ABSTRACT
As memory capacity increases it becomes possible to store and replay arbitrary waveforms rather than lists of approximate pitch and volume for simple pre-set pulses. This “sample replay” technology has transformed interactive audio. This chapter explains how and the new techniques it spawned.
Concepts: pulse-width modulation, direct memory access, output filters, tracker modules, MIDI, Moore’s Law, multichannel phasing, correlation, combining voices, sample rate optimisation, noise masking, analogue surround phase encoding, block-update rates and latency.
Audio formats: PCM, ATRAC3, VAG, MP3, XADPCM, Opus, Ogg Vorbis.
People: Jay Miner, Allister Brimble, Bobby Prince, Trent Reznor, Lyndon Sharp, Richard Furse.
Products mentioned: Fairlight CMI, SpecDrum, Commodore Amiga, Paula, OctaMED, Doom, Quake, PS1 CXD2922, PS2 SPU, Salt Lake 2002, FMOD, Colin McRae: DiRT, CD, DVD, XM, Dance Factory, PS3 Operation Flashpoint, OPL2.
