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






2. 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






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






4. Mixing data and control characters in a single operation






5. Toshiba developed digital audio interface utilizes fiber optics as a transmission medium.






6. 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






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






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






9. 15.9 GB; DS/DL






10. Waveform of a pure tone showing simple harmonic motion






11. 12cm plastic disc; 1.2mm thick; One- sided; Red Laser; 1.6 microns between tracks; 125 nanometer pits






12. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






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






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






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






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






17. 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






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






19. 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)






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






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






22. Fractional part of a floating- point number; Also called the mantissa; Defines precision






23. 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






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






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






26. 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);






27. Decibels Full Scale






28. Number or variable that represents the number of times the base of a power is used as a factor; Defines magnitude






29. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. A sample- by- sample operation on two signals






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






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






39. 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






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






41. 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






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






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






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






45. 8- in/8- out on one cable; 25- pin D- sub connector






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






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






48. EBU






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






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