruct the sound. The higher the sample rate, the more information it captures. This applies to all frequency ranges. True people cant hear above 18khz most of the time (15khz is pushing it for a lot of people even, especially as they get older), but it doesnt mean you should choose a lower sampling rate and bit depth (think of the bit depth as like HDTV vs. Standard Definition). Recording analog sounds should always be done at a higher bit depth/sample rate.

This argument has been done to death, but actually there is a direct analogous link between what we can hear as our highest perceivable frequency and the sample rate, because that is the precise reason we record twice above 20khz, so that we get a full cycle of the waveform in a given recording. Yes the higher the sample rate the more information it captures but it is governed by a clear rule of diminishing returns (filesize vs increase in perceived quality) meaning currently, it simply not worth working at higher sample rates. This is not to mention that fact that when most people hear the final product of a higher sample rate recording it will not be reproduced on anything that would be able to take advantage or truly represent the increase in quality, especially with dance music.

There is an argument to work your entire project in a higher sample rate (and I know when very well respected engineer that will only work in 96k), as you can hear more during the creative process and therefore even if it does finally go down to a lower sample rate, you will have done the creative process with better perceived accuracy. Again, if equipment, filesize and all the initial sources were recorded or sampled at that quality it might warrant it, otherwise there is simply no point, as 44.1 is good enough for the general populations ear. Unless you are a mutant or one of the greatest engineers in the world, there is no way you can recognize the difference between 44k and 48k in a blind test.