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. 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'






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






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






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






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






6. 12.33 GB; DS/ML






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






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






9. 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






10. Signal voltage is relayed to a register from sample- and - hold circuit; Holds reference frequencies in binary form that decrease in value; Finds approximated value & assigns binary number accordingly






11. Eliminates frequencies above the Nyquist limit from becoming samples; Occurs prior to quantization






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






13. Serial Copy Management System; main difference between AES3 & S/PIDF






14. The number of compressions or rarefactions in one second; The higher the frequency the more compressions & rarefactions per second; Measured in Hertz






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. The loudest point of a Full Scale system






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






18. Process that begins with a fast FFT analysis of the spectra of two input signals - then the multiplication of like frequencies - and IFFT to finalize the process






19. Voltage -> Dither -> Anti-Aliasing (Low Pass Filter) -> Sample & Hold Circuit -> Successive Approximation/Quantizer --) 100111010 (PCM Audio File)






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






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






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






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






24. 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






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






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






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






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






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






30. Each bit in the bit depth is equal to a _____ increase in dynamic range






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






32. Twice as many samples as the highest frequency at minimum; Sampling rate totally controls frequency response






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






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






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






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






38. The amount of energy at each wavelength






39. MPEG; Standardizing body of audio coding






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






41. 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






42. The set of rules that computers use to move files from one computer to another on an internet






43. 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






44. A network communications protocol that specifies how machines will exchange data; Uses a broadcast system in which one machine transmits its message on the communication medium and the other machines listen for messages directed to them






45. 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






46. Method of representing an acoustic quantity with a series of binary numbers; Can have only specific individually distinct values






47. 'Capturing' part of digital audio; Never captures a signal perfectly






48. Roughly around 1 -130 ft/s






49. 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






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