Analog vs Digital Dimensions Part I

On the previous post, I addressed Immersive Audio and the implications of treating sound as a sphere, being the closest approach on how this phenomena (sound) occurs in the real world. On daily basis we perceive our world in analog dimensions, nevertheless we are in constant interaction with numbers, symbols and geometry among others. For this purpose I will catalogue these values as “analog values”. In order study / interact with "analog values” we must find a way to count / quantize / code this information into the digital domain (discrete values).

Quantization is the process of constraining an input from a continuous or otherwise large set of values (such as the real numbers) to a discrete set (such as the integers) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantization).

After I had my first experience with the process of digital recording and playback, I came across the following driving question, ¿What is a transducer? ¿How do they work? ¿What is an Analog to Digital Converter and Digital to Analog Converter?¿What process did I just experienced?

in the digital process of recording sound, we take several samples (discrete values) of the sounds waveform (amplitude) in time, at a certain rate (frequency) to then sample and hold those values (store information) and finally reproduce these sampled amplitudes at the same rate, creating a perceived effect of being a continuous waveform.

A transducer basically transforms one type of energy into another type of energy. In the case of a microphone it transforms the differences in sound pressure level “Acoustic Energy” into "Electrical Energy” (Voltage). These changes in sound pressure level are transduced into differences in voltage, then periodically sampled and held (until the next value is sampled). As the sample process occurs in specific instants / moments in time (not continuous), there is a certain range of sampled information (discrete voltages) taken from the “Analogue Value - Acoustic Energy” that has been transduced. This is why we refer to these values as discrete values / voltages (values obtained by counting).

After this process has been successful, an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) device gathers the information from the sample and hold process (discrete values / voltage) and assigns a numeric value for each amplitude. As described in the beginning of the post, this process is known as Quantization (from voltage to numbers). These numbers are coded in the form of binary digits (1-0) and require a memory to be stored (Bit Depth). For the playback process these binary numbers are read by a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) at the same rate they were sampled. The DAC device converts numbers into voltage, then sent to an amplifier to augmentate the signal for its final destination (speaker). The speaker is triggered by voltage in order to oscillate at a certain rate and this oscillation generates differences in sound pressure level finalizing the playback process of sound.

Once I understood this process I came across the idea of exploring different sound sources, understanding that these sources must contain differences in potential energy / fluctuations in voltage in order to sample and hold this values, to then convert / transduce this information into sound / music. Our body also works with electricity thanks to our cells that are conductors. Without electricity, for example : our brain would no be able to synapse, or send signals to our nervous systems in order for our body to move. So if our body needs electricity to move, then most living things work by electricity and need water in order to survive (aside from food & nutrients). Based on this assumption, I wondered ¿Do plants have a brain? Of course this is open for discussion, yet I was very intrigued on how do plants move if they do or do not have a brain. ¿How nature, specifically in the Botany realm where this “brain no brain” topic is on discussion, can have such perfect geometric patterns, move and provide food sources? ¿Where is the mind or this information contained? ¿Do plants have consciousness, memory? If I was able to transduce information from plants to sound / music, ¿How would that be? ¿If plants hear their own music can they be taught? ¿Can they answer back? These questions boosted my curiosity and started seeing myself and the environment as sound sources. Taking the similarities our functionality ¿can we communicate with the botany realm through sound?

By following my intuition I decided to research more about Botany and the technology available in order to bridge / connect both worlds. In order take the first steps in this direction, I strongly recommend to watch the following TED Talk. This experimentation confirmed my intuition but also opened my eyes about Botany and Neuroscience, expanding the possibilities of what yet lies to be discovered.

More to come on the next post!