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Participant
November 1, 2019
Question

How to choose the RMS setting when calculating the amplitude?

  • November 1, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 750 views

How to choose the RMS setting when calculating the amplitude in Amplitude  statistics window

I am calculating the amplitude of a sine wave ,but the peak or rms equals between each other while choosing 0dB=FS sine wave,but not be the same number while choosing 0dB=FS squre wave.

It doesn't match my understangding of the crest factor, isn't it be 1.414 for sine wave while 1 for squre wave?

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 4, 2019

Look, there's no such thing as a 'real' result! All dB measurements are relative ones, and all you have done is changed the reference value. Normally the reference would be 0dB FS with a sine wave value, not a aquare wave. The reason for this choice being there is historical, and not relevant to what you are trying to do.

 

And I think that you are only disturbed by the choice because you haven't grasped the fundamentals yet - quite. Persevere!

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 1, 2019

This has nothing to do with the crest factor. If you define a signal that reaches 0dB to indicate 0dB if it's a sine wave, then that's exactly what it does. If you substitute it with a square wave, then the RMS value will be indicated as 3.1dB. That's +3.1dB. In other words, 3.1dB higher than the sine wave RMS value. This is correct. Now if you change the reference to use a square wave instead, both values will be 3dB lower. So that's 0dB for the square wave, and -3.1dB for the sine wave.

 

If you want to see all this laid out clearly, look here: Wikipedia - crest factor 

WHJAuthor
Participant
November 4, 2019

Sorry,i don't understand...

I'am checking the amplitude of a sine wave i recorded.

When setting 0dB=FS sine wave, the peak value equal to RMS value , both = -20dBFS,

When setting 0dB=FS square wave, the peak value=-20dBFS,while the RMS value = -23dBFS,

so which is the real result?

If the second one is correct,why is there a disturbing choice?