6.24.2015

What You Stand To Gain By Understanding Forensic Audio Analysis

By Freida Michael


There are many components involved in solving a crime investigation. Forensic audio analysis is a process that involves investigators examining and analyzing different types of sounds from a crime scene. These sounds usually include recordings such as from phone calls or other devices. Audio forensics is an essential part of any crime investigation.

The analysis of forensic sound has many components. First the authenticity of the sound must be confirmed. Then it must be evaluated in order to assure that it can be used in a court of law. If it passes both of those it is enhanced in order to ascertain that nothing was missed in the initial listening and in order to improve audibility. Then the sounds on the recording -- such as people talking -- must be identified. If there is someone talking on the recording, it is the job of the investigators to figure out who it is. Any dialogue is transcribed, and the recording is used to set up the scene of the crime through sounds.

In authenticating a recording, it is important to first determine whether a recording has been tampered with in any way. It requires a very specific skillset and equipment, and is not an easy task to carry out. New technology allows for authenticating to be done in alternative ways, though it is currently under scrutiny.

There are many different techniques used thanks to technology. Digital signal processing involves using math to manipulate an information signal. It messes with time and the frequency of the sound to better understand it. One trick is to reverse engineer a noise to determine where it came from. An analysis must be careful not to destroy important evidence while cleaning recordings. Discrete Fourier transform orders sounds by their frequencies as a way to interpret sounds better.

Investigators must listen to people talking on the audio and transcribe the dialogue. They must determine who the people talking are. This can help them determine who was at the scene of the crime and provide any evidence. The crime scene is set up through sounds. The history of this analysis started with the Watergate Scandal that occurred in the 1970s. They used sound as evidence during the investigation and had to pick apart several sound recordings.

A forensics audio lab handles many sensitive sound recordings throughout the day. The job of the lab is to make sure the recordings can be used in a court of law as evidence. They analyze many recordings connected to crime evidence including emergency calls to 911, voicemails from cell-phones, memory cards recovered from mobile devices and computer recordings.

Sometimes, these forensic technicians must testify in a courtroom. They describe the sound and their analysis of the findings. It is important that they do an accurate and efficient job in analyzing sound from crime scenes. Their work plays an important part in the court of law and solving a crime. Their work is under careful observation in court and they must be able to defend their findings.

Audio forensics is an important part of an investigation. Recordings can help unravel things like motives and alibis, and can even help with determining who is at the scene of a crime. It is a difficult task to undertake, and an important part of trying to solve a crime.




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