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Audio Engineering-Beginning
Beginning of semester
92
Engineering
Undergraduate 1
12/10/2008

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Cards

Term
What are the 4 steps of the recording process?
Definition
Preparation, Recording, Overdubbing, Mixing Down
Term
What are tie lines usually made of?
Definition
Copper
Term
What is preproduction?
Definition
Goals, budget, writing songs, practice, hiring, target audience, timeline, lawyer, advertising
Term
What is production?
Definition
Recording/Mixing
Term
What is mastering?
Definition
high end audio equipment, final tweaking and editing, levels, audio or visual
Term
Sound arrives at the ear in the form of periodic variations called _____ ________ ______.
Definition
Sound Pressure Waves
Term
What are some waveform characteristics? (7)
Definition
amplitude, frequency, velocity, wavelength, phase, harmonic content, envelope
Term
What is frequency?
Definition
The rate at which an acoustic generator, electrical signal or vibrating mass repeats within a cycle of positive and negative amplitude
Term
What is velocity?
Definition
Distance over time @ 68 deg. F
Term
V=?
Definition
1130 ft/sec
Term
What is wavelength?
Definition
Physical distance in a medium between the beginning and end of a cycle
Term
Wavelength=?
Definition
v/f

v=velocity
f=frequency
Term
What is diffraction of sound?
Definition
Sound bending around an object in a manner that reconstructs the signal back to it's original form in both FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE
Term
What is frequency response?
Definition
The charted output of an audio device
Term
What is phase?
Definition
How waveforms start in relativity to one another
Term
What is harmonic content?
Definition
Overtone frequencies that are whole-number multiples of the fundamental frequency
Term
What does an envelope consist of?
Definition
Attack
Sustain
Decay
Release
Term
What is a log?
Definition
Expression of differences in intensities between 2 levels
Term
dB SPL=?
Definition
20logSPL/SPLref
SPLref=.0002 dynes/cm2
Term
What is the threshold of hearing?
Definition
.0002 dynes/cm2
Term
When distance is doubled.....
Definition
SPL is reduced by 6
Term
What is voltage?
Definition
Pressure behind electrons in a wire
Term
dBv=?
Definition
20logV/Vref
Vref=.775 volts
Term
What is power?
Definition
Flow of electrons along a line over time
Term
dBm=?
Definition
10logP/Pref
Pref=1 milliwatt or .001 watt
Term
Microbars=
Definition
dynes/cm2
Term
What is the threshold of hearing?
Definition
.0002 dynes/cm2
Term
What is the threshold of feeling?
Definition
About 118 dB SPL and between 200Hz and 10kHz
Term
What is psycho-acoustics?
Definition
How and why the brain interperates a particular sound stimulus a certain way
Term
What is auditory perception?
Definition
The ear producing harmonic distortion that doesn't exist in the original signal whenever it is subjected to sound waves above a certain loundess level. This results in:
-beats
-combination tones
Term
What are beats?
Definition
what you hear when two tones differ only slightly in frequency and have approximately the same amplitude
Term
What are combination tones?
Definition
They result when two loud tones differ by more than 50Hz
Term
What is masking?
Definition
Phenomenon by which loud signals prevent the ear from hearing softer sounds
Term
What are 3 reflections telling the perception of space?
Definition
-Direct Sound
-Early Reflections
-Reverberation
Term
What is reverberation?
Definition
Randomly decaying set of sounds often heard after the source stops
Term
What is doubling?
Definition
Repeating a signal using a short delay of 4-20 ms, making you think there are 2 signal sources
Term
What are acoustics?
Definition
A science dealing with the production and effects of sound waves
Term
What is acoustic isolation?
Definition
Preventing sound from moving in or out of a space
Term
What is frequency balance in a room?
Definition
Allowing the room to not alter sound at all.
Term
What is acoustic separation?
Definition
Separating louder and softer instruments
Term
What do you want to keep in mind when dealing with studio acoustics?
Definition
Acoustic Isolation
Frequency Balance
Acoustic Separation
Reverberation
Cost
Term
What are 4 types of studios?
Definition
Professional
Audio-For-Visual
Project
Portable
Term
What factors do you need to deal with in a control room?
Definition
Acoustic Isolation
Symmetry
Frequency Balance
Transition Loss
Absorbtion
Reflection
Reverberation
Equipment Noise
Power Conditioning
Grounding Techniques
Term
What is the best and most solid material for building a studio?
Definition
Concrete
Term
What are 2 cost effective and efficient materials when building a studio?
Definition
Bricks, Gypsum
Term
What could you do to a studio floor to help acoustics?
Definition
Use hockey puck isolation mounts or rubber underlay
Term
What frequencies travel through barriers most easily?
Definition
Low Frequencies
Term
Reflective=_______, Absorbative=____
Definition
Live, Dead
Term
What could you do to regulate excess machine noise in your control room?
Definition
Replace fans
Regulate fan speeds
Install Hard Drive enclosures
Put computer in isolated alcove
Remote machinery
Term
Room should have flat frequency response and add no color to the sound. True or False?
Definition
True
Term
What is a quarter wavelength trap?
Definition
An enclosure with a depth that is 1/4 the wavelength of the offending frequencies fundamental frequency
Term
What is a pressure-zone trap?
Definition
Works on principle that sound pressure is doubled at large boundary points that are at 90 degree angles
Term
What is a functional trap?
Definition
Uses material generally formed into a tube or half-tube structure that is rigidly supported so as to reduce structural vibrations
Term
What are 3 components of reverberation?
Definition
Direct Signal
Early Reflection
Reverberation
Term
What are acoustic echo chambers?
Definition
Isolated room with highly reflective surfaces
Term
Wavelength=?
Definition
velocity(ft/sec)/frequency(hertz)
Term
How much does velocity increase with each degree in temperature?
Definition
1.1 foot/second
Term
What is velocity sometimes labeled instead of "v"?
Definition
C
Term
When frequency is doubled.....
Definition
...octave increases once
Term
Define deciBel
Definition
A logarhythmic value that expresses differences in intensities between two levels
Term
Define dBSPL.
Definition
Acoustic pressure that builds up within a defined atmospheric area
Term
What is timbre?
Definition
How harmonics affect the fundamental frequency
Term
What is high-transient?
Definition
Quick attack and release
Term
When one power is twice another, how much deciBel increase do you get?
Definition
6
Term
What is RMS?
Definition
Root Mean Square, the relative average of a complex waveform
Term
What is the peak of a waveform?
Definition
Top of wave x .707
Term
What is VU?
Definition
Volume Unit
Term
What is DBFS?
Definition
DeciBel Full Scale, Common meters in ProTools
Term
What is white noise?
Definition
All frequencies playing at equal intensities
Term
What is pink noise?
Definition
All frequencies playing at equal volume
Term
What is a Fletcher-Munson Curve?
Definition
Represents what our hearing is perceiving (SPL and frequency) at 83-85 dB
Term
A loudness level is also referred to as a ____ or a ____.
Definition
Sone, Phon
Term
What are the components of a channel?
Definition
Mic Pre
EQ
Fader
Routing Matrix
Output
Aux's
Term
What are the components of a mic pre?
Definition
Gain/Trim Knob
PAD
Phase Button
Phantom Power
(Mic/Line Switch)
Term
What is a dynamic microphone?
Definition
Piece is surrounded by wire that lays in magnet. Utelizes magnetic flux
Term
What are 3 types of microphones?
Definition
Dynamic, Ribbon, Condenser
Term
What is an omnidirectional polar pattern?
Definition
Picks up sound equally in all directions
Term
What is a cardioid polar pattern?
Definition
Flat top, vents on the side
Term
What is rolloff?
Definition
Measured at -3dB/octave points
Term
What is dynamic range?
Definition
Difference between max SPL and min SPL
Term
What is transient response?
Definition
How well the microphone responds to changing energies
Term
What do ohms measure?
Definition
Impedance
Term
What is a condenser microphone?
Definition
2 plates of opposite polarity, uses capacitative flux
Term
What type of microphone reacts best to energy changes?
Definition
Condenser
Term
What does T equal?
Definition
Toranado, +12 volts
Term
What microphones use Phantom Power?
Definition
Condenser
Term
Will phantom power affect a dynamic microphone? Ribbon?
Definition
No, Yes
Term
What is a D.I.?
Definition
Direct Injection, transformer and voltage/impedance converter, this can be passive or active
Term
0VU=___volts
Definition
.775
Term
dBm=dB___
Definition
u
Term
+4dBm=____volts
Definition
1.228
Term
Turning signal up by ___dB will double signal level.
Definition
3
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