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






2. Have odd numbered harmonics






3. 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






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






5. CBR; Codecs encodes data at a constant rate regardless of density of the audio file






6. 16-Bit; 44.1 kHz; PCM; Stereo






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






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






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






10. 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






11. 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






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






13. 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






14. The loudest point of a Full Scale system






15. The difference between the analog value and the approximated digital value due to the 'rounding' that occurs while converting the analog signal to digital






16. The continuous loss of signal strengths as a signal travels through a medium






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






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






19. MPEG; Standardizing body of audio coding






20. 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






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






22. 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






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






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






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






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






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






28. 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






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






30. Series of dots and dashes representing the letters of the alphabet; Most common letters are represented by the shortest dots and dashes; Example of entropy coding






31. 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






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






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






34. 12cm plastic disc; 1.2mm thick; One- sided; Red Laser; 1.6 microns between tracks; 125 nanometer pits






35. 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






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






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






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






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






40. 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






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






42. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






48. 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






49. Roughly around 1 -130 ft/s






50. More aggressive lossy data reduction techniques that require further manipulation of the stereo field; Examples are 'Intensity' & 'M-S'