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. Very selective method of lowering buffer levels by halting different levels of audio processing






2. 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






3. Digital and analog processing capability is combined on a single microchip allowing for 1- bit resolution at high sample rates






4. 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






5. 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






6. 8- in/8- out on one cable; 25- pin D- sub connector






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






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






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






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






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






12. Number of bits per second processed when sampling sound; (Sampling Rate x Bit Depth) = Resolution






13. 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






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






15. 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






16. 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






17. Having a repeated succession of waves or curves as in a sound waveform






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






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






20. 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






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






22. 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






23. Represents the amplitude component of the digital sampling process; Technique of incrementing a continuous analog event into a discrete set of binary digits (bits)






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






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






26. Eight channel digital surround sound system by Dolby






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






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






29. Method of representing an acoustic quantity with a series of binary numbers; Can have only specific individually distinct values






30. Amplitude meter that takes the square root of all instantaneous amplitudes and averages them to find a mean and squares that value; Useful with particularly complex waveforms






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






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






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






34. The more bits allocated during quantization - the more accurate the measurement






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






36. Removes high frequency images and noise and smoothes the stair case output coming from of the sample and hold circuit; Also called a SMOOTHING FILTER






37. 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






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






39. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






40. Have odd numbered harmonics






41. 12.33 GB; DS/ML






42. 8.75 GB; DS/SL






43. Same as 'aliasing'






44. 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)






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






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






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






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






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






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