MusicianCV · TRPeak and RMS
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Properties of sound
Peak measures the largest instantaneous amplitude, while RMS measures effective amplitude across an interval. A short pulse and a sustained sine can share a peak but differ in RMS.
Example
sin · peak 1 → RMS ≈ 0.707
Peak and RMSsin · peak 1 → RMS ≈ 0.707
Try it
Which relationship should you listen for when reading the diagram?
Answer
Peak measures the largest instantaneous amplitude, while RMS measures effective amplitude across an interval. A short pulse and a sustained sine can share a peak but differ in RMS.Related topics
Envelope: from attack to releaseReferences
Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom
Subject-expert review pending.