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Studio Techniques II > Final > Flashcards

Final Flashcards

1
Q

Know the five characteristics that distinguish a professional studio.

A

A professional Staff
Professional Equipment
Professional, yet comfortable working environment
Optimized acoustic and recording equipment
Optimized control room mixing environment

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2
Q

What are characteristics of a good control room? What could be affected by poor design?

A

Well tuned acoustic space
Avoid standing waves
Isolated sound-wise
Large enough to let low frequencies come through
Poor design - bass could be too boomy/tinny

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3
Q

What are some construction techniques used to create isolation with walls, floors and HVAC?

A

Sand beneath the floors to reduce vibrations throughout the room, double walls, sealed electrical

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4
Q

Be able to draw/label/explain a simple analog transduction chain.

A

Mic -(acoustic to electric)>Preamp -> DAW/Mixer -> Amplifier -> Speaker

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5
Q

Know the difference between peak amplitude value and rms amplitude value and the mathematical calculations for both.

A

Peak is maximum level from centerline - peak voltage = 1.414 x rms voltage
RMS is average level - RMS = .707 x peak voltage

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6
Q

What is the velocity of sound?

A

1130 ft/sec

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7
Q

What estimate of time/distance do we use to approximate it?

A

Roughly 1 ft. per ms

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8
Q

Know how to calculate wavelength.

A

Wavelength = velocity / frequency using

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9
Q

Know the three things that help us localize sound. What specifically do they react to?

A

Interaural time differences - low frequencies
Interaural level differences - high frequencies
Pinna effects - how it reflects into the ear

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10
Q

Be able to name the parts of the ear and explain the function of each part.

A

Pinna - directs sound into ear canal
Tympanic Membrane - Receives sound from air and transmits to ossicles
Basilar Membrane - Separates liquid filled tubes that run along cochlea
Ossicles - transmit sounds from air to fluid filled cochlea
Eustachian tube - evens out air pressure in ear drum
Cochlea - has small hairs that send sounds to auditory nerves
Oval Window - goes from middle ear to inner ear
Axillary nerve - sends hearing information to brain

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11
Q

Explain the difference between dBv and dB SPL. What is the change in dB SPL when a distance is halved or doubled?

A

dBv is sound level in voltage
SPL - acoustical measurement
When the distance is halved, the change increases by 6dB. When the distance is doubled, the change decreases by 6dB.

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12
Q

What is the perceived change in loudness of a 10 dB change in level?

A

The perceived change is either halved or doubled.

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13
Q

What happens with a change of 3 dBv?

A

There is little to no perceived change, doubles or halves actual level

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14
Q

What information do we learn from looking at Equal Loudness Contours?

A

Humans don’t hear everything at equal loudness, there is an increase around 4kHz

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15
Q

Explain Frequency Masking.

A

Frequency masking is when two frequencies are close in pitch, the louder one will mask the softer one

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16
Q

Explain Temporal Masking.

A

Temporal Masking is when two frequencies are close in time, the louder one will mask the softer one

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17
Q

What three things are needed to measure the reverberation time of a space? What do we call this characteristic? How do we do the measurement?

A

Stopwatch, impact noise, SPL meter. RT60.

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18
Q

Be able to explain and apply the Haas effect.

A

The Haas effect is a psychoacoustic effect that allows us to localize sound coming from anywhere around us.

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19
Q

Know how dynamic, condenser and ribbon mics operate and be able to draw their capsules.

A

Dynamic microphones convert sound into electrical signal through means of a coil creating an electromagnetic field.
Condenser microphones contain a capacitor that has two plates with a voltage between them. One of these plates is made of very light material and acts as the diaphragm, this requires phantom power to work. The diaphragm vibrates when struck by sound waves, changing the distance between the two plates and therefore changing the capacitance. The distance between the plates cause for current to run through it and convert sound into electrical current.
Ribbon microphones contain a small piece of aluminum metal to act as a transducer and convert acoustical sound into electrical current. The foil is between to plates that act as a magnet and has electrical current run through it in order for sound to come through.

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20
Q

Explain how phantom power works for microphones

A

Phantom power is an invisible signal that runs through pins two and three of an XLR cable. It equalizes both the positive and negative terminals and since they are out of phase, they cancel out.

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21
Q

What is the difference between a pressure mic and a pressure-gradient mic?

A

A pressure mic is omnidirectional. A pressure gradient mic is everything else.

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22
Q

What are the main types of mic polar patterns? Why do we need these?

A

Cardioid- capture mainly the front and some sides with cancellation in the back
Bidirectional- capture two things at once or two parts of one instrument
Omnidirectional- good for group miking and capturing a room
Supercardioid- capture some sides and some behind to get room noise or crowd noise, but is mostly front sensitive.

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23
Q

Be able to explain the output characteristics of mics, such as the sensitivity rating, the
equivalent noise rating and overload characteristics.

A

Sensitivity rating- how loud the signal will be

Equivalent noise rating- how much noise the microphone makes

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24
Q

What is the difference between balanced and unbalanced lines and why are each used? Be ready to draw the connectors and label their points.

A

A balanced cable is able to travel long distances and more than one connector in

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25
Q

Know the three most common ways of multimedia distribution and tell the differences between them.

A

The web- need internet; transmit and receive via URLs
Networks- a collection of computers and other data hardware devices connected by communications channels that allow for the communication of shared resources and/or data
Physical media- CD, DVD, Blu-ray discs; delivered in physical form

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26
Q

Be able to explain the characteristic advantage of the laser used for Blu-ray over the lasers used for CDs or DVDs.

A

Blue-violet laser for more precision and more information encoded on a smaller disc due to shorter wavelength

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27
Q

*Know the basic steps of Blu-ray replication.

A

A glass master is made that has the client data engraved on it. From this the glass master a __ is made to mount on the injection molder

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28
Q

Know the types of speaker design we discussed.

A

Air Suspension
Smaller, bookshelf style
Sealed
Tight bass response while being rolled off at the extreme low end
Bass reflex
Use a ported or vented cabinet to create a tuned resonator, serving to acoustically boost the output in the extreme lower octaves

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29
Q

Be able to explain the difference between “two-way” and “three-way” speakers.

A

Two way - cabinets that use only one crossover network

Three way - uses two crossover networks

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30
Q

Explain advantages/disadvantages of the following: soffit-mounted speakers, large-gauge speaker wire and monitor tuning.

A

Large gauge speaker wire
Good for longer distances to lower wire resistance
Soffit mounted speakers
If soffit mounted, front wall should have a hard, smooth surface and speakers should be acoustically isolated from the surface
Monitor tuning
Adjusts speakers’ response to room’s acoustics so that adjusted frequency response curve will be reasonably flat

31
Q

Be able to name and describe the five types of non-MIDI timecode that we discussed.

A

30 frames per second – non drop code
a. First developed for monochrome video
b. Timecode display and length of realtime are all the same
c. Easy math
2.) 29.97 frames per second – NTSC (North American Television Standards)
a. In color
b. Could be either drop frame or non-drop frame.
c. When using drop frame, there are 108 frames dropped every hour
I. Every minute, two frames are omitted except on the tens
ii. Drop frame used when you have to lock to actual run time
d. Non drop frame – great for video editing because it’s more exact.
i. Not going to agree with realtime though.
e. Drop and non-drop are not compatible.
3.) 25 frames per second (EBU standards (European broadcast union))
a. Still uses 80 bit SMPTE word, but drop-frame is unnecessary.
4.) 24 frames per second (Film)
a. Universal
b. Can use any form of SMPTE timecode you want, you just have to be consistent (people at beginning of project decide usually.)
5.) Broadcast wave (not SMPTE)
a. .bwav (wav file with metadata)
b. Developed by Microsoft
c. Can embed SMPTE timecode into file
d. Will automatically snap to right position.

32
Q

What is the difference between a wave file and broadcast wave file?

A

Broadcast wave has metadata

33
Q

Give advantages of using MIDI time code in a facility.

A

Inexpensive
Can talk between pieces of gear - locks them together
Used for keyboards, sample libraries, tape sources, etc.
Can use physical data lines, usb, internal routing, etc.
Separate datalines than what is doing the actual audio.

34
Q

What are the parts of the MIDI timecode format? What message types are used?

A 
Two parts - timecode and midi cueing
Quarter frame messages
Realtime playback
4 messages per frame
Whenever we’re playing back
Will go forwards and backwards
Not as accurate as SMPTE timecode
Full Messages
When in shuttle mode
Fast forward, rewind
One message per frame
Cueing messages
Cues up next activity
35
Q

How is timecode used with an analog tape machine?

A

A character generator burns timecode addresses directly into video image of a worktape copy. Allows timecode to be easily identified

36
Q

What is “jam sync” and what are the two modes available?

A

Used when trying to recover deteriorated timecode signal - ‘jams’ new sync tone into spot
Freewheeling
1. Means you’re looking at the deteriorated timecode, find start of it, when make copy, timecode generator is making brand new timecode
2. Makes brand new stream
Continuous
1. Timecode generator reads old code, only fills in new numbers when it can’t find the old ones.
2. Fills in holes

37
Q

From our class discussions, be ready to discuss different mic placements, such as distant, close, ambient and accent. Why would you choose one over another for different instruments that we heard presentations about?

A 
Brass
Room mic if possible
For closer miking, stay out of airstream
Sax/other woodwinds
Over the shoulder technique
Mic keys?
Flute
Mic with an overhead
Stay out of airstream of player
Cello
Give time for sound to mature
Violin
Overhead mic
Also give time for sound to mature
Piano
2 mics, one on low strings and one on high
Or just one farther away
38
Q

Air compression

A

an audio signal processing operation that reduces the volume of loud sounds or amplifies quiet sounds thus reducing or compressing an audio signal’s dynamic range

39
Q

Air rarefaction

A

travels through one medium to another and bends depending on the medium, which changes the speed of sound

40
Q

Crossover

A

a type of electronic filter circuitry used in a range of audio applications, to split up an audio signal into two or more frequency ranges, so that the signals can be sent to drivers

41
Q

Q

A

the width of the EQ band

42
Q

Pad

A

Passive Attenuation Device; lowers volume level

43
Q

Partial

A

any of the sine waves of which a complex tone is composed, not necessarily with an integer multiple of the lowest harmonic

44
Q

Waveform

A

a curve showing the shape of a wave at a given time

45
Q

Period

A

Time it takes to complete a cycle

46
Q

Gain

A

the input level of the clips and volume is the output; the first control that the microphone signal goes through in a mixer

47
Q

Clipping

A

the maxing out of an acoustic sounded being processed by recording or audio technology; causes distortion in a recording

48
Q

Diaphragm

A

the component of the microphone capsule that vibrates in response to sound wave

49
Q

Driver

A

a sound card processes sound information for the computer and subsequently sends it to other audio devices such as headphones, microphone, and speakers connected to the machine

50
Q

Sampling Rate

A

how often a sound is recorded per second

51
Q

Quantizing

A

is the process of mapping input values from a large set (often a continuous set) to output values in a (countable) smaller set

52
Q

Wavelength

A

distance between two high or two low points of a wave

53
Q

Nyquist Frequency

A

tells the highest frequency a digital system will record and is determined by sample rate

54
Q

Bit Depth

A

correlates to the overall dynamic range of the recorded signal

55
Q

Transducer

A

device that converts one form of energy to another

56
Q

Reflection

A

sound bounces off at the opposite angle at which it hits an object

57
Q

Diffraction

A

when sound either bends around an object or travels through an object

58
Q

Diffusion

A

sound hits an object and when it bounces off, the waves scatter

59
Q

Phase

A

affects how recorded sounds interact with each other; if something is out of phase, it may sound like delay or some other weird effect

60
Q

Envelope

A

change in amplitude over time

61
Q

Beats

A

determined by the difference in frequency between two waves

62
Q

Directional Response

A

where a microphone picks up sound

63
Q

Frequency Response

A

the measure of any system’s output to an input signal of varying frequency

64
Q

Proximity Effect

A

bass frequencies increase the closer a sound source gets to a microphone

65
Q

MTC

A

midi time code; a way to sync using an extension of the original MIDI 1.0 spec; sent over separate data lines

66
Q

LTC

A

longitudinal time code; burns onto a tape as a biphase modulated square wave

67
Q

SMPTE

A

society of Motion Picture and Television Editors; tape and digital media doesn’t slip or change; address is hour:minute:second;frame location- more accurate due to subdivision

68
Q

LAN

A

Local Area Network integrates a server or computer and a couple of external drives, but allow data to be accessed and saved across multiple sites

69
Q

NAP

A

Network Access Points; a public network exchange facility where Internet Service Providers connected with each other in peering arrangements

70
Q

URL

A

Uniform Resource Locator; the way browsers receive and transmit information on the web- three parts: the protocol (http), the server name (www.___.com), and the requested page/file name

71
Q

EBU

A

European Broadcasting Union; an alliance of public service media entities comprised of government owned public service broadcasters or private stations

72
Q

NTSC

A

National Television System Committee; the analog television system that is used in North America

73
Q

PAL

A

Phase Alternating Line; color encoding system on analog TV

Studio Techniques II (1 decks)

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