Technical Stuff

Question 1

What are the benefits and disadvantages of an MP3?

Answer 1

Can be sent on an email (easily compressed), less high quality

Question 2

What are the benefits and disadvantages of a WAV file?

Answer 2

Can’t be sent on an email (not easily compressed), very high quality

Question 3

What is noisegate?

Answer 3

Controls volume of audio

Question 4

What is automation?

Answer 4

Control volume and panning automatically

Question 5

What is panning?

Answer 5

Travelling sound around the headphones

Question 6

What is EQ?

Answer 6

Adjusting frequency for a clearer sound

Question 7

What is distortion?

Answer 7

Fuzzy sound

Question 8

What is reverb?

Answer 8

Sounds like it has been recorded in a large room

Question 9

What is monitoring?

Answer 9

Hearing the track in real time

Question 10

What’s the difference between a dynamic and a condenser mic?

Answer 10

Dynamic picks up louder sounds, condenser picks up more delicate noise and are highly sensitive

Question 11

What decades are analogue recording machines used?

Answer 11

30s-80s

Question 12

What is analogue recording?

Answer 12

Recording method before MIDI

Question 13

Examples of different Analogue Recording tech

Answer 13

Cassettes, vinyl, reel to reel

Question 14

What are disadvantages of recording everything on a single track?

Answer 14

Mistakes are expensive, break easily, every re-record worsens the quality of

Question 15

How many multi tracks did early tape machines have?

Answer 15

4-8 (up to 24 for orchestra/choir)

Question 16

What is overdubbing?

Answer 16

Recording over existing tracks - particularly used for singers

Question 17

Advantage to multitracking?

Answer 17

Easily remove mistakes, higher recording quality, larger ensembles

Question 18

Disadvantages to multitracking?

Answer 18

Quality worsens over time, takes longer to mix

Question 19

When did Digital tape replace analogue?

Answer 19

1980s

Question 20

What was tape eventually replaced by (before DAWs)?

Answer 20

Hard disc drives

Question 21

Advantages to digital tape?

Answer 21

Able to record greater range or dynamics, cheaper than analogue

Question 22

Disadvantages to digital tape?

Answer 22

Data can corrupt, lacks “warmth” of analogue as it can sound too perfect

Question 23

Advantages to DAW?

Answer 23

Unlimited tracks, high quality recording, anyone with a device can create music

Question 24

Disadvantages to DAW?

Answer 24

Requires a powerful computer, complicated software, software can crash mid-recording lacks imperfections - music can be overproduced

Question 25

What is a sampler?

Answer 25

Uses short pieces of audio to create sounds

Question 26

Why might you use a sampler?

Answer 26

Allows you to create certain sounds easily

Question 27

Examples of consumer audio formats?

Answer 27

Streaming platforms, vinyl, cassettes, CDs, MP3, music videos

Question 28

What is the velocity on a MIDI track?

Answer 28

How hard the key was struck

Question 29

What is a DAW?

Answer 29

Digital Audio Workstation

Question 30

What is a plug-in?

Answer 30

Software application that provide a specific function eg. Effects, EQ, Dynamic Processing

Question 31

What is a peripheral?

Answer 31

Something that you can physically see which impacts the sound eg. Headphones, monitor, speakers

Question 32

What is normalisation?

Answer 32

Applies the same amount of gain to the entire recording

Question 33

What is MIDI interface?

Answer 33

Hardware that allows input eg. Keyboard, Drum Pad

Question 34

What is quantisation?

Answer 34

Allows the data to be moved onto beat with a SINGLE COMMAND

Question 35

What is chorus?

Answer 35

A modulation effect that makes it sound like multiple instruments/voices are playing

Question 36

What is stereo?

Answer 36

Left and right in the field (opposite of mono)

Question 37

How many volts does Phantom Power take?

Answer 37

48 Volts and is used in condenser microphones