Millions have enjoyed recorded music since 1877 when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. Then came radio, records, tapes and CD's. But today's digital audio players are a quantum leap forward in music technology. To understand what makes these music players so revolutionary, let's explore the question, "How do mp3 players work?"
Until recently listening to music recordings involved mechanically moving the media past an interface to pick up an analog signal called a wave-form. This signal of vibrations was amplified and sent to the speakers where we heard it as sounds. When digitized, the wave-form becomes a WAV file. It's a major improvement, but the file is very large and a CD disc is limited to about 80 minutes of music.
So What is an iPod, and How does an iPod work?
Apple's iPod is the best known mp3 player. In answer to the question, How do iPods work, the next two paragraphs really describe how all portable digital music players function.
Software converts the music to a small digital file, usually WAV to mp3, using a codec like MP3 or WMA. The codec compresses the file by discarding sounds inaudible to the human ear. The digital file is stored in the mp3 player's flash or micro-drive memory. Because the file is so small, a player no larger than a deck of cards can hold up to thousands of songs.
For play-back the mp3 player executes several functions. Embedded software reads the file, decompresses the encoding, converts it back to analog, amplifies the signal and sends it to the headphones. And voilá, we have crystal clear sound without the annoying cracks, pops and hisses particularly common to records and tapes.
How We Do MP3 (Player Types, Functions & Features)
Even with a seemingly never-ending stream of new products, there are basically three types of audio devices that work well for audio CD duplication in a portable personal player.
For more information, see Compare MP3 Players
MP3 players information from A to Z: player types & features, how they work, accessories,comparisons and more - plus free music download tips and info at A-Z MP3 Players.com, Your Complete A-Z Resource for MP3 Players, Accessories and Information.
This article may be re-printed in its entirety, with no changes and this resource box included. © 2005 http://www.a-z-mp3-players.com All rights reserved
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Simone is exasperated. She has to work on her university... Read More
You use Ctrl+Alt+Del to see what's running on your PC,... Read More
Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These... Read More
First and foremost before I begin my ranting it is... Read More
In my humble opinion nothing makes a long trip easier... Read More
If you're like me, you occasionally find the ubiquitous mouse... Read More
With a little tweaking and with proper tools, you can... Read More
The best way to get the gaming computer that you... Read More
I have a love-hate relationship with my computer.In fact, often... Read More
Enhanced Definition Television ? also known as EDTV ? is... Read More
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a protocol that is part... Read More
Up until the recent past, those who wanted to take... Read More
Wouldn't you be shocked to find that your personal sensitive... Read More
There are soooo many choices. With all the styles and... Read More
Digital Video Disc or as it is sometimes referred to... Read More
"Automated Testing" is automating the manual testing process currently in... Read More
We have just entered the time of year that most... Read More
The first step is: Start > My DocumentsSo you have... Read More
Do you know how many fonts are currently installed on... Read More
Google, in their march to stay ahead of the pack... Read More
BIOS - Basic Input Output SystemThe central processing unit of... Read More
Here are some tips on how to use screensavers:First of... Read More
Upgrading your processor will always speed up your computer, but... Read More
So you've got some spyware, ad-ware, or viruses on your... Read More
MMC and SDFlash memory is available in so many formats... Read More
Tip #1. Do a Google search. Don't be to general... Read More
Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due... Read More
This tip is on sharing files and folders on a... Read More
That desk in front of you and everything else around... Read More
1. Let your PC boot up completely before opening any... Read More
Getting started with video editing is very simple you only... Read More
If you are a building a website or a forum,... Read More
OK, so you caught a computer virus and your system... Read More
Everywhere you look today people are listening to personal audio... Read More
Peoples' private information needs to stay private, even after it... Read More
Windows Media Player 10 has been full of bugs from... Read More
You will need the following:1. 1.44MB FDD (floppy)2. NVFLASH utility... Read More
If you don't have an mp3 player, and even if... Read More
We all enjoy our favorite screensavers but in the same... Read More
1. Let your PC boot up completely before opening any... Read More
Are you looking for an MP3 player but am not... Read More
You use Ctrl+Alt+Del to see what's running on your PC,... Read More
In this era of Internet, most people are frequent users... Read More
Has This Ever Happened To You? OK.. it's Friday night,... Read More
Selecting a TV isn't as easy as it used to... Read More
That desk in front of you and everything else around... Read More
Choose Not To ConformPalm pilots and pdas are constantly growing... Read More
I met an entrepreneur who hole heartedly disagree with an... Read More
The United States Of America citizen feels that games is... Read More
One of the most confusing parts of beginning your Cisco... Read More
Wouldn't you be shocked to find that your personal sensitive... Read More
1. Before sitting down for coding, you must have formal... Read More
Passwords have a strange dual nature. The stronger and safer... Read More
How long do you think DVDs have around? 20 years?... Read More
Do you remember the old saw about how computers would... Read More
How familiar does the following sound? Your computer was working... Read More
Perhaps not yet, but the handwriting might be on the... Read More
Tech support tells me to type 'regedt32' as opposed to... Read More
The best way to get the gaming computer that you... Read More
JPEG, GIFF/JIFF, BMP, and TIFF are the most commonly used... Read More
Getting a new computer should be an exciting and gratifying... Read More
Unless you place your faith in internal search engine software... Read More
There are plenty of articles out there about how to... Read More
Cameras: still known for taking pictures but assumed as digital... Read More
ComputersBusinesses and individuals alike have all grown to rely on... Read More
A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be... Read More
Personal Technology |