ETR II FINAL Flashcards

1
Q

Channel Path

A
  1. Mic preamp output
  2. EQ
  3. Small Fader Input
  4. Direct Channel Output
  5. Multitrack Input
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2
Q

Monitor Path

A
  1. Multi-track output
  2. Input of Large fader
  3. Mix bus
  4. Master fader
  5. Monitor select
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3
Q

Insert Send + Insert Return

A

There is a separate insert send+return for the Small and Large faders.

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4
Q

Multi-track Output

A

This is a direct patch point for the output of a track from Pro Tools. This is the “O” in the I/O setting for each track in Pro Tools.

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5
Q

Multi-track Input

A

This is the direct patch point for the input to Pro Tools. This is the “I” in the I/O setting for each track in Pro Tools.

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6
Q

Aux Send Outputs

A

“Sends” the signal to an outboard Effects Device- e.g- a Digital Reverb device or a Digital Delay Device.

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7
Q

Stereo Return Inputs

A

These patch points are where you would patch the output of an effects device to have the reverbs output “returned” to the Mix Bus as a Parallel Effect
***You must also make sure the small STA button is engaged on each stereo that is being used to have that return in the Mix Bus.

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8
Q

Line Input

A

This is the patch point for line level signals directly to the input to one of the large monitor faders on the console.

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9
Q

Stereo Output L- STA –R

A

Output of the mix bus.

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10
Q

Five parameters of compression

A

Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Makeup Gain

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11
Q

6 Track 1 MNTR In L+R

A

Patch point to monitor external sources of audio that are not going to the Mix Bus but only to the monitors.

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12
Q

Threshold

A

Sets the amplitude above which compression is to occur and below which compression is to stop.
- As long as signal remains below this level, it will not be compressed.
- When signal exceeds threshold, the compressor attenuates the signal.

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13
Q

Ratio

A

Amount of compression - compares the amount of input signal above the threshold to the amount of attenuated output above the threshold.
- 4:1 ratio describes a situation where the input level above the threshold is to be four times higher than the output above threshold (4 dB above in becomes 1 dB out).
- Only applies to portion of signal above the threshold.
- Ratio below 10:1 indicates compression.
- Ratio above 10:1 indicates limiting.

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14
Q

Attack

A

The speed with which the signal is attenuated (how quickly the compressor fully kicks in after the threshold has been exceeded.

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15
Q

Release

A

Sets the speed of the signal as it moves towards unity gain.

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16
Q

Makeup Gain

A

Turning the signal back up by a fixed amount.

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17
Q

Sidechain

A

A gain change device that can significantly change the sound of compression.

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18
Q

Tube compressors

A
  • Level detector circuit sends a voltage to the tube that directly drives the gain of the tube.
  • Produces distortion
  • Includes the reaction time of the tube as the gain is changed.
  • slower
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19
Q

Optical Compressors

A
  • Use interaction between a light source and a light sensitive resistor to influence gain.
  • Essentially illuminates a light which then shines on a photovoltaic cell - amplitude of the signal through the compressor is driven by the resistance of the photocell in reaction to the amount of light shining upon it.
  • The time it takes the bulb to turn on and off is synonymous with the attack and release of the compression.
  • Slower
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20
Q

VCA Compressors

A
  • Leverages a voltage controlled amplifier to affect gain of the compressor.
  • Fastest and smoothest.
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21
Q

Pumping

A

Generally unwanted audible artifact of compressor release revealed by the slow or unchanging amplitude of the audio signal being compressed.

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22
Q

Expander

A

Signals that fall below a designated threshold are reduced by a specified ratio.

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23
Q

Gate

A

When the input signal falls below the threshold, the gate closes and passes no signal.

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24
Q

Upward expander (rare)

A

Increases the amplitude when the signal exceeds the threshold in an attempt to raise the signal without distortion.

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25
Q

Downward expander

A

Decrease the amplitude when it falls below the threshold in an attempt to lower the level of the noise.

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26
Q

Threshold (expansion + gating)

A

determines amplitude below which attenuation is triggered into action
- When amplitude sinks lower than the threshold, however, the expander begins to attenuate the signal

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27
Q

Slope (expansion + gating)

A

Degree of expansion
- Compares the level below the threshold of the input to the level below the threshold of the output

28
Q

Attack (expansion + gating)

A

How fast the signal is attenuated
- How quickly the expander returns to unity gain after the amplitude of the signal has passed upward through and above the threshold.

29
Q

Release, Fade or Decay (expansion + gating)

A

Speed of the imagined fader within the machine as it moves down.

30
Q

Hold (expansion + gating)

A

Minimum length of time that the expander/gate must wait after the signal crosses the threshold before any attenuation is allowed to occur.

31
Q

Expansion

A

Minimizes outside noise, separates the volume of the wanted signal from the volume of the unwanted signal.

32
Q

Noise Gating

A

Cleaning up signals on tracks like snare in the tom tracks, or kicks in a snare track.
- Can patch an expander/gate on the during mixdown.
- Some low level noises like tape hiss or amp buzz can be completely silenced by a noise gate.

33
Q

Gating Through Waveform Editing

A

Work through each and every track and edit out any and all unwanted noises - find the parts where the singer is not singing and cut them out.

34
Q

Gating

A

Alter attack and decay envelop to make the sound more pleasing to the ear, but still natural and realistic.

35
Q

Coincident

A
  • Two directional mics angled apart with capsules nearly touching
  • Stereo effect produced by level differences between two channels
  • Images are sharp
  • Stereo spread ranges from narrow to accurate
  • Mono-compatible
36
Q

Near-Coincident

A
  • Two directional mics angled apart with a few inches between the capsules
  • Stereo effect produced by level and time differences between channels
  • Images are sharp
  • Stereo spread tends to be accurate
  • Sense of air and depth
37
Q

Spaced Pair or AB Pair

A
  • Two omni mics spaced several feet apart
  • Stereo effect produced by time differences between channels
  • Off center images are diffused
  • Stereo spread tends to be exaggerated
  • Provides a warm sense of ambience
  • Phase differential could be problematic
38
Q

XY

A

Coincident: 90 degree angle with cardioids
- dryer than the blumlein

39
Q

Blumlein

A

Coincident: 90 degree angle with 3 bi-directional microphones.

40
Q

Mid Side

A

Coincident: one cardioid center mic and one bi-directional mic.
- Bi-directional is copied and polarity reversed
- Adjustable stereo image after recording
- Cardioid facing signal, bi-directional facing sideways right under

41
Q

ORTF

A

Near-Coincident: cardioids angled 110 degrees apart and spaced 17 cm.

42
Q

NOS

A

Near-Coincident: Cardioids angled 90 degrees apart and spaced 30 cm

43
Q

OSS

A

Near-Coincident: omnis spaced 16.5 cm and separated by a foam covered disk of 28 cm diameter.

44
Q

Decca Tree

A

Spaced Pair or AB Pair: uses 3 Neumann M50 Omni microphones in a left center right configuration.

45
Q

Feedback

A

Parameter of digital delay devices that allows an engineer to make the delay time repeat more than once.

46
Q

Flanging

A

Short delay (under 15) with modulation.
- Short delays have spectral effects on the sound

47
Q

Parameters of Digital Delay

A

depth, rate, shape

48
Q

To find BPM in a 4/4

A

time 10 full beats for a ¼ note delay

49
Q

Short-time (1ms - 20ms)

A
  • Spectral Effect: due to short delay times the delayed signal when combined
  • Will create a comb filter when paired with original frequency
  • Phasing: breaks the signal into different frequency bands that are then phase shifted by different amounts - 90, 180, 270, etc…
  • This produces non linear frequency phase responses
  • Flanging: short modulating delay - delay and phase shift across all frequencies
50
Q

Medium time (20ms - 50ms)

A
  • Spreaders: either mono or stereo with or without modulation
  • Chorusing: multiple panned delays with various amounts of modulation
  • Pitch Shifting: detuned up and down by equal amounts, starting around 6 cents
51
Q

Long Delays (50 ms upward)

A
  • Slap Delay: with tape machine or DDL to create the delay depending on tempo - 80-120 ms - decrease tape machine speed for longer delay time
  • All Rhythm Delays: 1/16, 1/8, 1/2, etc…
52
Q

Chamber

A

Physical space - dedicated rooms or a recording studio.

53
Q

Mechanical

A
  • Spring: mechanical device
    A transducer vibrates the spring, sound waves bounce back and forth along spring until the energy dissipates
    Sound quality: lots of low-mid range around 1khz, a boost at 5k, steep roll off above 5k and below 1k
  • Plates: mechanical device
    Uses a steel plate tensioned on a frame - there is a transducer that caused vibrations on the plate, the sound wave travels back and forth on the plate until the energy dissipates
    There is a dampening pad on the plate to shorten the vibrations to shorten the decay time
    Sound quality: relatively flat response until around 9k, then there is a boost, smooth response
54
Q

Digital

A
  • Infinite Impulse Response (IIR): digitally produced
    Majority of digital reverbs - algorithm based and have the most flexibility with changing parameters
    Created using a series of comb filters and all pass filters
    Sound quality: very good - able to mimic many natural spaces and mechanical reverbs
  • Convolution Reverbs: digitally produced
    Uses as impulse response to capture a sort of snapshot or blueprint of all of the reflections of a space and can apply those reflections to another signal
    Sound quality: best ability to capture the most accurate convolution of real spaces
55
Q

Pre-Delay

A

Difference in time of arrival between the direct sound and the subsequent first associated reflection
- Allows you to hear if a space is small or large - provides the most significant aural cue in determining the size

56
Q

Equalization

A

frequency dependent gain control
Gently tempers the shape of a sound’s spectral content
Surgically removes unwanted frequencies
Cannot manufacture frequencies that don’t already exist

57
Q

High Pass

A

cuts out low frequencies and allows high frequencies to pass unaffected
- Frequencies that are cut and passed are relative to the cutoff frequency
- Slope of the filter measured in db per octave

58
Q

Low Pass

A

cuts out high frequencies and passes low frequencies
- Frequencies that are cut and passed are relative to the cutoff frequency
- Slope of the filter measured in db per octave

59
Q

Band Pass

A

cuts frequencies outside of a selected band and passes frequencies within it
- Combination of high pass and low pass filter
- Slope of the filter measured in db per octave

60
Q

Notch

A

cuts frequencies within a specific band and passes all others
- Combination of high pass and low pass filter
- Slope of the filter measured in db per octave

61
Q

Shelf EQ

A

boosts or attenuates program content from a given frequency and extends the gain change above or below that frequency like a shelf
- Slope is a measure of how the frequencies around the turnover are affected
- Relatively gentle slope, or low q
- Low frequency shelf symbol opens to the left
- High frequency shelf symbol opens to the right

62
Q

Bell Curve

A

reach its peak boost or cut at the center frequency, and the surrounding frequencies will gradually return to a gain change of 0 dB.
- Resembles the shape of a bell
- Q of a curve is the ratio of the center frequency divided by the bandwidth of the curve - t is analogous to the slope of the curve
- Has an associated bandwidth
- Measured on both sides of a bell curve
- Bandwidth is measured when it is 3 decibels away from the maximum boost or cut of the Center Frequency
- A small Q value equals a wide bandwidth
- A Large Q value equals a narrow bandwidth

63
Q

Parametric Equalizer

A

features a frequency selection control that is continuously variable over a wide band of frequencies
- offers the variable of user adjustable Q
- variable Boost or Cut amplitude controls

64
Q

Graphic Equalizer

A

Controls imply a graphic display of the resulting frequency response
- Typically spaced at octaves or ⅓ octaves

65
Q

Phase shift

A

EQ’s rely in part on capacitors and inductors,which induce tiny amounts of time delay and cause phase shifts
- Vary with frequencies ,filter shape and amount of gain applied
- In moderation it will enhance and clarify the frequencies you are trying to highlight
- Too much phase shift unsurprisingly, smears a sounds harmonics and muddies up your original intentions
- Can dramatically altered gain structure- meaning it will add volume to the signal

66
Q

Less Is More

A

Use EQ to attenuate signals, not boost

67
Q

Passive EQ

A
  • Passive equalizers create tonal changes without using any powered components like transistors, op-amps or tubes in their tone shaping circuits
  • Use only passive electronic components—resistors, capacitors, and inductors
  • Requires a make-up amplifier to boost the EQ’d signal back up to its original level—and that amplifier may use colorful tubes, transformers, and transistors
  • Passive EQ’s have a smooth silky top end and a warm low end
  • Passive EQs provide organic tone shaping with low distortion and musical coloration
  • utilize inductors, which are coils of wire that act as frequency-dependent resistors to create electrical inductance