Principles of Digital Audio
This is the number 1 best-selling book on digital audio engineering. This definitive text provides comprehensive coverage of today's leading digital audio technologies as well as a thorough survey of fundamentals and theory. Written by well-known audio engineering expert and best-selling author Ken Pohlmann, four previous editions have been valued for their clear explanations and have been widely used as college texts and professional references. The fifth edition of "Principles of Digital Audio" has been extensively updated and revised to reflect ongoing widespread changes in the audio industry. Beginning with an in-depth discussion of digital audio recording and reproduction, the text then details perceptual low bit-rate coding, CD and DVD disc formats, digital audio broadcasting, internet and network audio, and DSP.From the basic theory to the latest technological advancements, "Principles of Digital Audio" completely covers this multifaceted field, including topics such as: MP3, AAC, and Dolby Digital audio coding; DVD playback and recording formats; PC-based desktop audio systems; 5.1 -channel surround-sound coding; HD Radio and satellite radio; Music downloading and streaming; and, Digital signal processing.This book covers: Sound and Numbers; Fundamental Theory; Digital Audio Recording; Digital Audio Reproduction; Error Correction; Digital Audio Tape; Optical Disc Storage; Compact Disc and SACD; Recordable CD; Interconnection; Perceptual Coding: Theory and Applications; MPEG-1 and MPEG-2; MP3 Codec; MPEG-4 and AAC; Psychoacoustic Models; Surround Sound Coding; Lossless Coding; DVD-Video and DVD-Audio; Recordable DVD; HD-DVD and Blu-ray; Minidisc; Desktop Audio; Network Audio; Downloadable and Streaming Internet Audio; File Formats; Digital Rights Management; Watermarking and Encryption; MPEG-7; Digital Radio and TV Broadcasting; HD Radio; Satellite Radio; Digital Audio Workstations; Digital Signal Processing: Theory and Applications; and, Sigma Delta Conversion and Noise Shaping.
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you want a single, industry-oriented reference that ties digital signal processing fundamentals to real-world audio engineering — from converters and dithering to perceptual coding and distribution formats. It gives you both the theory behind audio DSP and practical explanations of formats, interfaces, and measurement techniques used in professional audio.
Who Will Benefit
Audio engineers, DSP engineers, and advanced students who need a practical, engineering-focused reference on digital audio systems, formats, and perceptual coding.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic signals and systems, familiarity with discrete-time Fourier concepts and elementary probability/statistics; undergraduate-level calculus and linear algebra are helpful.
Key Takeaways
- Explain the principles of sampling, quantization, A/D and D/A conversion and their practical implications for audio quality
- Apply digital filtering, multirate techniques, and FFT-based spectral analysis to common audio tasks
- Describe perceptual audio coding concepts and evaluate low bit-rate codecs (e.g., MP3/AAC) and their tradeoffs
- Evaluate recording/playback chain issues including jitter, dithering, noise shaping, and measurement methods
- Identify and compare audio storage and distribution formats (CD, DVD, digital broadcasting) and interfaces
- Assess perceptual and objective metrics for audio quality and make design decisions informed by psychoacoustics
Topics Covered
- Introduction and history of digital audio
- Physical and perceptual fundamentals of sound
- Sampling theory and quantization for audio
- Analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion
- Digital filters and time-domain processing in audio
- Spectral analysis and the FFT in audio applications
- Multirate processing and sample-rate conversion
- Dithering, noise shaping, and dynamic range management
- Perceptual coding and low bit-rate audio (MP3, AAC principles)
- Digital audio storage and distribution (CD, DVD, formats)
- Digital audio interfaces, synchronization, and jitter
- Digital audio broadcasting and streaming technologies
- Measurement, testing, and practical system considerations
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
More practical and industry-focused than Zölzer's Digital Audio Signal Processing (which is more DSP-math heavy); broader in scope than pure DSP textbooks like Oppenheim & Schafer, since Pohlmann covers formats, interfaces, and perceptual coding alongside core DSP.
