There are many different types of music notation from various different nations and from various time periods of those nation’s history. For this presentation, in western, classical music the building blocks of music notation include staffs, measures, time and key signatures, notes and scales.
The five equal, horizontal lines and four spaces are the Staff. [...]
Effects processing can be done by either dedicated hardware device or with a stand-alone or plug-in software application. A single mono or stereo file, a mono or stereo track or a group of tracks simultaneously can have the effects, or a series of effects simultaneously, applied depending on the capability of the device, application and [...]
Digital data Editing and Effects application can be done strictly by software applications and/or hardware devices. Some software and hardware will be designed specifically for one function, for instance just Compression. Some applications and/or devices will have multi-functions. DSP will be done fixed or floating point. The key will be in the strength of the [...]
Digital Data is represented by electric pulses in a sequence that can further represent binary numbers. A binary number system allows one to combine the simple numbers into complex mathematical equations. Digital Signal Processing is about utilizing specialized digital electric circuits and specific programs for rapidly reducing those complex equations to simple equations and manipulating [...]
A Digital Audio Workstation can either be a very professional, high-end recording console installed in a professional studio or it can be the desktop computer sitting in front of you. Any computer or digital sound production equipment dedicated to music production (or spoken word) can be termed a Digital Audio Workstation. It can even be [...]
Mastering has two definitions depending on which segment of the sound production process is actually being discussed.
In one context, Mastering (post production) is the creation of a a final copy of a composition (or group of compositions) prior to the transfer of the composition(s) to a media for release to the public. Mastering is also [...]
Multi-Track Analog and Digital Audio can be routed through a Mixer either prior to being processed to a computer hard disk or afterwards when the file(s) are being edited. The Mixer can can also function as an intermediary device between several analog and digital peripheral hardware used to record and process digital audio.
Mixing (either with [...]
Synchronization is important if your studio has grown to include several types of hardware devices. All of the devices must be synchronized to a single master timing source. These time code protocols, which are for synchronizing the digital bit stream flowing from one device to another or to an audio software application, or transmitted an [...]
Computers process digital audio and play audible sound through the Soundcard (Audio Interface).
The polyphonic ability of a sound card (a circuit board installed within the computer) refers to the ability of the sound card to play more than one note (also referred to as voice) at a time. Sound cards, and synthesizers, these days are [...]
A Sound Module functions like a storage unit for pre-recorded instrument or special effects sounds. It is usually a stand-alone, modular unit that must be connected to computer or MIDI keyboard to send it instructions. There are also software application Sound Modules available. Again, similar to the Sampler, the Sound Module tends to come without [...]