Test your basic knowledge |

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 common technique; Utilizes initial attack and loops a small part of remaining audio file






2. Maximum of 3 MIDI Slave Devices can be wired past the Master Device according to the MMA; All MIDI IN Ports are optically isolated to prevent hum - buzz - ground looping - and RF interference.






3. Circuits on a synth that determine the character of the attack and release of a tone can be controlled; Controls how sound changes over time; Most commonly on amplifier circuit






4. One of the first affordable samplers; Contained only 2 samples; Very limited functionality






5. Ability of audio equipment to reproduce fast changes in amplitude; Measured in volts per microsecond; Low slew rate 'softens' the attack of a signal; High frequencies change in amplitude the fastest so slew rate is critical






6. Modulation technique in which the amplitude of the carrier signal is modified by the application of a data signal






7. A male 9- pin or 25- pin port on a computer system used by slower I/O devices such as a mouse or modem; Data travels serially - one bit at a time - through the port






8. Ability to play MORE than one note at a time; Often used for drums; sections






9. Filter Type & Slope; Cutoff Frequency; Resonance (Emphasis); Key Tracking






10. Pitch - Amplitude - Timbre






11. Determines how much effect an envelope generator has on a particular circuit






12. Where a master device transmits (or sends) MIDI data; Only the master is plugged into this port






13. Deal with the set- up and operating parameters for a MIDI device - Acknowledged by all devices in a MIDI system






14. Where samples are recorded or loaded when playing back from within a sampler; Erased when sampler is turned off so sounds must be stored on removable media; Static/






15. 'Father of the Synthesizer'; Created a voltage controlled music synthesizer (Moog Modular Synth); Used by Stevie Wonder in 70's






16. Individual edit window to alter MIDI parameters such as pitch bend and volume






17. Ability of a musical instrument to play more than one note at a time






18. Device receives on any and all channels but merges all the data together to one specific channel and then plays all notes received as the one sound assigned to that channel; Ability to play MORE than one note at a time






19. Rise and fall of pitch created when LFO is routed to the oscillator






20. 31.25 Kilobaud (31 -250 baud)






21. Using an envelope generator on a filter does this...






22. Smallest increments between beats; Coincide with the resolution in PPQN; MIDI data locks to these for start






23. Rise and fall of amplitude generated by LFO being routed to amplifier






24. Changes some aspect of sound depending on how FAST you strike the keys; Commonly called 'Velocity Sensitivity;' Volume - Filter & Layers are typical examples






25. This changes when keys are pressed above or below the key note; Alters the playback speed of the sample






26. Connects computer to MIDI device; All MIDI routing and communication is handled by the computer






27. Contains harmoics and all odd and even harmonics; 6dB roll off between octaves; Same starting phases






28. Least Significant Bit - the right- most bit in a binary whole number or code






29. Actual audio files (.WAV - .AIFF - etc.) that we hear when playing a sampled instrument






30. Value = 0 - 127 (Variations of the last 7 numbers)






31. Smooth gliding from one note to another (as in singing or string playing)






32. Pitch bend parameter that sets the range in semitones






33. Music production software that offers a great array of tools for mashup production - including tempo beatmapping and real time manipulation






34. Level at which sound remains until key is released






35. Each pass will overwrite the pass before it permanently erasing previous MIDI data






36. Most Significant Bit; the left- most bit in a binary whole number or code






37. The first sequencer developed for custom- built electronic instruments; Developed by Raymond Scott in 1950's






38. Channel messages are common messages controlling note - timbre - & expressive data; System messages control inter- machine parameters






39. Ability to play ONLY one note at a time; Often used for solo instruments (horns) - bass - portamento - slides - and trills






40. The point at which the voltage level from a signal waveform crosses from being positive to negative or vice versa






41. Height (or loudness) of a waveform






42. Digital audio workstation platform for Mac OS X and Windows operating systems; Developed and manufactured by Avid Technology






43. The industry benchmark for beat production; Features a 32- voice drum/phrase sampler with up to 128MB RAM and extensive editing capabilities; 100 -000- note - 64- track sequencer; 4 MIDI Outputs; Internal sounds reside in flash memory and can easily






44. Define the attenuation of high pass and low pass filters; Sound will slowly dissipate in a filter at a predetermined interval (usually 12 or 24dB)






45. Parts Per Quarter Note; Measurement of timing resolution of a sequencer; Points on a sequencer grid that lie between quarter notes; Higher the PPQN the better its timing; Referred to as ticks






46. Record with highest input level possible - without clipping; Record more than you need; Adjust sample start and end times; Truncate unwanted material






47. Debuted in 1980; First sampling based instrument by Small Australian company






48. Determines the point at which a filter begins altering harmonics or frequencies






49. Digital sampling but sounds are divided into small pieces of sound lasting from 1 to 50 milliseconds; Sounds are layered on top of one another and can be adjusted by speed - phase angle - and volume






50. Initial few hundred milliseconds of samples are loaded into RAM & remaining sample length is streamed from the hard drive