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. 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






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






3. 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






4. 8.75 GB; DS/SL






5. 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






6. Take up half as many bits (50%); Algorithm can keep same quality by lossing the stereo track






7. Overtones that contribute to the timbre of a sound and make up a complex waveform's physical characteristics






8. 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






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






10. Specific set of instructions for carrying out a data reduction technique that determines how to 'save' binary data information efficiently






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






12. Reference voltage determined by summing the voltage values of a predetermined number of previous samples; Numbers of 1 in row = waveform peak; Numbers of 0 in row = waveform trough; Basis of Sony's Direct Stream Digital (DSD)






13. Data transmission protocol over which computer network traffic travels; Poorly suited to real- time transmission but numerous attempts have been made to harness the technology because of its flexible routing; Uses simple Cat5 cabling; Resists interfe






14. 15.9 GB; DS/DL






15. ADPCM; Pulse code modulation that produces a digital signal with a lower bit rate than standard PCM; Records only the difference between samples






16. A digital filter's time domain output sequence when the input is a single sample is input






17. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






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






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






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






21. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






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






23. 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






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






25. 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)






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






27. 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






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






29. 'Reconstructing' part of digital audio






30. 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






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






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






33. 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






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






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






36. EBU






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






38. 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






39. 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.






40. Have odd numbered harmonics






41. 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);






42. 12.33 GB; DS/ML






43. A situation where a calculated value cannot fit into the number of digits reserved for it






44. 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






45. 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






46. 12cm plastic disc; 1.2mm thick; One- sided; Red Laser; 1.6 microns between tracks; 125 nanometer pits






47. 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






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






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






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