Audio samplers are commonly found in recording studios. They are in effect digital recording systems. They are much more flexible
than tape based recorders due to the fact that digital sound may be edited in hundreds of different and unusual ways.
To have the ability to change speech or music into digital form, a microphone is used in conjunction with an audio digitiser. The microphone translates the speech pressure waves into a comparable differing voltage. The electronic audio digitiser then changes this into digital codes.
In one sort of electronic digitiser, it can match the incoming analog signal with a linearly multiplying voltage called a ramp voltage. The ramp voltage is synchronised to a counting device, which generates a series of numbers in code form. It also counts the number of pulses created by a pulse generator, found within the unit. As the ramp voltage equalises the incoming analog voltage, the counter is halted. The number on the counter represents the ramp voltage, and therefore the analog signal's value at that particular moment. This gives a resulting sample of a signal's value, which is read by the counter in digital form. By repeating this process, a group of sampled values can be collected.
To replay digital sound the process is reversed and the resulting sound played through an amplifier and speakers.
