Digital Audio Essentials

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.

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.
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.

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

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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Digital Audio Essentials

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Bruce Fries

Marty Fries