Digital audio fundamentals and applications

Digital Audio

In world of audio recording, the vast improvements in technology over the last several years have lead to a number of different innovations. This is because it has allowed the industry to evolve to the point, that precise sounds can be captured. Giving the listener, the same kind of sounds and sensations they would feel, as if they were actually at the event in real time. This has lead to a revolution in way music is being recorded. Where, both digital and analogue methods of recording have created distinct choices for the listener, with the majority preferring digital audio. This is because it can capture the specific sounds of the music, while analogue recording only collects certain elements of the music. To fully understand, why digital recording has a better resonance quality than audio, requires comparing the way both methods collect and replay these sounds. This will provide the greatest insights, as to why digital audio recording is superior to analogue recording.

The basic reason why digital audio is superior to analogue recording is because of time sampling. This is when the recording device will take samples of the sound, based upon either sounds waves or specific decimals to track the amplitude of the wave. In analogue audio recording, it captures the general wave, but it cannot track the specific up and down movements in sound. Because digital recording, tracks the sounds based upon a decimal point system, means that it can more precisely record various specific sounds (at any point in the sound wave). As a result, digital audio will provide the listener with distinct sounds that cannot be heard on analogue devices. ("Fundamental of Digital Audio Recording" 21- 50)

Yet, when you look a little further, it is obvious that the reason why digital recording is superior; is because it works off the basic principal known as: Nyquist's Frequency. This is when the very low pass signals are removed and you are focusing on those sounds that have high frequency, to the point that they cannot be heard by human ear. The idea is that if you can capture these sounds on the spectrum, then the overall quality will improve, as it will play the slightest noises in all recordings. Digital audio recording captures these slight sounds, by applying the decimal system to Nyquist's Frequency. At which point, these devices can capture the same kind of sounds that are occurring in real time. ("Fundamental of Digital Audio Recording" 21- 50)

At the same time, digital audio recording will use aliasing and quantization to improve the overall quality of the recordings. Aliasing is when confusion can occur and the device will record the intended sound, along with other background noises. In analogue recording this will often occur, as the device will capture the general wave, causing the other sounds to appear. Quantization is when you are measuring the time and value of the sample that is being recorded. This is an important element, because it gives audio digital recording an advantage over analogue recording. As quantization is a key element, that will allow it to more accurately sample and value the different sounds that are being heard. At which point, the quality of the recording will improve dramatically, as it will give the listener a more realistic representation. ("Fundamental of Digital Audio Recording" 21- 50)