OK so you have encountered a lot about “RMS” in audio recording, mixing and mastering. You might have read it many times in different tutorials featured in this blog or in recording forums. So what is really RMS?
RMS is Root Mean Square
It is assumed you are not a mathematician or have strong engineering knowledge so let’s explain this term in the easiest way. RMS stands for Root mean square. Do not confuse with those squares or means; the easiest way to understand RMS is simply it’s just an unique way of finding out the “average”.
Why not simply use the word “average” instead of “RMS”? Well, technically RMS is used to characterize the “average” of continuous varying signals such as audio, electrical signals, sound, etc.
Like any properties of a continuous signal such as audio or electrical signals. It can be characterized as having a maximum, minimum and average. In audio waveforms, these maximum is often called “peak” signal and often measured in dB in digital. In digital audio, the maximum allowable is 0dB. If it exceeds that amount, distortion would occur.
Between the minimum (the quietest sections of the audio) and the loudest section (towards 0dBFS, the peak) is where the RMS value can be found. It would be depicted on the screenshot below:
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Understanding what does RMS stands for in Audio
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