U2 L3: Tools, Technology, And Equipment To Produce In Audio And Video Formats

Question 1

What are Radio stations and Content providers expected to provide?

Answer 1

• provide traditional content and supplement with other formats
• webpages
• social media
• apps to provide recorded concerts
• podcasts of events

Question 2

What are Podcasts?

Answer 2

digital audio files on the internet which can be downloaded to a media player

Question 3

What does the creation of new forms of distribution mean for the consumer?

Answer 3

• content can be accessed with different types of tech

- unlimited supply of content

Question 4

What does the creation of new forms of distribution mean for professionals in the audio/video industry?

Answer 4

variety of tech and equipment for creating online and over-the-air distribution

Question 5

What are 3 typical forms of equipment included in DAWs?

Answer 5

• computer
• digital audio software
• digital audio interface

Question 6

What is the role of a computer in a DAW?

Answer 6

• center of system
• its subsystems determine how many audio tracks can be recorded or played at once
• determines how long processing will take for edits and other functions

Question 7

What is the role of a digital audio software in a DAW?

Answer 7

• brain of workstation

- Garageband, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Acid, Steinberg Cubase

Question 8

What is the role of a digital audio interface in a DAW?

Answer 8

• devices that convert sound in and out of computer
• includes input and outputs in analog and digital formats
• quality of interface determines quality of audio

Question 9

How are Digital audio interfaces connected with a DAW?

Answer 9

• FireWire

- USB cable

Question 10

What is a FireWire?

Answer 10

Tech allowing high-speed exchange of data

Question 11

What is a USB cable?

Answer 11

• Universal Serial Bus

- connects tech

Question 12

What are Plug-ins?

Answer 12

software that helps program operate inside a recording software, and extend its capacity

Question 13

What are some examples of Plug-ins?

Answer 13

• Virtual instruments
• Synthesizers
• Software samplers

Question 14

What are the different forms of technology that listeners of radio programming use to access content?

Answer 14

• radio
• media players
• download to iPods/smartphones
• webpage

Question 15

What is an Encoding sound cards?

Answer 15

• translates analog signals into digital signals

- signal is sampled and compressed to be transmitted on the Internet

Question 16

What is the sampling rate of content that providers produce high quality or CD quality with?

Answer 16

44.1 kHz

Question 17

What is a Sampling rate?

Answer 17

number of times an analog signal is sampled per second

Question 18

What is the Bit depth each sample should have?

Answer 18

16 bits

Question 19

What is Bit Depth?

Answer 19

Coding system used to measure the resolution in audio and video

Question 20

What is Signal-to -Noise ratio? (S/N)

Answer 20

• method used by content providers to measure quality of sample
• greater number of bits= higher S/N ratio= better signal quality

Question 21

How much decibels of signal to noise does each bit provide?

Answer 21

6 dB

8bit audio= 48 dB of signal to 1dB of noise

Question 22

What is overhead?

Answer 22

additional bandwidth needed for optimal streaming

Question 23

What is perceptual coding?

Answer 23

• coding based on the human ear

- eliminates softer sounds

Question 24

What are servers?

Answer 24

computers used to run software and provide services to computer users

Question 25

What are ISPs?

Answer 25

• internet service providers

- they may use/have multiple servers to accommodate the demand for content

Question 26

What is the problem caused when a company both provides encoder/server software to a radio station, and creates playback software for a listener?

Answer 26

• listeners will need one brand of software to listen to one radio station and another to listen to another station
• they will compete with the default software on the user’s computer

Question 27

What are on-demand files?

Answer 27

resources made available to a user as needed

Question 28

How is a recording made so that it is high-quality?

Answer 28

• using high-quality speakers to judge quality
• using headphones to detect problems
• using prof recording and editing software

Question 29

For recording material for downloading, what file format should you save it in?

Answer 29

MP3 (stands for MPEG-2, Audio Layer 3)

Question 30

What is MPEG?

Answer 30

• Moving Picture Experts Group

- developed compression systems for video data

Question 31

What format is video saved in?

Answer 31

MP4

Question 32

What is the key to synchronizing audio and video?

Answer 32

• timecode

- also called SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) because they developed it

Question 33

What is the format in which the SMPTE/timecode is displayed on a camera?

Answer 33

-hours, minutes, seconds, frames

Hours- 00-23
Min- 00-59
Sec-00-59
Frames- smallest

Question 34

What is LTC?

Answer 34

• linear or longitudinal time code

- data in a series of waves recorded on an audio track of the device

Question 35

What is VITC?

Answer 35

• vertical interval time code
• data is encoded into the blank “vertical interval” between video frames

(it’s kind of like a time code that is off-screen and not in the final picture)

Question 36

Why do editors need to frequently synchronize audio to video?

Answer 36

• multiple camera shots

- audio tracks are added from a separate recording

Question 37

Where is Timecode recorded on?

Answer 37

• video camera

- audio recording device

Question 38

How do editors sync the code on the camera and audio device?

Answer 38

• they look for an audio spike in the video

- clapboard

Question 39

Do consumer video cameras record a timecode?

Answer 39

Yes, but they may not meet SMPTE standards