PAT 201 MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Why is it important to record with as high a gain as possible? - Answer-When the gain is
as high as possible without distorting the sound, the signal to noise ratio will be most
optimal.
What is an envelope? Give an example of a type of envelope - Answer-A series of
events that occur from the beginning to the end of a sound.
Ex. ADSR Envelope (Amplitude Envelope): Attack time, decay time, sustain level, and
release time.
What does the Wet/Dry mix setting in an effects processor control? - Answer-The
balance between the mix of wet (affected) and dry (unaffected) sounds.
Describe the effect microphone placement can have on a source - Answer-The best
frequency response is generally achieved by pointing a microphone directly at a source,
but changing the position of the microphone can result in off-axis coloration, or a
change in balance between low and high frequencies. Changing the distance from a
source results in proximity effect. Proximity effect describes an increase in low
frequencies when a mic is placed within approximately two feet of a source.
What does EQ do? - Answer-EQ allows you to control the tone of the sounds you are
working with. EQ adjusts bass, treble, and midrange by turning certain frequency
ranges up or down (adjusts the frequency response).
What does reverb do? - Answer-Reverb adds a sense of room acoustics, ambience, or
space to sounds.
What does a compressor do? - Answer-Reduces gain when the input level hits a preset
level (threshold).
What is compression? - Answer-A technique that keeps the level of vocals or
instruments more constant so they are easier to hear in the mix, and prevents loud
notes that might peak and be clipped.
What is the difference between reverb and delay? - Answer-Reverb generates multiple
echoes of a sound that are too frequent and closely spaced for the ear to differentiate.
, Delay holds a signal in a memory chip and plays it back after a delay of anywhere
between 1 millisecond and 1 second. The separate repetitions in delay are discernable
by the human ear, unlike reverb.
How can you achieve a sense of space in recorded format compositions? - Answer-Add
reverb, or specifically, preverb.
What does automation do in logic? - Answer-Automation is the recording, playing back,
and editing of different parameters to create changes over time.
What parameters can you automate? - Answer-Volume, Pan, and any Effects
Parameters
Draw the polar patterns of different microphones and describe them - Answer-
Omnidirectional: Sensitive from any direction
Frequency - Answer-The number of cycles of a sound wave that occur in one second.
Usually measured in Hz (hertz) rather than cps (cycles per second)
Sample Rate - Answer-The number of times the analog to digital converter measures
the analog signal per second while recording.
Nyquist Theory - Answer-The upper frequency limit in a recording is one half the
sampling rate.
Bit Depth - Answer-Audio signal is measured thousands of times a second and
generates a string of binary numbers called words. The length of a word corresponds to
bit depth or resolution.
Why do we care about sample rate/bit depth? - Answer-Sample rate affects high
frequency response, and bit depth affects the dynamic range, noise and distortion. With
a low sample rate, high frequencies will be weaker, and with a low bit-rate dynamics will
be dulled, noise will be present, and a sample will be distorted. These concepts are very
important to the clarity and quality of sound. Low bit depth can also be utilized as an
effect.
Why are higher bit depths preferable? - Answer-The longer a word, the more bits it has
and the more accurate each signal measurement is. Longer words give good resolution
(low distortion), whereas short words give poor resolution (high distortion).
What is aliasing of high frequencies? - Answer-Aliasing is when the sampling rate is too
low and false data of the lower frequencies gets recorded. The higher frequencies are
then distorted with the lower frequencies, and incorrect signals are reproduced.
How does an analog-digital converter prevent aliasing? - Answer-An analog-digital
converter runs samples through a low pass filter that removes all frequencies above
AND ANSWERS
Why is it important to record with as high a gain as possible? - Answer-When the gain is
as high as possible without distorting the sound, the signal to noise ratio will be most
optimal.
What is an envelope? Give an example of a type of envelope - Answer-A series of
events that occur from the beginning to the end of a sound.
Ex. ADSR Envelope (Amplitude Envelope): Attack time, decay time, sustain level, and
release time.
What does the Wet/Dry mix setting in an effects processor control? - Answer-The
balance between the mix of wet (affected) and dry (unaffected) sounds.
Describe the effect microphone placement can have on a source - Answer-The best
frequency response is generally achieved by pointing a microphone directly at a source,
but changing the position of the microphone can result in off-axis coloration, or a
change in balance between low and high frequencies. Changing the distance from a
source results in proximity effect. Proximity effect describes an increase in low
frequencies when a mic is placed within approximately two feet of a source.
What does EQ do? - Answer-EQ allows you to control the tone of the sounds you are
working with. EQ adjusts bass, treble, and midrange by turning certain frequency
ranges up or down (adjusts the frequency response).
What does reverb do? - Answer-Reverb adds a sense of room acoustics, ambience, or
space to sounds.
What does a compressor do? - Answer-Reduces gain when the input level hits a preset
level (threshold).
What is compression? - Answer-A technique that keeps the level of vocals or
instruments more constant so they are easier to hear in the mix, and prevents loud
notes that might peak and be clipped.
What is the difference between reverb and delay? - Answer-Reverb generates multiple
echoes of a sound that are too frequent and closely spaced for the ear to differentiate.
, Delay holds a signal in a memory chip and plays it back after a delay of anywhere
between 1 millisecond and 1 second. The separate repetitions in delay are discernable
by the human ear, unlike reverb.
How can you achieve a sense of space in recorded format compositions? - Answer-Add
reverb, or specifically, preverb.
What does automation do in logic? - Answer-Automation is the recording, playing back,
and editing of different parameters to create changes over time.
What parameters can you automate? - Answer-Volume, Pan, and any Effects
Parameters
Draw the polar patterns of different microphones and describe them - Answer-
Omnidirectional: Sensitive from any direction
Frequency - Answer-The number of cycles of a sound wave that occur in one second.
Usually measured in Hz (hertz) rather than cps (cycles per second)
Sample Rate - Answer-The number of times the analog to digital converter measures
the analog signal per second while recording.
Nyquist Theory - Answer-The upper frequency limit in a recording is one half the
sampling rate.
Bit Depth - Answer-Audio signal is measured thousands of times a second and
generates a string of binary numbers called words. The length of a word corresponds to
bit depth or resolution.
Why do we care about sample rate/bit depth? - Answer-Sample rate affects high
frequency response, and bit depth affects the dynamic range, noise and distortion. With
a low sample rate, high frequencies will be weaker, and with a low bit-rate dynamics will
be dulled, noise will be present, and a sample will be distorted. These concepts are very
important to the clarity and quality of sound. Low bit depth can also be utilized as an
effect.
Why are higher bit depths preferable? - Answer-The longer a word, the more bits it has
and the more accurate each signal measurement is. Longer words give good resolution
(low distortion), whereas short words give poor resolution (high distortion).
What is aliasing of high frequencies? - Answer-Aliasing is when the sampling rate is too
low and false data of the lower frequencies gets recorded. The higher frequencies are
then distorted with the lower frequencies, and incorrect signals are reproduced.
How does an analog-digital converter prevent aliasing? - Answer-An analog-digital
converter runs samples through a low pass filter that removes all frequencies above
