Audio Technology Flashcards
Digital recording
Representation of frequency and amplitude through binary system number
Sampling
Periodical samples (voltages) of analog signal at fixed intervals and conversion to digital data
Sampling frequency/Sample rate
The rate at which fixed intervals sample the original signal. 48kHZ - samples 48,000
Most common sampling rates
32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192
Quantization
As samples of the waveform are taken, these voltages are converted into discrete quantities and assigned values
Bit depth
Digital word length used to represent a given sample and is equivalent to dynamic range
Bit rate
Relationship between sampling frequency and bit depth (bit depth * sampling frequency)
Samplers
Devices that are capable of recording musically transposing, processing and reproducing segments of digitized audio directly from RAM
Digital Audio Tape Systems
DASH, DAT, ADAT, DTRS
The Recordable Compact Disc (CD-R)
Write-once-read-many. Can be recorded on, erased and used again
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)
Same diameter and thickness as the compact disc but can hold a greater amount of data.
Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD
High density optical disc formats designed to meet demands of HD media
Flash Memory Recorder
Portable digital recorder that has no moving parts and therefore requires no maintenance. Storage medium - memory card, nonvolatile and re-recordable
Secure Digital(SD, SDHX, SDXC)
Industry leading memory cards
Digital audio workstation (DAW)
Expandable recording, mixing, signal processing and editing system that can be integrated with and networked to a collection of devices
Wordclock
Single, master timing reference through which the overall sample-and-hold conversion states during both the record and playback process for all
digital audio channels and devices within the system will occur at exactly the same time
ISDN, Internet2
Allow to produce a recording in real time between studios across town or country with little to no loss in audio quality
AES/EBU
Professional digital audio connection interface. Calls for two audio channels to be encoded in a serial data stream and transmitted through a balanced line using XLR connectors
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
Consumer version of AES/EBU. Unbalanced line using phono connectors. (CD players)
SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface)
Standard for hardware and software command language. Allows two-way communication between, primarily, hard - disk and CD-ROM drives to exchange digital data at fast speeds
iSCSI (Internet SCSI)
Standart based of the Internet Protocol (IP) for linking data storage devices over a network and transferring data by carrying SCSI commands over IP networks
MADI (Multichannel Audio Digital Interface)
Standard used when interfacing multichannel digital audio. Allows up to 56 channels of digital audio to be sent down one coaxial cable
FireWire
Low-cost networking scheme more powerful than SCSI. Powering id flexible, modes are asynchronous/isosynchronous with the same network and compatibility is backward and forward with continuous transmission in either direction.
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
Standardized connection to personal computers of devices such as portable media players, microphones, disk drives, personal digital assistants and smartphones
Thunderbolt
Very high-speed interface also designed to connect peripheral devices to a computer. Uses four cables two each carrying outward and inward data streams. Can transfer a full high-definition movie in 30 sec
Microphones
TRANSDUCERS that convert acoustic energy into electric energy. The device that does the transducing is called the element.
Magnetic Induction
Referred to as dynamic mics. The two types of professional microphones that use this are the moving coil and the ribbon mic.
Variable Capacitance
Referred to as capacitor mics. Requires a power supply in order to operate. Most modern condensers use a
battery or phantom power. However, since the sound of the old tube mics is still preferred, many new versions have appeared with increasing popularity.
Omnidirectional microphone
All around
Bidirectional or figure 8 microphones
Front and rear
Unidirectional
Front. Has several pickup patterns: cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, and ultracardioid or shotgun
Polar response pattern
Microphone’s directional sensitivity that can be displayed
graphically
Frequency response
The range of frequencies that it produces at an
equal level, within a margin of ±3 dB, and can be displayed in a response curve graph.
Sensitivity
Measures the voltage that a microphone produces (dBV), which is an
indication of a microphone’s efficiency
Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N)
The difference between signal and the noise levels in an
electronic component; it is measured in decibels.
Self-noise
The electrical noise, or hiss, a microphone (or any electronic device) produces.
Overload
All microphones will distort if the sound levels are too high
Maximum sound pressure level
The level at which a microphone’s output signal
begins to distort.