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. 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






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






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






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






6. 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






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






8. 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






9. Splits the input signal and mixes it with an analog copy so that no latency is present






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






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






12. 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






13. Mixing data and control characters in a single operation






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






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






16. If a signal is sampled at a rate higher than twice the highest significant signal frequency and at evenly spaced intervals - then the samples contain all the information of the original signal






17. 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)






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






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






20. Visual graph that shows how loud a sound is at different frequencies






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






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






23. 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






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






25. 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






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






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






28. 8.75 GB; DS/SL






29. Measure of the amplitude of a longitudinal wave






30. Governs the frequency response of a digital system; The highest- frequency component that can be captured with a sampling rate; always 1/2 of sampling rate; Also called the limiting frequency






31. 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






32. 1st commercially successful AoE format for the transmission of digital audio - video - and control signals over 64- channel 100Mbps Ethernet networks






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






34. 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'






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






36. 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






37. Waveform of a pure tone showing simple harmonic motion






38. Specific set of instructions for carrying out a data reduction technique that determines how to 'save' binary data information efficiently






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






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






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






42. 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






43. The difference in volume between the loudest and quietest sounds of a source






44. Same as 'aliasing'






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






46. AES






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






48. 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.






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






50. The process of reducing the space required to store data by efficiently encoding the content.