Audio Engineering Principles Flashcards

What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in air at room temperature?

Answer: Wavelength decreases as frequency increases

Wavelength (λ) = speed of sound / frequency, so higher frequencies produce shorter wavelengths.

Which type of microphone polar pattern rejects sound equally from the sides and rear?

Answer: Cardioid

A cardioid pattern has maximum sensitivity at the front and greatest rejection at the rear (180°).

What does THD stand for in audio specifications?

Answer: Total Harmonic Distortion

Total Harmonic Distortion measures the ratio of harmonic overtones introduced by a device relative to the fundamental signal.

In digital audio, what is the Nyquist theorem's primary requirement?

Answer: Sample rate must be at least twice the highest frequency being recorded

The Nyquist theorem states that to accurately reconstruct a signal, the sample rate must be at least twice the highest frequency present.

What phenomenon occurs when two identical audio signals are combined but one is delayed by approximately 180° of phase?

Answer: Cancellation

When two signals are 180° out of phase, their peaks and troughs align inversely, causing destructive interference and cancellation.

Which gain structure setting is typically recommended for optimal signal-to-noise ratio in an analog signal chain?

Answer: Keep all faders at unity and adjust input gain to peak near 0 dBFS

Setting input gain so the signal peaks near the top of the operating range and keeping subsequent stages near unity minimizes noise accumulation.

What is the primary purpose of dithering in digital audio?

Answer: To add low-level noise that reduces quantization distortion when reducing bit depth

Dithering adds shaped low-level noise to mask quantization errors introduced when reducing bit depth, preserving perceived audio quality.