Digital Audio

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Recommended: Evolution of Music

• Introduction

Technology has paved a way for us to appreciate music in a more personal and convenient ways. Gone are the days that we need a huge investment, wide space and a stationary action for us to appreciate quality music: the CDs and walkmans that render us immobile, the lack of good earphone technology, and even the low-quality amplifiers have been gone.

A more interesting part in the technology that incorporates sound and music, however, is on how studios and computers facilitate recording and compressing sound without compromising quality. Indeed, without the use of compression technology, sound recordings will take up much bigger spaces than the compact files that we enjoy today. It is to be recalled that what was once a 12-15 track CD is now conveniently able to store hundreds of tracks due to compaction. Moreover, without sound recording, there is no way that we will be able to hear tracks of our favorite bands without attending to their concerts.

An understanding of hearing, sound and its conversion into digital data is essential to properly utilize sound recording and playback facilities. It is also helpful to know the essential properties of digital audio in order to maximize sound editing techniques.

• Digital Sampling, Filtering and Compression

a. Sound Production and Digital Sampling

Sound is produced through variations in air pressure. Stringed instruments, mainly guitars, use vibrations to produce sounds. Electronic devices use loud speakers to facilitate the production of sounds (Marshall, 2011). Our ears are sensitive to the changes in pressure, thus, we perceive them as sounds.

Computers, however, cannot process analog sounds. There is a need to convert the sounds into discrete, mathematical data (M...

... middle of paper ...

...als into frequency domain signals so that there is an easier way to process signals. Frequency domain filters are used to perceive beats, apply reverb, and add or subtract frequencies. Auditory masking and filtering is used in order to compress the sound file without compromising quality.

The beauty of digital audio is mainly reliant on the processing of waves and frequencies. Through further study, more and more compression techniques and higher quality file formats will be attained in the future. Truly, the music experience will get better and better as sound technology becomes more and more sophisticated.

References

1. Marshall, D. (2011, May 9). Digital Audio: From mic. to MPEG!. IET Trevithick Lecture 2011.

MP3-Converter.com (2011, May 9). Inside the MP3Codec. MP3-Converter.com.

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