What is Mu-Law?
The mu-law is an algorithm used to compress the dynamic range for an audio signal transmitted over a telecommunication system. An algorithm is a series of calculations processed in a predefined order to within a computer or processor. The dynamic range of an audio signal is the ratio of the loudest undistorted sound over the background noise level picked up by the microphone. Human speech has a dynamic range of 40 dB and human hearing has dynamic range of approximately 140 dB. When transmitting the human voice over a telecommunication system, the mu-law algorithm is applied to compress the data or audio signal. The purpose of this calculation is to improve the dynamic range ratio to ensure the sound of the human voice is carried with as little distortion as possible. This formula is in use with both the older analog based systems as well as the newer digital systems. Under the analog system, the mu-law algorithm was used to reduce the impact of background noise or static. In the digita
