TECHNOLOGIES

In this section you can learn more about the technologies Sound Temple use. For ease of navigation this guide has been split into multiple pages and you can jump to a topic that interests you by clicking the links below.

• Introduction
• Electronic Signal Generation
• Digital Audio Signal Generation
• Sample Rate
• Bit Depth
• Digital and Analogue Audio Signal Manipulation
• Digital Audio Mastering
• Clip Removal
• Volume Control
• Panning
• Normalisation
• Compression
• Limiting
• Expansion
• Noise Gates

Introduction

Digital audio signal manipulation is a relatively new area of computer application. Whilst analogue effects and processes were being used as early as 1930 digital audio processing has only gained ground within the last eight years. Even more recently the use of computer hosted DSP software has been only observed within the last three years. Recent advances in both computer and electronic technologies have enabled these time consuming, maybe even impossible, multimedia processes to be performed and automated at much higher rates than previously possible in the analogue domain.

Concurrent advances in software engineering and technology have provided powerful new architectures that enable a developer to model the analogue world and devise software emulations of traditional signal processing equipment. DirectX is such architecture and exposes a flexible system that allows such analogue software models to be implemented as 'pluggable' units. These software pluggable units are known as plug-ins and are currently gaining much favour in professional audio institutions. Audio processing hardware devices costing many thousands of pounds can be emulated almost identically as their analogue counterparts using DirectX architecture and signal processing algorithms. Audio software companies such as Sonic Foundry (US) and Steinberg (Germany) actively encourage developers to design plug-ins that emulate traditional hardware. Their aim is two fold, one to add further functionality to current products and also to explore new signal processes previously hidden from the analogue world.

To aid such revolutionary developments these companies supply free plug-in software development kits that contain the necessary source code to allow an individual access to design unique audio signal processors.

An area of professional audio production that has gained considerably from this new technology is the digital mastering industry. Digital audio mastering is the process of maximising the quality, digitally, of a final recording before mass production of compact discs or records occurs. Mastering traditionally involved the use of high cost analogue equipment and has always been thought of as a 'black art'. The specific processes involved vary from engineer, there are however, processes that all parties generally agree upon as being requisite for the mastering process. "Compression and Normalization can be used together to increase the apparent loudness of a recording. This is currently a popular mastering technique." - Sonic Foundry.