From the course: Digital Audio Foundations

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The acoustic, analog, and digital domains

The acoustic, analog, and digital domains

From the course: Digital Audio Foundations

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The acoustic, analog, and digital domains

- Sound, or a representation of sound, can exist in three domains. The acoustic domain, the analog domain, and the digital domain. Digital audio actually involves all three so we'll explore them all here. As we've already seen, sound starts as vibrating waves in a medium such as air. This is the acoustic domain where all sound originally comes from, unless it's electronically generated, and it's where all sound has to go for it to be heard. The acoustic domain has the advantage that it doesn't require any kind of electronic technology. It has the disadvantage that it's not possible to record anything. Sounds are heard once, and then gone forever. For example, I can't talk into this empty bottle, and then expect to hear my voice back when I open it again. The tools available to make sound within the acoustic domain are acoustic musical instruments, and the sounds they make depend on their physical properties. For example, it's impossible to make a high, light, delicate sound with a…

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