Audacity Forum

But we are just running around in circles on that subject, Perhaps we are - maybe we're getting tied up on semantics, but I'm having trouble with your phrase "what the samples are supposed to represent" . As I see it, the data in the computer is nothing more than sample values - these are represent...

An accurate audio reproduction of DC offset would be a constant flow of air either into or out of the loudspeaker, which obviously does not happen. So would it be better for Audacity to show the dots in the actual sample positions, but draw the line moving away from the samples and dropping to zero...

<<<DC offset may be valid data in the digital realm, but it is not "sound".>>> ... Cool to think about, but impractical and usually dangerous. I pondered about this a little but I have no idea how this fits into the discussion or if this is even addressing me, so I am ignoring it for now ;) Yes, in...

OK ;) I tried to build Audacity on my Mac, took a few hours and the app even starts, but it's strangely not debuggable. When I run it I get a "Program exited with code 055." Later... Breakpoint 3, 0x9460b05c in ptrace () (gdb) where #0 0x9460b05c in ptrace () #1 0x163b245c in globals_key () #2 0x163...

That is more or less the point - No you probably wouldn't reconstruct the blue line in your head, but the sound card most likely would not either. But, and I think I am just repeating myself, assuming that the the sample values are a correct representation of the source waveform, then it's possible...

Or plot lines going from the baseline straight up. and down? yeah. But I don't care really about that drawing mode anyway ;) <Soundcards stuff snipped> From my point of view, I think you are much too concerned about actually emulating what a specific sound card may produce. I am not. I am only conc...

The most accurate representation would be to just show the dots (samples) and not join them up at all. Of the digital data yes, I agree. Or plot lines going from the baseline straight up. The reconstruction of the analogue wave from the samples is handled by the sound card, not Audacity, so the met...

As far as i understand, strictly speaking just connecting the dots of the sample values with straight lines is not really representing the resultant waveform. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittaker%E2%80%93Shannon_interpolation_formula (There also exist windowed versions). The "real" waveform, ...