ABSTRACT
This chapter is a primer for understanding how digital information is used in audio production. Topics include the binary numbering system, bits and bytes, and data storage and retrieval as it is related to digital audio: recording and playback, sampling, quantization, and the Nyquist limit are all covered, as well as what can go wrong if the audio is aliased (recorded above its Nyquist limit). The potential dynamic range of digital audio is also stressed, as it determines the stored audio’s maximum amplitude and noise floor. The chapter ends with pulse code modulation (PCM), and how it is used for both the analog-to-digital (A-to-D) and digital-to-analog (D-to-A) processes.
