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. Low Pressure; Part in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart






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






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






4. 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






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






6. 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






7. Same as 'aliasing'






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






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






10. 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






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






12. 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)






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






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






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






16. 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






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






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






19. 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






20. 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






21. Method of sampling data at a higher resolution (higher sample rate) as a means of reducing harmonic content during D/A conversion; (x2) oversampling gets rid of all odd harmonic content






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






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






24. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






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






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






27. 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






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






29. Inner ear component that attaches to the stapes and helps to decrease the amplitude of vibrations; Causes the masking phenomenon






30. Number or variable that represents the number of times the base of a power is used as a factor; Defines magnitude






31. Allowance of noise floor below that which is required for the final product






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






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






34. Snippets of time in which frequency analysis takes place in a perceptual codec






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






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






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






38. Splits the input signal and mixes it with an analog copy so that no latency is present






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






40. The more bits allocated during quantization - the more accurate the measurement






41. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. 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






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