ABSTRACT
This chapter takes a musical approach to the technical aspects of originating and processing digital audio. It begins by defining and summarizing the key aspects of digital audio itself, extending this into a discussion about the post-digital and how digital and analog sound interrelate. It gives important technical information about Fourier transforms, file formats, sinusoids and microphones. It frames these technical aspects by discussing what it means to be creative with digital audio, how synthesis works in practice and the important aspects of recording and mixing music. It finally considers the creative and musical potential of three ways in which working with audio has been transformed by digital technologies: musical metadata; music information retrieval; and data sonification. It includes comments on working with digital audio from the case study musicians. It offers some critical questions as food for thought. It provides three creative projects for practical work in class, and a list of recommended further readings and suggested listening.
