Help me Understand: Digital Signal Flow

bionic brown · 27th January 2007

Okay,

I'm trying to understand fully the digital signal flow. Is this correct?

Mic>Preamp>A/D Convrter>Hardware Drive>Operating Sytem>Audio Engine (DAW Software, incl. Plugins)>Operating System>Hardware Driver>D/A Converter>Monitors?

bionic brown · 28th January 2007

please? any help?

theblue1 · 28th January 2007

Lemme give this a pop-science try...

Mic > Preamp > AD Converter > data transport system (PCI bus, Firewire, USB) > OS audio layer > DAW software [ SIDETRIP from DAW to "plug in" layer of OS > Plug IN applets > OS plug layer > (back to) DAW software ] > storage of data in memory and or/on hard drive and back to DAW software > OS audio layer > data transport (PCI, FW, etc) > DA converter > amp/speakers...

I haven't had a lot of coffee yet but I'm thinking that's the major steps along the way. Happy to be corrected by the sharper-eyed.

dementedchord · 29th January 2007

the reason your probably having a hard time wrappin your brain around it is because in the traditional sense of signal flow it doesnt exist inside the computer.... sure it makes sense to think of gozintas and cumzouttas when your looking at mic/cable/pre/convert......convert/amp/speakers.... but the middle part is screwed by your thinking.... it exists and is processed from within the daw.... which is run on hardware controlled by and communicated with through an OS... makes sense???

bionic brown · 29th January 2007

The reason I ask is because a couple of my students asked me and I was not sure. Kinda embarrassed. Of all the things I'm sure about this one had me drawing a blank. And I think I need to be absolutely sure, not extremely scientific down to the 0's & 1's, but at enough to have no doubt in my mind.

27th January 2007	#1
bionic brown Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 181 Thread Starter	Help me Understand: Digital Signal Flow Okay, I'm trying to understand fully the digital signal flow. Is this correct? Mic>Preamp>A/D Convrter>Hardware Drive>Operating Sytem>Audio Engine (DAW Software, incl. Plugins)>Operating System>Hardware Driver>D/A Converter>Monitors?

28th January 2007	#3
theblue1 Gear Guru Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 14,279	Lemme give this a pop-science try... Mic > Preamp > AD Converter > data transport system (PCI bus, Firewire, USB) > OS audio layer > DAW software [ SIDETRIP from DAW to "plug in" layer of OS > Plug IN applets > OS plug layer > (back to) DAW software ] > storage of data in memory and or/on hard drive and back to DAW software > OS audio layer > data transport (PCI, FW, etc) > DA converter > amp/speakers... I haven't had a lot of coffee yet but I'm thinking that's the major steps along the way. Happy to be corrected by the sharper-eyed. __________________ day job \| A Year of Songs \| music and social stuff \| mutant pop on facebook \| roots acoustic on facebook

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29th January 2007	#4
dementedchord Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 885	the reason your probably having a hard time wrappin your brain around it is because in the traditional sense of signal flow it doesnt exist inside the computer.... sure it makes sense to think of gozintas and cumzouttas when your looking at mic/cable/pre/convert......convert/amp/speakers.... but the middle part is screwed by your thinking.... it exists and is processed from within the daw.... which is run on hardware controlled by and communicated with through an OS... makes sense???