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. Contains all even and odd harmonics associated with a fundamental tone - making it a rich source for modeling other sounds; Amplitude of each overtone decreases exponentially as a ratio of the harmonic's frequency to that of the fundamental






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






3. Number of bits used to represent the smallest unit of information in an audio file; Greater bit depth = better quality audio






4. Same as 'aliasing'






5. Very selective method of lowering buffer levels by halting different levels of audio processing






6. Digital Word -> Series of Resistors (each with assigned charges) -> Sample- and-Hold Circuit -> Anti-Imaging Filter (Smoothing Filter) -> Reconstructed Sample






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






8. Reduces A/D sample rate from the oversampled rate to nominal rate by turning series of one- bit samples into a series of multi- bit PCM samples; (ex. => 2.8MHz sample rate converted to 44.1kHz and simultaneously converts 1-Bit samples to multi- bit);






9. Represents the amplitude component of the digital sampling process; Technique of incrementing a continuous analog event into a discrete set of binary digits (bits)






10. 12cm plastic disc; 1.2mm thick; One- sided; Red Laser; 1.6 microns between tracks; 125 nanometer pits






11. Algorithm uses matrix of a mid/side microphone pair to determine a side signal & that signal is reduced then distributed as code in stereo






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






13. Measurement at regular intervals of the amplitude of a varying waveform (in order to convert it to digital form); There must be a minimum of 2 samples for each cycle in a waveform






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






15. If a signal is sampled at a rate higher than twice the highest significant signal frequency and at evenly spaced intervals - then the samples contain all the information of the original signal






16. Channels are processed one at a time and the results are stored on multiple CPU buffers that alternately send data as DAW requests the data for playback; First few seconds are relayed to the buffer prior to processing and playback and it continuously






17. RAM holds in memory audio data before it is transferred to the memory controller; Certain amount of data is processed before large amounts of data are streamed to prevent latency






18. Branch of psychology concerned with the subjective perception of sound






19. 4.38 GB; SS/SL






20. When recording you want the smallest buffer available; When mixing you want the largest buffer available






21. Pertaining to hearing or sound; Combination of the intensity of air pressure molecules with amplitude






22. EDL; Final list of samples used in the audio editing process; Identified by time code






23. Playback; I/O Connections; CPU (Streaming); Conversion from DAW or Software






24. Describes various optical disc characteristics including the size and shape of the disc - the size of pits - the speed at which the disc spins - and a multitude of aspects regarding the specifications of the player itself






25. Based on psychoacoustics - these are the basis of frequency analysis for a perceptual codec;






26. The process of reducing the space required to store data by efficiently encoding the content.






27. High channel count; 64 channels on one cable; Coaxial cable with BNC connector or fiber optic with ST1 connector






28. Level above which audible sounds are painful (125 - 130 db)






29. 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






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






31. Full Scale; Type of metering that measures level in digital recording system; Recording and Mixing levels should NEVER exceed 0dB FS in digital audio or clipping will occur






32. Data is transmitted over fiber optic lines; Uses a TOSLINK connecter instead of an RCA type; Can transmit multi- channel audio; Not susceptible to ground hum and loops; Able to support far higher rates of data transfer over greater distances than coa






33. As sample rate is increased more room is created for a smoother slope of the attenuation band because Nyquist limit extends well beyond range of hearing with each increase






34. Lossless Format; Can hold up to 25GB on a single- layer disc and 50GB on a dual- layer disc






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






36. Data reduction technique that selectively removes original information in order to significantly reduce the file size; Some data is lost; Files can be reduced up to 99% in size (90% with no perceived sound quality loss); Bit rate effects the perceive






37. Visual graph that shows how loud a sound is at different frequencies






38. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






39. 'Reconstructing' part of digital audio






40. The difference in volume between the loudest and quietest sounds of a source






41. MPEG; Standardizing body of audio coding






42. Very quiet digital amplifier that produces a series of output pulses with the audio signal coded the same as the width of the output pulses; Pulses are used to represent wave forms and are either on or off; Intense signals have long pulses with short






43. 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






44. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding); MP3; RA; WMA; OGG Vorbis; Dolby Digital/AC-3; DTS; ADPCM






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






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






47. How Loud (Y-Axis) & How Fast (X-Axis)






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






49. Circuit that interprets the meaning of the symbols as they were chosen and arranged by the encode






50. Defines the number of sample per second taken from a continuous signal to make a discrete signal; Governs the frequency response of digital audio