digital audio
<multimedia, file format> A sequence of discrete samples taken from a
continuous sound (audio) waveform. Tens of thousands of samples are taken each
second. Each sample represents the intensity of the sound pressure wave at that
instant. Apart from the sampling frequency, the other parameter is the digital
encoding of each sample including the number of bits used. The encoding may be
linear, logarithmic or mu-law.
Digital audio is typically created by taking 16-bit samples over a spectrum of
44.1 thousand cycles per second (kHz), this means that CD quality sound requires
1.4 million bits of data per second. Digital telephone systems use lower sample
rates.
Filename extension: .au (Unix), .snd (MS-DOS, MS Windows).
See also Audio IFF, MP3, wav.
Usenet newsgroups: alt.binaries.sounds.*.
A FAQ on audio file formats is available. Part 1, Part 2.
(1999-07-30)
Nearby terms:
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Audio Tape » digital camera » digital carrier
