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






2. CobraNet; EtherSound; Dante; AVB (currently under development)






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. 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






5. The amount of energy at each wavelength






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






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






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






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






10. 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






11. 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






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






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






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






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






16. Industry Standards: -6 dB Peak = -20 RMS Meter






17. 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);






18. Have odd numbered harmonics






19. 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






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






21. Same as 'aliasing'






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






23. 16-Bit; 44.1 kHz; PCM; Stereo






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






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






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






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






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






29. ABR; Codecs that encode data by determining how dense or sparse areas of the audio are while also keeping bit rate within specified limits to avoid rebuffering






30. Roughly around 1 -130 ft/s






31. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






32. 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)






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






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






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






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






37. Digital Word -> Series of Resistors (each with assigned charges) -> Sample- and-Hold Circuit -> Anti-Imaging Filter (Smoothing Filter) -> Reconstructed Sample






38. 1.) Bit Rate x Sample Rate (you'll get b/sec) 2.) Multiply by 60 if converting seconds to minutes 3.) Divide by 8 to convert bits to Bytes and get B/min 4.) Divide by 1 -024 to get KB/min and keep doing it until you get desired bit rate specification






39. Six channel (five speakers and one subwoofer for bass) digital surround sound system by Dolby






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






41. More accuracy in low amplitudes and less in higher amplitudes






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






43. 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






44. 1.) Taking a series of evenly- spaced measurements 2.) Signal contains no frequency components higher than half the sample rate






45. 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






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






47. 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






48. Used as the main disc from which other discs are made; Composed of ground glass with a very fine photoresistor layer; An imaging laser burns pit and land patterns in preparation for duplication






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






50. 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)