Digital Audio Essentials

by Fries, Bruce

• ISBN13: 9780596008567
• ISBN10: 0596008562
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-12
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

Digital Audio: Unabridged is just that-a book that explores all the basics of digital audio, music downloading, electronic archiving and recording on both PCs and Macs. Readers will find instructions and tutorials to help them avoid time-consuming trial and error for burning CDs, converting analog music to digital form, streaming online music, setting up home stereo configurations, and creating MP3 and other audio files. The book also includes recommendations for hardware and software, file sharing and other resources, and explains the basics of the DMCA and intellectual property law. For anyone enthralled by digital audio, this entertaining guide is a must.

Author Biography

1. Bruce Fries

   Bruce Fries self-published the MP3 and Internet Audio Handbook and several other titles. He is a writer, technology consultant and entrepreneur, as well as an associate of the Audio Engineering Society, and founder of several high-tech companies. Bruce has been interviewed as an expert on a variety of digital audio topics, including the Napster vs. the RIAA lawsuits.

2. Marty Fries

   Marty Fries is a technology consultant who has been involved with computers for over 30 years. He has worked as audio engineer, toured nationally for a major record label mixing live sound, and has designed and built stereo equipment. He plays piano and organ for The Cutouts Blues Band, and lives in Laurel, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Part I: Going Digital
Digital Audio and the Computer	3	(6)
Music and the PC	3	(1)
The Digital Music Revolution	4	(5)
The Right System for the Job	9	(20)
System Requirements for Digital Audio	9	(1)
Computer Basics	10	(6)
Factors That Affect Performance	16	(6)
Optical Drives (CD and DVD)	22	(2)
External Interfaces	24	(1)
Sound Cards and Speakers	25	(4)
Connect Your Computer to Your Stereo	29	(18)
Connection Basics	30	(3)
Sound Card Connectors	33	(2)
Stereo Receiver Connectors	35	(1)
Direct Cable Connections	36	(2)
Selecting the Right Cables	38	(1)
USB and FireWire	39	(1)
Wireless Connections	39	(1)
Network Audio	40	(7)
Part II: Listening to Digital Music
Organizing and Playing Music	47	(22)
Getting Music onto Your Computer	48	(3)
Organizing Your Music	51	(2)
Playing Music	53	(1)
Playlists	54	(5)
Turn Up the Volume	59	(3)
File Type Associations	62	(1)
Customize Your Jukebox	63	(6)
Music on the Web	69	(28)
Online Music Choices	69	(3)
The Evolution of Online Music	72	(5)
Understanding Digital Rights Management	77	(3)
Online Music Services	80	(4)
Music on the Fringe	84	(3)
File Sharing	87	(7)
The War over P2P	94	(3)
Listening to Internet Radio	97	(14)
Broadcast Radio	97	(3)
How Internet Radio Works	100	(3)
Software for Internet Radio	103	(2)
Tuning In	105	(2)
Internet Radio Services	107	(4)
Music on the Move	111	(26)
From Rio to iPod and Beyond	112	(1)
Portable Digital Audio Players	113	(6)
Purchasing a Player: What to Look For	119	(5)
Getting Music onto the Player	124	(6)
Digital Audio for Your Car	130	(7)
Part III: The Nuts and Bolts of Digital Audio
Understanding Digital Audio	137	(18)
Sound Waves	138	(2)
Analog Audio	140	(2)
Digital Audio	142	(7)
Compression	149	(2)
File Sizes	151	(4)
Digital Audio Formats	155	(12)
Formats and Standards	156	(3)
Lossless Formats	159	(1)
Lossy Formats	160	(3)
High-Resolution Formats	163	(4)
MPEG Audio	167	(16)
The MPEG Committee	167	(2)
Types of MPEG Audio	169	(2)
Perceptual Encoding	171	(4)
Embedded Data	175	(3)
Sound Quality	178	(5)
Part IV: Capturing and Editing Audio
Recording and Ripping	183	(22)
Hard Disk Recording	183	(3)
Inside Your Sound Card	186	(5)
The Recording Process	191	(5)
Recording with a Jukebox Program	196	(3)
Ripping	199	(6)
Make Your Own MP3 Files	205	(16)
Different Paths to MP3	205	(2)
Encoding	207	(2)
Controlling Sound Quality	209	(3)
Creating MP3s with Your Jukebox Program	212	(5)
Format Conversion	217	(4)
Editing Audio	221	(26)
Editing Software	222	(1)
Working with Waveforms	223	(9)
Digital Signal Processing	232	(8)
Noise Reduction	240	(3)
Samples and Loops	243	(2)
Analyzing Sound	245	(2)
Digitizing Your Records and Tapes	247	(26)
A Brief History of Records	247	(3)
From Analog to Digital	250	(2)
Before You Record	252	(4)
Making the Recording	256	(3)
Removing Noise	259	(10)
Record Equalization	269	(4)
Part V: Sharing and Distributing Your Music
Burning Your Own CDs and DVDs	273	(24)
Types of CDs	274	(1)
CD Formats	275	(3)
CD Capacities	278	(1)
Purchasing CD Media	278	(4)
CD Recording Software	282	(1)
Tips for Successful Burning	283	(2)
Recording Options	285	(3)
Burning CDs with a Jukebox Program	288	(6)
Recording DVDs	294	(3)
Setting Up an Internet Radio Station	297	(20)
Understanding Internet Radio	298	(1)
Building an Internet Radio Station	299	(6)
Setting Up Your Own Station	305	(12)
Digital Audio and Copyright Laws	317	(14)
Copyright Basics	318	(3)
Copyright Laws in Action	321	(8)
Quick Guide to U.S. Copyright Laws	329	(2)
Glossary	331	(14)
Index	345