Ave Verum Pentium

Abstract

This chapter considers the role of technology in recording, processing, and archiving the singing voice. It challenges the predominant theory that the recording chain is deterministic and free of context and suggests that those who use technology in the recording process often have different needs in technological solutions to problems as well as the scientific understanding required for effective practice. This chapter defines sound, how it is captured and the tools used, the differences between analog and digital methods of recording, as well as frequencies, compression, and file size. It attempts to offer readers from different backgrounds a somewhat broader understanding about the recorded voice and reveal and challenge proximate worlds and practices. It emphasizes that outside the highly specialized worlds of research and scholarship in electronics, engineering, and physics, successful recordings are possible when using a systematic approach.