AAERT Digital Reporter Equipment Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The role of a digital mixer or A/D (analog-to-digital) converter is to convert an analog signal into a digital signal. This is a crucial function in digital audio production, as most audio editing and mixing processes operate in a digital environment. When sound is captured through microphones, it is initially in analog form, which refers to continuous electrical signals that correspond to sound waves. The A/D converter translates these continuous signals into binary data that computers and digital audio systems can understand and process.

This conversion enables the manipulation, editing, and processing of audio in software, which would not be possible with purely analog audio. Understanding this process highlights the importance of the A/D converter in bridging the gap between the physical world of sound and the digital realm of audio production.