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. 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






2. 1st commercially successful AoE format for the transmission of digital audio - video - and control signals over 64- channel 100Mbps Ethernet networks






3. 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'






4. Same as 'aliasing'






5. The amount of energy at each wavelength






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






7. Waveform of a pure tone showing simple harmonic motion






8. Father of modern information theory; Solidified the Nyquist Theory by adding the concept that bits per second (binary representation of audio signals) must be at equal intervals to accurately represent data






9. 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






10. 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






11. 'Reconstructing' part of digital audio






12. A drive that can read and write on optical media that hold up to 50 GB on two layers; 24- bit/96 kHz for 8-Channel; 24- bit/192 kHz for 6-Channel






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






14. Measuring equipment in A/D conversion that processes voltage and provides a value for that voltage






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






16. Stores only one copy of a stereo signal and assigns it to both channels in order to save 50% of original bandwidth






17. 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






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






19. ADAT Optcal; 8- in/8- out on two cables; Fiber- optic - TOSLINK connector






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






21. 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






22. 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






23. Most significant lossless coding technique in current use; Measure of disorder in which long strings of data are represented by short symbols and uses the shortest symbols to represent the most common repetitive audio data maximizing data reduction






24. Signal conversions are mixed with playback tracks resulting in near-zero latency






25. 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






26. Accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal






27. The ability of a digital system to perform complex DSP without running into problems with overflow or loss of resolution






28. 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);






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






30. Signal that uses variable voltage to create continuous waves resulting in an inexact transmission






31. 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






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






33. 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






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






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






36. Process of building a complex tone by starting with the fundamental frequency and adding pure tone harmonics






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






38. The frequency above or below which attenuation begins in a filter circuit






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






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






41. The difference in volume between the loudest and quietest sounds of a source






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






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






44. Mixing data and control characters in a single operation






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






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






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






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






49. 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






50. The art of deciding where to place a processor in signal flow based on how that processor will be influenced by the other processors in the path