Saturday, September 09, 2006

Digital audio

Digital audio is a technology has emerged because of its supreme usefulness to sound recording, manipulation, mass-production and distribution. The modern day distribution of music across the internet through on-line stores depends on digital recording, and digital compression algorithms. "Dematerialization" of the music software into computer files has significantly reduced costs of distribution. However, it has brought about the concomitant rise in music sharing thorough peer to peer networks

From the Long-play gramophone record and compact cassette, the 78 RPM vinyl records and wax cylinders before them, analogue audio music storage and reproduction have been based on the same principles upon which human hearing are based. Sounds begin and end as mechanical energy wave forms in air, are captured in said wave form, and transformed into an electrical energy by a microphone transducer. Although its nature may change, its fundamental wave-like characteristics remain unchanged during its storage, transformation, duplication, amplification. Up until very recently, analogue audio is susceptible to significant information loss, as noise and distortions tend to creep in at each stage.

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