Test your basic knowledge |

Digital Audio

Subject : engineering
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Psychoacoustic model of data reduction used for general audio compression that aims to transmit only features perceptible to the human ear; Useful for mastering streaming media






2. Ultra low- latency - 512- channel (on a gigabit network) - less flexible AoE format; Routed like audio cables...not network cables






3. The elapsed time it takes for a packet of data to arrive at its destination; Lagging or pause of an audio signal as digital processing occurs; Can be managed utilizing several forms of 'audio monitoring'






4. A method of representing real numbers using a mantissa and an exponent






5. Specific set of instructions for carrying out a data reduction technique that determines how to 'save' binary data information efficiently






6. Method used in digital recording and reproduction in which a signal is sampled at various points and the resulting value is translated into binary numbers






7. The frequency above or below which attenuation begins in a filter circuit






8. (Amplitude Based) Amplitude: Voltage; Quantization; Bit Depth; Quantization Intervals; Quantization Noise; [Signal:Quantization Noise Ratio]; Dither; Dynamic Range






9. Built into DAWs; Bits are added when signals are mixed together to avoid clipping






10. More accuracy in low amplitudes and less in higher amplitudes






11. Overtones that contribute to the timbre of a sound and make up a complex waveform's physical characteristics






12. Most significant lossless coding technique in current use; Measure of disorder in which long strings of data are represented by short symbols and uses the shortest symbols to represent the most common repetitive audio data maximizing data reduction






13. DAW's and software must buffer when converting or bouncing and this latency can add up if not monitored






14. Reference voltage determined by summing the voltage values of a predetermined number of previous samples; Numbers of 1 in row = waveform peak; Numbers of 0 in row = waveform trough; Basis of Sony's Direct Stream Digital (DSD)






15. The frequency range that is allowed through a filter






16. The act of a frequency swinging back and forth with a steady - uninterrupted rhythm






17. Unit of measurement that is equal to one millionth of a meter






18. (Time Based) Frequency: Aliasing; Anti-Aliasing Filter; Sample Rate; Nyquist Limit






19. Sony sigma- delta modulation based technology that bypasses the decimation and interpolation steps found in PCM converters






20. Digital and analog processing capability is combined on a single microchip allowing for 1- bit resolution at high sample rates






21. Also known as equal loudness curves; Graph that indicates the average ear sensitivity to different frequencies at different SPL levels (as volume increases - these curves flatten out)






22. 12.33 GB; DS/ML






23. Six channel (five speakers and one subwoofer for bass) digital surround sound system by Dolby






24. Measures the highest levels of a signal being recorded or mixed; Monitors for clipping - which occurs at 0dBFS); Does not always reflect perceived volume of signal






25. 12cm plastic disc; 1.2mm thick; One- sided; Red Laser; 1.6 microns between tracks; 125 nanometer pits






26. CobraNet; EtherSound; Dante; AVB (currently under development)






27. A sample- by- sample operation on two signals






28. Difference in brightness between land and pit on a CD Physical Format






29. Deviation from a normal - steady pulse or tick of a clock that contributes to misrepresentation of a signal; Result of small timing irregularities that become magnified during the transmission of digital signals as the signals are passed from one dev






30. Used when the reference pressure of a sound is 20 microPa (0.00002); Sound Pressure Level; Measure of amplitude






31. VBR; Most common & best data reduction technique; Codecs that encode data by determining how dense or sparse areas of the audio are; Can result in buffering issues






32. Only 2 digits used; The value of each place (ones - hundreds - etc.) are as follows from greatest to least: 128 - 64 - 32 - 16 - 8 - 4 - 2 - 1






33. Rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; Expressed in volts






34. Measure of sound pressure over the frequency spectrum - for which a listener perceives a constant loudness when presented with pure steady tones






35. Toshiba developed digital audio interface utilizes fiber optics as a transmission medium.






36. ADAT Optcal; 8- in/8- out on two cables; Fiber- optic - TOSLINK connector






37. Electromagnetic receptor that detects the radiation known as visible light






38. MPEG; Standardizing body of audio coding






39. The amount of energy at each wavelength






40. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






41. Root Mean Square; Refers to taking the square root of all instantaneous amplitudes; Takes the average of those squares; (-6 Peak Level is approximately equal to -20 RMS)






42. A time regulator that makes all samples and bits to align when working with interconnected digital devices; Basically a signal that all of the digital devices refer to when operating.






43. Allows for an internal sample rate at multiples of the input and output rates; Alleviates the need for steep 'brickwall' filters; Often combined with internal '1- bit' processing; Increases smoothing effect






44. Increases or decreases the digital signal so that the loudest sample is brought up to 0dBfs; Uses all bits from dynamic range and makes it even from track to track






45. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






46. Samples are duplicated and the playback sampling rate correspondingly increased; Significantly raises the Nyquist limit to a range well beyond human hearing; Processing 'pushes' the distortion resulting from quantization error into these higher frequ






47. Uses entropy coding as the basis; Computer data compression algorithm that packages files such as .ZIP & .RAR






48. Data transmission protocol over which computer network traffic travels; Poorly suited to real- time transmission but numerous attempts have been made to harness the technology because of its flexible routing; Uses simple Cat5 cabling; Resists interfe






49. Industry Standards: -6 dB Peak = -20 RMS Meter






50. Based on Full Scale (dB/FS); -6dB represents a loss of one bit so account for this when calculating