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. 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






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






3. Smallest interval measurable by a scientific instrument; Defined by bit rate (sample rate x bit depth)






4. Voltage -> Dither -> Anti-Aliasing (Low Pass Filter) -> Sample & Hold Circuit -> Successive Approximation/Quantizer --) 100111010 (PCM Audio File)






5. 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






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






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






8. Allows for an internal sample rate at multiples of the input and output rates; Alleviates the need for steep 'brickwall' filters; Often combined with internal '1- bit' processing; Increases smoothing effect






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






10. EDL; Final list of samples used in the audio editing process; Identified by time code






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






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






13. Ultra low- latency - 512- channel (on a gigabit network) - less flexible AoE format; Routed like audio cables...not network cables






14. 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.






15. 8- in/8- out on one cable; 25- pin D- sub connector






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






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. 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






19. 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






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






21. 8.75 GB; DS/SL






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






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






24. The amount of energy at each wavelength






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






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






27. 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






28. Built into DAWs; Bits are added when signals are mixed together to avoid clipping






29. 1st commercially successful AoE format for the transmission of digital audio - video - and control signals over 64- channel 100Mbps Ethernet networks






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






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






32. 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






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






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






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






36. 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






37. 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






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






39. 'Reconstructing' part of digital audio






40. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






41. 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






42. Electromagnetic receptor that detects the radiation known as visible light






43. HD Audio format; Lossless Compression; 24- bit/96 kHz; 5.1 Surround or 24- bit / 192 kHz stereo sound






44. 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)






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






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






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






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






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






50. 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