Music Test 2 - Listening

Question 1

Splicing

Answer 1

Editing a track by taking parts out and rearranging it.

Question 2

Mono

Answer 2

Recorded and/or played back using one channel.

“One sound”

Question 3

Stereo

Answer 3

Recorded and/or played back through two audio channels.

“Full sound”

Question 4

Analogue

Answer 4

A continuous signal that represents physical measurements. For example, the human voice is analogue.

Question 5

Digital Signal

Answer 5

A sequeunce of discreet values - not continous. Usually technological, such as a computer.

Question 6

Multitrack

Answer 6

The mixing of separately recorded audio tracks to make a song.

Question 7

Bouncing down

Answer 7

Mixing several tracks into one singular track to make more space to record.

Question 8

Hard panning

Answer 8

When the stereo puts one or more tracks completely onto either the left or right channel.

Question 9

Overdubbing

Answer 9

To add a recorded sound or music over the top of a taped musical track to enhance or complete the recording.

Question 10

Punk music

Answer 10

Emerging in the 70s, punk music moved away from overproduced music and mainstream rock and instead chose to use stripped down instrumentation and avoiding post-production altering as much as possible.

Question 11

Drum machine

Answer 11

Musical hardware meant to imitate the sound of drums and other percussion instrument

Question 12

Oscillator

Answer 12

The machine that creates the original soundwave

Question 13

Low Pass Filter

Answer 13

Allows lower frequencies through and filters out mid to high frequencies

Question 14

High Pass Filter

Answer 14

Allows high frequencies through and filters out mid to low frequencies.

Question 15

Cut-off frequency

Answer 15

The point at which the filter comes into effect. Usually controlled by the user

Question 16

Resonance

Answer 16

A boost of volume at the cut off frequency.

Question 17

Envelope (A/D/S/R)

Answer 17

The shape of the graph of the volume over time.
Attack: the length of the buildup of the note
Decay: the length of decrease of the note after the increase
Sustain: the amount of frequency to sustain, or keep the same after the decrease
Release: the amount of time it takes the frequency to go back to 0.

Question 18

LFO (low frequency oscillator)

Answer 18

an oscillator that operates 20Hz. A modulator that controls part of the sound. Can control the volume or the pitch of the synth. It can even control the filters applied to the synth to change the cut off frequency.

Question 19

Synth Lead

Answer 19

A synth sound intended to be the melody, or to stand out.

Question 20

Synth Pad

Answer 20

Synth sound intended for chords to play in the background.

Question 21

Effects - Panning

Answer 21

Distribution of a sound signal in a stereo field. Works by letting through more or less of a sound signal on each side

Question 22

Auto-pan

Answer 22

Sweep sounds over a stereo field so that the music sounds as if it is moving from one side to the other.

Question 23

Effects - Equalisation (EQ)

Answer 23

The cutting or boosting of a frequency or range of frequencies on the frequency spectrum. It shapes the existing frequencies of the sound: not adds new ones in. Cutting higher frequencies will make the sound darker, while boosting the higher frequencies will make it sound brighter.

Question 24

Effects - Telephone EQ and Vocoder

Answer 24

Telephone EQ: uses a bandpass filter or high pass filter to make the sound sound as if it is coming from a telephone.
Vocoder: sends a vocal part through a synth.

Question 25

Effects: Delay

Answer 25

Delay is an audio effect that records an audio signal for playback a set period of time after the original signal. Plays back the “dry” signal and the delayed signal shortly after. Can also be used to make sounds sound as if they are echoing.

Question 26

Slapback delay

Answer 26

A delay affect that plays the delayed frequency 70-120ms after the dry signal is played to create a quick doubling effect.

Question 27

Digital Delay

Answer 27

A delay thats much easier to manipulate in regards to ms, and can even even synchronise the delay with the song’s tempo.

Question 28

Ping Pong/ Stereo Delay

Answer 28

A delay that pans between the channels.

Question 29

Effects - Reverb

Answer 29

Reverberation, or a bunch of echoes happening at the same time that makes you hear it all at once. It can also make things sound further away if you tone down the dry signal and push the wet signal.

Question 30

Reverse Reverb

Answer 30

Reversing a sound, adding reverb then reverting the sound to it’s original state.

Question 31

Gated Reverb

Answer 31

A large amount of reverb that is quickly cut off by a noise gate.

Question 32

Effects - Distortion

Answer 32

An overloading of the audio circuit that clips the audio to make it sound different. Valve amplifiers soft clip the sounds and thus sounds smoother and warmer. Transistors hard clip the sound and thus sounds harsher and more dissonant.

Question 33

Fuzz Distortion

Answer 33

An extremely hard clip that compresses the distortion to make a raw sound.

Question 34

Overdrive Distortion

Answer 34

A smoother clip than Fuzz and thus makes the distortion sound warmer and smoother.

Question 35

Effects - Compression

Answer 35

The reduction between the dynamic ranges, or the lowest and the highest of the volumes. They lower the volume of loud peaks and boost lower volumes, allowing someone to increase the gain without adding distortion. Makes a sound punchier and tighter, and adds an average loudness.

Question 36

Overcompression

Answer 36

This can accentuate unwanted noises, such as breathing or hisses. Reduces the signal to noise ratio.

Question 37

Sidechain compression

Answer 37

Makes the music sound as if it is pumping.

Question 38

Effects - Chorus

Answer 38

Where one signal is played alongside copies of itself with slight varaitions in tuning and/or timing (delay). Makes one signal sound like a chorus of signals.

Question 39

Tremolo and Vibrato

Answer 39

Tremolo: varying the volume that makes the sound sound as if it is trembling.
Vibrato: modulates the pitch, making it sound like that of a singers or when a guitar play vibrates the fret.

Question 40

Flanging and Phasing

Answer 40

A modulation based effect.
Flanger: a short delay (0.1ms-10ms) and modulates it against the dry frequency, creating a “whooshing” or “jet plane” effect.
Phasing: The same as a flanger, but uses an all-pass filter instead of a delay.
It sounds a lot like swooshing or swirling.

Question 41

Audio filter

Answer 41

It turns down a set of frequencies after the cut-off frequency.
LPF: everything belowe the cut-off is let through
HPF: everything above is let through
BPF: everything within a certain range is let through.

Question 42

Wah wah pedal

Answer 42

Makes the guitar sound like it is going “wah”.