CMP Study Guide 2026

Velocity is a MIDI data parameter that represents the speed and force with which a note is played. In the piano roll editor, it is typically displayed as a vertical bar associated with each note. Adjusting a note's velocity directly impacts its volume and can also trigger different sample layers or affect the timbre in many virtual instruments, mimicking the expressive dynamics of a real instrument.

Copyright law protects original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression, such as melodies, lyrics, and specific chord progressions. However, copyright does not protect mere ideas, concepts, or facts themselves. For an idea to be protected, it must be expressed in a concrete, original form, not just exist as a thought.

A perfect square wave's harmonic series consists only of the fundamental frequency and its odd-numbered harmonics (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.). This lack of even harmonics gives it a characteristic hollow or reedy sound, distinct from a sawtooth wave (which contains all integer harmonics) and a sine wave (which contains no harmonics).

A pop filter is a mesh screen placed between a vocalist and a microphone, specifically designed to mitigate harsh "p" and "b" sounds (plosives). These sounds create sudden bursts of air that can overload the microphone capsule, resulting in an undesirable "popping" noise in the recording. The pop filter diffuses these air blasts, ensuring a cleaner vocal take.

To legally use a sample from an existing recording, two separate permissions must be obtained. A license for the use of the sound recording (the 'master') must be secured from its owner (typically a record label), and a separate license for the use of the underlying composition (the notes and melody) must be secured from its owner (the songwriter's publisher). There is no legally defined length (like 6 seconds) that makes a sample exempt from clearance requirements.

A music producer typically earns royalties from the 'master recording,' which is the final mixed and mastered version of a song. These royalties are generated from the sale or licensing of this recording, including streams, digital downloads, and physical album sales. The producer's share is usually a negotiated percentage of the record label's net receipts or a per-unit fee.