What follows is a series of chapters and learning supplements that explore the science of digital sound with a concerted effort to link the scientific principles to “real life” practice. Each chapter is organized into three sections. The first section covers the basic principles being taught. The second section provides examples of where these principles are found in the professional practice of digital sound. The third section explores these principles further and allows for deeper experimentation with programming and computational tools. As you progress through each chapter, you’ll come across demonstrations, exercises, and projects at varying levels of abstraction. Starting at the highest level of abstraction, you might begin with an off-the-shelf software tool like Logic Pro or Cakewalk Sonar, descend through tools like Max and MATLAB, and end at a low level of abstraction with C programming exercises. This book is intended to be useful to readers from different backgrounds – musicians, computer scientists, film sound designers, theater sound designers, audio engineers, or anyone interested in sound. The book’s structure should allow readers to explore the relationships among fundamental concepts, professional practice, and underlying science in the realm of digital sound, delving down to the level of abstraction that best fits their interests and needs.
1.2 How This Book is Organized