MUS 424 : Signal Processing Techniques for Digital Audio Effects

There are typically four steps in producing a CD or movie soundtrack, as shown in Figure . In tracking sounds are recorded or synthesized and arranged in tracks. The tracks are then processed in the mixing stage to form a stereo or multichannel mix. The idea is to arrange the sounds spatially and spectrally, to manipulate their character for artistic purposes, and also to fix problems in the tracks. In mastering, subtle adjustments and fixes are made to the mix, and often its dynamic range is limited in preparation for encoding and printing on the target medium.