Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is a modulation technique that turns an analog signal into a digital binary code, representing the amplitude of the analog waveform at periodic intervals (Merriam-Webster, 2022). PCM works by sampling the amplitude of the analog waveform at regular time intervals,…
What is Audio Latency? Audio latency refers to a short delay between when an audio signal enters a system and when it emerges. This delay is an unavoidable byproduct of the steps involved in digitizing, processing, and outputting an analog audio signal. Latency occurs because it takes time for audio interfaces and digital audio workstations…
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors that allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and other equipment to connect and communicate with each other. MIDI was first developed in the early 1980s to standardize the growing amount of digital music hardware at…
What Is Dynamic Range in Audio? Dynamic range in audio refers to the ratio between the quietest and loudest sounds in a recording or audio system, measured in decibels (dB) (https://hub.yamaha.com/audio/music/what-is-dynamic-range-and-why-does-it-matter/). It indicates how much variation there is between the softest and loudest passages. A higher dynamic range means there is a greater difference between…
A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency measurement equal to 1,000 hertz or 1,000 cycles per second. It is commonly used to measure frequencies across many fields including audio, radio, computing, and telecommunications. The hertz (Hz) is the standard unit of frequency measurement, representing one cycle per second. Adding the metric prefix “kilo-” to…
Bit depth refers to the number of bits recorded for each sample in a digital audio file. It determines the possible dynamic range that can be represented in the audio. Higher bit depths allow for a greater dynamic range, resulting in higher audio quality and resolution. The three most common bit depths for digital audio…
Eight-bit audio refers to audio recordings with a maximum resolution of eight bits, resulting in 256 possible values 1. This quantization level represents the amplitude of each audio sample with limited precision. In the 1970s and 1980s, 8-bit audio was commonly used in video games, computers, and synthesizers due to hardware limitations at the time….
Kilobits per second (Kbps) is a measurement of data transfer speed for internet connections. It refers to how much data, measured in kilobits, can be transferred or downloaded per second. One kilobit is equal to 1,000 bits. Connection speeds for home internet service are typically measured in Kbps. Another common measurement is megabits per second…
What is a Decibel? A decibel (dB) is the unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. It quantifies how loud a sound is to the human ear. The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that an increase of 10 decibels corresponds to a tenfold increase in sound intensity. The name “decibel” comes from Alexander…
Bit depth refers to the number of bits used to represent the level of an audio signal when in digital form. It determines the resolution at which analog audio is converted into digital, which directly impacts audio quality. Higher bit depth allows digital audio to more accurately capture the full dynamic range and subtle details…