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Audio engineering · Recording

Dither

What is dither? A clear definition from the audio engineering and recording section of our glossary, with 12 related terms, tools to try and further reading.

Definition of Dither

Dither or dithering is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often one of the last stages of mastering audio to a CD.

A common use of dither is converting a grayscale image to black and white, so that the density of black dots in the new image approximates the average gray level in the original.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Dither?

Dither or dithering is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images.

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