Digital Audio Technology for CD, MiniDisc, SACD, DVD(A), MP3 and DAT: Article Index

A brief history of audio technology

Part A : Principles of Digital Signal Processing

1. Introduction

2. Principles of sampling

3. Principles of quantization

4. Overview of A/D conversion systems

5. Operation of A/D-D/A converters

6. Codes for digital magnetic recording

7. Principles of error correction

Part B : The Compact Disc (CD)

8. Overview of the CD medium

9. Compact disc encoding

10. Opto-electronics and the optical block

11. The servo circuits in CD players

12. Signal processing

Part C : Digital Audio Recording Systems

13. Outline

14. Video PCM formats

15. Digital audio tape (DAT) format

16. Non-tracking digital audio tape (NT-DAT)

17. MiniDisc

Part D : Advanced Digital Audio Technologies

18. Super Audio CD (SACD)

19. DVD-Audio

20. Audio compression

COMING SOON ...

Additional:

Error correction

Sampling theorem

Serial copy management system (SCMS)

Digital audio interface format (S/PDIF-IEC958)

The 20th century witnessed a number of inventions and developments which have made music regularly accessible to more people than ever before. Not the least of these were the inventions of the conventional analog phonograph and the development of broadcast radio. Both have undergone successive changes or improvements, from the 78 rpm disc to the 33 1/3 rpm disc, and from the AM system to the FM stereo system. These improvements resulted from demands for better and better quality.

In 1979, another change took place which now enables us to achieve the highest possible audio fidelity yet--the introduction of digital technology, specifically the compact disc.

Research and development efforts, concentrated on consumer products, have made the extraordinary advantages of digital audio systems easily accessible at home. The last decade has witnessed an exponential growth of digital media, disc based as well as network based. To address these new media, the latest edition of this book includes the newest developments; as a result, the title has been changed to visualize this evolution. Sony is proud to have been one of the forerunners in this field, co-inventor of the compact disc digital audio system and inventor of the MiniDisc, which has led to an entirely new level of quality music.

NOTE: This guide is based on the classic Sony book: Digital Audio Technology edited by Luc Baert, Luc Theunissen, Guido Vergult, Jan Maes and Jan Arts (Sony Europe).