The Nature of Sound
Common misconception: Digital sounds are "synthesized" sounds.
Common misconception: Digital sounds are "synthesized" sounds.
- The post-processing effects of technologies like Auto-Tune, noise reduction, etc. are indeed digital, but not in the stereotypical drum machine or synthesizer sort of way. Even hand claps, acapella music, or conversations can be recorded and digitally represented with binary.
Audio Sampling
Common Misconception: Digital audio is "stored sound."
Post-processing effects are possible on digital images, video, and sounds because we can transform the bits that encode them. These bits are numeric values and therefore can be altered using algorithms (i.e., functions/math operations).
Let's take a look at how to create an "echo" during post-processing.
Common Misconception: Digital audio is "stored sound."
- Digital audio is set of data/instructions to recreate a sound through the right method and device. This is in contrast to vinyl record players, where you can literally scratch a groove with a sewing needle and hear the sound.
Post-processing effects are possible on digital images, video, and sounds because we can transform the bits that encode them. These bits are numeric values and therefore can be altered using algorithms (i.e., functions/math operations).
Let's take a look at how to create an "echo" during post-processing.
- Pretend that we digitized the sound of a hand clap, represented as the following digital sound wave.
- How would we represent the sound when it echoes?
- Since an echo is merely a sound that has bounced of a surface and is re-heard, the sound repeats. Therefore, to simulate an echo, the digitized sound wave should repeat:
- The same digital sound wave is simply copied.
Just as digital photography captures and quantizes light and color, digital audio recording may capture sound volume and frequencies. Once these characteristics are represented as values and stored numerically, they may be manipulated. Just as mathematical operations can alter the colors or brightness in an image, they may alter the frequencies and amplitudes of stored sound waves.
However, the techniques used in audio processing are more difficult than those in image processing, because timing is an important factor. You will spend some time doing some simple manipulation of audio files in Processing.
However, the techniques used in audio processing are more difficult than those in image processing, because timing is an important factor. You will spend some time doing some simple manipulation of audio files in Processing.