In the digital domain, audio that is too loud or too quiet can encounter similar problems as with the analog domain. Matt explains how amplification and attenuation (turning the volume up or down) works within digital gain stages using multiplication. When samples go outside the range of available measurements, this is called clipping distortion. Rounding errors, also known as quantization distortion, can happen at very low amplitudes unless dither is enabled.
- In the analog domain, a gain stage,…a place where we can turn an audio signal up or down,…works using an electrical circuit.…In the digital domain, a gain stage works using math.…Specifically, multiplication and division.…Here's how a gain stage works in the digital domain.…(piano chord)…This recorded sound is made up of several thousand samples.…Now, if we tell the audio software…to turn up the sound by six decibels, then,…behind the scenes, the computer actually goes through…each of those thousands and thousands of samples…and multiplies its value by two.…
(louder piano chord)…Or, if we turn the sound down by six decibels,…the computer divides each sample measurement in half.…(softer piano chord)…The specific amount that the computer uses…to multiply or divide are different…for different decibel amounts of volume change…but the principle is the same.…This is one reason older computers,…from the 1990s or earlier, couldn't work as well…with digital audio.…
They couldn't do all that math quickly enough.…In the analog domain,…
Author
Matt Mayfield
Released
4/22/2016The course starts with explanations of what sound really is and how we hear it, including discussions on frequency, amplitude, phase, and psychoacoustics. Matt explores analog audio signal path, explaining connections, gain staging, and metering. Next, he brings the audio signal into the digital domain, discussing analog to digital conversion, digital gain staging, file formats and compression, and dither.
Then the course digs into digital audio workstations (DAWs), explaining the concepts and misconceptions involved in digital recording systems. Matt describes how memory, CPU speed, and storage affect your DAW's performance, as well as how to manage computer resources and understand the plethora of file formats associated with digital recording. He follows with an overview of MIDI: how to generate, store, process, and communicate MIDI data. He wraps up with the audio processors that are often used for mixing in a DAW—including EQ, compressors, reverb, delay, and many others.
- What is sound?
- The three domains of sound: acoustic, analog, and digital
- The analog vs. digital signal paths
- Converting analog audio to digital
- Digital formats and data compression
- Understanding the five types of DAWs
- Recording performances with MIDI
- Mixing and processing audio with EQ, compression, and other effects
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
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Introduction
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Welcome2m 2s
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1. Concepts of Sound
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What is sound made of?2m 51s
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Frequency and amplitude8m 21s
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Phase and time4m 37s
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How do we hear?6m 16s
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2. The Signal Path: Acoustic and Analog
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Overview of a signal path4m 20s
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Types of analog connections7m 54s
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Metering5m 52s
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3. The Signal Path: Digital
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Adding the digital domain3m 54s
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Analog to digital conversion7m 11s
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Dither6m 59s
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Digital to analog conversion9m 13s
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4. Digital Audio Workstations
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Introducing the DAW4m 51s
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Managing computer resources8m 57s
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5. MIDI
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How MIDI is communicated6m 18s
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Storing and processing MIDI3m 22s
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6. Mixing and Processing Audio
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Levels, pan, and automation6m 54s
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Types of EQ components7m 48s
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Reverb5m 55s
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Conclusion
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Next steps2m 15s
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Video: Gain stages in the digital domain