Phase 2 Study Guide

Question 1

The sampling frequency should be at least twice the highest frequency contained in the analog signal describes what?

Answer 1

The Nyquist Theorem

Question 2

What electronic component is used for extremely accurate timing in digital audio devices?

Answer 2

Crystal Oscillator

Question 3

The following describes what cable configuration? Two wires in our cable carry a positive and negative signal, which is the same signal but polarity reversed. The positive signal is connected to pin 2 and the negative is connected to pin 3. The pin 2&3 terminals are put back in phase with one another at the preamplifier, which cancels out the noise but amplifies the signal. The twisted pair is designed to minimize EMI and RFI noise. A ground lead, connected to pin 1, minimizes any capacitance interference from nearby circuits by filtering the capacitance into the earth through a copper lead sunk into the earth.

Answer 3

Balanced cable

Question 4

This scenario best describes what artificial effect? An amplified aux send is sent to a speaker in a room designed to produce a certain amount of reflections. Two microphones, a left and a right, are used to capture the reverberations in the room and added to the original audio. The captured reverb is our wet signal and the original is considered our dry signal.

Answer 4

Recording echo chamber

Question 5

An obtuse low level noise caused by decreasing the bit depth in a digital audio signal describes what?

Answer 5

Quantization noise

Question 6

What is the function of a compressor?

Answer 6

Reduces dynamic range

Question 7

What is the function of a high pass filter?

Answer 7

Attenuates audible content below a cutoff frequency

Question 8

Pin 3 on a balanced cable carries what signal?

Answer 8

Negative

Question 9

Select the sonic characteristics that describe a VCA compressor 
Dirty
Clean
Organic
Slow
Fast

Answer 9

Fast and clean

Question 10

What analog artificial effect uses a spring to create artificial reverberation?

Answer 10

Spring Reverb

Question 11

Select all of the solid state amplifiers from the list:
Anode
Transistor
Transformer
OpAmp
Triode

Answer 11

Transistor, Transformer and OpAmp

Question 12

This type of amplifier boosts an unbalanced, high impedance, instrument level signal to a balanced, low impedance, mic level signal or can convert a low impedance, line level signal to a mic level signal.

Answer 12

DI box

Question 13

The quality of the sample in a digital signal is determined by what?

Answer 13

The sample rate

Question 14

What is the second step to digitization?

Answer 14

Quantization

Question 15

Pin 2 on a balanced cable carries what signal?

Answer 15

Positive

Question 16

What rare type of jitter is similar to a warped record?

Answer 16

WOW jitter

Question 17

How long can an unbalanced cable be before serious noise discrepancies occur?

Answer 17

15’

Question 18

What sonic characteristic do solid state amplifiers have?

Answer 18

Clean

Question 19

What analog electric artificial effect uses a plate of sheet metal inside a wooden box?

Answer 19

Plate reverb

Question 20

What cable type and connector is used on a microphone?

Answer 20

Female XLR balanced

Question 21

What engineer used the first echo chamber for recording?

Answer 21

Bill Putnam

Question 22

Vibrato is the variation in the volume of a signal. True or False?

Answer 22

False

Question 23

What cable type and connector is used for an acoustic guitar?

Answer 23

TS unbalanced

Question 24

What is the first step to digitization?

Answer 24

Sample the audio

Question 25

What are echo chambers primarily used for today?

Answer 25

Impulse response

Question 26

An audible discrepancy that occurs in digital audio systems due to incorrect timing placement of samples describes what?

Answer 26

Jitter

Question 27

Select the sonic characteristics that describe an Opto compressor.

Answer 27

Slow and organic

Question 28

Select the sonic characteristics that describe a FET style compressor.

Answer 28

Fast and dirty

Question 29

What type of amplifier is used inside a passive DI box?

Answer 29

Transformer

Question 30

Tremolo is the variation in the volume of a signal. True or False?

Answer 30

True

Question 31

The quality of the quantization in a digital signal is determined by what?

Answer 31

The bit resolution or the word length

Question 32

What type of track in pro tools is recommended for using a reverb plugin?

Answer 32

Aux track

Question 33

What electrode in a vacuum tube is used to boil the electrons?

Answer 33

Cathode

Question 34

This type of amplifier boosts a mic level signal to a line level signal. This amplifier is also responsible for supplying DC voltage to externally polarized microphones and active DI boxes.

Answer 34

Mic preamp

Question 35

What sonic characteristic do tube amplifiers have?

Answer 35

Warm

Question 36

The time it takes a signal to fall 60dB down from its highest amplitude is known as what?

Answer 36

RT60

Question 37

How many peaking filters are usually in a parametric EQ?

Answer 37

3

Question 38

How many shelving filters are in a parametric EQ?

Answer 38

2

Question 39

Pin 1 on a balanced cable carries what signal?

Answer 39

Ground

Question 40

What type of amplifier is used inside of a solid state, active DI box?

Answer 40

OpAmp

Question 41

``` Select the lossless audio file formats: AIFF WAV ALAC MP3 FLAC ```

Answer 41

ALAC & FLAC

Question 42

What type of time based processing plugin can be used for quick, “on the fly” effects editing in pro tools?

Answer 42

RTAS

Question 43

``` Select the Lossy audio file formats: MP3 FLAC AIFF AAC WAV ```

Answer 43

MP3 and AAC