Digital Audio
Interleaving rearranges digital audio data before storage or transmission to protect against burst errors by spreading consecutive samples across non-contiguous locations.
Interleaving divides and reorders digital data blocks so that if an error affects a group of bits, it impacts non-consecutive parts of the audio stream. During playback or decoding, the data is de-interleaved and any errors are corrected or masked using redundancy information.
This technique is essential in media such as CDs, DAT, and ADAT, where physical damage or signal interference can cause localised data loss. By dispersing data, interleaving ensures that any errors are distributed and corrected without audible artefacts.
