I've been mixing computers with audio since the early 90's, back when the first clunky DAWs were released from Ensoniq and Roland. I've since moved from the production end of things to being mostly a consumer of most things related to computer playback of music. I built my first music server in 2001 which, to the disappointment of my wife, required nothing short of a degree in computer engineering to operate. But that was then. Nowadays, there are a host of computer add-on devices and software available that are quick to implement, are intuitive (mostly), and provide a level of convenience that is unparalleled. And, most importantly, they sound great. These are exciting times, indeed.
“In the world of high-end audio, ‘computer audio’ is now almost as common as a CD player. Software applications that bypass a computer’s native OS audio process and provide their own method of processing an audio file are referred to as music players.” Sonic Studio’s Amarra was one of the first such players on the market. Joe Quinn reviews Amarra 2.3.
Distributed Audio Using Apple’s AirTunes, or ‘How I Came to Love the Airport Express.’ Joe Quinn walks us through the process of setting up our wireless home audio network.