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






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






3. Measuring equipment in A/D conversion that processes voltage and provides a value for that voltage






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






5. 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






6. Softest sound that can be heard by the average human ear (0 dB)






7. Cable used to transmit data; Inner cable is surrounded by a plastic insulator - which is surrounded by a wire mesh conductor that insulates the internal signal wire from external interference and an outer casing that functions as a ground






8. Improper (false) sampling of high frequencies that cause much lower frequencies to be produced when the audio is reconstructed; Foldover happens at higher frequencies as harmonics reach levels that exceed the Nyquist limit.






9. Occurs as data is assembled into meaningful bits or information and as left & right channels are separated






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






11. Number of bits per second processed when sampling sound; (Sampling Rate x Bit Depth) = Resolution






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






13. 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'






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






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






16. Multi-Bit Words; (Pulse Code Modulation)






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






18. 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






19. Perceptual coding technique that uses louder sounds of a similar frequency to decide what information is to be saved during data reduction






20. 8.75 GB; DS/SL






21. Apple Lossless; Windows Media Lossless; DTS HD Master Audio; Dolby True HD; FLAC






22. Roughly around 1 -130 ft/s






23. The frequency range that is allowed through a filter






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






25. 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.






26. Describes acceptable data - performances both offered and essential for a disc player - and the complete user experience






27. Data reduction technique that does not effect quality of original audio; No effect on original quality; Typically around 50% reduction; Exact reconstruction of digital code for the audio signal






28. Sum of all harmonics; Sum of sine and cosine waves which have frequencies f - 2f - 3f - 4f...






29. High Pressure - Part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together






30. Smallest interval measurable by a scientific instrument; Defined by bit rate (sample rate x bit depth)






31. Having a repeated succession of waves or curves as in a sound waveform






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






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






34. MPEG; Standardizing body of audio coding






35. Accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal






36. Signal conversions are mixed with playback tracks resulting in near-zero latency






37. 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






38. Governs the frequency response of a digital system; The highest- frequency component that can be captured with a sampling rate; always 1/2 of sampling rate; Also called the limiting frequency






39. Discrete incremental distinctions made between the value of one sample and the next; Breaks down bit depth into a series of evenly spaced intervals






40. 8- in/8- out on one cable; 25- pin D- sub connector






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. The art of deciding where to place a processor in signal flow based on how that processor will be influenced by the other processors in the path






43. Decibels Full Scale






44. Single- pin RCA cable or fiber- optic TOSLINK connector used for digital transfer; 75O coaxial - 2- channel unbalanced; 'Consumer' format of AES3






45. AES






46. 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






47. Mixing data and control characters in a single operation






48. Ratio of magnitude of the analytical signal to the magnitude of the background noise signal






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






50. 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