Studio 101 - Part 3: Signal Flow In The Studio

In the previous two articles in this series, we learned about the nature of sound, how it gets converted into electrical signals, and how it gets digitized into content that can be used by the computer. We now have all the background knowledge necessary to move into the studio. In this article, we are going to be talking about signal flow: how these electrical signals and digitized bits move throughout the studio.

Common wisdom might have you thinking that there isn’t much involved in using audio in a computer-based DAW: you pour audio into an input jack on the computer and you have a recording, you pour it out of a different jack and have the results. While this view might be built upon a kernel of truth, it helps to understand how the signals move from the source to the endpoint, and what kinds of hardware are available to help you get the job done—or at least make it easier.