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






2. Computer program or device capable of encoding and/or decoding a digital data stream with the end result being a reduced file size






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






4. Fractional part of a floating- point number; Also called the mantissa; Defines precision






5. Removes high frequency images and noise and smoothes the stair case output coming from of the sample and hold circuit; Also called a SMOOTHING FILTER






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






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






8. Mixing data and control characters in a single operation






9. Increases D/A sample rate from nominal rate to oversampling rate by turning series multi- bit PCM samples into 1- bit samples; (ex. => 44.1kHz sample rate converted to 2.8MHz and simultaneously converts multi- bit samples to 1- bit); Low Pass Filter






10. Circuit that seizes voltage values with each tick of an A/D device's internal clock






11. A drive that can read and write on optical media that hold up to 50 GB on two layers; 24- bit/96 kHz for 8-Channel; 24- bit/192 kHz for 6-Channel






12. 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






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






14. Sony and Philips optical disc format; Utilizes sigma delta DSD to offer higher resolution; 1- bit; 2.8224 MHz; 6-Channel






15. Leaving space at beginning and ending of song for data crunching during mastering; Last step in mastering process






16. 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






17. 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)






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






19. In order to play multiple channels at one time data is buffered as read to disk; Latency happens between play command & beginning of playback






20. Joint-Stereo Technique; Since the human brain is unable to localize sounds at high frequencies well sounds above 9 kHz threshold are encoded in mono






21. 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






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






23. 8- in/8- out on one cable; 25- pin D- sub connector






24. 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






25. Found that aliasing was always a problem no matter how fast you sample; Less data recorded but more accurate; 2 samples per wave length.






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






27. The frequency range that is allowed through a filter






28. Anytime bit depth is reduced the gap gets bigger so more dithering is required






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






30. 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






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






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






33. Digital (binary) measurements of how long each pulse is either on or off; Width of increasing voltage or decreasing voltage is assigned a 1 or 0 respectively






34. French mathematician that noted that any complex sound can be broken down into a series of component pure tones






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






36. The loudest point of a Full Scale system






37. Unit of measurement that is equal to one billionth of a meter






38. (AES/EBU); 110O - 2- channel balanced digital audio cable with an XLR connection; NOT a mic cable!!






39. A frequency specified for a filter (digital or electronic) the marks the point at which the frequency content of a signal is altered +/- 3dB






40. Subtract place values from the decimal number and place ones or zeros in the correct places






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






42. Stores only one copy of a stereo signal and assigns it to both channels in order to save 50% of original bandwidth






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






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






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






46. 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






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






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






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






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