ABSTRACT
Sound is an analog signal that may be defined as air pressure variation over time. With the advent of extremely capable and relatively inexpensive computers it is now possible to analyze, modify, and create sounds with seemingly limitless flexibility. However, virtually all computers operate on digital, not analog, signals. In this chapter we define digital and analog signals, discuss how the transition is made from digital to analog domains and back, and describe ways in which acoustic signals can be processed once they are in a digital format. The digital control of laboratory equipment by computer is also described.
