Audio forensics is an essential specialty in modern forensic science. This book provides
the fundamental background necessary to understand and participate in this
exciting and important field of study. Modern audio forensic analysis combines
skills in digital signal processing, the physics of sound propagation, acoustical phonetics,
audio engineering, and many other fields.
Scientists and engineers who work in the field of audio forensics are called upon
to address issues of authenticity, quality enhancement, and signal interpretation for
audio evidence that is important to a criminal law enforcement investigation, an
accident investigation board, or an official civil inquiry of some kind.
Expertise in audio forensics has never been more important. Common recordings
from emergency call centers and police radio dispatch continue to be important. Yet
today it is the fact that inexpensive portable audio/video recording systems are now
in such widespread use that forensic evidence from the scene of a civil or criminal
incident increasingly involves dashboard recorders in police cars, vest-pocket personal
recorders worn by law enforcement officers, smartphone recordings from
bystanders, and security surveillance systems in public areas and businesses. These
increasingly ubiquitous audio recording devices will undoubtedly increase the
quantity and quality of audio forensic material available for many investigations.
Utilizing new research findings and both historical and contemporary casework
examples, this book blends audio forensic theory and practice in a manner intended
for any scientifically literate reader. Extensive examples, supplementary material,
and bibliographic references are also included for those who are interested in delving
deeper into the field.