Learning objectives

When you have completed this session, you should be able to

• define term "digital audio",
• dit sound files,
• create sound files.

Digital Audio and Video Technology

Digital video and audio technology helps archiving our records on CDs [ROSSZ LINK!!!] or DVDs. We can publish them on the Internet and we can even create special effects easily that would be very difficult and expensive with analogue equipment.

Due to small broadband the amount of transmitted audio and video files via Internet today is insignificant compared to the amount of pictures. Downloading some better quality video with an average modem at home may even take several hours.

The situation is similar with audio files although some compression methods can result relatively small size files.

The most important concept in case of movies and audio files to compress the size of the files as much as possible. Different algorithms have been developed for this application which will be discussed in the next chapters.

The editing of audio and video files is done by suitable software. The most known video editor is Premier from the Adobe Company. Well known audio programs are Sonic, Soundforge or Audition (earlier called CoolEdit) from the Adobe Company.

Digital Audio Technology

Sound is small amplitude mechanical oscillation expanding usually in air. Sound can be converted into electric signals with the help of microphones and this way it can be processed, transmitted, and stored electronically.