The Logic Off Topic list

> From: GAmoore@...
> 
> Sampling involves taking measurements and recording them for
> reproduction. The whole idea of 'sampling' is to take sample frequency
> readings 44,100 times per second of anotherwise continuous source of
> sound. 

You're using the popular meaning of the word sampling, whereas I'm referring
to the mathematical meaning.

> I think the analog modeled softsynths are creating a file which is of the
> same form as one which comes from samples of something, but they are
> concieved and created in a test tube so to speak.

The concept of a file is irrelevant, but in your example, the samples are
computed 'on the fly'...  this has no effect on the sound, whether they're
computed ahead of time (in this sense, recording the input of an A/D is
precomputing), or on the fly, unless there is a processing power limitation
that affects the ability to process, or you have a process that depends on
time reversal, in which case you can't do it in real time.

> A square wave for
> example is very simple to create mathematically.

Actually, it's not that simple to create an alias-free square wave.  Some
folks at CCRMA have some nice papers on the subject.


> Because of that, they may not have many of the ill affects of sampling
> process - which happen during the analog to digital conversion - which
> these sounds never go through. For one thing there should be no
> distortion - at least if the algorhthms are well written.

There should be no distortion in the digitizing (A/D) process either, if the
converters are well designed.  Any 16 bit or better sampler you have is
going to have negligible artifacts, unless you purposely distort the signal
while digitizing, or digitize at an unreasonably low level.