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. Multi-Bit Words; (Pulse Code Modulation)






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






3. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






4. Level above which audible sounds are painful (125 - 130 db)






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






6. 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






7. 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






8. Roughly around 1 -130 ft/s






9. 1st commercially successful AoE format for the transmission of digital audio - video - and control signals over 64- channel 100Mbps Ethernet networks






10. Describes acceptable data - performances both offered and essential for a disc player - and the complete user experience






11. 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)






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






13. Have odd numbered harmonics






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. 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






22. 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






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






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






25. Data is transmitted over fiber optic lines; Uses a TOSLINK connecter instead of an RCA type; Can transmit multi- channel audio; Not susceptible to ground hum and loops; Able to support far higher rates of data transfer over greater distances than coa






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






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






28. The mathematics - algorithms - and the techniques used to manipulate signals after they have been converted to digital form






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






30. 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






31. Twice as many samples as the highest frequency at minimum; Sampling rate totally controls frequency response






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






33. The loudest point of a Full Scale system






34. A method of representing real numbers using a mantissa and an exponent






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






36. Increases D/A sample rate from nominal rate to oversampling rate by turning series multi- bit PCM samples into 1- bit samples; (ex. => 44.1kHz sample rate converted to 2.8MHz and simultaneously converts multi- bit samples to 1- bit); Low Pass Filter






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






38. 8- in/8- out on one cable; 25- pin D- sub connector






39. 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






40. 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






41. 7.95 GB; SS/DL






42. Algorithm uses matrix of a mid/side microphone pair to determine a side signal & that signal is reduced then distributed as code in stereo






43. 4.38 GB; SS/SL






44. Used when the reference pressure of a sound is 20 microPa (0.00002); Sound Pressure Level; Measure of amplitude






45. A network communications protocol that specifies how machines will exchange data; Uses a broadcast system in which one machine transmits its message on the communication medium and the other machines listen for messages directed to them






46. 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






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






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






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






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