Unit 2

Question 1

Define analog recording

Answer 1

a type of recorded signal that produces a wave similar to that of the original wave.

Question 2

Define transduction

Answer 2

the process of changing one form of energy to another

Question 3

Define phonograph

Answer 3

a device created by Thomas Edison using a microphone, a needle, and a rotating foil cylinder to record sound

Question 4

Define magnetic tape

Answer 4

mylar tape with a thin coating of magnetic particles; each is a tiny magnet and is arranged in random fashion

Question 5

Define digital recording

Answer 5

a type of recorded signal that is comprised of samples of original sound

Question 6

Define bit

Answer 6

on or off state in computer language. Each audio sample is made of a string of these.

Question 7

Define sample rate

Answer 7

how many times per second the signal is sampled

Question 8

Who invented the phonograph in 1877

Answer 8

Thomas Edison

Question 9

What were nickelodians?

Answer 9

machines that you could put a nickel in to and hear a song of your choice

Question 10

Define microphone

Answer 10

a transducer that converts a sound wave into an electrical wave that can then be amplified and broadcast

Question 11

Which microphone type requires an external power source

Answer 11

condensor mic

Question 12

What is the power source for a condensor mic called?

Answer 12

phantom power

Question 13

What are the three types of microphones we talked about in class?

Answer 13

dynamic, condensor, ribbon

Question 14

What are the pros and cons of dynamic mics?

Answer 14

pros:
inexpensive, very durable, performs well in difficult sound conditions
cons:
less response to higher frequency sounds

Question 15

What are the pros and cons of ribbon mics?

Answer 15

pros:
very good high frequency response, warm rich tones, excellent sensitivity
cons:
very delicate and easily damaged, sensitive to popping noises from Bs and Ps

Question 16

What are the pros and cons of condenser mics?

Answer 16

pros:
high sensitivity and extended frequency response, reasonably durable
cons:
needs external power supply, susceptible to moisture damage

Question 17

Which mic is also known as the “moving coil mic”

Answer 17

dynamic

Question 18

What is an omnidirectional mic?

Answer 18

a mic that picks up sound well from all directions

Question 19

What is a bi-directional mic?

Answer 19

a mic that picks up sound from front and rear equally, but rejects sounds from the sides

Question 20

What is a cardiod mic?

Answer 20

also known as unidirectional, only picks up sound from the front. It is known as cardiod because the shape of its pickup pattern looks like a heart.

Question 21

What is a shotgun mic?

Answer 21

a long mic with a long focused pick up range

Question 22

What is a windscreen?

Answer 22

foam covering for microphones to help prevent unwanted noises

Question 23

How close together should mics be placed?

Answer 23

Space mics about three times the the source distance apart

Question 24

What are imaging and depth when referring to recording?

Answer 24

imaging: the apparent placement of certain sounds from left to right
depth: the apparent placement of certain sounds from front to back

Question 25

What are the four components of speakers?

Answer 25

tweeter: produces high frequencies woofer: produces mid frequencies sub-woofer: produces low frequencies crossover: sends frequencies to the proper drivers

Question 26

What does SPL stand for?

Answer 26

sound pressure level

Question 27

Define sensitivity

Answer 27

amount of sound a speaker can produce from a given input level

Question 28

What is phasing?

Answer 28

when one sound and an inverse sound cancel each other out

Question 29

What is the name for the process of over-dubbing during a multi-track recording?

Answer 29

punching in

Question 30

What is the name for the unwanted sound that comes from wires?

Answer 30

hum

Question 31

What is the name for the average common audio plug?

Answer 31

phone connector

Question 32

RCA cables are also known as what?

Answer 32

phono cables

Question 33

What unit is impedance measured in?

Answer 33

ohms

Question 34

Amplitude is measured in what?

Answer 34

decibels

Question 35

What is panning?

Answer 35

audio spread across a left to right spectrum

Question 36

Define frequency response

Answer 36

how well certain devices respond to different frequencies

Question 37

Which kind of mic has two bars inside with an electric charge between?

Answer 37

condensor

Question 38

In 1873, who published the theory on electromagnetic waves?

Answer 38

James Maxwell

Question 39

Who used experiments to send and detect audio waves.

Answer 39

Heinrich Hertz

Question 40

Who invented wireless telegraphy?

Answer 40

Marconi

Question 41

Who made the first radio broadcast?

Answer 41

Reginald Fessenden

Question 42

Who invented the audion tube?

Answer 42

Lee De Forest

Question 43

What does RCA stand for?

Answer 43

Radio Corporation of America

Question 44

Who saw wireless technology as a form of entertainment and became the first DJ?

Answer 44

Frank Conrad

Question 45

What was the first radio station?

Answer 45

KDKA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Question 46

What event happened in 1940 that threatened the very existence of radio?

Answer 46

the invention of television

Question 47

What is pirate radio?

Answer 47

People hijack radio waves and broadcast their own signal

Question 48

What do AM and FM stand for?

Answer 48

Amplitude Modulation | Frequency Modulation

Question 49

What is the default sample rate for CD quality?

Answer 49

44.1 khz / 16 bit

Question 50

What is ERP?

Answer 50

abbreviation for the three playheads in analog recording (Erase, Record, Play)

Question 51

What were potential problems with using tape for recording?

Answer 51

poor frequency response, slow and fast variations due to dirty tape path (known as wow and flutter), crosstalk (signals from different tracks getting mixed), and hiss (noise generated by random particles in the tape)

Question 52

What advantages did analog recording have over digital?

Answer 52

gentler and warmer sound, captured entire sound rather than just a sample

Question 53

Every digital audio sample is made up of a string of on or off states in computer language called what?

Answer 53

bits

Question 54

What is the technical term for air molecules being pulled apart?

Answer 54

rarefaction

Question 55

What is amplitude?

Answer 55

the height of the wave, determines how loud the sound is

Question 56

Define cycle

Answer 56

one complete vibration from normal to high to low to normal

Question 57

Define frequency

Answer 57

the number of cycles per second

Question 58

What is wavelength?

Answer 58

physical distance between peaks of waves

Question 59

Define timbre

Answer 59

the specific shape of the wave that makes it sound different from other noises

Question 60

Define attack and decay

Answer 60

Attack: how long a sound takes to get from silence to maximum volume Decay: how long it takes to get from maximum to midrange

Question 61

Define sustain

Answer 61

how long a sound holds

Question 62

Define release

Answer 62

how long it takes for a sound to fade to silence after sustain

Question 63

Define phase shift

Answer 63

when two identical waves are slightly delayed from each other and are out of phase

Question 64

What is a signal to noise ratio?

Answer 64

the amount of difference in volume (dB) between the audio signal at optimal level and the noise made by the equipment

Question 65

What are the raw audio formats for Mac and Windows?

Answer 65

Mac: AIFF Windows: WAV

Question 66

Define bit depth

Answer 66

number of bits allocated to each sample