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






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






3. Difference in brightness between land and pit on a CD Physical Format






4. ADPCM; Pulse code modulation that produces a digital signal with a lower bit rate than standard PCM; Records only the difference between samples






5. Only 2 digits used; The value of each place (ones - hundreds - etc.) are as follows from greatest to least: 128 - 64 - 32 - 16 - 8 - 4 - 2 - 1






6. Multi-Bit Words; (Pulse Code Modulation)






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






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






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






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






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






12. 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.






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






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






15. The loudest point of a Full Scale system






16. Circuit that interprets the meaning of the symbols as they were chosen and arranged by the encode






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






18. 7.95 GB; SS/DL






19. Sample Rate x Bit Depth x # of Channels






20. The amount of energy at each wavelength






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. 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






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






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






25. MPEG; Standardizing body of audio coding






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






27. Samples are duplicated and the playback sampling rate correspondingly increased; Significantly raises the Nyquist limit to a range well beyond human hearing; Processing 'pushes' the distortion resulting from quantization error into these higher frequ






28. 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






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






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






31. Reduces the percieved distortion due to quantization error; Low level white noise source is introduced to make the profile of the quantization 'noise' more irregular; Useful when reducing the number of bits per word in a signal (i.e. when converting






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






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






35. Defines the number of sample per second taken from a continuous signal to make a discrete signal; Governs the frequency response of digital audio






36. Overtones that contribute to the timbre of a sound and make up a complex waveform's physical characteristics






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






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






40. 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






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






42. (AES/EBU); 110O - 2- channel balanced digital audio cable with an XLR connection; NOT a mic cable!!






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






44. 15.9 GB; DS/DL






45. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






46. 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






47. Psychoacoustic model of data reduction used for general audio compression that aims to transmit only features perceptible to the human ear; Useful for mastering streaming media






48. 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






49. Decibels Full Scale






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