It introduces digital audio systems technology Audio rounds out multimedia applications by enriching the environment with music, sound effects, and speech. Each audio element can play a different role in a multimedia application. Music sets the mood and provides emphasis to an application. Sound effects add variety and dash. Speech offers yet another way to present information.
This chapter presents four aspects of using digital sound:
It introduces digital audio systems technology
It identifies alternatives for acquiring sounds for applications
It identifies software and hardware components for a sound preparation system
It offers a brief overview of the sound preparation process
With a Multimedia PC, you have all the computer hardware and software needed to play digitized sound; and with a few additional components, you can record and merge digitized sound into multimedia applications.
This chapter explains some of the issues involved in creating audio files for playback from Windows with Multimedia. It describes in broad terms how to prepare audio files and offers suggestions for an audio preparation system. Creating good audio is as much art as it is science—nothing can replace expertise and experience. If you want good advice, find a good audio technician.